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Vi stands by the front window in the living room, stirring her coffee idly as she watches the house across the street.
The sun’s just set, her shift’s in an hour, and Vi has started to notice a pattern.
There are thick, heavy-looking curtains covering up every single window of their neighbors’ house. Dark blue with gold detailing, not even a sliver of light escaping in or out through the dense material.
Jinx passes by on her way towards the stairs, raising an eyebrow questioningly at Vi’s casual position by the window. Vi juts her chin up at her and raises her coffee, to which Jinx shrugs and continues on her way.
Across the street, the curtains covering the top right window part, revealing a woman with long, dark hair and fair skin. She gazes up towards the sky, a small smile on her face that seems to shine in the moonlight.
Vi takes a sip of her coffee, burns her tongue. Doesn’t take her eyes off her neighbor.
The woman carefully ties back the curtains before opening the window, stepping up onto the narrow ledge. The first time she’d done this, Vi had nearly pissed herself and ran outside to shout at her out of fear, but now all she does is stir her coffee some more, working to mix in as much of the grounded bits as she can.
Now, when the woman takes a cursory look around the empty street, Vi just smirks. And when she quickly works her way up the flat side of the house to sit on the edge of the roof, Vi just takes another sip of coffee.
The woman swings her feet idly, seemingly unaware of the eyes watching her from across the street. Vi allows herself one more minute of waiting around to see if anything else happens before walking away from the window and back towards the kitchen, draining her coffee with a sniff.
Yep. Business as usual.
* * *
It hadn’t taken Vi all that long to notice the… eccentric nature of their neighbors.
And really, the observations had started before they’d even moved in. Jinx had commented on the large, Gothic style manor across the street the first time they’d toured their future home, to which the real estate agent had smiled tightly and revealed that the house had been in the owner’s family for generations. She’d also assured them that their groundskeepers maintained the hedges surrounding the front lawn very regularly, so it wouldn’t be too much of an eyesore, but Vi and Jinx never cared too much about shrubbery upkeep, anyway.
They’d put down an offer on the modest three-bed, two and a half-bath home the next day, and were moved in by the end of the month.
A month later, their neighbors still had yet to introduce themselves.
Which was fine, really. It’s not like Vi or Jinx were exactly putting themselves out there, either. It was their first time trying out the suburban lifestyle, hoping to give Isha more of a “normal” upbringing than the two of them ever had, and they weren’t too sure how well their neighbors would take to their bright hair, tattoos, and trauma-hardened scowls.
The strange manor was the only other oddity to the otherwise stereotypical, cookie-cutter homes that made up the neighborhood. It was comforting, in a way. Like solidarity, or something.
So they hadn’t officially met their neighbors. But they’d definitely seen them.
As far as Vi could tell, there were four people living in the house. All around the same age, no discernible physical similarities that point to them being related, and, most notably, incredibly attractive.
Vi would hate them for it a little, if they weren’t also fucking weird.
The first thing she’d noticed were the outfits: capes, cloaks, gowns, corsets, suits – the whole lot of them looked like they’d been plucked out of a murder mystery party on any given day. At first, Vi figured that was just how rich people dressed, but then she’d seen another group of rich people at work dressed fancy but not gaudy and decided that maybe she’d revise her previous assumptions.
Then there were the curtains that never opened during the day, and also the fact that their neighbors only showed their faces after the sun went down. Also the random house guests that only stayed for an hour or two, always looking a little paler and dazed than when they arrived.
And the super speed. Vi’d noticed them taking the trash to the curb in a blur about a week and a half in.
Really, by the time the dark-haired woman climbed up the side of the house, Vi was hardly surprised.
The real estate agent had been right, at least: they did keep a tidy lawn. And that had to count for something.
* * *
The first time Vi meets one of their neighbors, she’s just getting home from work.
At 4 AM, their street is typically quiet. A few porch lights might still be on, but most are dark, along with the lampposts lining the sidewalks.
Vi turns down her music out of respect for her sleeping neighbors and as she pulls into the neighborhood, soft rock music crackling through old speakers until her truck rumbles to a stop in her driveway. Turning her keys to shut the engine off, Vi allows herself to rest her forehead against the steering wheel for only a moment before grabbing her bag and stepping out of the truck.
And almost has a fucking heart attack.
“Holy shit-”
The woman standing at the end of the driveway tilts her head, unbothered by Vi’s startled profanity.
“You’re new,” she says simply.
“Yeah,” Vi gasps, clutching her chest, willing her heartrate to slow down. “Sort of. We moved in a few weeks ago.”
“I know,” the woman says, and Vi finally gets a good look at the woman she’s watched spider-climb up the side of her house every day for the past week. She’s even prettier up close, and Vi can’t even find it in herself to be annoyed by it: straight dark hair that’s tucked into her collar, artfully framing a flawless face and piercing blue eyes that stare unblinkingly at Vi, intense in their gaze.
She’s wearing the same cloak that Vi has seen her wear a few different times now – a dark blue thing with a high collar that goes all the way down to her ankles. The lining inside is a deep red, gold lining detailing along the edges. Her arms are tucked into it so only her head and the tips of her boots peak out.
She looks fucking ridiculous. Vi can’t look away.
“You kind of appeared out of nowhere, you know,” Vi says, taking a deep breath and feeling herself recover from the shock. “Thought I was about to get jumped.”
The woman continues staring with those icy blue eyes. “My apologies,” she says, and Vi catches easily onto her thick, posh accent. “I’m quite light on my feet.”
Vi chuckles. “Yeah, I’ll say,” she jokes. When the woman doesn’t so much as twitch with a smile at the comment, she clears her throat and scratches awkwardly at her neck. “Uh, I guess we’ve never really gotten around to introducing ourselves, huh? I’m Vi.”
At this, Vi walks down the driveway and holds out a hand, offering it to her neighbor for a shake. The woman’s eyes flick down to the extended hand for a brief moment, brow scrunching slightly, before an elegant hand pokes out from the cloak to rest in Vi’s.
Her hand is cold. Vi thinks it might be because of the chilly night, but she wouldn’t put money on it.
The woman also doesn’t shake her hand. Just lets it sit in Vi’s, fingers curled delicately around her own.
Vi glances down at their joined hands, confused, then looks back up at the woman’s face and becomes even more confused at the expectant look on her face.
Her neighbor doesn’t break the stare.
Vi drops her hand. “Uh, anyway,” she says, shoving her hand into her jacket pocket. The woman’s hand slithers back inside the cloak. “I live with my sister and her daughter, and my sister’s boyfriend is here a lot, too. I don’t know if you’ve seen us around at all-”
“I have,” the woman cuts in. Vi stares at her, surprised again, before continuing.
“Right. Well then, yeah, that’s pretty much us. Kind of keeping to ourselves right now.”
Another awkward silence. Vi shivers against the cold.
“Um. Did you want to-”
“I am Caitlyn,” the woman says.
Vi’s eyebrows raise. “Caitlyn,” she repeats, testing out the surprisingly normal name. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Caitlyn.”
And then it happens: Caitlyn smiles. Not much, not even enough to classify as a true smile, but just enough to see the tip of an unnaturally sharp canine poke out from under her top lip.
Okay, sure.
Why not.
Caitlyn smiles with her intense eyes and her crazy teeth and her ridiculous cape, and for some reason Vi finds herself smiling back.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Caitlyn says warmly, which is somehow the most normal she’s been this entire interaction.
Then she turns on her heel and walks back across the street before Vi can say another word.
Vi watches her walk away, considering calling out a goodbye for a minute before deciding against it, huffing a quiet laugh with a shake of her head.
“What the hell,” Vi whispers to herself, then makes her way inside her own house.
* * *
Vi sips her coffee by the window. They ran out of creamer, so it’s more bitter today. She swallows it down with a grimace.
Caitlyn doesn’t climb up to the roof today. In fact, Vi hasn’t seen her since their strange introductions three days ago. Today, two of their other neighbors provide her morning entertainment.
The two men who (most likely) live with Caitlyn are walking around the front lawn this morning. They’re arm in arm, strolling casually, and dressed to impress like always.
Isha comes up to Vi and asks what she’s doing, hands quick and face curious. Vi smiles and puts a hand on her head, gesturing out the window. They both look out the street, and Vi chokes on her coffee when she sees the two men now passionately making out.
Vi’s eyes widen as the smaller man pushes the bigger one against the side of a topiary tree hard enough to send the whole thing tipping over, roots pulling out of the ground as they land hard in the grass, still kissing and uncaring of the damage to their property.
She glances at Isha, finds her eyes as big as saucers, taking in the scene before them, and promptly scoops her up in one arm.
“Let’s go see if your mom is up for another episode of Bluey, yeah?”
* * *
The next time Vi talks to Caitlyn, it goes much the same as the first time.
Which is to say, oddly.
Vi slides out of her truck, humming under her breath, and when she turns to shut the door there’s a person standing on the other side of the truck bed.
“Jesus fuck,” Vi curses, once again feeling her heart leap out of her chest. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Why do you always return this late at night?” Caitlyn asks, ignoring Vi’s distress. She’s still wearing that absurd cape.
“Huh?” Vi asks, somewhat disoriented. “Oh, from work. I work nights.”
Caitlyn cocks her head to the side. “You… work nights?”
Vi shrugs. “Yeah, as a security guard. Like, the night shift.”
“The… night shift?” Caitlyn says the words slowly, as if they’re foreign to her.
Vi’s lips twitch in amusement. “Yeah, like early evening to around three, four in the morning.”
Curiosity gleams in Caitlyn’s eyes. “So you sleep in the day?”
Vi blinks. “Uh, yeah, for the most part. Pretty much just early morning to early afternoon.”
The curiosity flashes. “Fascinating,” Caitlyn breathes.
“Yeahhh,” Vi says awkwardly, drawing the word out. “I guess. What do you do for work? I mean, seems like you’re always up around this time, too.”
The interest vanishes from Caitlyn’s eyes and she stands up straighter, suddenly very stiff. “I’d prefer not to say,” she replies primly.
Vi smirks. “Top secret, huh?”
Caitlyn nods. “Yes,” she says, very seriously.
Vi chuckles, taking in Caitlyn’s unique fashion sense, sharp teeth, and pale skin, and shakes her head a little. “Well alright, keep your secrets, cupcake. Nice to see someone else on the night shift, though.” She adds a wink at the end and Caitlyn’s eyes widen ever so slightly.
“My name is Caitlyn,” Caitlyn reminds her, somewhat confused.
Vi grins. “Yeah, I know,” she says, enjoying the way Caitlyn’s eyebrows scrunch together at the words. “You’re kind of hard to forget.” She pauses, then adds, “Cupcake,” just to be a twerp.
Absolutely no color rushes into Caitlyn’s pale cheeks, but Vi is fairly certain she’s flustered her strange neighbor based on the way her mouth opens and closes a few times, words failing her. She’s especially pleased with herself when, after a few seconds of this, Caitlyn turns on her heel and whisks smoothly down the driveway without a goodbye.
Vi laughs quietly, and this time she does take the opportunity to call out. “Goodnight, Caitlyn!”
Caitlyn glances back, peeking out over the top of her collar, gaze intense. For a moment, Vi thinks she’ll just turn around and keep walking away, but then she replies in a soft murmur.
“I look forward to seeing you again, Vi.”
And then she’s gone in a blur, leaving Vi standing by her truck, blinking in surprise.
Vi’s cheeks, as it turns out, are very capable of blushing.
* * *
The following night when Vi gets home from work, she steps out of her truck and hears the unmistakable sound of muffled music playing very, very loudly somewhere nearby. She looks around for the source, bewildered, and locks eyes on the manor across the street.
And grins.
Caitlyn stands in the top right window of the house, cloak on, staring broodily outside with an intensity that makes Vi wonder how she hasn’t melted the glass in front of her yet. The music is obviously coming from the room she’s in, and after a second of more focused listening, Vi can’t help but laugh.
The guitar break builds, drums crashing along with it, and Vi lifts up a hand to wave at her strange neighbor just as Lucy Dacus starts singing the climax of “Night Shift.”
Caitlyn’s look of concentration immediately dissipates, replaced with surprise. Her mouth falls open, and Vi grins wider, giving her hand another little shake.
Instead of waving back, Caitlyn steps away from the window and snaps the curtains closed. Vi chuckles and walks up the driveway.
She catches the sound of “Night Shift” starting over from the beginning just before she shuts the front door.
* * *
Vi is just finishing up breakfast when she sees it.
Her coffee stalls halfway to her mouth, bacon held loosely in her other hand, as she spots what is most definitely a bat sitting in the tree outside their kitchen window.
It’s a pretty standard looking bat, too: brownish black with little hooked claws at the end of its wings, beady black eyes staring almost curiously at Vi through the window.
If it wasn’t the most bizarre thing Vi had ever seen in her entire life, she would almost call the little fella cute.
Still trying to process her shock, Vi lifts the hand with bacon in it and wiggles three fingers at the unexpected visitor. The bat tilts its head, and the gesture looks oddly familiar.
Then the bat lifts one tiny claw and wiggles it in reply, and Vi decides that’s all she can handle for one evening.
The rest of her coffee gets poured down the sink.
* * *
It’s a Saturday evening when Vi doesn’t work, and they’re just finishing up a late dinner when there’s a knock on the door. All of them freeze, aside from Isha, who keeps digging into her mashed potatoes without a care in the world. Jinx looks at Vi, then Ekko, then back at Vi, one eyebrow raised.
They’d never gotten visitors here before. In their experience, knocks on the door meant cops, and Vi’s instincts told her to just ignore it and hope that whoever it was would go away.
The three of them stay still, exchanging nervous glances until they hear a second, more insistent knock.
Vi forces a breath out. “I’ll get it,” she says, pushing up from the table. “It’s probably just, like, HOA or something.”
Jinx scoffs at that while Ekko snickers. Isha dips a carrot into her gravy. And Vi opens the door.
Relief floods through her at the two familiar-looking women standing on their porch.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Caitlyn bows her head in greeting. “Good evening, Vi. I hope you are well.”
Vi huffs a laugh. “Yeah, I’m alright. It’s good to see you,” she says, which makes Caitlyn smile enough to expose her sharp teeth. Vi grins fondly at her before shifting her attention to the woman at her side, who Vi recognizes as one of the other residents of the manor.
The woman is stunning, characterized with that same sort of classic beauty that applies to Caitlyn. Her dark skin is flawless, flecked with gold makeup, and Vi forces herself to blink before she’s caught staring. “Uh, I don’t think we’ve met.”
The woman smiles coyly and holds out a hand for Vi to take. “Mel Medarda,” she greets in a honeyed, accented voice. Her grip is surprisingly firm in Vi’s, and a little cold. “I’ve known Caitlyn for quite some time. Old family friends, you could say.”
“I’m sure,” Vi says. “I’m Vi.”
“Charmed,” Mel remarks, letting her hand fall from Vi’s. “Caitlyn’s told us much about you.”
Vi grins and glances back at Caitlyn, eyebrow raised. “Oh yeah?” she hedges. “All good things, I hope.”
Caitlyn sniffs and squares her shoulders. “I simply relayed information pertaining to our new neighbors,” she replies primly. “The household has been very curious.”
“Even more curious after Caitlyn’s sparkling commentary,” Mel cuts in smoothly, tone teasing. “I simply had to come and get a… taste for myself, you see.”
Vi blinks, eyes darting down to the cat-like grin adorning Mel Medarda’s face, and gulps when she spots two sharp fangs, identical to Caitlyn’s.
Well, shit.
“Heh, yeah, I bet,” Vi replies with a nervous laugh. She clears her throat and leans back into the house ever so slightly.
The moment is somewhat saved when Caitlyn grumbles under her breath and thrusts her arms out from under her cloak, a Tupperware container full of cookies in her hands. “We’ve brought you dessert.”
Vi raises her eyebrows at the container. “Really?” she asks, unable to hide her surprise. “I didn’t know you guys, uh-” she quickly glances between the two women, sees their expectant expressions, and rethinks her words- “baked?”
Both women visibly relax. “Oh, yes,” Mel says with an easy smile. “We possess many talents.”
“I’m sure,” Vi agrees wryly. She reaches out to take the Tupperware, barely getting a grip on it before Caitlyn’s hands let go and disappear back under her cloak. When the cookies are tucked securely against her chest, Vi flashes Caitlyn a grin. “Thanks, cupcake.”
Mel hums in delight at the nickname while Caitlyn’s eyes narrow. Vi cocks an eyebrow challengingly.
“Welcome to the neighborhood, Vi,” Caitlyn says, very formally, not taking the bait. Vi feels strangely disappointed. “We look forward to meeting the rest of your family someday.”
Vi glances behind her, catching Jinx’s blue hair disappearing around the corner to the kitchen. “Yeah, maybe someday,” she agrees.
With that, Caitlyn gives her a single nod before turning on her heal and breezing down the walkway. Vi chuckles and waves at her retreating back before looking at Mel, lifting the container of cookies in her hand. “Thanks for the sweets.”
“Our pleasure,” Mel purrs. She gives Vi a nod as well, though much slower and less jerky than Caitlyn’s. “Until we meet again.”
Vi gives one more brief wave and returns the sentiment before stepping back into the house and shutting the door behind her. She looks at the cookies in her hands, pops open the lid to give them a brief inspection, then shrugs and makes her way back to the kitchen.
“Neighbors across the street brought dessert – pretty sure they’re not poisoned!”
* * *
Later that night after Isha’s gone to bed, Vi and Jinx finish off the last of the cookies while they watch Hotel Transylvania.
Jinx glances down at the cookie in her hand. “Do you think they actually made these things themselves?”
Vi shakes her head, replying around a mouthful of cookie. “Not a chance.”
Jinx nods and takes another bite. “That’s what I thought.” She chews thoughtfully. “They’re pretty damn good, though.”
* * *
A couple of weeks pass by in relative normalcy: Vi goes to work, watches the insane shit that occurs at the house across the street with a moderate level of interest, and has amusing yet consistently strange conversations with Caitlyn with sporadic frequency.
Typical suburban lifestyle things, really.
The weather starts warming up more as well, and when it finally reaches an acceptable temperature that won’t cause Vi to get frostbite at 2 AM, she dusts off her running shoes and goes for a late-night jog.
She maps out a loose route on her phone, deciding to just stick to the neighborhood for now, and puts in some headphones, picking one of her workout playlists before heading out. Unsurprisingly, the streets are largely empty at this hour, which means Vi doesn’t have to worry about dodging people on the sidewalks or ignoring the grumpy looks she always seems to get from old people.
Halfway through her route, she feels something like a breeze to her left, causing goosebumps to crawl up the back of her neck. She comes to a stop, plucking an earbud out as she looks around suspiciously, one hand clenched instinctively into a fist.
“Hello?” Vi calls, more precautionary than anything. Predictably, there’s no response, so with one last scan of the area, she shrugs, puts her earbud back in and continues her run, not quite able to shake the feeling that she’s being watched.
That feeling is explained about twenty minutes later when Vi turns the corner onto her street, slowing to a walk to cool down, and is suddenly joined by Caitlyn.
“I didn’t know you exercised.”
Vi almost manages not to flinch at Caitlyn’s appearance this time. Almost.
“Really?” Vi asks, covering up her surprise with an eyebrow raised in Caitlyn’s direction. “I’m kind of offended, cupcake. This kind of body doesn’t just happen overnight, you know.”
She lifts an arm and flexes, muscles tight and shiny from exertion and exposed from the sleeveless hoodie she’s wearing. Caitlyn eyes the offered appendage, looking like she’s strongly considering reaching out and touching it, before fixing her gaze firmly forward again, not even stumbling in her walking.
“Normally you’re wearing sleeves,” is all she says.
Vi lowers her arm, feeling confusingly disappointed. She tries to rally, giving Caitlyn a sly grin. “You prefer me with sleeves, then?”
“Of course not,” Caitlyn says quickly, almost thoughtlessly. “Why would I?”
Vi shrugs. “You just didn’t seem impressed by the arms much, I guess.”
Caitlyn fixes Vi with that intense stare of hers. “Your arms look absolutely delicious, Vi,” she says, quite seriously. “Do not mistake my restraint for lack of interest.”
Holy shit, Vi thinks.
“Uh,” Vi says, cheeks reddening from more than just her run. “Thanks, Cait. I’ll, um, keep that in mind.”
Caitlyn nods once. “Good.” She looks ahead again, absently kicking a rock along as they walk, and Vi attempts to get her facilities back in order.
They find themselves in front of Vi’s house – both of their houses, really – and Vi scrambles for something to say before Caitlyn disappears in that dorky, mysterious way Vi has come to expect. “Hey, do you play games?”
Caitlyn comes to a stop and tilts her head at Vi. “Games?”
“Yeah, like, Ticket to Ride and shit. Card games, board games, that kind of stuff.”
“Why would you play games that are boring?”
“No, they’re-” Vi cuts herself off with a laugh, retries with a different approach, turning to fully face Caitlyn. “Would you like to come over sometime? You can bring your roommates, too. We can play games, eat- well, maybe not eat. Listen to music, I guess. You know, hang out. Get to know each other as neighbors a little more.”
Caitlyn doesn’t respond for a long moment, staring intently at Vi as if processing her words. After a few seconds, Vi starts feeling silly about the whole thing.
“Um. Or just forget I said anything. Don’t worry about-”
“That sounds fun.”
Vi blinks. “Really?”
Caitlyn smiles. “Yes. We would be delighted to attend this… game night.”
The words game night are spoken as if Caitlyn has never once said them in her life. Vi grins. “Okay, awesome. I should probably ask Jinx when a good night would be for that, actually. Could I get your number? I can send you our availability.”
“I do not have a number.”
Vi snickers. “Of course you don’t. How about you catch me after work tomorrow and we’ll talk about it then.”
Caitlyn nods. “I accept this plan.”
The formality makes Vi smiles. “Perfect. Thanks, cupcake.”
Caitlyn smiles again, something a little shyer than before, and ducks her head until her hair curtains around her face. “I like it when you call me that,” she admits quietly.
Vi’s heart skips in her chest. “What, cupcake?”
A pale hand pokes out of Caitlyn’s cloak to tuck a piece of dark hair behind an ear. “Yes.”
Vi smirks. “Good to know,” she says with a wink. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, yeah?”
Caitlyn nods her head one more time and turns to cross the street without a word, once again leaving Vi to watch her walk away, heart beating too hard in her chest.
* * *
The doorbell rings at precisely 8:00. When Vi answers the door, she finds exactly what she was expecting: four weirdos standing on her front porch.
“Right on time,” she says with a grin, taking in their guests.
Caitlyn and Mel look just as alarmingly beautiful as always, dressed in their typical attire – which is, of course, entirely inappropriate for a game night. Still, it’s startling how much comfort Vi finds at the sight of Caitlyn in her cloak; something familiar to start off what is sure to be a bizarre fucking night.
The two men with them Vi recognizes as the guys with a tendency for making out in the hedges. Vi glances at their clothes, unsurprised to see them dressed oddly as well. The bigger of the two wears a pristine white suit, one shoulder covered by a blood-red cape. His partner is more understated than the rest of the group in a simple brown button down, smart white vest, and dark slacks, though the singular leather gloved hand wrapped loosely around the handle of a lavish cane is far from typical fashion, in Vi’s experience.
Looking at all of them, Vi suddenly feels underdressed at her own extremely casual game night.
Mel takes a step forward. “We were so delighted to receive word of your invitation,” she relays. “Admittedly, we don’t do much… mingling with the residents of this area. It’s a welcome change of pace.”
Vi smiles and gives her a small nod. “Happy to reach out. It’ll be good to make some friends around here, I think.”
Caitlyn makes a small, choked noise at that, tucking her chin further into the collar of her cape. Before Vi can ask if she’s alright, the tall, broad-shouldered man holds out a hand for Vi to shake.
“Jayce Talis,” he greets, flashing Vi a wide, charming smile that easily exposes two shining fangs – the clearest view that Vi has gotten of anyone’s abnormal dental structure so far.
“Uh huh,” Vi says distractedly, slowly reaching out to give his (cold) hand a firm – and normal, thank god – shake. She cranes her neck to get a better look at his teeth. “Vi.”
Jayce lets go of her hand to clap his on the shoulder of his partner. “And this is Viktor.”
“Pleasure,” Viktor says, the very opposite of the sentiment appearing more accurate. In fact, he looked about one sneeze away from dropping dead with his gaunt cheeks, pale skin, and bloodshot eyes.
He does not proffer his hand to Vi, so Vi just gives him a polite nod and resists the urge to offer him an ibuprofen or, like, orange juice. “Awesome.”
Forcing her eyes away from Viktor’s tired gaze, Vi takes in the entire group standing on her doorstep and forces herself to breathe.
This was a terrible idea.
“Well,” Vi says, clapping her hands together, “let’s get this party started, yeah?”
That gets smiles from at least Mel and Jayce, and Vi turns to head further into the house. She only makes it a few steps before she pauses and turns back around.
Their guests haven’t moved a muscle from their position outside the door.
“Uh,” Vi says. “You guys gonna come in or…” she trails off uncomfortably.
Their neighbors stare at her expectantly. After a second, it clicks in Vi’s head.
“Oh! Come on in. Uh, please. All are welcome, or whatever.”
And with that, the group walks through the door.
Vi shuts the door after them and when she turns, she finds Caitlyn lingering behind the others, fingers peeking out of her cape to fiddle with the clasp. As soon as Vi’s eyes land on her the fingers still, loosely gripping the edges of the fabric.
“Hello,” Caitlyn says, posture straightening in its typical way.
“Hey cupcake, glad you guys could make it,” Vi returns with a smile. She glances at Caitlyn’s fingers, at how her thumb rubs absentmindedly at the joint of her collar, and gestures at the cape. “Can I take your… coat?”
Caitlyn looks surprised by this, but to her credit only takes a moment to think about it before nodding her head and slipping the cloak from her shoulders, handing the heavy fabric over to Vi’s waiting hand.
And Vi spends probably too long taking in the sight of Caitlyn without her outer layer on for the first time, the form-fitting black turtleneck sweater underneath that is definitely more flattering than the cape catching her completely off-guard.
She forces her eyes up again, sees the dark look that’s settled in Caitlyn eyes, and quickly spins around to hang up Caitlyn’s cape on the hooks by the door, right next to Isha’s Bluey backpack. After spending a second to get a grip over her gay-ass thoughts, she faces Caitlyn again and flashes her a smile, gesturing down the hallway.
“Shall we?”
In the living room, Jinx has already put out the snacks and is attempting small talk with minor success. As soon as Vi and Caitlyn enter the room, she makes eye contact with Vi with a look that Vi recognizes as her “I Am About To Lose My Fucking Marbles” expression.
Vi quickly steps in to ease the tension from her little sister’s shoulders, roping Ekko in as well. After brief introductions on both sides, Ekko gestures to the refreshments Jinx meticulously (haphazardly) arranged on a foldout table.
“Feel free to grab some snacks before we get started,” he says, kindly, and Vi realizes their mistake too late.
All four of their neighbors freeze. Vi freezes. Jinx’s eyes widen. From the couch, Isha’s game of Fruit Ninja makes victorious noises as she moves on to the next level.
Their neighbors exchange nervous glances with each other before turning to stare at the cheese and crackers laid out, as if they’re prepped to explode.
This whole thing had been a terrible fucking idea.
Before Vi can jump in and make up some excuse about how the cheese has gone bad, Mel looks to Ekko and graces him with a smile.
“How kind,” she says, and moves to grab a plate.
That seems to snap the rest of their guests out of their silent panic, and soon enough everyone is piling cheese and crackers onto their plates.
Vi tries not to cringe over how much food is about to be wasted for the sake of normalcy, and politely doesn’t comment on how Jayce is spreading salsa over his saltines like it’s a spread.
Ten minutes later, they’re all sat down on the two long couches in their living room, three on one and four on the other. Two wildly different households staring at each other and waiting for the other to break the silence.
Ed Sheeran plays in the background. Vi can feel Jinx’s eyes glaring holes into the side of her face.
From the armchair placed at the ends of the two couches, Isha smiles and flips her iPad around, proudly displaying the new high score she earned. Everyone takes a moment to politely congratulate her before returning to their stare down, the awkwardness somehow increasing tenfold.
Their guests are all still holding their platefuls of cheese and crackers. None of it has been eaten.
Vi glances at Caitlyn and gulps at the hungry look in her eye, which probably isn’t due to the crackers, gaze fixed intently on Vi’s throat.
The song changes from one Ed Sheeran song to another, and Ekko shoots to his feet.
“I’m gonna change the music,” he announces, straightening out his The Dad Who Stepped Up shirt. As he walks towards the sound system across the room, he calls over his shoulder, “Why don’t you start explaining the first game, Vi?”
Vi takes a quick breath, steeling herself, and leans forward. “Alright,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Who’s ready for some Codenames?
*
Two hours and four games later, Vi wouldn’t call the vibes normal, exactly, but everyone has definitely relaxed somewhat. She suspects it has something to do with the beers Jinx cracked open the minute Isha went to bed, but they really couldn’t be blamed for that.
Codenames turned into an easy victory for Ekko, Jinx, and Vi’s team, but less because of their own teamwork and more because the visiting team couldn’t get their shit together.
(“Alright, for three,” Jayce said, staring at the cards, “bird.”
Mel sighed. “For the last time, Jayce, you can’t use the word if it’s already on the cards.”
“But there are three bird-related objects! What else could I describe them with?”
“Fowl, avian, wings…”
“There aren’t three, though,” Caitlyn said. She put her finger on the card that read phoenix. “Phoenixes are fictitious. They’re mythological creatures, not birds.”
Mel put a palm to her forehead. “Caitlyn, if you touch the card, it counts as choosing the card.”
“Mythological birds are still considered birds,” Viktor argued.
Caitlyn tapped the phoenix card adamantly. “No, that’s ridiculous. Why would phoenix be in the same category as penguin?”
“Penguin wasn’t one of them,” Jayce corrected.
“Jayce, you can’t tell us that.”)
After Codenames is Monopoly, which Mel wins handedly, despite having never played before. She bankrupts every single one of them within the span of an hour in her charming way, and by the end of it she even has Jinx blushing while she scowls and hands over her money.
Jenga goes off without a hitch and ends up as a showdown between Ekko and Viktor, who remove blocks with surgical precision until Ekko miscalculates and sends the tower toppling. The whole group claps and congratulates Viktor on his victory, and Viktor smiles proudly, which makes his gaunt face look a little less sickly.
The last night of the game is Scum, which switches up their seating arrangements after each round. Somehow, Caitlyn manages to get rid of her cards right after Vi every single round, causing them to sit right next to each other for pretty much the entire game.
Vi’s surprised she doesn’t go out last every time, actually, with how distracted she is by Caitlyn constantly leaning in close to her, literally breathing down her neck. She honest to god catches Caitlyn sniffing right next to Vi’s pulse point when she leans forward to lay down some cards, eyes fluttering as she announces her cards in a gravelly voice.
And Vi should probably be more freaked out about that than she is. Many women have looked at Vi as if she were a meal before, but there’s a special zing to it when the possibility of her actually being a meal is very real.
So if Vi keeps her head tilted a little more than usual, sharp jawline and tattooed neck conveniently exposed, that’s no one’s business but her own.
Jinx wins most of the rounds of Scum because she hides cards in her sleeves, and Vi doesn’t mention it because that’s Jinx’s business. It’s called being polite.
It’s almost 11:00 by the time they call it a night. Mel thanks them all one last time for the invitation while Jayce attempts to subtly shove all four of their untouched snack plates into the garbage, several cheese cubes falling to the floor in the process. Viktor tells Jinx that he would like to hear more about her work with chemical engineering, which flatters Jinx enough that she promises to send over a copy of her latest project notes.
Caitlyn stands quietly next to Vi, observing it all with a small smile. Her hands are tucked neatly behind her back. Vi wonders if that’s how she usually keeps her hands when she has her cape on.
As always, the sight of her odd neighbor being odd brings a smile to Vi’s face.
She leans in closer to Caitlyn, voice pitched low. “Did you have a good time tonight, Cait?”
Caitlyn’s gaze snaps to her. “It was the best time I’ve had in many years,” she replies, entirely sincere.
Vi nods at that, pleased, and lets her eyes flick across Caitlyn’s face. “I’m glad,” she murmurs, meeting Caitlyn’s eyes one last time before stepping away to usher their guests out the door.
Jayce leaves with a friendly clap to Vi’s shoulder that makes Vi wince. Mel leaves with a cold hand pressed to Vi’s cheek that makes Vi blush. Viktor leaves with a polite nod and kind smile, which Vi returns with a two-fingered salute.
All that’s left after they’ve walked through the door is Caitlyn, lingering on the porch under the occasionally blinking lightbulb that needs replaced. Caitlyn offers her hand in that odd way of hers, palm facing the ground and fingers pointed down. Vi doesn’t hesitate to take hold of it, squeezing lightly.
“Thank you for your kindness, Vi,” Caitlyn tells her. Her fingers curl into Vi’s palm, and Vi fights the insane urge to kiss her knuckles.
“Anytime,” Vi says, throat suddenly very dry. Her eyes dart down to the tips of Caitlyn’s fangs just barely poking out from beneath Caitlyn’s lips, and further down when Caitlyn’s throat bobs as she swallows.
Then Caitlyn drops her hand, turns around, and starts making her way across the street towards her home.
Vi crosses her arms and leans against the doorway with a sigh, allowing herself a moment to appreciate the sight of Caitlyn’s strong shoulders, slim waist, and long legs as she walks away. After a minute, she shakes her head and lets out a breath.
“Get a fucking hold of yourself, Lanes.”
She pushes off the door to head inside, only to pause and look at their lack of welcome mat.
Maybe it was time they invested in one of those.
* * *
Vi takes a sip of her drink, eyes locked on the episode of Friends they’re watching.
“So, those guys are, like, vampires, right?”
Jinx doesn’t look up from the sketch she’s working on. “Yep.”
Ekko hums in agreement.
Vi nods. “Cool. Just checking.”
* * *
So, Vi lived across the street from vampires.
It probably wasn’t as weird as it ought to be.
* * *
Isha’s the one who discovers the cape first.
Vi’s on bedtime duty and she really is good with kids, always has been, but Isha’s been sneaky from the moment she started crawling and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of her.
“Isha?” Vi calls, stomping down the stairs. “C’mon, kiddo, your mom’s gonna kill me if you’re not in bed in the next ten minutes, and you know she doesn’t make empty threats.”
She pokes her head into the front room, checks behind the couch. Nothing.
“Lil’ Sha? Where you at?”
Next is the kitchen. She checks the pantry, the cupboards, the fridge – still no Isha.
Worry starts niggling at the back of Vi’s mind. Did she make a break for it this time? Take off down the street? The kid’s never been a flight risk before, but there was always a first time for everything.
Vi flips the light on in the downstairs bathroom, finds it empty, and runs a hand through her hair. “Fuck,” she whispers.
Out of ideas, she turns to the coat rack by the garage door and starts slipping on her jacket to go hunt outside, and that’s when she hears it:
A giggle.
An Isha giggle.
Slowly, Vi peeks her head around the corner and sees a bundle of blue fabric under the coffee table, suspiciously shaking with barely repressed laughter.
Vi sighs in relief, rolls her eyes fondly, and grins mischievously. “Welp!” she calls, loud and exaggerated, “I guess Isha’s not here! Better go ask the neighbors if they’ve seen her!”
More giggles from the blanket on the floor.
Making her movements purposely noisy, Vi tugs on her boots and clomps over to the front door, opening it and closing it with finality, staying inside the house. Barely holding back a chuckle herself, she silently slips off her boots and tiptoes back into the living room, where the blue blanket pile has made it halfway to the kitchen.
Vi creeps up behind it, waits a beat, then grabs the whole bundle off the floor with a roar. Isha squeals, more giggles falling from her mouth even as she wriggles in Vi’s hold, face red and smile wide.
“Thought you could get away from me, huh?” Vi grumbles playfully, tightening her hold around Isha to lift her higher in the air. “Slippery as an eel, aren’t ya?”
Isha laughs harder, struggling to get away for another few seconds before Vi relents and sets her on her feet, the blanket tied around her shoulders pooling comically around her feet. She beams up at Vi, obviously pleased with herself.
Vi puts her hands on her hips and lowers her eyebrows in mock anger. “Not cool, kiddo. You really had me worried there, you know? Although I can’t believe all that time you were just hiding under a…” she trails off, cocking her head to the side as she looks closely at the blue fabric around Isha, “blanket?”
Isha just grins some more, hands coming up to sign.
“Your backpack?” Vi asks, confused. “Why would that be hanging by your-” A memory hits her: game night, Caitlyn slipping her cape off her shoulders to reveal a tight black turtleneck, form fitting and soft-looking and perfectly accentuating her- “Ohhh. Oh shit.”
Isha informs her that she has to put a quarter in the swear jar, then walks past her towards the stairs, Caitlyn’s cape dragging behind her like a ridiculously long wedding dress train.
* * *
Half an hour later, after brushing teeth and three different stories, Vi carefully slips the cloak off a sleeping Isha, puts back on her boots, and takes a walk across the street with Caitlyn’s carefully folded cape in her arms.
No one answers the door when Vi knocks the first time. The doorbell makes some kind of ominous bell tone when she rings it, which frankly scares the shit out of her, and no one answers the door for that, either. Vi glances at the sky, assuring that there’s no sign of sunlight on the horizon, and waits for another minute. Just as she’s starting to debate whether to bang loudly on the door or just leave the cape on the doorstep, the door suddenly opens, making Vi flinch.
The woman standing in the doorway is unfamiliar to Vi, and looks surprisingly normal. Brown hair tied back in a simple bun, comfortable-looking slacks and cardigan, a healthy flush to her cheeks. Her voice is normal, too, greeting Vi with a simple, “Can I help you?”
The revelation that there’s apparently a regular human also living in the gothic vampire manor surprises Vi enough that it takes her a moment to answer. “Uh, yeah. Is Caitlyn around?”
The woman raises an eyebrow. “Caitlyn isn’t available at the moment. Can I help you with anything?”
Disappointment nudges at the back of Vi’s mind, but she shakes it off. “Oh, sure. She left her coat at my place the other night, just wanted to get it back to her.”
Something like recognition flashes in the woman’s eyes. “You’re Vi, then? From across the street?”
Vi raises her eyebrows. “That’s me,” she confirms, albeit confused.
The woman nods. “Caitlyn’s been expecting you,” she says, stepping aside to gesture inside the house. “Please, come in.”
She’s lead into a large entry hall with two curving staircases leading up to the second floor, a balcony looming above the room. The interior of the manor is just as gaudy and eerie as the outside, all dark colors and old wallpaper that looks like it’s from the 18th century. Vi’s mouth falls open as she glances up at the wrought iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but her guide hardly spares any of it a glance, ushering her down a hall lined with actual lit candelabras.
They arrive at what must be a sitting room, complete with fancy velvet seating, bookshelves, and a flickering fireplace. The woman gestures at a couch, but doesn’t wait for Vi to sit down before leaving her with a cursory, “Wait here.”
Vi sits on the couch for all of two minutes before deciding it was as uncomfortable as it looked, opting to snoop around the room instead. A brief scan through the book titles on the shelves reveals nothing familiar, mostly old books on anatomy and historical commentaries. She finds one entitled “Studies on Vampire Biology” and opens it, then immediately snaps it back shut when she finds it full of drawn vampire nudes.
There’s portraits on the wall, some drawn and some photographed, but all clearly dated. She finds Mel posed in a corset-style gown, hair spun into an elegant bun. There’s one with Jayce in a ruffled suit, one hand rested inexplicably on a peacock’s head. A few have Viktor, Jayce, and Mel together, poses ranging from traditional to… uncomfortably explicit.
There’s less pictures of Caitlyn, though there are still a few, and she looks just as regal and beautiful in them as she does in real life. Vi is looking over one of Caitlyn looking sharp in some kind of military uniform when she hears a throat clear behind her.
“Vi, how lovely to see you here.”
At Caitlyn’s pleasant greeting, Vi turns and honest-to-god almost shits herself.
The vampire is wearing a purple robe, thin silk wrapped tantalizingly around her curves in a way that’s hard to pull Vi’s eyes away from. Her hair is down, falling loosely around her shoulders in a way her cape usually didn’t allow.
It takes Vi a long second to remember to breathe, and she forces herself to meet Caitlyn’s eyes. “Nice place you’ve got here,” she manages, voice only a little hoarse.
Caitlyn smiles. “Thank you,” she says, warmly. She seems relaxed here, in her own home, less formal. “This house has been in my family for generations.”
Vi’s lips twitch in amusement. “I bet,” she remarks. “Uh, your… butler? Said you’d been expecting me?”
“Mm, yes, Elora,” Caitlyn confirms, moving further into the room. “She works for Mel, technically, but when Mel moved in she brought Elora along with her. Always nice to have a bit of young blood in the house, wouldn’t you say?”
Vi chokes on her own spit and has to spend a moment hacking before she can reply. “Yeah, I guess,” she croaks, pounding a fist to her chest. “So Elora is…”
“Mel’s assistant,” Caitlyn explains, unperturbed, “and dear friend.”
“Right,” Vi says. “Of course. And you were expecting me because…”
“You had my cloak. I was waiting for you to return it to me. Though I must admit it took you longer than I expected for you to do so.”
Vi’s cheeks flush. “Well, if you knew I had it, why didn’t you just come over and get it yourself?” she asks.
Caitlyn takes a step closer to her, within arm’s reach now. Her voice drops, low and quiet. “Maybe I wanted you to seek me out for a change.”
The air seems to stall in Vi’s lungs, then, every muscle in her body freezing as she stares at Caitlyn’s lidded gaze. In a daze, she lifts the folded cape in her hands and holds it out to Caitlyn, watches her take it slowly.
“Hope it was worth the wait,” Vi manages, throat dry.
Caitlyn smiles. “Undoubtedly.” She offers a hand in that strange way of hers, palm facing the floor, fingers curled delicately. “Thank you, Vi.”
Vi takes the hand in hers. “My pleasure, Caitlyn,” she replies.
Then, possessed by some insane instinct she can no longer tamp down, Vi brings Caitlyn’s hand to her lips and presses a kiss against cold knuckles.
When she lowers Caitlyn’s hand again, she finds Caitlyn’s eyes suddenly much darker than before. There’s something curious flashing in them, something almost… pleased.
“Would you like to stay for a meal?” Caitlyn asks.
Vi doesn’t have to think about it. “I could eat.”
* * *
It shouldn’t be a surprise that they find themselves making out on one of the uncomfortable antique couches less than an hour later, but somehow Vi didn’t think she’d fold quite this fast.
In her defense, Elora made a mean souffle.
Also, Caitlyn had watched her eat it with a look in her eyes that made Vi suspect she had an appetite for something else entirely.
Kissing a vampire wasn’t all that different from kissing a human woman – that was to say, it fucking rocked. Caitlyn’s fangs weren’t too sharp along the sides, just at the tips, and Caitlyn was careful not to bite down on Vi’s bottom lip, which was something of bummer, but also a nice gesture.
Caitlyn is already halfway in Vi’s lap and doesn’t protest when Vi tugs at her leg, pulling until she’s fully straddling her. Vi hums, hands running up impossibly smooth and cold thighs, and Caitlyn releases a puff of needless breath against Vi’s lips when she squeezes lightly.
Her hands find their way to the satiny material of Caitlyn’s robe, pulling back to look Caitlyn in the eye when her fingers start to play with the tie holding the two sides closed. Blunt fingernails dig deeper into Vi’s neck, not letting her go far – as if Vi would ever want to go far from this woman ever again.
She holds eye contact with Caitlyn and gives a deliberate tug at the tie. Caitlyn slips her hands around to undo it herself, revealing a corset-like top, cropped to show more soft, pale skin. Vi can’t help but reach out and touch, eyes rolling back in her head as Caitlyn licks into her mouth again.
Vi loses track of time after that, determined to find out if she can warm up the skin of Caitlyn’s stomach through sheer force of will and her own warm palms. Eventually she finds herself being pushed onto her back, Caitlyn stretching out on top of her, legs tangled. Their hips start a slow roll, and Vi can’t hold back the low groan that escapes her as Caitlyn’s thigh presses into her in the exact right spot.
Caitlyn seems delighted by the noise, breaking the kiss to grin toothily at her before ducking her head down to mouth at Vi’s neck.
And, well… calling that nice would be a gross understatement.
The second Vi feels the hint of sharp teeth at her pulse point, Vi lets out an embarrassingly loud moan. She feels her entire face flush with heat even as Caitlyn seems to double down, encouraged by the sound. Careful kisses turn into scraping teeth, a wet tongue dragging over Vi’s tattoo while their hips keep up a hard grind.
“Cait,” Vi pants, hands scrambling to ground themselves, landing in silky hair and the smooth skin of Caitlyn’s back. “Cait- shit.”
Caitlyn drags her nose up the curve of Vi’s neck, inhaling deeply. “Vi,” she sighs in return, voice low and ragged. She lingers at Vi’s pulse point, breathing deeply. She shifts ever so slightly and suddenly their legs are perfectly slotted together, a thigh pressing right up against Vi that makes her whine.
“Cait,” Vi says again, hands clutching tighter in their holds. Caitlyn only hums in response, distracted by her exploration of Vi’s neck. Her fangs nip against the skin right under Vi’s jaw, and suddenly Vi is desperate to feel more of that sharp sting. “Oh fuck, bite me.”
That gets Caitlyn’s attention. Her head snaps up to stare at Vi with wide eyes, pupils blown to shit, the thin ring of her irises a piercing, glowing blue. The sight makes Vi shiver.
“Vi,” Caitlyn says slowly. “What are you-”
“Bite me,” Vi tells her again, and she’s begging now, she can admit that much, but she can’t feel shame anymore between the ache in her core and the near throb of her pulse. Her eyes squeeze shut and she brings both hands to the back of Caitlyn’s head, pulling her back down. “Bite me, Cait. Bite me, please bite me.”
She chants it until Caitlyn complies, something like a growl leaving her before she grabs Vi’s jaw with one hand, pushing it up and holding her there.
“This might hurt,” Caitlyn warns, and then teeth are sinking into Vi’s neck.
It doesn’t hurt.
Or, it might hurt, but Vi doesn’t notice underneath the overwhelming bliss of fuck yes.
Things sort of get hazy from there. Vi is vaguely aware of a string of expletives flowing from her mouth, followed by nonsensical babbling and a slew of noises that she is unable to control. She can feel the way Caitlyn doubles down in her grinding, humping Vi’s thigh as she groans and growls into her hold on Vi’s neck. Vi’s own hips jump erratically, hardly finding pressure anymore but that hardly seems to matter as an orgasm builds up in her dizzyingly fast.
Vi’s grip on Caitlyn tightens, one hand slipping down to the back of her neck as she tries to steady her breathing. Except with her hand on Caitlyn’s neck, she can feel Caitlyn swallowing, which is another reminder of what exactly is happening right now, and it’s enough to send Vi careening over the edge.
Distantly, she feels the suction on her neck increase as she comes, the pain sharpening to an almost uncomfortable level as Caitlyn groans in pleasure, hips stuttering against Vi’s.
It’s all good. It’s all so fucking good and Vi can’t believe it’s taken her this long to do this with her weird-ass neighbor.
At some point Vi must pass out, because the next thing she’s aware of is a fuzziness in her head, a warmth dripping down her neck, and Caitlyn perched on top of her, watching her with concerned eyes.
“Oh thank god,” the vampire breathes out in a rush, sounding relieved. “I thought I’d killed you for a moment.”
“I’m not sure you didn’t,” Vi mumbles groggily. She reaches a hand up to her neck, fingers coming away red and sticky, and lets her head fall back with a huff. “Fuck, cupcake. You really went to town.”
Caitlyn’s eyebrows scrunch together. “I haven’t gone to town in days,” she says.
Vi chuckles. Her hands are numb, sensation slowly creeping back into them and making them tingle. “Figure of speech,” she says. “Enjoy yourself?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn answers immediately, then cringes. “Too much, maybe.”
Vi waves it off with a shake of her head. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” she assures her, giving Caitlyn’s waist a weak squeeze. “Could go for a burger right now, though. And maybe some water.”
Caitlyn nods sharply. “I’ll have Elora fetch those at once.”
After calling for Elora – who helpfully provides a wet towel to clean up Vi’s bloodied neck – and relaying Vi’s needs, Caitlyn appears to relax, wiping the blood from Vi’s neck and patching up the holes she’d made. Her hands seem warmer, surprisingly, and there’s a hint of pink to her usually colorless cheeks, and Vi realizes with a jolt that it’s probably her blood that’s the cause.
And isn’t that a thought.
She’s ripped out of her musings by Caitlyn’s voice.
“How did you know I was a vampire? I thought we’d been keeping a rather low profile.”
Vi blinks, takes in the sincere curiosity in Caitlyn’s expression, and bursts out a laugh that startles them both. Caitlyn demands to know what’s so funny, and Vi can only pull her down into a kiss, so endeared she feels a little insane.
* * *
The next day at breakfast, Vi feels a tug on her arm. Isha stares up at her, a look of concern on her face as she signs.
You hurt?
Vi tilts her head, confused, and Isha taps the side of her own neck, reminding Vi of the bandage covering the puncture marks made by Caitlyn’s teeth. Her hand subconsciously comes up to rub at the area, chuckling nervously.
“Oh, this? Just scraped against something at work, kiddo. I’m alright.”
Isha seems satisfied by this answer, going back to her cereal, and Vi ignores the snort that Jinx lets out from across the table.
* * *
Vi drops her work bag at the foot of her bed, rolling her shoulders against the stiffness that comes with standing for eight hours. She tosses her keys and phone on her dresser, tugs off her shoes, and is just pulling her shirt over her head when she hears a tap against her window.
One of these days, she’s going to stop being startled by Caitlyn’s sudden appearances.
That day is not today.
Hand pressed against her racing heart, Vi moves to open the window. “Cait?”
“Hello Vi,” Caitlyn greets with a smile.
“Hey,” Vi says in return, brow furrowed. She peeks over the window ledge and sees Caitlyn standing on nothing, simply attached to the side of the house, and decides not to think about it too hard. “Uh, not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you,” Caitlyn says simply. “May I come in?”
Vi shrugs and steps aside, waving an arm in invitation. “Be my guest.”
Over the past few weeks, Vi has visited the manor across the street with increasing frequency, enough that she’s almost starting to get used to Elora’s cryptic formalness, the haunted mansion vibes, and accidentally walking in on Mel, Jayce, and Viktor having a threesome in the living room.
One time Caitlyn herself had answered the door, and when Vi asked where Elora was, Caitlyn replied that she was indisposed. Later that night, she discovered that “indisposed” meant “turning a threesome into a foursome,” and decided that not knowing exactly what Elora’s job entailed was for the best.
So Vi had gotten used to going over to Caitlyn’s house, spending her nights off work introducing Caitlyn to new music (she was downright bewitched by Spotify), listening to stories from Caitlyn’s past, and, of course, making out sloppy style and ending up lightheaded for more reasons than one.
But this unexpected visit from Caitlyn was the first time they’d met anywhere aside from the manor. It was also the first time Caitlyn had been over to Vi’s place since their game night, and Vi is just starting to wonder if she’ll have to explicitly invite Caitlyn inside every time she comes here when suddenly a hand is grabbing her by the neck and pulling her into a kiss.
Vi’s embarrassing squeak of surprise is muffled by Caitlyn’s lips, pressing hungrily against Vi’s. Caitlyn isn’t even fully through the window yet, perched on the sill and pulling at Vi in a way that makes her nervous they’ll both tumble out.
“Hey, cupcake,” Vi mumbles against Caitlyn’s lips, hands braced against the wall on either side of the window. “How ‘bout you come inside before I catch a cold, hm?”
Caitlyn immediately pushes herself off the windowsill, stepping fully into the room without detaching herself from Vi. By the time she lets up, Vi is panting, grinning ear to ear.
“One hell of a hello,” Vi remarks, slightly dazed.
“I missed you,” Caitlyn replies.
A heat sparks low in Vi at her tone. “Oh yeah?” she murmurs, eyes narrowing cockily. “How much?”
Caitlyn doesn’t dignify her with an answer, just pulls her in for another kiss, which- who needs words, anyway.
Vi slips her hands into the opening of Caitlyn’s cape, palms sliding around and up Caitlyn’s back. Soon enough, Caitlyn’s attention turns to Vi’s neck, as it often does, and Vi chuckles.
“Need a snack, babe?”
Caitlyn mumbles something against her neck that Vi can’t quite make out, already sounding a little punch-drunk just from the mere act of huffing the smell of Vi’s blood beneath her skin. Which Vi finds strange but hot – something of a common theme, it seems – and doesn’t protest when Caitlyn moves them until Vi’s back hits the wall.
Teeth start nipping at Vi’s throat, lightly, as if testing the durability of the delicate skin, as if Caitlyn doesn’t already know how easy it is to sink her fangs into Vi’s pulse point. Vi lets out a choked moan and tips her head back, hitting the wall with a thud.
“That’s it, Cait,” Vi breathes, eyes already drooping. “Take what you need.”
And Caitlyn seems intent on doing just that, except the soft growls and huffs she’s letting out sound more frustrated than her usual variety. She’s hunched over, mouth working fervently against Vi’s tattoo, and Vi moves her hands to Caitlyn’s shoulders, ready to push her away and check in on her, but then all at once she’s being grabbed under the arms and hoisted into the air, feet dangling just off the ground.
“What the fuck!” Vi yelps, feet swinging and fingers clutching at Caitlyn’s shoulders. “Cait- Cait, what-”
Caitlyn only makes a pleased noise, now fully straightened up as she sucks languidly at Vi’s neck, and something in Vi’s mind clicks.
“Was I really too short for you?” Vi asks, incredulous and also a little humiliated. “Cupcake, are you for real right now?”
Caitlyn hums. “My neck was starting to cramp,” she says, pulling back to peer up at Vi. She looks slightly abashed, grin adorable and apologetic, even as she effortlessly keep Vi held up, pressed against the wall, entirely at her mercy.
Vi makes a big show of sighing and rolling her eyes. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” she says, fake exasperation obvious in her tone. Caitlyn’s smile turns more shy, and Vi is positive she’d be blushing right now if she were able to. She tilts her head to the side again. “Alright, cupcake, have at it.”
“You are exquisite,” Caitlyn tells her, astonished, and that does make Vi blush, which has the extraordinary side effect of Caitlyn’s eyes darkening again at the sight of blood rushing under Vi’s skin, and teeth are in Vi’s neck a second later.
It feels so nice, Vi forgets all about her embarrassment of being manhandled. At least for a while.
*
A couple hours later when the sun is just starting to rise in the sky, blackout curtains pulled securely across Vi’s bedroom windows, Vi sneaks downstairs for a glass of water.
Her steps are quiet, avoiding all the creaks in the floorboards she’s starting to know by heart. It’s too early for anyone else to be awake – even Isha, with her Saturday morning cartoons, is snoring softly when Vi sneaks past her door.
She’s just crossing into the kitchen from the living room when someone behind her clears their throat.
Vi freezes.
Slowly turns around.
Jinx is sitting in an armchair, laptop open and headphones around her neck. She raises an eyebrow, taking in Vi’s attire.
Vi shifts uncomfortably. Maybe she should have put on more than just Caitlyn’s cape when she left the bedroom. Pants, at least.
She tugs on the cape until there’s absolutely no gap in the fabric. “Um. How long have you been up?” She wishes her voice weren’t so scratchy right now.
“A while,” Jinx replies, smug and judgmental.
“Ah,” Vi says awkwardly. She clears her throat. “That damn insomnia, huh?”
“Yup,” Jinx says, popping the ‘p.’
Vi shifts again. The cape drags against the floor with her movements.
“I’m gonna get some water now.”
“Good idea.”
Vi is grateful for the high collar hiding her scowl when Jinx throws a box of band-aids at her head on her way back up the stairs, telling her to use protection with a snicker.
* * *
The sun has just set when the window opens.
Vi smiles into her coffee.
Caitlyn joins her on the roof a moment later, silent as ever. Though Vi doesn’t startle nearly as much anymore.
“Good morning, my love,” Caitlyn greets, smile on her face. Vi turns to face her, lets Caitlyn wrap her up in her cloak when she leans in for a kiss.
The day is over, the sun all tucked away, a chill in the air, but Vi is warm, enveloped with this cold, weird, wonderful woman.
Normalcy is overrated, anyway.
And the night has just begun.