𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧: controversially young girlfriend

  ╰┈➤ 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: mention of child murder,      
       implied prostitution, mention of arson

AVIVA HAD GROWN.

Not just physically, but mentally. She no longer sought out answers or companionship like she had years ago. Instead, she had learned how to create her own. She had Jinx, occasionally Celeste. So, she wasn't here in the brothel because she lacked company—she was here because she sought out the company she already had.

She'd make that clear, if anyone ever dared to ask. She wasn't like the lost souls who wandered in here searching for temporary companionship or fleeting relationships. But she didn't judge them, either. She understood the need to escape, to lose oneself in someone else.

Her skirt, hiked up as she swayed with each step as she moved through the dimly lit halls, the heels of her boots clicking softly against the floor. She wasn't in a rush—no, she was searching. Searching for Celeste.

Celeste had become something special in her life over the last year. More special than she cared to admit, though she supposed that was more to Silco's right hand than to her. But that didn't matter. Celeste didn't belong to anyone—at least, not in a way Aviva cared about.

Celeste worked at the brothel, but not for the reasons people thought. It wasn't about pleasure or affection—it was about business. She gathered the intel that people thought they could keep hidden from Silco. No one suspected the sweet-faced girl with bubblegum-pink hair. No one suspected those soft, big eyes could hide secrets that could bring an empire to its knees. 

Aviva had learned the hard way that Celeste wasn't just anyone. 

And, of course, Celeste happened to be Sevika's... girlfriend. If that's what you wanted to call it. 

Aviva was always amused by the relationship—or what passed for it. She liked to point out the glaring differences difference between them,  height, fashion, appearance, age.

Though she found that last one to be rather controversial.

"Girlfriend?"* Aviva had asked once, raising an eyebrow. "You're, like, what—forty? She looks twenty at most."

Sevika had given her a scowl, voice gruff and thick with annoyance. "She's twenty-four, and she's not my girlfriend."

"Sure, Sevika," Aviva had grinned, her lips curling up wickedly. "Whatever you say. It's cute though, that you think your lies work on me."

Sevika hadn't appreciated the teasing, but Celeste had laughed, a soft, musical sound, always amused at Aviva's audacity.

The brothel was a labyrinth of halls, each corner leading to different rooms, different people, each one of them playing a role. Her eyes darted along the corridors, looking for that distinctive flash of pink hair, when suddenly—

BAM!

She collided with something solid. The impact knocked her back, but she quickly regained her balance.

For a moment, everything seemed to slow. Aviva glanced up, eyes narrowing as her gaze met a pair of steely, unyielding eyes, framed by short, dark hair. The woman's jaw clenched in irritation, her stance wide and solid as if to say she didn't move for anyone.

"Watch where you're going!" the pink haired woman barked. Though she knew better, not to start up trouble in a place like this

Aviva felt the sting of annoyance rise, but she kept her cool, her lips curling into a small smirk. She didn't need to explain herself. The collision wasn't her fault.

Before she could step around them, the second figure in front of her shifted. A woman with sharp features and a composed expression—her eyes scanning Aviva for the briefest of moments, almost as if assessing her. The taller woman beside her muttered something low under her breath, her eyes still lingering on Aviva's retreating form. Watching the subtly of her swaying hips.

The woman with the sharp eyes turned to the other, her voice a low murmur meant only for her companion. "She looks familiar."
The response came with a subtle shrug. "You grew up here, everyone might look familiar" was all the other woman said, though her gaze lingered just a bit longer before she followed the first figure down the hall. "No but familiar like I knew her before."

Aviva didn't linger to hear the rest of their conversation. She didn't need to. She wasn't here for them. Her mind was already elsewhere, on her next destination.

Now, as Aviva turned the corner, she spotted the familiar, pale pink hair just ahead, standing near the door to one of the private rooms. Celeste's gaze lifted when she noticed Aviva, a knowing smile spreading across her face. 

"Looking for me?" Celeste teased, the words light but the glint in her eye sharp, curious.

Aviva didn't answer right away. She stopped a few feet away, studying Celeste for a moment. There was something in her gaze, something dark and alluring, that kept Aviva's interest piqued. It wasn't just Celeste's beauty—it was her mystery. How she never seemed to need anyone but herself, even though she was always surrounded by people.

"Always," Aviva finally said with a soft smirk, her voice low, almost intimate. The silence between them thickened for a beat.

"You sure you're not just here to steal some secrets?" Celeste's voice was teasing, but there was an edge to it. Something guarded.

Aviva tilted her head, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Only the ones worth keeping."

Celeste laughed, and it felt like the air shifted, lighter and full of possibilities. "You always make everything sound so... interesting." 

"That's the trick," Aviva replied, stepping closer. She had no intention of hiding the fact that she liked this. Liked being in Celeste's orbit, even if it wasn't quite the same as the way Celeste gravitated toward Sevika. Aviva wasn't sure if it was the thrill of being near someone so unpredictable, or the way Celeste's own power made her stand apart from everyone else.

"Have you seen Sevika today?" Aviva asked casually, though the edge in her tone gave away the fact she was interested in something more than just the usual gossip.

"Not today," Celeste answered, her tone suddenly shifting, a flicker of something passing behind her eyes. "But you know how she gets."

Aviva didn't reply, her gaze never leaving Celeste's. They understood each other in ways that couldn't be put into words. Sevika was their shared anchor, but their connection went far deeper than simple allegiances. 

"Don't get too comfortable," Celeste added, her voice dipping lower, more private. "You know how things work around here." She cast a look around the hall, her gaze sharp, taking in everything in her vicinity. 

Aviva smiled, the corners of her lips curving up with something darker, more daring. "I'm always comfortable." 

Celeste's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Just don't break anything," she teased, though her smile was laced with something more tender—an unspoken promise of something that didn't need to be said. 

Aviva nodded, "You have anything worth sharing?" Celeste raised an eyebrow, her smile playful yet knowing. "If I did, I would have been at the lair. I'd love to find any excuse to leave this place. Sevika visits, but it's still rather lonely."

Aviva nodded, her eyes softening with a quiet sympathy. "I get what you mean."

Celeste's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Do you? I mean, you've got someone around all the time, don't you? How's Jinx? She's still attached to your hip?"

Aviva raised an eyebrow at the mention of Jinx, her posture slightly shifting as she leaned back against the wall. "What do you mean by that?"

Celeste's smile only deepened, her eyes narrowing with that familiar mischief. "Oh, come on, Aviva. Don't play dumb. You know she's completely into you."

Aviva's gaze faltered just for a moment, an involuntary flicker of something more complex passing through her eyes. "Jinx? She's... just Jinx. She's always like this." She shrugged, trying to sound casual, though Celeste wasn't fooled.
Celeste let out a small, knowing laugh. "Right. Always like this, huh?" She leaned forward, her voice dropping into a softer, more teasing tone. "I don't think she knows it yet, but it's pretty obvious. Even you can't pretend you haven't noticed."

Jinx had been like this for years, she didn't *like* Aviva she liked seeing if she could mess with her. Get in her head. And Aviva could spoil how that outcome turned out everytime.

She couldn't.

Aviva's mouth twitched into a small, tight smile, but she didn't speak for a moment. She was quiet, her mind clearly turning over the words in a way that Celeste noticed instantly.
"I see it," Celeste continued, her tone light but teasing. "And if you're not careful, she'll see it soon enough too." There was something almost playful in Celeste's eyes, but it also held a deeper, more knowing edge—like she was in on a secret, and Aviva had yet to catch up.

Aviva shook her head, trying to hide the slight tension in her shoulders. "You're reading too much into it."
Celeste chuckled, raising a hand in mock surrender. "Sure, if you say so. But I've seen the way she looks at you. Jinx might be insane, but she's not blind." She gave Aviva a sly grin. "And it's not like you don't like the attention."

Aviva's smile faltered, and she stepped away from the doorframe, pacing for a moment before looking back at Celeste.  "Don't tell me you haven't noticed," Celeste shot back with a smirk. "She's all over you—maybe not in the way you think, but she's got it bad. And you... you like it. Maybe not the attention, but the closeness. And she knows it."

Aviva didn't respond right away, but the silence that blanketed the room was the only answer she needed. Celeste leaned back with a satisfied grin.

"I can't wait to see how long it takes before you two finally admit it."
Aviva's eyes met hers, and for a long moment, neither spoke.  "Well, since you have nothing I can bring back to Silco, we're done here." Aviva's voice was flat, a touch of impatience underlying her words.

Celeste's expression softened, and she leaned in slightly, her smile playful. "Aw, don't be like that, Avi."

Aviva raised an eyebrow but didn't let the teasing get to her. "Don't worry, you haven't hurt my feelings. I just have other things to attend to."

Celeste's gaze shifted knowingly. "Like talking to your plants?"

Aviva gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, shrugging nonchalantly. "Yeah, sure."

Celeste's grin widened, clearly enjoying the banter. "You really do love them, don't you? Your little 'companions.'"

Aviva's smile remained, but there was a flicker of something more beneath it. "They're not so little, and they listen better than most people."

Celeste laughed lightly. "Well, at least they can't get too out of hand."

Aviva's gaze turned slightly distant, her thoughts clearly drifting elsewhere for a moment. "You'd be surprised."

Celeste watched her carefully, a knowing smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe I would. But you know, Avi, plants are one thing. Jinx, though..." She raised an eyebrow teasingly, her voice lowering just a touch. "She might be something you can't control as easily."

Aviva didn't answer immediately, her focus shifting slightly. Her eyes met Celeste's for a beat, an unreadable expression flickering before she masked it with a casual smile. "I don't need to control her. Not really."

Celeste chuckled, clearly satisfied with the response. "Sure. Whatever you say." She paused, a more mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. "But, I gotta say, it's cute how you act like she isn't already wrapped around your finger."

Aviva's smirk deepened, but she didn't offer a rebuttal. She simply turned, her fingers grazing the edge of a nearby plant, a subtle reminder of where her true attention always lay. "I have to go."

Celeste watched her walk away, shaking her head with an amused, knowing smile. "You're welcome, Avi. For the warning."

"YOU HAVE MURALS OF HER,"

Caitlyn spat, her voice laced with disgust as she pointed toward the towering image on the wall.

The mural was a haunting tribute. The girl who destroyed Zaun, her image, captured in shades of stark white and deep gold, stood in stark contrast to the dark and gritty Undercity backdrop. Her skin, a rich dark hue, almost glowed beneath the white halo of her baby curls, her gold eyes wide and unblinking, full of innocence and terror. The artists had depicted her as if frozen in time—young, defiant even in her fragility, symbolizing both loss and the irrepressible fight against Piltover's oppression. There was a quiet power in her gaze that seemed to challenge those who passed, daring them to remember the story behind the death of a one-year-old child.

Vi stood stiff beside Caitlyn, staring at the mural, her hands clenched into fists. Her jaw tightened, but she didn't speak.

"As if you aren't the ones that killed her," Caitlyn added, her voice quieter now but no less bitter. She turned to Vi, her eyes searching her face for any sign of the guilt that had eaten at her for years.

Vi's gaze remained locked on the image. She could feel the weight of the mural pressing down on her—reminding her of the past she'd tried to bury. She could almost hear the whispers of the Undercity in the background, calling her a murderer even if she hadn't been the one to pull the trigger. The woman on the mural, now immortalized in the streets of Zaun, was a symbol of something lost, something stolen.

"You don't know the whole story, Cait," Vi said, her voice rough, like she was fighting the words from her throat. "I didn't kill her. The people of Piltover—hell, even the Undercity—they all have their hands stained. No one was innocent."

Caitlyn wasn't convinced. "She was just a child, Vi. A *baby*—and look at what they've done with her death. Turned it into this... this monument."

Vi clenched her fists tighter, the anger rising in her chest. "A monument to remind Piltover that the Undercity isn't weak. That we won't stay down, no matter how many of us they kill."

Caitlyn's expression softened for a moment as she gazed at the mural. "This... this isn't progress, Vi," she said quietly. "This is a war."

Vi turned her eyes back to the mural, her own conflicted emotions reflected in the golden eyes of the painted child. The girl, Aviva, would never be more than a symbol now. She was the reminder that some things, no matter how small or innocent, could become the rallying point for a cause much larger than herself.

A cause that Vi had never truly wanted to be a part of, but had been dragged into anyway. And it was getting harder to justify her part in it.

"Progress," Vi muttered under her breath. "Maybe. But it's not the kind of progress I thought we'd see." She looked away, her gaze falling to the worn cobblestones beneath her feet. "I didn't ask for this."

Caitlyn stayed quiet for a moment before responding, her voice softer but no less sharp. "She didn't either."

A beat passed as they continued to stare at the mural.

"Though she does look a lot like a girl I knew," Vi said, her brow furrowing as she studied the fleeting memory. "She was friends with my sister."

Caitlyn tilted her head, curiosity lighting her features. "What was her name?"

Vi hesitated for a moment, a faint smirk tugging at her lips, though her eyes betrayed a hint of melancholy. "Ironically enough, Aviva."

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. "Aviva? As in *the* Aviva?"

Vi shrugged, her gaze distant. "Not the same one, obviously. The girl I knew had blue hair. She was bold, sharp as a blade. But... I don't know. There's something about her," Vi gestured vaguely, as if trying to piece together the fragments of her memory. "Something that reminds me of her."

"Strange coincidence," Caitlyn remarked, watching Vi closely. "Do you think it's just a resemblance?"

Vi shook her head, her jaw tightening. "Nah, can't be anything more than that. The Aviva I knew disappeared years ago. And the *other* Aviva," her voice dropped to a murmur, tinged with bitterness, "well, you know how that ended."

Caitlyn nodded silently, the weight of the unspoken settling between them.

"Do you know where she is?" Caitlyn asked, her voice low as she glanced toward Vi. 

Vi let out a soft snort, shaking her head. "No one truly knew *where* Aviva was. Or even *who* she was. She just used to show up. Like a ghost." She shrugged, trying to mask the faint unease threading through her words. 

Caitlyn frowned, her gaze thoughtful. "What if it's the same one?" 

Vi turned to her with a flat look, arching an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, the *baby* who was set on fire seventeen years ago magically popped back up with blue hair, just for kicks. Sure, that makes perfect sense." 

Caitlyn gave her a pointed look but didn't press further. 

"Look," Vi continued, brushing past the topic, "we've got bigger problems to deal with right now. Let's focus on the mission, Cupcake." 

But as Vi strode ahead, her shoulders tense, Caitlyn noticed the way her jaw clenched, as if the idea wasn't as absurd to her as she'd made it sound.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒!

Don't be a silent reader like I'm begging. Also my friend pointed out if this takes place after Vi's fight with Sevika she likely would have mentioned Aviva when mentioning Jinx so Vi would know where she is. So for the sake of plot this I somehow before the fight don't ask how. I'll put a disclaimer on the next chapter

Fun fact: this was meant to be a trilogy with an sevika and viktor book as well but it was scrapped so here's Celeste and sevika anyways

Filler chapter in case I get too busy today.

NOT PROOFREAD