The Blades and The Gauntlets [Vi x fem!oc]

Chapter XXVII: The Luxury Of Time

Vi leaned back against the cold wall of the cell, letting out a shaky breath as she ran a hand through her messy hair. Her pants laid crumpled at her feet, her shirt tossed somewhere in the corner. Mila was crouched nearby, already halfway through buttoning her shirt, her mix of blonde and blue hair tousled and a small smile tugging at her lips.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, the quiet between them a blend of lingering tension and something softer, something unspoken.

The red-head huffed a faint laugh, though her gaze remained distant. She risked a glance in Mila's direction, her blue eyes lingering for a moment on the parts of her body she'd just explored, still fresh in her memory. Clearing her throat, she motioned to grab her own clothes, quickly pulling her shirt over her head before reaching for her jacket.

She stood up straight, breathing out slowly. The blonde caught her gaze, but it was distant, like it wasn't really focused on anything in the room. She crossed the cell, finding her hand and placing a kiss on her lips. "Hey. You here with me?"

Vi blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and then smirked. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was casual, but there was a softness to it that wasn't usually there. "Better than fine, actually."

Her partner raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Better than fine, huh? That's a bold statement."

She shrugged, grabbing her pants off the floor and slipping her legs inside. "What can I say? You've got that effect on me." She gave Mila a wide grin. "Don't let it go to your head, though."

She chuckled under her breath, brushing a strand of blue hair out of her face. "I wouldn't dream of it." She stood, dusting off her pants. "But seriously, are you okay? You've been in your head since..." She trailed off, gesturing vaguely between them.

Vi paused, her eyes focusing on her sister's symbols. "I'm okay, Mila," she said, her voice soft but sure. "Really. I mean, I enjoyed it. I..." She hesitated, her blue eyes meeting the browns in front of her. "I've wanted this for a long time. Wanted you for a long time."

Mila blinked, the teasing glint in her eyes fading into something softer, more vulnerable.

"Well," she said after a moment, her voice quieter, "It's not like we ever really had the time to figure this out. Between... everything."

The girl huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "Yeah, I was a little busy, you know? Locked up in Stillwater, fighting for my life, wondering if you were even..." She trailed off, her jaw tightening as she glanced away.

"Alive?" Mila finished for her, her tone steady but full of sadness.

Her blue eyes flickered with a mix of emotions as she looked back at her. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Mila. Let alone... have you. I didn't think I'd get the chance to feel something like this."

She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against Vi's arm. "You're not the only one who thought like that," she said, her voice low. "For years, I thought I'd lost you. And when I finally saw you again... it was a lot. Between Caitlyn, Silco, the Council... and then suddenly we were on opposite sides."

Vi's fingers lingered on Mila's rings, her thumb moving over the cold metal as the quiet settled between them. Her blue eyes flickered with something unreadable, and she shook her head with a soft, self-deprecating laugh.

"You know," Vi started, her voice low, "I never thought we'd get here. Not after the way we fought."

Mila tilted her head, her brows furrowing. "Yeah," she whispered, looking back at the metal bars, her feet carrying her there and her hands dragging it open.