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Jinx isn’t known for her good decision making. She’s a 19 year old with a penchant for chaos and is way too cocky for her own good. So, when she ends up at a party with a ton of people her age and a little older, she realizes she’s in a lot deeper than she had anticipated.
The party was being thrown by a friend from her class, George. He initially said it would be a typical house party (which didn’t really help Jinx gauge how many people would be there since she had never been to a house party before), but when Jinx arrived in Piltover via an Uber, said “house” ended up being a fucking mansion.
She wasn’t sure what to wear to a Piltie party, even if it wasn’t one of those fancy-shmancy events. She wound up settling on something she’d usually wear anyways: a black leather halter top, ripped jeans with a red wash, and her beat up high-top converse. In a last minute decision, Jinx grabbed a hoodie on her way out of her apartment in case it got cold.
When she stepped inside of George’s house, Jinx immediately felt out of place. Not because of her attire, no. But because everywhere she looked, someone was snorting some kind of substance. Sheesh. The movies never depicted this. Jinx had assumed there would be alcohol, but to see people her age stumbling around with blown pupils and shuddering jaws made her feel like she was in The Walking Dead.
15 minutes. She gave it 15 minutes. Hiding out near the drinks table with a cup of punch that she sipped one time, Jinx observed the party that was currently in full swing. A hoard of 20-somethings were dancing in the living room as the music pulsed so loudly that Jinx felt like she was suffocating.
She’s glad she didn’t tell Vi about this. She really doesn’t want a chewing out from her older sister. An “I told you so” speech. The thought alone makes Jinx’s skin crawl. But she also really doesn’t want be here any more.
Jinx pulls out her phone to check the time and winces when she realizes how lame it is to leave a party this early in. With a sigh, she navigates to the Uber app. Just her luck, the only available driver is 30 minutes away. She’s not so sure she wants to be here for another 30 minutes. No Uber, she can’t text Vi, and she doesn’t really have any other reliable friends, which only leaves one option. The one person who happens to live in Piltover and could pick her up immediately. The one person who she knows would pick her up immediately.
When Caitlyn first came into the picture, Jinx despised her. She had feared that by becoming Vi’s best friend, Caitlyn was going to take Vi away from Jinx. That she would take up all of Vi’s time, and then Vi would leave Jinx all over again.
But that didn’t happen. No, if anything Caitlyn makes Vi… happier. Which means Vi doesn’t nag Jinx as much. Caitlyn isn’t so bad to be around, either. Sure, she’s an uptight rich girl with a British accent, but for some reason, she’s always been kind to Jinx. Even when Jinx provokes her and tries to get under her skin.
It’s been a year of Caitlyn being in the sisters’ lives, and Jinx has decided that Caitlyn is cool people. Not that she would ever tell Caitlyn. She has a reputation to uphold.
Begrudgingly, Jinx opens up her text messages and clicks on the contact:
❌ Caitlyn DNI ❌
Her text is brief and reeking of reluctance.
“yo, cupcake. u up? i have a favor to ask u”
Caitlyn’s reply comes a minute later.
“I’m awake. What do you need?”
Jinx can’t help but roll her eyes at how quickly the older woman replied, though it does make her smile. Just a bit.
“so i’m actually in piltover rn at a party but, uh… it sucks. i was wondering if u could pick me up”
Caitlyn’s text somehow arrives even faster, delivering mere seconds after Jinx sent hers.
“Of course. Where are you?”
Jinx breathes a slight sigh of relief. She copies the address from the invitation George sent her and pastes it into a new message to Caitlyn.
“2344 Highland Dr, Piltover, RT.”
Caitlyn gives a "thumbs up" reaction to the address, and a few moments later, she replies:
“On my way.”
Caitlyn had been curled up on the couch watching old Hollywood movies when Jinx first texted. Caitlyn’s not usually awake at this hour, but something had been keeping her up. Maybe it was intuition.
Already in her pajamas and ready for bed, Caitlyn throws a sweatshirt over her purple satin tank top and slips on a pair of trainers. It’s a peculiar look, but that doesn’t matter to her. Not now. Caitlyn doesn’t bother to hide the urgency in her movements as she grabs her keys and hurries out the door.
Jinx doesn’t ask her for favors. Ever. Which either means her and Jinx are making progress with their friendship, or Jinx is feeling desperate. Or maybe both.
Jinx “thumbs up”s Caitlyn’s message in return and pockets her phone. Clutching her red solo cup uncomfortably, she looks back out into the crowd. She knows Caitlyn will be able to get here in under five minutes, so she decides she might as well wait outside. No reason to stick around all the coke-heads.
On her way out, Jinx tosses her nearly full drink into the trash can. Shoving her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, she stands outside on the sidewalk waiting for Caitlyn’s stupid, gay Subaru to pull up. Thankfully, the night air isn’t too chilly, meaning Jinx can leave her hoodie unzipped.
It takes three minutes for Caitlyn to arrive. She parks parallel to the curb directly in front of Jinx and rolls down the passenger window. The older woman has the silliest look of concern on her face. You would have thought someone died.
"You alright?" Caitlyn calls out as she leans across the center console, one hand on the steering wheel.
The corner of Jinx’s lips quirk up into an amused smirk as she approaches the car.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Jinx says dismissively, brushing off Caitlyn’s concern. She takes one hand out of her pocket to open passenger door and hops in. Once buckled, she allows her eyes to roam Caitlyn’s form. She’s in her pajamas and isn’t wearing any makeup.
“Did I wake ya?” Jinx asks with a lopsided smile that does well to mask the pang of guilt she feels at the thought of waking Caitlyn up in the middle of the night. Caitlyn is a grade A certified workaholic, and Jinx knows that it takes a toll on her both mentally and physically. If anyone needs a full eight hours of rest, it’s Caitlyn.
Caitlyn rolls the window back up as Jinx gets into the car, and she straightens in her seat. “No, you didn’t. I was watching a movie,” Caitlyn reassures Jinx, shifting to put the car in drive. While pulling away from the curb and onto the road, she adds, “It’s not a big deal.”
Jinx accepts her answer and nods wordlessly before turning her head to stare out the passenger side window. She puts her other hand back in her jacket pocket, flexing her fingers in the warmth of the material. She should probably say thank you. She doesn’t want to. Gods, she really doesn’t want to. But before she can overthink it too much, she mutters, “Thanks.”
"It’s not a problem, Jinx," Caitlyn responds softly. She keeps her eyes on the road, but after a moment, risks a sidelong glance at the younger woman. If Jinx were looking in Caitlyn’s direction, she would have laughed at the sight of Caitlyn’s pensive frown.
There’s a few beats of silence until Caitlyn speaks up tentatively. “Did… something happen at the party? You seemed pretty eager to leave.”
Jinx had been expecting the question. Caitlyn has always been nosy. Probably cause she’s a paralegal or whatever - it’s her job to do research and gather information. But it could be because Caitlyn actually cares. Eh. Likely the former. Either way, Jinx is dead-set on downplaying her discomfort. She’s a badass. A little party doesn’t scare her.
“There were just a buncha lame-o’s doing drugs ‘n stuff. Ruined the vibe,” Jinx offers nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders, still gazing out the car window.
With her eyebrows knit together and her frown even more pronounced than before, Caitlyn’s concern is now radiating off of her. She glances at Jinx again, her grip on the steering wheel tightening ever so slightly.
“I see,” she attempts to say casually while keeping her tone measured. The last thing Caitlyn wants is for Jinx to shut down in response to Caitlyn potentially overreacting. “How did you hear about the party, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Jinx huffs in mild exasperation at the reminder. “Some kid in my class named George. He said it was gonna be a house party. Real ‘lowkey’ - bullshit. There was, like, a gazillion people there.”
Caitlyn hums in acknowledgment and files away that name for later. She begins drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as they continue to drive through the dimly lit city streets. “Sounds like this ‘George’ character wasn’t very honest with you.”
Jinx lets out a scoff and finally spares a glance over at Caitlyn. “Yeah. I shoulda known, though. Some Piltie kid in a Zaun trade school? Can only trust ‘em as far as you can throw ‘em.”
Caitlyn bristles at the way Jinx spits out the term “Piltie” like it’s the most abhorrent thing a person can be. Nonetheless, she bites her tongue. She wants Jinx to feel comfortable opening up to her, even if it means sidelining her own opinions for the time being.
“Why did you go to the party, then?” Caitlyn inquires further. “If you didn’t think you could trust him.”
Jinx uses her hands in her pockets to wrap her jacket tighter around her body. Not for any particular reason. She’s just fidgety and restless like she always is.
“Dunno,” Jinx mumbles lamely, her eyes briefly lingering on the side of Caitlyn’s face before she returns her attention to the blur of houses outside. “I’ve never been to a party. Wanted to see what it was like, I guess.”
Caitlyn doesn’t miss Jinx’s change in demeanor, the bluette going from aggravated to sheepish. Treading carefully, Caitlyn continues to gently pry. “What were the people there like?”
“I didn’t really talk to anyone,” Jinx admits quietly, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her lack of social prowess. “But I don’t think half the people there would have been able to maintain a conversation, anyways. They all looked… weird.”
The answer is expected given that Jinx had described the partygoers as being on drugs, but it still makes Caitlyn’s heart ache knowing that Jinx had such a negative experience.
Caitlyn decides to push her luck further “They looked weird, how?”
Jinx looks at Caitlyn out of the corner of her eye so that she can examine the older woman’s body language. Jinx has always prided herself on being perceptive. Observant. Caitlyn, however, is one tough nut to crack. Jinx never seems to be able to get a read on her. Or, when she thinks she’s got it, she’s usually wrong.
Right now is no different. Caitlyn’s stoic-ass expression isn’t telling Jinx anything.
Jinx lets out another annoyed huff and looks back out the window. “They could barely walk straight and their eyes were all wonky. Plus, their faces kept twitching. It was gross.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Caitlyn winces sympathetically as she pulls onto the on-ramp of the freeway. “And you? Did you have anything to drink?”
This gets a snort of wry laughter out of Jinx. She turns her head to properly look at Caitlyn for the first time since entering the car, one eyebrow arched and her signature smirk playing on her lips. “Is this an interrogation, officer? I think you’re supposed to read me my rights.”
Caitlyn resists the urge to roll her eyes. She isn’t surprised in the least by Jinx’s attempt at deflection. To be fair to the girl, Jinx has clearly had a rough night. Rough enough that she was forced to ask Caitlyn for assistance. Caitlyn can let the snarky quip slide without comment.
In an effort to deescalate, Caitlyn keeps her response short and sweet. “It’s simply a question, Jinx.”
Jinx has no problem rolling her eyes and shakes her head in both amusement and irritation. “I had, like, a sip of some punch. I was only there for 15 minutes, Cupcake. You can breathalyze me if you want, but I’m as sober as sober gets.”
A small sigh escapes Caitlyn, and she feels some of her tension release. She gives an almost imperceptible nod. Though Jinx can handle her liquor - Caitlyn’s seen it a few times during karaoke nights with Vi and Ekko, Caitlyn has every reason not to trust whatever was being served at the party.
Jinx watches as Caitlyn pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and chews on it. She can practically see the internal battle warring in Caitlyn’s mind over whether or not to keep digging for more details. Caitlyn seems to decide against it if the uncomfortable quiet that descends upon the car is any indication. The only sounds filling the air are the thrumming of the engine and the ticking of the blinker when Caitlyn merges into the passing lane.
Jinx is the one to break the silence, this time apprehensively. She’s no longer smirking.
“You’re not gonna tell Vi, right?”
Caitlyn peers curiously at Jinx from her peripheral vision, meeting Jinx’s gaze for a moment before she has to return her eyes to the road. “No, Jinx. I’m not going to tell Vi.”
Jinx is visibly relieved by this, but tries to feign indifference. Hands still in her jacket pockets, she sinks into the passenger seat and nods. “Cool… cool.”
Jinx, feeling a little lighter now that she knows Caitlyn won’t go blabbing to her older sister, leans against the car door. She tilts her head to rest on the window and relishes in press of the cold glass against her temple. It’s soothing, in a strange way.
Since there isn’t much to look at on the freeway other than cement and more cement, Jinx’s gaze drifts over to Caitlyn once again. She allows her eyes to trace the outline of the older woman’s profile being illuminated by passing streetlights. If there was music playing, Jinx is positive this scene would be cinematic as hell.
Caitlyn has the face of a movie star, that’s for sure. It’s not something Jinx has thought too much about, but it would be stupid for her to deny that Caitlyn is hot. Like, really hot.
Jinx remembers the strange, unidentifiable feeling that stirred within her when Vi first assured Jinx that she and Caitlyn weren’t interested in each other like that. She could identify the feeling of a weight being lifted off of her chest, but Jinx chalked that up to the fact that she hadn’t lost Vi to Caitlyn. She never thought to question the other, lighter feeling akin to relief, but not quite.
With her violet eyes mindlessly flitting across Caitlyn’s features, drinking in the raw beauty of the older woman, Jinx’s lips slowly curve up.
Caitlyn casts a glance over to Jinx upon sensing the bluette’s gaze boring into the side of her head. To Caitlyn’s surprise, Jinx is smiling at Caitlyn. Not smirking, or sneering, or grinning mockingly. Just smiling. And pleasantly, at that.
She doesn’t know why, but Caitlyn begins blushing under the attention. Clearing her throat, Caitlyn tries distracting from her flustered reaction by unnecessarily switching lanes.
“We should be there soon,” she informs Jinx bluntly as she checks her mirrors.
Jinx’s earnest smile widens when she spots the tips of Caitlyn’s ears turning red. Huh. Pretty cute. In checking the mirrors, Caitlyn reveals the additional redness coloring her cheeks. Even cuter.
“Sounds good, Cupcake.”
Jinx reluctantly tears her eyes away from Caitlyn’s face to look at the exit signs lining the road.
EXIT 2E
DOWNTOWN ZAUN
1/4 MILE
Damn. They really are getting close. Oddly enough, Jinx feels slightly disappointed. The car ride thus far has been relatively peaceful, and admittedly, a little enjoyable. On good days, Jinx finds Caitlyn’s presence to be grounding. Steady and consistent. Even though tonight has been anything but “good,” Caitlyn coming to Jinx’s rescue is testament to the older woman’s reliability. Especially in times of need.
Jinx lifts her head from the window with a soft sigh and stretches her legs out in the spacious footwell. Maybe Caitlyn’s stupid, gay Subaru is good for something.
With their exit coming up, Caitlyn moves into the furthest right lane. Her flush is finally starting to recede, which Caitlyn considers to be perfect timing as they roll to a stop at the bottom of the off-ramp. As she waits for the light to turn green, Caitlyn’s sneakered foot holds down the brake pedal. She wants to look at Jinx. She does. But part of her is worried her body is going to betray her by blushing again.
Jinx notices Caitlyn’s thumbs running over the threaded seams of the leather steering wheel in a rhythmic motion. As if Caitlyn is self-soothing.
“Do ya think you’re gonna finish your movie when you get home?” Jinx asks right as green light floods into the car through the windshield. She’s not usually one for small talk, but she’s itching to fill the silence. Might as well make the most of the last couple of minutes she’s going to get with Caitlyn. That is, until Jinx inevitably sees her again by way of Vi or some social gathering.
“Likely not,” Caitlyn responds and resumes driving. Jinx recognizes the McDonalds on the corner and smothers a grin at the memories that come flooding back.
Jinx, Vi, and Ekko going on 2am McFlurry runs, but coming back with 60 piece chicken nuggets every time. Camping out in the parking lot to make fun of the douchebags their age trying and failing buy vapes in the adjoining gas station. Ekko getting stuck on the roof after Vi dared him to climb up. Good times.
“I should at least attempt to sleep, however.”
Caitlyn’s statement recaptures Jinx’s attention, the bluette quirking an eyebrow in Caitlyn’s direction. “Was something keepin’ ya up before?” Before Jinx asked Caitlyn to come get her.
Caitlyn could be mistaken, but she thinks she detects a hit of concern in Jinx’s voice. She spares a quick glance at Jinx and shakes her head. “Not that I’m aware of. It’s just one of those nights, I suppose.”
Removing her hands from her hoodie pockets, Jinx crosses her arms over her chest. She studies Caitlyn’s focused expression, at least what she can see of it, and purses her lips.
“What movie were you watching?”
A quiet huff of laughter escapes Caitlyn at Jinx’s benign question. Someone’s in a chatty mood despite it being nearly eleven o’ clock at night.
“Rear Window,” Caitlyn provides plainly as they drive further into downtown.
Zaun is strikingly different from Piltover; it never ceases to surprise Caitlyn, no matter how many times she visits. While the streets of Piltover are typically vacant at night, Zaun’s are bustling with activity. Bright, neon signs cast a colorful glow on the bar crawlers stumbling in and out of local establishments. Caitlyn witnesses the beginning of a fistfight between two gentleman and turns her focus back to the road.
“Of course you’d be watching a murder mystery,” Jinx teases with a snicker, unfazed by the rowdy nightlife. “Has anyone ever told you that you would’ve made a great detective?”
“My enjoyment of murder mysteries and true crime documentaries does not qualify me to become a detective,” Caitlyn retorts pointedly, though the smirk tugging up on her lips betrays her amusement. “I’m perfectly happy as a paralegal, thank you very much.”
A grin overtakes Jinx’s face at the vivid mental image of Caitlyn in an old-timey detective get-up, fitted with a tweed hat and a pipe. “Picture it, though! Wouldn’t ya wanna look like Sherlock Holmes? You’re basically old enough to be him.”
Caitlyn gasps dramatically in mock-offense, half-distracted by the turn she’s making onto Jinx’s street. “This is an outrage! Since when is 23 considered to be ‘old’?”
“23 is the new 100-something, toots. Keep up with the times,” Jinx jokes as they approach her apartment complex. She doesn’t actually think Caitlyn is old. Especially since Caitlyn is only three and a half years Jinx’s senior. But it’s one of the easiest ways to get a rise out her, even if it’s all in jest.
Caitlyn whips her head to the side and playfully narrows her eyes at the younger woman. “This is the thanks I get? I drive you home, and in return, I get called a hag.” She scoffs in feigned disbelief and looks forward. “I’ll remember that next time.”
Pulling into an empty parking space located in the alley next to Jinx’s building, Caitlyn puts the car in park and brings her hands to rest in her lap. Now that she’s no longer driving, Caitlyn has the opportunity to get a better look at Jinx’s appearance.
The bluette’s hair is styled in her usual, shoulder-length bob with her bangs brushed to the side. Her eye makeup is darker than usual, violet eyes peeking out from under black-painted lids. Jinx’s lips are stained dark red and currently twisted up into a smug smirk. It’s seems that she forwent foundation, per usual, since Caitlyn can still see the smattering of freckles across her pale cheeks and the bridge of her nose.
Against her better judgement, Caitlyn allows her gaze to drift lower. Jinx’s open jacket barely covers her halter top which exposes the tattoos crawling up her collarbone to her neck. Caitlyn does, at the very least, have the self-control to stop her examination there.
“Detective Kiramman” comes to the conclusion that Jinx looks, well… She looks beautiful.
“I already thanked you earlier,” Jinx counters in response to Caitlyn’s over-the-top indignation, then uncrosses her arms to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Or did you forget? Must be the dementia setting in.”
Caitlyn is brought back to her senses by the younger woman’s continued taunting. Jinx is still acting like a punk, as expected, yet it somehow only adds to her attractiveness, to Caitlyn’s chagrin.
“How clever,” Caitlyn drawls sarcastically. Her eyes follow Jinx’s movements as Jinx prepares to exit the car. “I bet that one took you all night to come up with.”
“Ah, it was that good, huh?” Jinx quips easily and proceeds to size Caitlyn up with that infuriatingly cocky grin. What’s even more frustrating is that Caitlyn isn’t ready for Jinx to leave.
“Genius, actually. I can’t stop laughing,” Caitlyn deadpans followed by a charged silence.
Jinx’s lips tremble with effort to contain her mirth, her cheeks puffing out slightly. When she’s unable to hold back any longer, Jinx finally allows her composure to crumble.
Caitlyn feels a sense of pride in getting Jinx to break. Dry humor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for Caitlyn and Jinx, it’s a language they both speak fluently. She finds herself smiling fondly at Jinx’s hunched form as the bluette lets out a string of unrestrained cackles.
“Not bad, Cupcake” Jinx breathes when sits upright, starting to calm down from her ourtburst. Playing up the theatrics, she pantomimes wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes with thumbs.
Once settled, Jinx meets Caitlyn’s gaze and subsequently gets the wind knocked out of her. The way Caitlyn is staring at her is startlingly affectionate. Jinx is torn between wanting to maintain the intense eye contact and wanting to flee the situation altogether.
This is Caitlyn. Her sort-of-friend, who happens to be super hot, and whose current expression is painfully genuine. All of which make for a confusing flurry of conflicting emotions within Jinx.
“Thank you. I do try,” Caitlyn responds with a humble bow of her head and chuckles gently. Her fingers pinch the satin fabric of her pajama pants, fidgeting as uncertainty suddenly takes hold of her. Surely, Jinx wants to go up to her apartment and retire for the evening. It would be courteous for Caitlyn to say her goodbyes and bid the younger woman a good night. Courteous, but definitely not desirable to Caitlyn.
Jinx, who’s in a similar dilemma, lets out an awkward “heh” and shifts in her seat. “Thanks again for the ride. And for not telling Vi about the party. I, uh. I owe ya one,” Jinx offers sincerely, a drastic change from her reluctantly given gratitude earlier in the car ride.
How can Caitlyn not be hopelessly charmed by this endearing, dork of a woman? Caitlyn cherishes this side of Jinx - the sweet and vulnerable side. It’s a side that Caitlyn rarely gets the opportunity to see, which contributes to the novelty of the moment.
Smoothing her hands over her pants, Caitlyn’s smile softens. “You don’t owe me anything, Jinx,” she assures the bluette gently. “I’m just glad you felt like you could come to me for help. And you can. Anytime.”
Jinx bobs her head up and down in a jerky nod and turns her attention to a fixed point on the dashboard in front of her. What is she supposed to say to Caitlyn being all mushy-gushy?
“Yeah… I know.” After a beat, Jinx shoots a glance at Caitlyn before averting her gaze once again. “I trust you.”
Caitlyn’s eyes widen a fraction at Jinx’s honest declaration. She had an inkling that Jinx had begun to enjoy her company in the past month or two, but Caitlyn was hesitant to assume anything beyond that. Trust is not easily earned from Jinx, and rightfully so. The younger woman’s 19 years of life have been tumultuous, to put it lightly. For Jinx to say that she trusts Caitlyn is incredibly meaningful.
Before Caitlyn gets a chance to respond, Jinx slaps the tops her thighs and announces, “Okay. I’m gonna go.” That’s enough vulnerability for one day. And probably for the rest of the month.
As Jinx angles her body away and reaches for the door handle, Caitlyn instinctively unbuckles and darts her hand out to grab Jinx’s forearm. “Wait. Just… wait a second,” she urges.
Jinx freezes at the unexpected contact, her eyes flickering between Caitlyn’s hand and Caitlyn’s look of desperation.
Adrenaline pumps through Caitlyn’s veins. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, or what’s compelling her to act on impulse, but she knows whatever she ends up doing will inevitably be really, really stupid. That, and unnecessarily risky.
With a shaky exhale, Caitlyn loosens her grip on Jinx’s hoodie-clad arm and slides her hand down to take Jinx’s slightly colder one. After intertwining their fingers together, Caitlyn gives Jinx’s hand a squeeze and smiles shyly. “I’ve been meaning to tell you all night, but you look beautiful, Jinx.”
Seconds that feel like hours tick by as Jinx’s mind goes into overdrive trying to process Caitlyn’s compliment. And her touch. And that smile… Oh. Oh.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were flirting with me, Cupcake,” Jinx jests weakly with a hint of a question belying her words. She doesn’t have a clue in the world how to navigate these uncharted waters.
Jinx instantly regrets the joke when she sees Caitlyn’s smile, and confidence, falter. Godsdamnit.
“Sorry,” Jinx blurts out and returns the hand squeeze apologetically. She shifts so that she’s facing Caitlyn, her expression a contrite grimace. “That was dumb. You also look beautiful.” A pause. “You always do.”
The juxtaposition of their appearances is almost comical. Caitlyn is bare-faced and in her pajamas, while Jinx looks like she just walked out of a night club. And yet, Jinx thinks Caitlyn looks even prettier like this. Unguarded and raw. No pretenses.
Albeit thankful for Jinx’s backtracking, Caitlyn is unable to fully relax. It feels like they’re at a stalemate. Caitlyn wants so badly to say something clever in order to ease the tension, but she can’t bring herself to do it. The part of her that wants to feed into the buzzing energy mounting between them just to see where it’ll go wins out.
Caitlyn’s smile returns, curving up fondly as she searches Jinx’s violet eyes. “Even in my old, ‘University of Piltover’ jumper?” she asks in mild amusement.
“You could be wearing a potato sack and still look just as beautiful, Cait,” Jinx insists earnestly and punctuates her sentiment with another squeeze.
Though it wasn’t a conscious choice, Jinx’s use of Caitlyn’s real name doesn’t go unnoticed by the woman in question. Jinx didn’t call her the usual “Cupcake” or “toots.”
She called her “Cait.”
With her arm already extended over the center console, Caitlyn subtly leans into Jinx’s gravitational pull. She has to bite back a smirk when Jinx’s eyes flicker down to her lips in response to the closer proximity. Caitlyn tries not to get distracted by her thundering pulse and the tightness in her chest.
“Jinx?” Caitlyn asks smoothly, her voice coming out in a quiet purr.
The bluette swallows thickly in an attempt to lubricate her throat. Caitlyn is mere inches away from Jinx, her breath ghosting across the lower half of Jinx’s face. Jinx forces herself to look into Caitlyn’s sparkling blue irises made brighter by the reflection of the car’s headlights against the brick wall in front of them.
“Yeah…?” Jinx murmurs breathlessly. Previously at DEFCON 3, it’s safe to say that Jinx’s mind has subsequently moved up to DEFCON 1.
Caitlyn feels a pang of affection for Jinx when she senses the younger woman’s nervousness, and perhaps panic, rolling off of her in waves. Caitlyn runs the pad of her thumb over Jinx’s knuckles soothingly and speaks in an even softer voice.
“May I kiss you?”
Jinx is now completely malfunctioning. She gapes at Caitlyn for a moment before opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Rarely is Jinx rendered speechless.
“Oh, uh, sure. Yeah- Yes,” she stammers. Of course, she’d embarrass herself in front of the smoking hot woman asking to kiss her. Typical.
Caitlyn doesn’t give herself time to relish in the sight of the usually suave and self-assured Jinx floundering. Instead, she raises her free hand to cup Jinx’s freckled cheek and cranes her head forward to close the minuscule gap between them. “Okay,” Caitlyn whispers millimeters away from Jinx’s plump, bow-shaped lips, then captures them in a tender kiss.
After her eyes flutter shut, the first thing Jinx notices is that Caitlyn tastes like spearmint toothpaste. The second thing she realizes is that she’s not kissing Caitlyn back.
Caitlyn, on the other hand, first notices that Jinx tastes faintly of alcohol, specifically punch. However, the second thing she realizes is that Jinx isn’t kissing her back.
Eager to rectify this, Jinx pushes past her initial shock and tangles her fingers in the midnight blue hair at the nape of Caitlyn’s neck. Tilting her head to the side, Jinx slots her lips together with Caitlyn’s. The kiss lacks heat, but makes up for it in emotion. Even as Caitlyn swipes her tongue slings the seam of Jinx’s mouth as a bid for entrance, Jinx’s only thought is how right this feels.
When they inevitably break away for air a minute or so later, Caitlyn concludes the kiss with one last peck. Jinx opens her eyes to stare dazed at the woman before her while panting. She slips her hand out of Caitlyn’s hair to wipe some of her dark lipstick off of the corner of Caitlyn’s mouth, giggling giddily.
Caitlyn, sporting a goofy grin that shows off her adorable tooth gap, laughs alongside Jinx and leans into the touch. Her cheeks are tinged pink both from kiss and unbridled joy. Caitlyn continues to caress the side of Jinx’s face reverently, fighting the temptation to pull her in for round two.
Caitlyn is the first to speak. “So…”
“So…” Jinx echos and brings their joined hands to rest on the center console between them. “You kissed me.”
Caitlyn snorts at Jinx’s blunt assessment and quirks an eyebrow up at the bluette in amusement. “And if I recall correctly, you also kissed me,” she counters playfully with a gentle pat of Jinx’s cheek.
“Yeah, but you kissed me first. So… that means something. Right?”
Ah, there it is. It dawns on Caitlyn what Jinx is really asking. She idly swirls her fingertip over the apple of Jinx’s equally rosy cheek as her smile turns empathetic. “It does mean something,” Caitlyn verifies coyly. “I like you, Jinx.”
Jinx beams unabashedly at Caitlyn’s confession. It feels a little too good to be true. “Are you sure?” she asks clumsily in disbelief when insecurity rears its ugly head.
“I’m certain,” Caitlyn asserts firmly and leaves no room for argument. Removing her hand from Jinx’s face, Caitlyn holds Jinx’s hand in both of hers and squeezes for emphasis. She allows her eyes to flit across Jinx’s features inquisitively before adding, “Am I to assume the feeling is mutual, or-“
“Yes!” Jinx cuts her off urgently with a frantic nod. Her blush deepens at her outburst. So much for playing it cool. “Yes, I like you, too. I don’t think I knew that I did until now, but I definitely do.”
Caitlyn bites the inside of her cheek to keep her smile from seeming too pleased. “Good.”
She wasn’t worried that her feelings would be unrequited. The kiss, and Jinx’s reaction to the kiss, were plenty enough evidence of their mutual attraction. Still, Caitlyn is glad to have the confirmation. “I suppose that means a date is in order.”
Gods, this is all happening so fast. Jinx is having a hard time keeping up, but at the same time, she’s over the moon with the positive turn this night has taken. She went from ditching a lame, Piltie party to making out with her getaway driver. That’s a win in Jinx’s book.
“I guess so,” Jinx agrees with a lopsided smile. After clearing her throat dramatically and sitting up straighter in her seat, Jinx asks, “Will you, Caitlyn Kiramman, go out with me?”
“Why, I never!” Caitlyn exclaims in mock-astonishment. This receives an affectionately muttered “dork” from Jinx, but Caitlyn quickly shuts her up with a chaste kiss to her reddening cheek. “Yes, darling, I’d love to go out with you,” Caitlyn accepts sincerely and tightens her hold on Jinx’s hand.
The adoring look in Caitlyn’s eyes alone is enough to make Jinx’s heart beat out of her chest. The kiss, however, was playing dirty. “Then it’s settled,” Jinx states matter-of-factly as she tries desperately to regain her composure. “I’ll just, uh. Text you the details.”
Caitlyn’s smile widens in delight, and she gives Jinx a small nod. “Sounds wonderful.”
Right on cue, the car engine shudders and draws the two women’s attention to the center dash. They both look at the digital clock to check the time and see that it’s already half past eleven. Having the same idea, they start talking the same time:
“You probably should-“
“I should probably-“
Caitlyn and Jinx break off into light, sheepish laughter at their shared blunder. Caitlyn reluctantly releases Jinx’s hand in anticipation of her impending departure and leans back.
“Yeah,” Jinx picks up where she left off, ignoring disappointment she feels at the loss of contact. “I’ll text you. And you should text me, too, when you get home. Just so I know you’re safe or whatever.”
Endlessly endeared by Jinx’s attempt at nonchalance and charmed by her thoughtfulness, Caitlyn nods with a warm smile. “Will do. Now, go get some rest.”
That smile is making it harder for Jinx to leave. But she knows she has to. Caitlyn needs to sleep as much as Jinx does. “You, too,” Jinx responds kindly and returns the smile over her shoulder as she opens the passenger door.
Jinx successfully climbs out of the Subaru, but before she can shut the door behind her, Caitlyn calls out, “Oh, and Jinx?”
The younger woman stops mid-motion, keeping her hand on the door and looking at Caitlyn expectantly. “Mhm?” she hums.
The corner of Caitlyn’s lips tick up into a cheeky smirk as she buckles her seatbelt and places a hand on the gear selector, all while maintaining eye-contact with Jinx. “You’re an excellent kisser.”
If Jinx was flustered earlier, she’s mortified now. “You, too,” she repeats hurriedly, her voice raising an octave. She can hear Caitlyn’s laughter as she finally closes the car door and turns to walk away.
The cool night breeze only does so much for Jinx’s burning face. She refuses to take one last look at Caitlyn before rounding the corner of her apartment building for fear of Caitlyn seeing her crimson flush.
A few minutes later, when Jinx reaches her front door, she feels a buzz in her pocket. Taking out her phone, she spots a text from:
❌ Caitlyn DNI ❌
Jinx winces at the outdated contact name and quickly changes it to:
cait <3
Like the annoying, gay loser Jinx is. She opens Caitlyn’s text and doesn’t resist the lovestruck grin that spreads across her face.
“I’m headed home, now. Thank you for a wonderful time tonight, and I look forward to hearing more details about our upcoming date. Have a good rest of your night, darling. xx”
Jinx pockets her phone, resolving to answer Caitlyn once Jinx is in bed, and retrieves her keys to unlock her apartment.
——
[11:55pm]
“wonderful is one word for it. but yeah i had a great time too. still gotta brainstorm date ideas so i’ll text u tmrw about it.”
[12:01am]
“get home quicker so i can sleep”
[12:07am]
“Home. You may sleep, now. ;)”
[12:07am]
“thx for the permission”
[12:08am]
“i’m glad u got home safely. gnight <3”
[12:09am]
“Goodnight, Jinx. xx”