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In the grand hall of the Kiramman mansion, a party was underway—though, as Vi liked to say, it was more of a noble battleground than a celebration. Everyone was trying to extract information or secure deals as drinks and appetizers circulated through the room. Everyone, except one.
A loud crash echoed through the room as Luxanna Crownguard of Demacia toppled a pyramid of champagne glasses that, in her opinion, should never have been there in the first place. Why would anyone do that with crystal glasses people needed to drink from?
Vi, who had been watching from a corner of the room, let out a sigh. This couldn’t end well.
“I’ve got this, Cupcake,” she muttered to Caitlyn, who was watching the scene with evident concern.
The sheriff nodded, visibly relieved.
“I’ll handle the distraction,” she replied, gracefully adjusting her dress before gliding toward a group of nobles who had already begun whispering among themselves.
Vi made her way through the crowd, ignoring the reproachful and curious looks sent her way. When she reached Lux, she found the mage staring blankly at the puddle of champagne.
“Come on, Blondie,” Vi said quietly, placing a gentle hand on her arm.
Lux didn’t resist as Vi guided her out of the hall, leaving behind the murmurs and disapproving glances. Once in the hallway, Vi closed the door carefully, shutting out the noise of the party.
The corridor was nearly empty, lit only by the warm glow of wall lamps. The silence was a relief after the chaos of the party, but Vi couldn’t help noticing the tension still evident in Lux’s shoulders.
“Are you okay?” she asked, watching her closely.
Lux struggled to meet Vi’s gaze, and the brawler noticed that the mage was on the verge of tears.
“It was an accident… I just wanted another drink…” Lux mumbled.
Vi would have been calm if Lux hadn’t slurred every word in that short sentence, which brought her sister’s warning to mind:
“Blondie can’t handle her drinks; you have to keep an eye on her, sis.”
Vi wished she’d been more cautious, but apparently, she’d been too busy dodging countless stories about Piltover to notice. Lux must have decided to dismantle that champagne tower herself before accidentally knocking it over.
“My sister’s going to kill me,” Vi murmured to herself, glancing at the mage, who had clearly drunk far more than she could handle.
Jinx had confessed some time ago that she was dating Lux. How that had started or come to be was a mystery. All Jinx had said about it was something like, “I’ve got a tall, rich girlfriend too, but Blondie’s way better than your Cupcake!”
Vi sighed just as Lux kicked off her heels. With no care for the elegant dress she was wearing, Lux slowly slid down to the floor, leaning her back against the hallway wall.
“Why do I have to be here without her? It’s not fair,” Lux whined, sounding like a drunken child—a tone that would bring Jinx dangerously close to the trigger of Pow Pow. Not a good sign.
Vi sighed again and crouched down to look directly at the mage.
“Because if she showed up here, there wouldn’t be a gala,” Vi said. Lux looked at her with a pitiful expression. “You know I’m right. My sister’s many things, but she wouldn’t survive this for a second.”
And, in a way, Vi admired her for that.
“Yeah, but… I miss her,” Lux complained again. “What if… what if she forgets about me?”
“You literally saw each other yesterday.”
“Exactly!” Lux rubbed her face, smearing her makeup. “And it’s going to be worse when I go back to Demacia—there’ll be even more galas there, and no Jinx at all.”
Vi let out a nervous laugh, unsure how to handle the situation, and opted to let Lux vent.
“And the worst part is that my mom won’t stop trying to marry me off. She doesn’t care about Jinx, even though she freaked out when she found out,” Lux continued, making Vi realize she was learning more about how these two worked from drunk Lux than she ever had from her sister. “And all I want is to see the world with Jinx. Is that so much to ask?”
The Zaunite wanted to tell her yes, it probably was—Jinx was the worst person for that, considering how many countries likely wanted to arrest her. But maybe now wasn’t the right time.
“But for some reason, I’m still loyal to my family, and it’s such a pain. What can I do to break away? Why can’t I do it?”
Lux looked at her with those big blue eyes, resembling a beaten puppy more than a grown woman. Vi sighed and sat down next to her. Her outfit was better suited for this than the mage’s dress, which was probably torn by now.
Lux rested her head against the wall, her eyes half-closed as the alcohol slowed her thoughts. Beside her, Vi took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. This wasn’t her strength; comforting people had never been her thing, especially when it came to family problems.
“My experience is that the best way to break away from family is death, but I couldn’t get rid of Jinx even with that, so... but don’t do that.” Upon seeing Lux’s face, she simply said: “Why don’t you just leave? “
Lux blinked slowly and turned her head toward Vi, her brow furrowed as she processed the words. Vi immediately wished she could take them back.
“What the hell did I just say?” she thought as the silence stretched on.
“Leave?” Lux repeated.
Vi, her shoulders tense, decided it didn’t matter anymore. In for a penny, in for a pound—besides, Lux probably wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow.
“Yeah, just leave it all behind.”
There was a pause. Lux stared ahead, chewing over the idea. For a few seconds, she seemed to genuinely consider it. But then she frowned even more, shaking her head slightly.
“I just told you that’s what I can’t do…”
Vi sighed, frustrated with herself. She had clearly overestimated what drunk Lux could process.
“Oh,” was all she could manage, feeling dumber by the second.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Vi had no idea how to break it, but Lux suddenly did—with an unexpected laugh.
“Jinx is better at comforting people,” she said between giggles.
“That’s statistically impossible. I comfort Caitlyn all the time!” Vi shot back, though even as she said it, she wasn’t sure it was true. “It’s just… she’s your girlfriend.”
Lux gave her a clumsy smile, but it soon crumbled. Her lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.
“I miss her so much…” Lux murmured, her voice breaking into a sob.
Vi tilted her head, uncomfortable, desperately searching for something to say to calm her down. She was even less sure of what to do now.
“Janna… Lux, you can see her after this. I’m sure she’s waiting for you, doing whatever it is she does in her free time.”
“Building,” Lux said. “She likes building things, especially the ones that explode. It’s so adorable.”
She made a small sound imitating an explosion with her mouth and then laughed. Vi blinked, perplexed by the scene in front of her.
“How did you two even end up together?” she asked, genuinely curious.
Lux slumped further against the wall, slowly sliding down until she was almost on the floor.
“She liked me. I liked her. There were explosions…” Lux let out a silly laugh, but before Vi could press for details, the mage flopped completely to the ground. “I miss her so much…”
Vi sighed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.
“How many drinks have you had?” she asked, without any real hope of getting a coherent answer.
Lux tilted her head from the floor, her expression somewhere between innocent and playful.
“How many are acceptable so you won’t yell at me but also won’t send me back?”
Vi let out a long sigh and got comfortable, resigning herself to what was clearly going to be a very long night.
“Don’t worry, sunshine, you’re not going back there. Neither am I.”
Lux glanced up at her.
“I hate knowing why these things are organized. Someone should blow them up.”
Vi raised an eyebrow, amused by the mage’s comment.
“Though, of course, that someone isn’t here…” Lux added.
Vi chuckled softly, shaking her head. She was starting to understand how those two worked together.
Before she could say anything else, a waiter appeared in the hallway with a tray balanced precariously, a sparkling champagne bottle at its center. Vi didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Hey, sweet boy. Leave that bottle here,”
The waiter stopped, blinking as if debating whether to comply or not. His eyes darted between the two of them, and though neither could tell whom exactly he recognized, a few seconds were enough for him to vanish from the hallway, leaving the tray—and the bottle—behind.
“That’s what I like about Piltover, sweetheart,” Vi said as she expertly uncorked the bottle. “Quick service.”
She took the first sip but immediately frowned.
“Sometimes I miss Zaun booze… This stuff barely gets me started.”
Lux, still half-sprawled on the floor, stretched a hand toward Vi. The latter shook her head, raising the bottle out of reach.
“Na-ah. If you drink while lying down, you’ll choke, and nobody wants to deal with that.”
Lux pouted dramatically but obeyed, slowly sitting up until she was next to Vi, their shoulders brushing. Vi took another swig before passing the bottle to her.
“Thanks,” Lux murmured, taking a long drink before handing it back. Her voice softened as she added, “You’re right about that. I can’t handle it yet, but Jinx… she drinks so easily. I guess it’s in her blood.”
Vi let out a genuine laugh this time as she took another sip and returned the bottle.
“Sometimes I feel guilty for not missing Zaun. But it’s not my home anymore, you know?” She idly twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers as she continued. “Cait’s tied to Piltover, and I think my place is with her.”
Lux nodded slowly, took another sip, and smiled faintly as she handed the bottle back.
“I feel the same, in a way, about Demacia and Jinx.”
Vi tilted her head, studying her.
“Maybe we’re not so different, you and I,” she remarked with a crooked smile as Lux passed her the bottle.
Lux chuckled lightly before replying, “Maybe.”
The hallway door swung open abruptly, the loud noise echoing through the comfortable silence Lux and Vi had been sharing. Caitlyn appeared on the other side, her jaw tight and her expression tense. Her eyes flicked between the two of them before settling on the bottle in Vi’s hand.
“Is there still liquid in that bottle?” she asked in a sharp tone, clearly upset about something that had happened inside.
Vi said nothing, simply extending the bottle toward Caitlyn, who took it without hesitation and sat down on her left, exhaling deeply.
“I can’t take this anymore…” Caitlyn muttered, taking a long drink before continuing. “I don’t know how my mother endured it.”
Vi silently accepted the bottle back when Caitlyn handed it over, but before taking a sip, she passed it to Lux. The blonde wasted no time taking a small sip and then spoke:
“My mother endured unbearable galas as if they were nothing, and she’d scold me if I didn’t behave perfectly,” Lux said, holding the bottle Vi had passed her and taking another drink.
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow, tilting her head toward her.
“And that’s why you’re like this?”
The air seemed to freeze. Lux and Vi went stiff, exchanging quick, nervous glances. Caitlyn didn’t know. She had no idea about Jinx and Lux. Until now, only Vi was aware.
Lux looked away, her throat suddenly dry. She held the bottle for a moment longer before handing it back to Vi, who didn’t even look at it before passing it directly to Caitlyn.
“I…” Lux started. She swallowed and finished the sentence in a near-whisper, “I miss Jinx.”
Caitlyn, who had just started raising the bottle to her lips, froze. Her eyes locked on Lux, wide with surprise.
“Jinx? The Loose Cannon? Jinx Jinx?”
Lux felt the adrenaline start to clear her mind, her drunken haze evaporating at an alarming rate.
“Yes…” she replied in a barely audible voice.
Caitlyn, still processing what she’d just heard, took a long drink from the bottle.
“Why?”
Lux pressed her lips together, regretting handing over the bottle and wishing she still had it. Still, she answered:
“She’s my girlfriend.”
Caitlyn lowered the bottle halfway to her lips, then slowly brought it down further. After a moment, she took another long drink, nearly finishing what was left.
“Cupcake, tread carefully,” Vi murmured.
Caitlyn raised a finger, silencing her without even looking at her. Her attention remained fixed on Lux.
“Are you dating Jinx?” she asked, a mix of disbelief and disapproval in her voice.
Lux nodded, though the motion was barely noticeable.
Caitlyn took a third and final swig from the bottle, finishing it off. Then, with a deliberately calm tone, she said,
“I know a very good doctor who helped me after what happened with my mother…”
Vi raised an eyebrow, suspecting where this conversation was heading, but any attempt Caitlyn might have made to continue her "intervention" was abruptly cut short. The door at the end of the hallway swung open violently, and within seconds, a burst of pink paint engulfed them all.
A hysterical laugh echoed from the other side, loud and unmistakable.
Lux, upon hearing it, stood up immediately. Her legs wobbled slightly from the alcohol but held steady enough for her to chase that familiar sound.
Vi and Caitlyn, still seated on the floor, didn’t even bother trying to get up.
“Luxanna Crownguard is dating her?” Caitlyn asked after a long silence, her voice laced with exhaustion.
“Yep,” Vi replied without so much as a flinch.
“Do you think it’s just paint?”
Vi shrugged.
“Probably.”
Caitlyn let her head fall back, closing her eyes for a moment before speaking.
“Is there more champagne?”
Vi grinned, pushing herself to her feet with a bit more energy.
“Let’s go find some.”
***
Lux stepped into the cloud of colors without hesitation, her footsteps echoing through the chaos of paint that filled the room. Reaching the center, she saw her. Jinx was there, wielding an improvised version of Fishbones that sprayed paint instead of explosive projectiles. Jinx’s wide, mischievous grin grew even larger when she saw her.
“Blondie!” Jinx shouted, dropping the makeshift weapon with a metallic clatter.
Lux didn’t waste a second. She ran toward her, wrapping her arms around her in an embrace that quickly turned into a passionate kiss.
“I missed you so much…” Lux murmured, barely pulling away from her lips.
Jinx chuckled softly.
“I missed ya too, Flashlight! And hey, these snoozefests needed a splash of color, so I figured I’d drop in and shake things up!”
Lux rested her forehead against Jinx’s, closing her eyes for a moment.
“Well, it’s got all the color it needs now. Can we go home? I don’t feel great.”
Jinx frowned, her expression momentarily hardening as she reached for her improvised Fishbones again.
“Where’s Fat Hands?” she asked, visibly annoyed.
“What? Why?”
“I told her not to let you chug too much! You get all sad afterward.”
Before Jinx could storm off after Vi, Lux stopped her, gently holding her wrists.
“I’m only sad because you weren’t here,” she said, pulling her into a tight hug. “But now I’m happy because you are.”
Jinx’s expression shifted instantly. Her trademark grin returned, warm and radiant.
“So, we’re going home, then?”
Lux nodded, and Jinx smiled softly.
“Like I'd ever say no to that, Blondie—buzzed, smashed, or stone-cold sober!”
Trying to regain some composure, Lux raised a hand, attempting to conjure an invisibility barrier. Her first attempt failed spectacularly, creating a small spark that made both of them laugh.
“Blondie…” Jinx arched an amused eyebrow. “How much fizzled juice you been chuggin'?”
Lux didn’t answer, focusing on trying again. The third time was the charm. Shrouded in the invisibility barrier, the two of them slipped away unnoticed.
***
The next morning, the soft sound of a pencil scratching against paper woke Lux. Still half-asleep, she stretched out an arm and wrapped it around the familiar body beside her.
“On a scale of one to ten, how bad is your headache?” Jinx asked, not stopping as she scribbled a new design in her notebook.
Lux buried her face deeper into Jinx’s neck, letting out a faint groan.
“Surprisingly, only a six.”
Jinx let out a small laugh.
“At least Vi did half her job.”
“Yeah…” Lux chuckled softly before adding, “I found out I like your sister.”
“Oh, really?”
“She knows how to drink and listen. She got me out of there and took care of me until you showed up.”
Jinx raised an eyebrow in exaggerated surprise.
“I guess I owe her one.”
Lux pulled back slightly to look at her.
“She also told me to run away from everything with you.”
Jinx leaned in, her lips brushing against Lux’s forehead.
“I’m never saying no to that.”
Lux stayed silent for a moment, her thoughts clearer than the night before.
“Maybe I should…”
Jinx watched her with a crooked smile.
“Maybe.” The sound of Lux’s stomach growling filled the room. “But first, we need food. And guess what? I’m like, a total pancake master!”
Lux snorted, amused.
“Liar.”
Jinx feigned offense, crossing her arms.
“Well, uh... more like an expert at buying 'em”
Lux raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Okay, okay, fine! More like... stealing 'em? ” Jinx admitted with a nervous laugh.
“Possibly… but I’m making them, because I like Jericho,” Lux said, tapping Jinx’s nose.
“I’m dating the goody-two-shoes!” Jinx groaned dramatically, flopping onto the bed.
Lux sat up, stretching.
“Do you even have eggs and milk?” she asked, turning to look at her girlfriend.
Jinx sighed, rolling her eyes, though the idea of pancakes was sounding better by the second.
“Pretty sure there’s some left from last time.”
Lux did a quick mental calculation, wondering if they might be expired. But eventually, she got up, ready to give cooking a try. Meanwhile, Jinx decided her main job would be showering Lux with kisses while she cooked. Proudly, she dug through the closet and found the perfect apron for the occasion. Even if she had no clue how to use a frying pan, she knew exactly what to do when the apron said, Kiss the Chef.