Chapter Text
Caitlyn told herself she wasn’t waiting for anything.
Her phone buzzed on the edge of her bed, and she ignored it. If it mattered, it would buzz again.
The mirror over her dresser reflected exactly what she’d intended - dark blue hair loose over her shoulders, eyeliner sharp, a fitted black top sitting just below her shoulders, hugging her curves exactly how she wanted it to.
She crossed her arms and gave herself a slow, assessing look. Not searching for flaws - there was no point in that - but confirming the absence of them. Everything was where it should be.
Satisfied, she reached for her phone.
Mel: Jayce says we’re leaving in ten.
Ekko: Vi’s “on her way.” Which means five minutes or fifty.
Mel: Which apartment are we meeting at again?
Caitlyn snorted softly.
Of course Vi was “on her way.” Caitlyn figured she’d probably been “on her way” since 8AM. Vi lived her entire life in quotation marks - never committing, never punctual, always technically en route to something she hadn’t decided she was even going to show up to yet.
Caitlyn typed back with one thumb as she rummaged through her makeup drawer with the other.
Caitlyn: Mine.
Caitlyn: Door’s unlocked.
She set the phone face-down again, deliberately not checking the time. Outside, the quad buzzed with Friday-night noise - laughter echoing up from below, someone shouting a name she didn’t recognize, music bleeding faintly from a nearby open window.
The sound scraped against her nerves in a way she refused to interrogate.
She usually wasn’t like this - she didn’t get restless before going out. But she also didn’t usually agree to go to new bars with new people; she liked knowing exactly how things would unfold and when.
This vague, humming anticipation was annoying.
She glanced back at the mirror anyway, applying the lipstick she had been searching for, a dark red color with purple undertones. A gift from her mother, imported from Ionia.
As she set the lipstick back down, she shook her head to herself.
Bars were overrated. They were loud, sticky, and full of people who confused volume for charisma. She’d agreed to go out tonight because Mel had insisted, because Jayce had sworn it would be “low-key,” and because Ekko had framed it as some kind of civic duty to prevent collective academic burnout.
And because Vi was going.
Caitlyn scoffed, already irritated by the internal admission.
She and Vi were not friends, that much was obvious. They didn’t operate on anything resembling warmth or mutual understanding. But they weren’t enemies either - not in a satisfying way, at least.
They existed in a constant state of friction, orbiting something unresolved, constantly pushing at each other just enough to keep things interesting and just far enough to keep them from collapsing entirely.
Vi, of course, was irritating by design. Loud where Caitlyn valued restraint; casual where Caitlyn preferred intention; sharp in a way that had nothing to do with book smarts and everything to do with perception. A scholarship student with chipped nails, a smart mouth, and an uncanny ability to see straight through Caitlyn’s composure with a single look.
Caitlyn hated that.
She hated that Vi never seemed impressed. That she could toss out a comment like a joke and leave Caitlyn stewing for hours afterward. That she noticed things Caitlyn went to great lengths to keep private.
She turned away from the mirror just as a knock hit the door.
“Come in,” she called.
Mel swept in first, already glowing like she’d just stepped off a billboard. Her outfit fit perfectly, tailored without ever looking try-hard. Jayce followed close behind, adjusting his jacket and offering Caitlyn an apologetic smile like he already sensed the tension in the room. Ekko trailed in last, eyes roaming Caitlyn’s apartment with open curiosity.
“Damn,” Ekko said. “Nice place, Cait.”
“Thank you.” Caitlyn nodded politely.
Jayce laughed then, quick and diplomatic. “You look great, Cait. Who are you trying to impress tonight?”
“What? Nobody,” Caitlyn replied, crossing her arms. “I always look like this.”
Ekko snorted. “That’s technically true. But you’re committing to it extra hard tonight.”
Caitlyn shot him a look. “I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.”
“It means,” Ekko said without apology, “you didn’t have to dress up that nice just to drink overpriced beer in a dark bar.”
Mel smiled, clearly entertained. “They’re not wrong,” she added. “But it is true - Caitlyn always looks stunning.”
“Thank you,” Caitlyn said, smoothing her top anyway. “Some of us maintain standards.”
Jayce lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m not arguing. Just observing.”
“Observe quietly,” Caitlyn said.
Mel laughed softly, just as the door swung open again, this time without a knock.
Vi walked in like she owned the place, shutting the door behind her a little harder than necessary.
Caitlyn’s friends all smiled and greeted her, but Caitlyn said nothing as she took in Vi’s appearance.
Dark jeans. A leather jacket. A worn t-shirt that had definitely seen better days. Pink hair pulled back just enough to keep it out of her face.
Caitlyn’s thoughts stalled for exactly one humiliating second, like her brain needed to recalibrate around Vi’s presence.
Then Vi grinned, her gaze slow and unapologetic as it dragged from Caitlyn’s boots to her collarbone.
“Damn. Didn’t realize pilates paid off like that, cupcake,” Vi said.
“You’re quite perceptive tonight.” Caitlyn scoffed, then paused. “And don’t call me that.”
Ekko rolled his eyes. “Okay,” he said, already backing toward the kitchen, presumably to raid Caitlyn’s liquor cabinet and take shots of some overpriced vodka. “Are you two even going to try to get along tonight?”
Jayce chuckled, then followed. “Of course they’re not.”
Mel lingered a beat longer, her gaze flicking between the two of them, amused and entirely unsurprised.
“We’ll be right back,” she said lightly, then turned down the hall after the others. Over her shoulder, she added, “Try not to kill each other.”
Neither Caitlyn nor Vi said anything, but they didn’t move, either.
Vi’s eyes dragged over Caitlyn again, and Caitlyn became acutely aware of her posture, her shoulders, the way she was standing.
“So,” Vi said, finally stepping out of the entry way. “Bar night, huh?” Her gaze dipped again, deliberate this time. “Maddie’ll be thrilled.”
Caitlyn’s spine went rigid. “Why would she be?”
Vi shrugged, careless to the point of mockery. “She’s always around. Kind of like if you had a little puppy.”
“Maddie is a friend,” Caitlyn said flatly.
“Sure,” Vi replied. “A friend who stares at your mouth like it owes her money.”
“That is not-” Caitlyn stopped herself, jaw tightening. “You’re projecting.”
“Am I?” Vi tipped her head. “I just assumed you liked the attention.”
Caitlyn scoffed again, but before she could fire back, footsteps sounded behind them.
Ekko emerged from the kitchen first, already grinning, a line of shot glasses balanced precariously in his hands. Jayce followed, flushed and laughing, with Mel behind him.
“Emergency intervention,” Ekko announced. “For whatever you two have going on.”
He handed a shot to Vi without ceremony. Jayce passed one to Caitlyn. Neither of them hesitated.
They tipped the glasses back in unison.
The burn hit hard and fast. Caitlyn barely reacted - just set the empty glass down with deliberate control - while Vi sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, eyes flashing briefly toward her like she was impressed in spite of herself.
Mel clapped her hands once, satisfied. “Alright,” she said. “We are leaving. Now. Before this becomes something I have to mediate.”
Ekko was already turning toward the door. “Still betting on Caitlyn starting it.”
Caitlyn grabbed her jacket and ignored him.
They spilled into the hallway, tension buzzing under her skin like static.
The walk across campus was brisk, autumn air biting pleasantly at her cheeks. Jayce and Ekko surged ahead, laughing, while Mel fell into step beside Caitlyn.
Vi stayed close behind.
“You okay?” Mel asked quietly.
“Fine.”
Mel’s smile said liar, but she didn’t push.
The Uber was cramped. Caitlyn ended up wedged between Vi and Mel. Almost immediately, Vi’s knee bumped hers.
Neither of them moved.
Caitlyn stared straight ahead, pulse loud in her ears. She could feel Vi’s warmth through the denim, sense the subtle shift of her weight - close enough to register, not close enough to be accidental.
This was stupid. She was overthinking. She always overthought.
The car rolled forward.
“You know,” Vi said casually, quietly in Caitlyn’s ear, “if Maddie’s there, I’m sure she’ll buy you a drink.”
Caitlyn turned on her. “Why do you care?”
Vi met her gaze, unbothered. “I don’t.”
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, but looked away first.
By the time they pulled up to the bar, her nerves were undeniably wound tight as the bass thudded through the pavement under her feet.
Ekko bounced, excited. “Alright. No school talk. No arguing. No drama.”
Vi smirked. “No promises.”
Caitlyn squared her shoulders.
Whatever this night turned into - whatever Vi thought she knew, whatever Maddie might or might not try, whatever Caitlyn absolutely was not feeling - she would handle it.
She stepped toward the door.
—-
Heat spilled out the moment the door opened, along with the smell of spilled alcohol, citrus, sweat, and something sweetly artificial that made the back of her throat itch.
She stepped inside and consciously slowed her pace to keep from flinching as someone brushed past her shoulder without apology.
The lighting was low and warm, the floor sticking faintly beneath her boots. Bodies pressed close together in uneven currents, shifting and colliding in time with the music. There was no sense of personal space at all.
Jayce and Ekko surged ahead toward the bar, already shouting something at each other over the music. Mel drifted a little to the side, scanning the room with practiced ease, eyes catching on exits, faces, movement.
Caitlyn stayed where she was for a moment, letting the noise wash over her, before she noticed Vi - much to her dismay, of course.
Vi hadn’t hesitated at all. She had slipped into the crowd like it was second nature, posture easy, already grinning at someone Caitlyn couldn’t see.
Caitlyn watched her move, irritated. She noticed the way people look at Vi -
Lingering glances, double takes. Someone who laughed a little too hard at something Vi said, someone else who bumped her hip “by accident” and didn’t apologize.
Caitlyn tore her gaze away and moved to claim a narrow stretch of space near the bar - close enough to feel the heat radiating off the crowd, far enough removed that Caitlyn wouldn’t immediately get jostled again.
Caitlyn stood still, posture impeccably straight, her hand resting lightly on the bar.
Vi drifted towards her, not touching her, just hovering a few inches away.
“Drink?” Vi asked, voice pitched low, casual.
“I can manage,” Caitlyn replied without looking at her.
Vi hummed, amused, and stepped away.
Good.
Caitlyn exhaled slowly, grounding herself.
She turned to scan the room again, deliberately not looking for Vi, and instead noticed the way people glanced at her - quick, curious looks, a few appreciative ones that lingered longer than necessary. She accepted them without reaction.
Still, she couldn’t help but be aware of Vi continuing to move through the crowd a few feet away, laughing at something Ekko said.
Caitlyn sighed, and had just started to settle - to convince herself that the noise was manageable, that Vi drifting in and out of her peripheral vision was something she could ignore - when someone called her name.
“Caitlyn!”
She turned and nearly collided with Maddie.
Maddie was smiling too brightly, eyes wide with the kind of enthusiasm that suggested she’d been waiting for this moment. She looked good, Caitlyn supposed - at least, she looked better than normal. Her hair was curled, makeup soft and deliberate, her outfit clearly chosen with care.
“Oh,” Caitlyn said, smoothing her expression into something polite. “Hello.”
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Maddie said, already leaning in, much too close. “I would have texted you.”
Caitlyn resisted the urge to step back. “It was a last-minute decision.”
Maddie beamed, like this was the best possible outcome. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Oh, no, I-”
Maddie was already turning toward the bar.
Caitlyn watched her go, irritation flickering briefly before she smothered it. She could have stopped her. She could have insisted she was fine, that she didn’t need anything, but she didn’t.
She waited where she was, posture perfect, acutely aware of the space Maddie’s absence created.
Caitlyn felt Vi behind her - the prickle at the back of her neck, the unmistakable sense of being watched. Still, Caitlyn didn’t turn around.
Maddie returned a moment later, triumphant, pressing a cold glass into Caitlyn’s hand. “Gin and tonic,” she said proudly. “With lime. I remembered.”
Caitlyn met her gaze. “Thank you. That was thoughtful.”
She took a sip.
The alcohol burned pleasantly. She let herself enjoy it, and relaxed the slightest bit as the edge of the night dulled.
Across the bar, Vi stepped into Caitlyn’s direct line of eyesight. If Caitlyn didn’t know any better, she would say it was an intentional move.
Caitlyn watched the way Vi’s posture shifted as Caitlyn drank, the way her mouth tightened just a fraction before she smoothed it back into something easy. Vi said something to Ekko that made him laugh, then turned away, already scanning the room.
And then she was gone again.
Caitlyn told herself she didn’t care.
Maddie was talking about a class she was struggling with, a professor who was impossible to please, and other nonsense that Caitlyn truthfully couldn’t care less about. Nonetheless, Caitlyn hummed in the right places, nodded when appropriate, and kept her expression open and engaged.
But her attention kept drifting anyway.
She felt it when Maddie stepped closer, when her hand brushed Caitlyn’s arm, tentative at first, then more confident when Caitlyn didn’t pull away.
“You look really nice tonight,” Maddie said, voice just a little softer. “You always do, but… tonight especially.”
“Thank you,” Caitlyn replied smoothly.
She took another sip, aware - acutely - of the way Maddie’s gaze lingered, and of the way she leaned in like she expected to be welcomed. Caitlyn let her.
This was easy, she thought. Maddie was warm and eager and entirely focused on her.
Still, she immediately noticed when Vi reappeared on the far side of the bar, engaged in conversation with someone new. She caught the flash of long red hair, the tilt of Vi’s head as she laughed, the way her body angled in like she was exactly where she wanted to be.
Something tightened low in Caitlyn’s chest.
She took another long sip and let Maddie keep talking.
Caitlyn told herself she was being ridiculous.
She’d had exactly one drink. Maddie was here, hopeful and attentive at her side, clearly thrilled to be there with her. There was no reason - none - for Caitlyn’s attention to keep drifting across the bar like a loose thread she couldn’t stop worrying about.
But of course Vi had found some girl.
Caitlyn watched and observed this mystery girl, who was tall and had confidence written all over her posture. She stood too close to Vi and spoke directly into her ear each time she said anything.
Caitlyn scowled internally.
Vi flirted. It was what she did. She’d always done it - Caitlyn had no claim here. No reason to watch the way Vi’s hand settled at the small of the girl’s back, fingers relaxed like they’d done this before.
Her body reacted anyway.
Maddie laughed at something Caitlyn said, something Caitlyn didn’t remember saying, and reached for her wrist again. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” Caitlyn replied automatically. Then, after a beat, “It’s just loud.”
Maddie nodded, sympathetic, and leaned in closer so Caitlyn could hear her better. Caitlyn let it happen, let Maddie’s arm brush against hers, let the closeness ground her.
Across the bar, Vi laughed again.
The red-haired girl - Sarah, someone nearby murmured - said something that made Vi grin, teeth flashing in the low light. Vi leaned in, close enough that Caitlyn could see Sarah’s hand curl into the fabric of Vi’s jacket.
Something sharp twisted in Caitlyn’s stomach again.
She finished her drink and let Maddie order another without protest. When Maddie handed it to her, their fingers brushed, and Maddie smiled like it meant something.
“You’re fun tonight,” Maddie said, a little breathless.
Caitlyn almost laughed.
She took a heavy sip instead, letting the alcohol burn its way down.
Vi’s attention was fully on Sarah now. They were closer than before, bodies angled inward, heads bent together. Vi’s hand was still at Sarah’s back, thumb tracing a lazy, thoughtless line that made Caitlyn’s jaw clench.
Vi looked pleased. Relaxed. Like she was enjoying herself. Caitlyn hated that more than she expected.
She looked away sharply, heat crawling up her neck. This was absurd. She refused to be rattled by Vi’s inability to exist in a room without flirting with any hot girl who looked her way.
She leaned closer to Maddie, deliberately closing the space, and touched Maddie’s arm when she laughed.
Maddie beamed, encouraged.
Caitlyn was painfully aware that this was a horrible choice.
She was also painfully aware, however, that Vi had seemed to notice Caitlyn’s movements.
She heard the way Vi’s laughter cut off mid-sentence, and Caitlyn looked up and met Vi’s gaze across the room.
Vi’s expression flickered - something sharp, assessing - before she grinned and leaned even closer to Sarah, hand sliding lower, touch more obvious.
Fine.
If Vi wanted to play some messed up game, Caitlyn could play, too.
The music shifted into something heavier, slower, the bass dragging instead of bouncing. The crowd responded immediately, bodies pressing closer, and Maddie reached for Caitlyn’s hand.
“Dance with me?” she asked, hopeful.
Caitlyn hesitated, feeling Vi’s attention snap into focus from across the room, before she nodded.
“Alright.”
They moved toward the center of the bar where the air was hotter and the lights cut low across faces and shoulders. Maddie’s hands settled at Caitlyn’s waist, careful at first, then more confident when Caitlyn didn’t pull away.
Caitlyn let herself sway. Maddie followed her lead easily, smiling up at her like this was everything she hoped for.
Across the room, Vi watched.
Not subtly anymore.
Caitlyn caught it in pieces - the way Vi’s head turned, the way her gaze tracked Caitlyn’s movements even while Sarah was talking. Sarah noticed too, eventually, following Vi’s gaze. She said something Caitlyn couldn’t hear, eyebrows lifting as she glanced over.
Vi laughed it off.
She stepped closer to Sarah, hands more possessive now, movements exaggerated just enough to be unmistakable. She danced too - looser, rougher, less contained. Her body moved with the music instead of against it, hips rolling.
Caitlyn’s jaw tightened, and she mirrored her.
She let Maddie pull her closer, let her hands slide higher, let herself lean in and laugh softly into Maddie’s ear. She was hyperaware of every movement now - of how it must look from across the room.
This was no longer about enjoying the music. Hell, it never was.
This was a message.
Vi escalated next.
She spun Sarah under one arm, smirking when Sarah stumbled into her chest. Her hands lingered, and she dipped her head close, whispering something low that Sarah flushed in response to.
Caitlyn could beat that.
She slid her hand up Maddie’s back, fingers splayed, touch deliberate. Maddie gasped softly, clearly pleased, and leaned into it without hesitation.
Their eyes met again.
The look Vi gave her this time was different - less amused, more intent. Something dark flickered there, something that made Caitlyn’s pulse jump despite herself.
Neither of them looked away.
Vi mouthed something against Sarah’s ear again that made her laugh breathlessly. Caitlyn countered by dipping her head, brushing her lips against Maddie’s temple - nothing overt, nothing she couldn’t explain away if pressed.
Vi scowled for half a second, before sliding her hands to Sarah’s hips, drawing her in until there was no space left between them.
Then, there was no warning. No hesitation. One moment she was smirking at Sarah, the next she was reaching up, hand firm at the back of Sarah’s neck, pulling her in with unmistakable intent.
She kissed her.
Caitlyn felt it like a slap.
Her breath left her lungs in a sharp rush, her chest tightening painfully as the room tilted just a fraction to the left.
Fuck.
Before she could stop herself, before she could think better of it, she kissed Maddie.
It was harder than she meant it to be. Her hand came up to Maddie’s jaw, fingers pressing just enough to make the point. Maddie made a small, surprised sound before melting into it, hands tightening at Caitlyn’s waist.
Caitlyn didn’t close her eyes. She kissed Maddie deeply, staring at Vi.
And Vi was watching.
Vi’s mouth was still on Sarah’s, but her attention had snapped cleanly away, eyes locked on Caitlyn with an intensity that made her stomach drop. For an impossible moment, nothing else existed - not the music, not the crowd, not Maddie.
Just Vi.
Then, everything came rushing back.
Caitlyn pulled back first with a gasp.
The movement was abrupt enough that Maddie stumbled slightly, confusion flashing across her face. Caitlyn barely registered it. Her hands were shaking, fingers curling uselessly at her sides.
“I- sorry,” she said, already stepping back. “I need- excuse me.”
She didn’t wait for a response.
She turned away, heart pounding, pulse loud in her ears, and pushed through the crowd with more force than she’d like to admit.
She didn’t stop.
She caught sight of Vi again through the crush of people - still with Sarah, though not kissing her anymore.
Something hot and reckless coiled tight in Caitlyn’s gut.
Anger was easier than anything else. And anyway, this wasn’t about jealousy, she told herself. It was about principle.
Vi noticed her too late.
Caitlyn reached her and grabbed her wrist.
Vi startled and turned sharply, already opening her mouth with something flippant on the tip of her tongue.
“We need to talk,” Caitlyn said, sharpening her gaze.
Vi blinked once, surprise flashing across her face before it smoothed into something wary and amused. “Uh-”
“Now,” Caitlyn added, tightening her grip just enough to make the point.
Sarah stared between them, clearly confused. “Is everything okay?”
Caitlyn didn’t look at her.
Vi did, briefly, mouth curling like she was about to say something reassuring, or perhaps something charming. Caitlyn didn’t give her the chance.
She tugged.
Vi stumbled half a step, then let herself be pulled, eyebrows lifting like she was more intrigued than alarmed. “Wow,” she said, breathless with laughter as Caitlyn dragged her through the crowd. “You gonna at least buy me dinner first?”
“Shut up,” Caitlyn snapped, without heat, without humor.
Vi, for once in her life, listened.
They moved fast - past the bar, past a confused Jayce and a very interested Ekko, past Mel, who caught Caitlyn’s eye for half a second and looked frustratingly unsurprised.
Caitlyn shoved open the heavy back door and hauled Vi through it.
The noise cut off abruptly.
Cold air slapped Caitlyn in the face, sharp and bracing, the alley dimly lit and smelling faintly of damp concrete and cigarette smoke. The door swung shut behind them with a dull thud, muffling the music to a distant pulse.
—-
As soon as they made it outside, Vi wrenched her wrist free, leaned back against the brick wall and smirked.
Their breaths fogged faintly in between them as Caitlyn turned to face Vi, standing just a few inches in front of her.
“What the hell was that?” she snapped.
Vi laughed softly, the sound puffing white into the air. “Wow. Straight to it, huh?”
“Oh, please,” Caitlyn said sharply. “You don’t have anything to say about what happened in there?”
Vi pushed off the wall, straightening as she scoffed.
“You dragged me outside,” Vi said. “I figured you’d be the one with something to say.”
“You were being an asshole,” Caitlyn said.
Vi’s mouth quirked. “Was I?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn said, without hesitation. “You were-” She cut herself off, jaw tightening. “You know exactly what you were doing.”
Vi studied her for a moment, head tilted, eyes bright even in the low light. “Funny,” she said. “Because you were watching me the whole night. And nobody made you do that.”
Caitlyn’s chest flared hot with anger. “That is not the point.”
“It kind of seemed like the point from where I was standing.”
“Where you were standing?” Caitlyn laughed, sharp and humorless. “You mean with your hands all over that girl?”
Vi shrugged, all too casual. “You had your hands all over Maddie.”
“That’s not-” Caitlyn stopped, breath catching. She exhaled through her nose, reined herself in. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to-”
“Flirt?” Vi supplied. “Dance? Have some fun?”
“Don’t be obtuse.”
“I’m not,” Vi said easily. “I’m just confused. You looked like you were having a good time.”
“Well, I wasn’t.” Caitlyn took a step closer before she could stop herself. “You knew I was watching,” she said. “And you kept doing it anyway.”
Vi’s smile flickered, just a fraction, something darker sliding into its place.
“Doing what, cupcake?”
Caitlyn ignored Vi’s question and pressed on before she could lose her nerve. “You looked at me every time you touched her. Like you wanted to see how far you could push it.”
Vi didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied Caitlyn, looking her up and down.
“You know what I think?” Vi finally asked.
Caitlyn didn’t answer.
“I think you just like control,” Vi said. “I know you hate when you lose it. And you’re pissed that you couldn’t control what I was doing in there tonight.”
“Oh, that’s rich.” Caitlyn bit out. “You think that’s what that was?”
Vi hesitated.
Caitlyn crossed her arms defensively, voice tight. “Either way, you didn’t have to make a spectacle of it.”
Vi’s brows knit together. “Of what?”
“This,” Caitlyn said, gesturing sharply between them. “Whatever game you thought you were playing.”
Vi scoffed again.
The alley felt too quiet all at once. Caitlyn was suddenly acutely aware of how close they were - close enough to see the faint crease between Vi’s brows, close enough to feel the heat radiating off her despite the cold.
Vi took a step forward; Caitlyn held her ground.
“You dragged me out here,” Vi said, voice lower now, stripped of its teasing edge. “So if anyone was making a spectacle, that was you.”
“That’s not true,” Caitlyn said, jaw tightening. “You don’t get to turn this around on me.”
Vi’s mouth curved, slow and deliberate. “Looks like I already did.”
Caitlyn’s breath hitched, traitorous and sharp. “You wanted a reaction,” Caitlyn said. “And you got one.”
Vi’s smile darkened. “Did I?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn snapped. “You knew exactly where I was standing all night. You knew I was watching.”
“And I knew you kept watching,” Vi added smugly.
Caitlyn swallowed. Her arms were still crossed, but the posture felt flimsy now.
“Yes, well, you were watching too, you know,” Caitlyn said, the edge in her voice sharper now. “You don’t get to do that and then pretend it’s my problem.”
Vi’s expression shifted suddenly, and she stepped in before Caitlyn could respond - caught her by the arm, turned them both in one smooth motion, and pressed Caitlyn back against the brick where Vi had been standing seconds earlier.
Caitlyn sucked in a breath.
Vi leaned closer, voice low and rough. “Alright, fine, I was watching you. But I know you liked it, or else you would’ve stopped.”
“You don’t get to decide what that meant,” Caitlyn said, though the words came out thinner than she liked.
Vi leaned in just enough that their breaths tangled.
“Then tell me,” she said. “What did it mean?”
Caitlyn opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“Were you jealous, cupcake?” Vi teased.
Caitlyn scoffed, but the sound came out thinner than she intended again. “I don’t get jealous, Violet.”
Vi stilled, just for a second. Her eyes darkened at the sound of her full name, something unreadable flickering there.
Caitlyn noticed - and smiled, mockingly. “What?” she asked lightly. “You don’t like when I use a name no one else gets to?”
Vi exhaled through her nose. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Kiramman.”
Caitlyn’s smile sharpened. “I make a habit of it,” she said.
Vi’s eyes lingered on Caitlyn’s mouth for half a second too long.
It was subtle, but Caitlyn caught it - and something in her stomach tightened in response.
Vi huffed a quiet laugh, low and breathless. “You’re really standing here pretending you don’t feel it?”
“Feel what?” Caitlyn asked, rolling her eyes.
“This.” Vi shifted her weight forward. “Whatever the hell this is.”
Caitlyn froze and opened her mouth, but her words failed her once again.
“Vi-” Caitlyn finally started.
Vi leaned in then, quickly, and kissed her, effectively cutting her off.
It wasn’t tentative or soft like most of Caitlyn’s past first kisses, it was decisive in the way Vi did everything.
For half a second, Caitlyn didn’t know what to do.
Her brain screamed objections: timing, public, pride.
Then her hands were in Vi’s jacket, gripping tight, pulling her closer like she’d been waiting for this - and who was she kidding, she had been.
The kiss deepened immediately: heat surging, breath hitching, Vi’s mouth sliding against hers. Caitlyn kissed back hard, teeth grazing, frustration bleeding straight into want.
Vi made a low sound against her mouth, pleased, like she’d just won an argument she’d known she’d win.
They broke apart only when Caitlyn’s lungs burned for air, their foreheads hovering inches apart, breath tangled.
Vi smiled again - but this time, it wasn’t teasing.
“Still wanna tell me you didn’t get jealous?” she murmured.
Caitlyn didn’t answer.
She was still pressed to the wall, pulse racing, hands tight in Vi’s jacket like she might disappear if Caitlyn let go. She dragged in a breath and steadied herself.
Then she said, very evenly, “Come home with me.”
Vi blinked once. Then she laughed, delighted. “That’s it?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn said. “Now.”
Vi didn’t hesitate.
She leaned in once more, just enough to brush her mouth against Caitlyn’s, quick and promising. “Lead the way, Cupcake.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, but her hand was already in Vi’s, pulling her towards the street.