Chapter Text
Okay, the start of this was completely accidental. Caitlyn didn't quite mean to say that, of course not, but it just sort of happened. She didn't even think about it when she said it. She didn't even know it was a part of her thought process.
That's the problem with this girl, isn't it? Caitlyn can never think around her, never does think.
Or well, it's not like she'd ever be thinking it in the first place, why would she? Right?
No, no. What had happened was she had been researching a recent case, sitting on her bedroom floor as Vi flitted around the room inspecting what Caitlyn had already gathered, brushing around her every few moments (some purposefully innocent wandering hands, she's sure) with comments here or there (that Caitlyn always wrote down).
And Caitlyn just happened to be so engrossed in her notes that she had said the first thing that came to mind, gesturing at Vi for her attention as she held out a hand expectantly towards Vi's approaching movements and stupidly said, "My dear, could you hand me the map?" like it was the most casual thing in the world.
But instead-
Silence. Pure silence...
And then even more embarrassingly, it look Caitlyn more than a moment to catch on to what she just said. She rose a brow in confusion, about to ask again, before connecting the pieces and her hand dropped like it was dead weight, whipping her head around to look at Vi who stared right back as shock flooded her system.
Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, body a bit tensed as she sat on her knees with a hand partially outstretched towards the map like it also took her a second to freeze. The expression would've been comical on the brawler and she probably would have patted herself on the back for it if it weren't for the fact she was wearing the exact same face.
Neither moved. Caitlyn didn't register anything but the shocked look on Vi's face and sound of her own heart pounding in her chest.
It wasn't the most surprising thing Caitlyn had ever said to her, not by a long shot. But it was definitely the most... intimate. Where did that even come from? Why had she even said that out loud? Why would she even think that? Could she even use that word to describe them? Were they even anywhere like that? Could they be-
Vi blinked. Caitlyn blinked.
And then Vi shifted, her expression shifted. From frozen shock and horror to a quickly stifled smile, which she tried to hide by turning away from Caitlyn's expression slightly. She huffed out a startled snort which turned into laughter, quiet but pure, leaning back on her heels as if she couldn't hold herself up anymore and as if her cheeks weren't as red as her hair right now. "Dear?" She questioned through a breath of laughter.
Caitlyn broke out of her shock as well at her laughter, leveling her now with an unimpressed look as her pounding heart slowed a tad, ignoring the way her lips turned up slightly. Caitlyn gave Vi a few more moments in her reverie before reaching over the grab the map Vi failed to hand to her and rolled her eyes at the still laughing girl (it really isn't fair how everything she does is attractive), going in for a smack none to lightly on the shoulder that didn't deter Vi at all, going for a hit again before a firm hand grabbed hers and held it.
Vi's eyes were sparkling with mischief and... sincerity, "Well, I never knew you had it in you, princess." And gave her signature cocky smirk just for good measure, leaning a bit nearer and pulling their hands closer to her chest.
With an involuntary reaction of a pretty girl getting close to her, Caitlyn ripped her hand out of Vi's with another blush as the other gave another chuckle, "Oh, sod off." Caitlyn said with a half-hearted flick of her previously held hand at Vi, once again grabbing her notes to actually try to get back to working.
Or working as well as she could. But this time was even harder and she didn't get quite as engrossed again, as all she needed to do was slightly turn her head to see Vi smiling at her from the corner of her eye.
'Dear' was one she would keep.