#vander x minute

[k1nky-fool]

Least Sane Moments

Part 7/7

Masterlist

Vander x OC Minute

Pairing: M/F

Rating for part: Mature

Warnings: Violence, medical exploitation, morally gray decisions, several people and most don't deserve it.

Author's note: Thank all of you who enjoy this fic for bearing with me this long. It's definitely taken a long time to finish any fic, and I'm honestly just happy that I actually managed to complete at least one writing project.

Taglist: @gaybybirth @gatnalien @seas1mping

-Minute-

Back at the Last Drop, Vander and Devoan were the only two at the closed bar. “Back so soon? I thought she'd need a lot more convincing.” Vander chuckled. 

“What? Who?” Devoan asked. 

“After we finish this, you have an untraceable ticket topside if you want it.” Mita told her.  

“After we finish this.” Devoan agreed, but Mita could see the way her shoulders relaxed. 

“Is Sevika ready?” Mita asked Vander, and he didn’t look all too excited about it. 

“She’s not exactly the conversing type, but I’ve got a feeling she’ll be ready.”  

The three of them scurried through the Undercity with Devoan’s direction. Mita was certain the plan would work, but she wasn’t sure to what extent it would be successful. She could die fighting the five-eyed. Devoan could be caught by some goon that Sevika missed. Vander could be attacked by someone while he collected the prisoners. But anything was better than letting this go on for any longer. 

“There it is.” Devoan alerted, pointing to a tall building that was exactly how she described it. It was a run down factory dorm building. The factory next door was falling apart at the seams, only a hare’s breath away from total collapse, and the dorm building was only standing tall because of the reinforcements that looked to be put there by prior occupants. 

“Wait for Sevika’s signal.” Vander reminded them. 

They didn’t have to wait long before they saw a man get thrown out of a window from the eighth floor. “Go!” Mita commanded, slipping her mask on, and climbing up to the roof where she knew the five-eyed would be expecting her. He would know that Sevika’s assault was a distraction. 

Once she’d gotten to the roof, she took in as many of her surroundings as she could. Glass skylights dotted the roof, and the water tanks were on opposite corners. The access door flew open. “You thought that would work?” Five-eyed laughed as he stepped out into view. 

“No.” Mita said plainly, pulling her swords off her belt. “I needed some way to get you alone for our rematch.”

I owe him nothing but my survival.  

“All the same to me.” He pulled his staff off his back and sprinted toward her. Mita knew she had to save strength. They were trained to give their all, but Mita had learned better. 

She dodged his first swing and caught his blade with her sword, throwing her weight into kicking in his knee, but five pivoted just in time to swing at her again. 

She kept dodging and catching, doing no damage to him other than an occasional scratch on his skin. She was kept at a staff's length, and her swords couldn't reach too far without overextending herself which had always been the problem. 

He'll catch on that I'm his distraction if I don't try to kill him.

She had to take a riskier move. Just then she saw her opportunity when he held his staff with both hands. One up and one down, so she swung her swords the same way, ripping the staff from his grip and flinging it far above them. He was left with only his knives, but Mita wasn't dumb enough to assume they weren't poisoned. 

Mita had him on the defensive with shorter weapons, so she started crowding him toward the skylight. 

When she managed to hook his wrist, she quickly realized the mistake, but even quickly was not fast enough. 

Five threw himself back, forcing Mita down through the glass first. The pipe below it hit her helmet and spun her, landing on her stomach on the floor beneath the light. Her vision was blurry, but she didn't have long to get up. 

When she looked up, the nature of the situation changed drastically. She'd landed directly in front of Devoan who was working her way down from the top floor. She was almost finished with the doors on the top floor. 

The light boots of the creature landed right between her and Devoan, and suddenly he wasn't interested in killing Mita anymore. 

“Keep moving, Devoan!”

She didn't think before she jumped up and hooked her swords on the pipe that knocked her head and she swung her inertia into his ribs and shoving him over the balcony railing. But he wasn't going down alone. 

Five caught her ankle and pulled her with him. She was lucky and hooked onto the scaffolding before she fell too far, but his weight with hers was painful to hold for too long. 

She forced his arm into the pipes below to hopefully injure him enough that he would let go. At least Devoan had gotten to the next level. Five got his wits back too fast, and he still had one dagger. 

I promise I will not die here.

Mita had no choice but to pull up and drop from the railing. 

He only had to bend one flimsy floor grate with his shoulder to realize that keeping hold of her would kill him. He caught the next railing enough to smack him far enough to hit the incomplete wall by the scaffolding. 

Mita channeled her speed into swinging a high speed kick to five's stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and he hit the floor on his back. 

And when the chance came, Minute didn't hesitate. Her sword fell swiftly. 

The slice on his neck gave him only seconds to think before all life left his form. 

It was over. 

I beat him. 

Mita had always thought that she wouldn't know when the final time she sheathed her swords would be. But the peace that came from the last time she ever made the movement settled deep in her heart in the same place Vander had taken home in. 

Only one more passage remained. She unlocked the mechanism on his bloodstained mask, and removed it from his face. 

She made her way down slowly as Devoan continued through the prison, unlocking doors one after the other. 

Mita pulled herself over the railing to take the stairs, but she suddenly realized why Devoan had started from the top of the building. Every container in the chemical storage had been punctured and was pouring down the stairs. 

She did want to burn the place down, so this really shouldn't have surprised her. As she passed doors, she realized that some were still locked and were muffling some kind of mechanical whirring. 

Mita peeked inside and was struck cold by what she saw. There was another girl in the cell, but she was bound to a bed with several machines hooked up to her veins, back, and face, with something expanding and shrinking with her chest, breathing for her. And she wasn't the only one. 

“Devoan!” Mita called out, but there was no answer. 

She moved faster than she had fighting to get to Devoan before the place went up in flames. Her speed sent her nearly flying past the girl in the office on the floor level. 

Mita barged in, cornering her in the office, but she didn't look particularly disturbed by it. “There are still prisoners here!”

“They're already dead.” 

“That girl was breathing!” 

“The machine was breathing. They're used to keep our organs fresh for dissection.” She stated crassly as she kept loading papers into a bag. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Mita demanded. 

“I might have a ticket topside, but without money, I’ll end up back here too soon for my liking.” Devoan shrugged, finishing up and gathering what she wanted and slinging the bag on her shoulder. 

“You wouldn't even try to save the girls up there.” It might have been a question, but Mita was beginning to realize that it wasn't. 

“There's no saving them.” She said, now more defeated. 

“You wouldn’t even try?” 

“What should I try, Minute?” Devoan erupted, now glaring at her with something between anger and despair. “Should I try taking them off the machines and watch them suffocate while they can’t breathe on their own? Or maybe I should try to take them with us and risk breaking the fragile mechanics after ripping them out of the floorboards? And even if I could get the machines and the girls out of here in one piece, how do you expect to take care of them? Most of them are less than a day away from death anyway.” 

Devoan was right. As cruel and heartless as it may seem, it was worse to bring them along. Either just let Devoan burn the place down now, or watch as seven young women died in her care. 

Then there was nothing else they could do. “Let's get out of here.” Mita let the girl pass, and she followed her out. 

Vander would be waiting at the Last Drop for Mita to come back, but Devoan was late for a meeting. Nobody would dare to stare at a creature as they walked past. Mita took in that this may be the last time she had no eyes on her. 

Devoan all but jumped onto the bridge, and her strides were fast enough to put her slightly ahead of Mita, and how could she blame her. Anything to get further away from the place that held her captive, even if the smoke rose all the way up through the Undercity, announcing to everyone that it’s time had ended.

“Where are we going?” Devoan asked without looking back. 

“Somewhere safe.” Mita answered. 

The looks in Piltover were different. There were stares, whispers, and side-eyes everywhere until they eventually came to the street that Grayson had written down for her. “Follow me.” Both of them climbed up a fire escape to reach a window. 

With a soft knock on the glass, it didn’t take long for Grayson to find them. “Minute, are you allergic to doors?” 

“Would you rather everyone in your nosy town know we’re working together?” Mita asked back. 

“Fair enough.” Grayson stepped aside to let them in through the window. “You must be Devoan. I’m Sheriff Grayson.” 

“Sheriff?” Devoan deadpanned, glaring at Mita. 

“Can you think of someone better to keep you off the Enforcers’ list?” Mita asked her, and Devoan shifted her uneasy gaze to Grayson. 

“My Enforcers don’t need to know anything.” Grayson offered. 

“Even if I’m planning to exploit all this illegal medical research in my bag to line my pockets?” Neither Mita nor Grayson were expecting anything like that to come from Devoan. 

“Depends on how you’re planning to do it.” Grayson said. 

“The guy has a student, right?” Devoan asked. “From the way he spoke, she didn’t know shit about anything, so I’ll take the research to her to get the rest of this drug fully developed in exchange for half of the profits. I just don’t want anyone to know that’s what’s lining my pockets.” 

Mita also looked at Grayson, waiting for her answer just as eagerly as Devoan was. “I can do better than look the other way.” She said. “So long as you don’t kill anyone or rob someone, I can help you get on your feet. What would you do with all this money?” 

Devoan didn’t hesitate. “I’m going to the academy.” 

“Then I’ll help you.” Grayson agreed. “You can stay here as long as you need, Devoan.” 

“Won’t your nosy neighbors wonder why you suddenly have a teenager living with you?” Mita asked Grayson. 

“I didn’t know what she looked like before, but looking at her now, it would be easy to mistake her for a family member of mine. I’ll tell them I had to take custody of my niece or cousin, and they’re too polite to ask for details on something like that. They’ll know she’s from the Undercity, but so long as she has me, they won’t go digging deeper.” 

Devoan was cautiously walking around the living room, slowly taking in her surroundings. 

"Did you get that Devoan?" Mita asked.

"As far as the council will be concerned, you're related to me somehow. It's not a secret to them that I'm from the Undercity, but they won't be told unless they ask. And nobody will know where your money is coming from." Grayson explained. "If attending the academy is really what you want, then I can help you get on your feet if you don't want to stay here." 

"I'll stay here for a bit." Devo said, "If you're alright with it." 

Grayson smiled, "The offer is always there. Even far into the future." 

"And, you're sure nobody survived? Nobody will come for me?" Devo asked. 

Mita sighed, "If anybody survived, they're too scared of you to come looking. You made sure of that with the fire." 

Mita could tell that wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Grayson came to her rescue rather quickly. "Regardless of who survived, there's nothing I won't do to keep you safe, Devoan." 

“And you know where to find me if you need me.” Mita said. 

“Oh, Minute?” Devoan asked before she left. “Can you thank Vander for me?” 

“Of course.” Mita smiled beneath her mask and bid them both farewell. It had been a long time since she could just walk through the Undercity. She took her time, for once. It was late, but the brothels were always open. 

The woman at the front recognized her immediately and pointed her to the office near the back of the building. When Mita entered, Mystique jumped slightly, clearly not expecting her, but her eyes went to the five-eyed mask on her belt. 

“You owe me some money.” Mita said. 

“Both are dead, then?” 

“The five eyed is. The abductor has a fate worse than death in front of him.” She answered. 

“Given to the Enforcers. Cold blooded.” Mystique had a heavy sack in her drawer that she placed on the desk. “I added a little extra on top in honor of this being your last bounty.” 

“I appreciate it.” Mita moved to take the bag, but Mystique stopped her.

“Are my girls safe?” She asked. 

“As many as I could save. If any of the survivors want to come back, I’ll let them know there’s still a job here for them.” Mita answered, taking the bag as her hand moved back to her pen. 

“I appreciate it.” Mystique echoed, sending Mita on her way, but she was already leaving, eager to finally get home. 

And when she did, it was a bustle of relief as Vander and the kids shuffled around, getting the girls food, water, and any spare blankets they could find. 

“Mita!” Powder was the first to notice her entrance and she happily launched herself into her arms which caught Vander’s attention. 

“Hey, Powder.” Mita hugged her back as Vander approached. 

Mita, much like Powder, couldn’t hold herself back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders without saying a word. Vander held her like he knew they had all the time in the world. “Welcome home, Mita.” 

The words said by anyone would have felt like healing, but hearing them from Vander drained all the tension out of her. And she had something she couldn’t go without saying any longer. “I love you, Vander.”

Vander’s hold on her tightened. “I love you too, Mita.”  

[katz-rambles]

May I request some Vander x masc reader where one is taking care of the other who is sick? It can be either the reader or Vander who is feeling under the weather, or maybe both (As soon as one gets better the other gets sick)

bonus points for both having really loud dad sneezes

Ahhh!! Yes! I love Vander, smm!

This is a short, fluffy drabble, so I hope you enjoy, Anon!

(fluff, gn!reader, I think this is it.)

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚˚₊‧꒰

This sucks. It's the only way you can think to explain it. One day you're fine and then the next you're coughing so hard you're convinced you might cough up a lung, you were rudely woken up by the feeling of a sore throat and a horrible fever. The day couldn't possibly get any worse.

When you reach over to wrap your arm around Vander, you're met with a cold and empty side of the bed. So you trudge your way out of your shared room in hopes of finding him.

The whole place is strangely quiet, there's no creak of the floorboards indicating anybody but you is there, but you decide to keep on looking, they couldn't have just disappeared.

You're ripped from your thoughts and worries when you hear a little voice, “boo!” Powder is looking up at you, holding a monster plush with its arms out, and you play along by screaming and pretending to be attacked by it. Hearing Powder giggle between roars had you forgetting about how horrible you feel.

“There you are, love,” you turn to see Vander standing in the doorway with a smile on his face. Powder runs off somewhere, and Vander leans into kissing you, and you put your hand in the middle first. “I can't, I'm sick.” You sigh, and he chuckles and picks you up.

“Then what are you doing up?” He laughs and carries you back to your shared room and places you back in the bed. “You weren't there when I woke up,” you lay down, relishing in the comforting feeling of the bed, “so I went to go find you.” He groans and presses the back of his hand to your forehead and then replaces his hand with his lips. He leaves the room, and in a few minutes, he comes back with a damp cloth and a cup of water and places it down on the nightstand. The cloth is cool, and you almost immediately feel the difference. He then grabs a bottle of pills from his pocket and grabs a couple, some cold and flu medicine he picked up somewhere.

The bed dips beside you as Vander pulls you closer to his chest and kisses the crown of your head, “rest, you'll need it.” You smile and relax in his hold.

A knock on the door has you jumping in his arms, a soft chuckle escapes Vander, and you nudge him with your elbow, shooting him a glare. Soon after the door opens and Powder and Violet stand at the doorway, Powder holds a bowl of what looks to be, soup, and Violet a cup of tea. They both move inside the room and place it down on the nightstand, Powder climbs onto the bed and hugs your waist, resting her head on your chest while Violet climbs on the other side and rests on Vander.

Maybe being sick isn't so bad if it means you can lay here with them. The silence is nice and calm. You all lay together, cuddled close. Then the silence is interrupted, not by anyone, but by the sound of Vander sneezing, one that has Powder shrieking, and you yelping. Soon after, you find yourself propping yourself up and letting out a sneeze that, you're sure, topside could hear. Violet laughs, and you groan, laying back down. Maybe it isn't perfect, but it's enough for all of you.

[liyawritesss]

Hi! Hope you having a great day, do you still taking Arcane request. If so can you do a Ekko x GN reader where the two of them having really bad fight then the reader said they should take a break of this relationship and left the Firelight place. Didn't come back for a while. Both of them regret that decision but they too stubborn to said it.

It's been a week since that fight, the reader was a mechanic. They trying to fix something for a friend but ran out of things to fix, so the reader go out to find some supply. At that time the firelight was out fighting Silco's people, At first the reader choose to ignored but notice Ekko got injured from one of the guys that when the reader run out to help Ekko and the firelight beating those bad guys.

After a while helping Ekko get back to the try to make the wound better. The reader about to leave, returning to their work place. But Ekko pulling back, want to make up the fight before and didn't want their relationship to end like that. The reader apologize about that fight and they make up!

(You can make it a little drama like having a boy or girl got too comfy with Ekko or not your choice! Angst at the beginning then fluff in the end and sorry if my grammar bad, English isn't my first language)

ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ɪᴛ, ᴅᴀʀʟɪɴɢ; ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ

Pairing: Arcane!Ekko x Black!Fem!Firelight!Reader

Type: Fic

Word Count: 5.0k

Synopsis: When a minor mistake leads a stakeout mission astray, Ekko’s choice of words has you wondering where his emotions for you lie. It becomes apparent that even after seven years, the toic of discussion is one that still cuts deep for the both of you.

Warnings: cursing, show-accurate violence, mentions of drugs and drug-use (shimmer), mentions of guns & explosions, mentions of injuries

A/N: havent written for my man in a hot minute so thank you for this request! Absolutely adore Ekko, and while I think this could be way better, i know if I mess with it it wont be as good as I want it to be lmao. Sooooo here it is, hope you enjoy! Song Inspiration: “Devil Doesn’t Bargain”, “Boy in the Bubble”, and “Let Me Down Slowly” by Alec Benjamin, “lovely” by Billie Eilish ft. Khalid, “Broken Clocks” by SZA, “like that” by Bea Miller

Tags: @writingintheshadowsforever @mbakuetshurisprincess @verachii @cafehyunji @lulu-network @babyboiboyega @badass-dora-milaje @vander-affectionate @evermorewest

Sign Up For My Taglist Here!

The air that surrounded the Firelight soldiers as the squad returned to the hideout could be described as something akin to tension.

It was heavy, weighing on the soldiers shoulders as the squad of five hung their battle wear and accessories in their respective cubbies for housing. No one dared to speak, for fear that the unbridled temper that was thinly veiled by their leader’s quiet demeanor would be unleashed if a word was spoken into the unanimously agreed upon silence.

It was thick, evident in the way the squad members pushed through the hot and sticky summer air to hang their belongings. The hesitance slowed their movements, careful not to cause any abrupt disturbances in the carefully crafted momentum that would guarantee the three other squad members precise escape from the gear room and into the open clearing of the sanctuary, where although the air was still blazing hot, it was better to breathe than the air inside, looming with hostility.

Three would find their escapes successful, returning to their individual rooms to release the stress that had settled in their muscles from the night's events. And although they had escaped the worst of it, something still lingered in their stomachs as the distance between them and the last two remaining squad members in the gear room grew.

It wasn’t just tension. It was apprehension.

White locs were dirtied with gunpowder and sweat, a thin layer of it also coating his dark cacao skin. A deep frown makes its way onto the leader’s face, frown lines prominent on his forehead, thick nose scrunched in vexation. He leaned against a nearby table, arms swollen and toned with muscle folded across his chest as he stared at the woman before him. He was trying to calm himself, formulate the words he would say in a way that wouldn’t be regrettable, but as the events of the night continued to replay in his mind, he found his efforts nugatory.

It wasn’t just tension; it was apprehension.

He watched the woman before him take her precious time in putting up her gear. She wasn’t ignorant to the tension in the room. She wasn’t ignorant, but she knew the cause of it. She knew the reason why she was taking her time in stripping off her coat, making sure it hung on the right hook by the right tag. She knew the reason behind taking extra care in extracting her mask from her face, placing the facial ornament flat onto the floor of the cubby. She knew the reason why she was taking extra care in removing her gloves instead of ripping them off like normal.

It wasn’t just tension.

It was apprehension.

“So,” the leader’s voice echoes out into the room, the first vocal sound to do so outside of the rustle of clothing against wood and clacking of the same material against the frame of the cubby made from metal. His voice  was deep, laced with madden, restrained, “wanna talk about what the fuck that was out there?”

“Nothing,” you responded, short and curt. You were biting your tongue, the both of you knew it. You were restraining yourself just as much as he was, “it was nothing-”

“Bullshit,” the white haired boy interjects, “you don’t do shit like that and call it ‘nothing’, (Y/N).”

He could see your jaw flexing, attempting to keep your mouth closed and your resolve intact as you stored away your last glove, closing the cubby door, all without looking at him. 

“I’m not doing this with you.” You firmly announce. Your pair of feet that had been stuck in the same position finally followed your will to move as you turned to the doorway, preparing to leave the room.

“You don’t have a choice, Captain!”

His voice is booming, thunderous like a God, and it commands you to halt your movements. The use of your title makes you grit your teeth, a tight breath slipping past your lips in a gamble for reclaiming your composure.

The leader pushes himself from his leaning position, standing firmly on his own two feet, hands coming together in a prayer motion in front of his face to stifle the agitation in his voice he was sure to let slip.

“We had a plan,” he says securely, though ironic in the current situation, “we had a plan to track movement. We had a plan to solely track that shipment; why the fuck did you divert from the plan?”

This wasn’t just tension; it was apprehension.

“The fuck do you want me to say, Ekko?” You seeth through gritted teeth, slowly but surely turning to face the boy behind you. “What the fuck is there to say?”

There’s an intensity in the air that comes from the severity of the situation at hand. Both of you restraining yourselves from enacting a yelling match, attempting to prevent the inevitable; trying to remain civil for each other’s sakes. Because if anyone knew how badly this could end, it would be the both of you.

“I fucked up,” you admit, though that was already evident in the heated silence that followed the squad home, “I made a fucking mistake. Is that what you want to hear?”

“No,” Ekko answers imply, “no, that’s not what I want to hear. Because that’s bullshit, too.”

“Excuse me?” You scoff, your expression mixed with shock and disbelief. “How are you gonna tell me about what I did? You think I don’t know what a fucking mistake is-”

“That wasn’t no fucking ‘mistake’, (Y/N)!” Ekko interjects again, and it’s the subtlety of which he does so that begins to spark an ember in your core with him. 

“We been in this game- we been together- for seven years, (Y/N),” the brown eyed boy continues, “seven fucking years. You think I don’t know your mistakes by now? You think I don’t know you?”

Of course he does, you think. Otherwise he wouldn’t be as angered as he is right now. 

“I know what it was,” he proclaims, pointing at you in an accusatory motion “it was your head.”

“My head?” You reiterate, said limb on your body tilting to the side, a growing annoyance evident in your voice. “What about my head, Ekko?”

“You really gon’ make me say it out loud?”

“Yes, cuz I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

It was a lie; you knew very well what he was referencing. You weren’t sure how it was so easy for such words to spill from your lips. Maybe it was because of the suddenness of this confrontation, despite knowing it was bound to happen. You’d played every plausible scenario of how this exact moment would play out, attempting to prepare yourself for Ekko’s questioning, and the inevitable argument that would take place. Maybe it was because you wanted him to hurry this charade along, despising his natural skill of dragging things on for far longer than what they needed to be.

“I have you as my sniper for a reason,” Ekko begins, “I have you as my second in command for a reason. Not because you’re the only person I’ve got left-” a fib of his own spills from his lips, but addressing it would not steer the conversation anywhere but in circles, “-not because you’re my fucking girlfriend, but because you proved that you could always hold a chill head. That you could take the orders given. That you could make the calls when I can't.”

“I’m sure you’ll get to a point eventually, Ek.” You scoff, refraining from rolling your eyes as he lectured you as if you were still children, holled up in an alleyway on the streets of the Undercity, hiding from enforcer soldiers.

“Whatever the fuck that was out there, was not a calm and chill head. So I need you to tell me,” Ekko steps closer, the sound of his combat boots echoing throughout the tattered walls of the gear room, “what did you see that knocked you off?”

“This is ridiculous, Ekko,” you profess, “what’re you gonna do if I don’t?” Take me off the tracking team? Demote me?”

Perhaps it wasn’t wise to say such daring words to the very leader of the rebellion you swore your life to. If there was anything about Ekko that was redeeming, it was his unyielding devotion to owning his title and standing on his word. And as he stands before you, an arms length away with chocolate brown irises blazing into yours with a fire so hot it could scorch your own fierce ones, there’s a gnawing at your stomach that tells you that he absolutely would. 

“You think I won’t?”

Silence filled the already tension-thick atmosphere, seeping into the folds and making it all the more unbearable. You weren’t sure how long the two of you stared at each other in a battle of will, a common practice the two of you engaged in whenever a disagreement arised. Without an audience, the glares in exchange lasted for what felt like minutes, hours. 

And Ekko wasn’t backing down.

“Are you serious?” You muttered through gritted teeth. “All this over a dumb mistake that will never happen again?”

“It was a mistake that could have costed us lives!” Ekko bellows once more, and if it weren't for it being the second time he had raised his voice, you may have flinched by the volume it had risen to. “We can’t afford to make mistakes, (Y/N) - especially with what we do - you know that more than anyone here!”

“And it wont happen again!” You declared, garnering agitation in your voice from having to repeat yourself more than you would like to. 

“And how can I know that, (Y/N)!?” Ekko shouts, challenging your words once more, and it more than suggests to you that he doesn’t believe them. He knows you’re not telling him everything, and it irks him to his core.

You turn once again with a mission to leave, even getting your feet to start moving, but that doesn’t stop Ekko from continuing to speak his mind. “What’s so hard about telling me what you saw!?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that it was nothing?”

“You can tell me a thousand times and I still won’t believe you-” the white haired boy rebutted, “because this isn’t you, (Y/N)!”

You weren’t sure for how long your back and forth ensued. Countless minutes of shouting back and forth, overlapping words, pleas to come clean, pleas to forget. This kind of situation wasn’t unfamiliar territory for the two of you. Ekko had a lot of weight on his shoulders, a lot of trauma he hadn’t yet faced, that he had pushed deep down to never be addressed. You understood, because you related. 

You both were there that night. You both witnessed the same act of monstrosity from the sworn enemy of your people’s leader. It was the very catalyst for the current occupation the both of you shared as leaders in a dwindling community, striving for peace and unadulterated existence while simultaneously fighting against the overwhelming clutch Silco’s grasp held on Zaun.

The woman you had become was because of that bastard's treachery and cruelty, who played a game that cost the lives of thousands. A woman of practicality, precision and calculated action. In this world there was very little room for emotion. Years ago, you wouldn’t gotten roughed up a little, but now, it got you a one-way ticket to the green, polluted waters of the desolate sewer system to be feasted on by the rats…and whatever other poor monstrosities that came from SIlco’s Shimmer.

Ekko knows this. Ekko knows all of it. Which is why he finds himself so frustrated that you won’t talk to him. It’s only in the midst of his grunting and growling that it clicks to him. A possibility as to why you acted out of such a practiced routine. Yet, he doesn’t know if he should rejoice about his revelation, or grow even more heated.

“You saw her.”

Three words that seemed to silence the world spilled from his lips in a breathy gasp. He knows he’s right when your lips come together in a tight line, and for the first time since the confrontation was initiated, your eyes divert from his.

You saw her.

“You saw her, didn’t you?” He asks, but is met with silence once again.

The topic of Jinx was always a sensitive one. Ekko may have been able to fool himself into detachment from the blue haired girl, shredding whatever hope he had left of recovering the old Powder who loved to go on runs with the two of you and made trinkets for your birthdays out of scrap metal and hard work. However, the same could not be said for you.

“(Y/N)-”

“So what if I did?” The rebuttal is sharp tongued and weighty, heavy with emotion, and Ekko knows what is inevitable to come.

“So what if I did see her, Ekko? What would you say?” You ask through gritted teeth, words strained as you feel the dam of emotions inside of you starting to overflow. “The same old shit you say all the time? That she’s gone and there’s no path of redemption for her? That she’s not worth saving?”

He’d never said such words aloud, but Ekko was guilty of thinking them, and to hear them verbalized tore open the same wound in his heart he’d patched up time and time again with each mention of the long lost friend.

“You may be able to let go, Ekko,” you grumble through gritted teeth, eyes watering over, and Ekko doesn’t know if its the sight of you crying or if it's the way the conversation has shifted that has him stilling, jaw clenched tightly, “but I can’t do that…I just can’t.”

And then, you left. And suddenly the unbearably thick summer air turned bitingly cold against Ekko’s skin as he watched you walk away. And as Ekko wipes down the length of his face, he knows there’s nothing much left for him to do but wait.

Wait until the air has become more bearable to breath. Wait until the tension has subsided. Wait until apprehension no longer clogs his stomach heavily, so that regrettable words would not be spoken.

“Hey, I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Going to the market?”

“Yeah. Your bike needs a rotator chain, I’m gonna see if I can find one on the west end.”

One week. Seven days. 168 hours since you’ve last seen Ekko.

“Be careful out there. Silco’s goons have been making rounds again, and they aren’t sparing anyone in these parts.”

You don’t remember leaving the sanctuary. You just remember waking up on your friends couch after, according to them, was a rough and stormy night. You probably blacked out after your screaming match with him, and had an overwhelming desire to just get away. Your friend’s place was the only spot safe enough for you to crash at until you got your head straight.

Though, after seeing what you saw, could you really expect to snap back in a mere few hours?

“I’ll be good. They won’t touch me if they know what’s good for them.”

You left the tiny home of your friend, clad in the same clothes you had left in and a jacket you were quick to grab from their wardrobe. They lived pretty high up above the marketplace - the homes of the residents of Zaun were built into the underside of the extravagant Piltover, where everything was dark, dank, and cold. Layers upon layers of makeshift apartments stacked on top of one another for conservation of what little space the undercity did have.

Your hand grabbed the pole of the crossbridge that led from the side your friend’s apartment was to the other, and with expert precision, you maneuvered your way down the several levels and layers of homes connected by bridges of wood, metal and concrete.

Memories of parkouring as a little girl began to flutter into your mind. How you loved to best Ekko, the self proclaimed ‘King of Parkour’, at his own game. How Powder would tag along with you because she wanted to be with her friends-

Fuck, you weren’t suppose to think about her.

You were thankful your feet met the ground before more thoughts of Powder filled your mind, because if you had still been swinging from pole to pole and jumping from wood to metal, you’d surely lose your balance and come falling down the rest of the way. It was the effect the past had one you; and an unfortunate one at that.

It’s as if the second you find landing and start to walk in the direction of the marketplace, your ears catch wind of commotion to your left. The muffled grunting and clamoring causes you to pause and turn, peering out of your hood to see what was happening.

You’d always been the one to answer a call to action, so there wasn’t much surprise when you found yourself inching closer to the alleyway of which was producing the concerning sounds. It had only been ingrained into you from your youth, and had become second nature in the wake of Silco’s reign. Having a knack for helping people was a blessing and a curse, and while it got you into more trouble than you would like, the favors that you’d stocked up on came in handy.

Approaching the alleyway closer you could make out two figures standing - Silco’s men, no doubt, given the way they dress and the horrible filth they speak. Then there’s a person on the ground, wearing green.

Green was the color of the Firelights, and so naturally, you assumed the worst.

With your ankle pressing against the small knife hidden in your boot, you knew what had to be done. You crouched down behind a stack of crates and whistled, catching one of the perp’s attention. As they approached your direction for inspection, in one quick motion, you slipped the knife from your boot, took hold of the perp’s arm and knocked him into the wall. The blade made itself a home in his neck, muffling any yell he would’ve mustered out.

By the time you were finished, the second perp had been taken care of as well by the victim they were cornering. Revealing yourself from behind the stack of crates, your worries had been confirmed when getting a closer look at the coat the other person was wearing.

It was indeed a Firelights coat - a deep forest green to blend in with the shadows but still be distinguishable. The Firelight had been injured it seemed, as they held their arm close and with care, wincing with every movement of it that was made.

“Hey,” you called out to them, advancing closer to them as you did so, “you alright? Where’s your partner? You know if you’re patrolling you gotta be in pairs-”

“(Y/N)!” The Firelight gasps out in relief, confusing you. “Lieutenant- you’ve gotta help us! We were outnumbered- a-and got split up, they jumped us!- from every corner, we didn’t see them coming-”

“Hey, hey, hey,” You quickly soothing, grounding the obviously frightened soldier with reassuring hands on their shoulder, guiding them to breathe, “you have to slow down for me, and breathe so you can clearly-”

“-a-and it’s Ekko- Ekko, he got hurt-”

And in that moment, your world slows, and there’s an instant pit in your stomach that comes from thinking the worst. If Ekko of all people got taken out of commission, whatever that was going on was serious.

“...okay,” you start after your shock passes over you. As if a switch in your brain is flipped, and now you’re in fight mode, “you need to take me to where you all split from. Now.”

Your voice is commanding and stern, leaving no room for discussion. The Firelight, still holding his arm, nods at your command. As the two of you leave, you pick up the weapon that the second perp had been carrying on his back; it wasn’t anything compared to your sniper gun, but it would have to do.

According to the Firelight, the mission was to stop one of Silco’s Shimmer transports to a hotspot location known for distribution of the drug. The normal prep for such a mission was done properly, but there was an underestimation of power in numbers on Silco’s end. What’s more, a certain blue haired girl decided to make her presence known as well, and her erraticness threw everyone off square. To save face, Ekko commanded everyone to split up.

Which meant Ekko was alone, and hurt, and probably wallowing in some form of guilt, and that could not do. A guilty Ekko was not a functional one.

“We were over there when the fight started,” said the Firelight as the two of you stood on top of a roof overlooking the distribution post, “when he made the call, I saw him go east in the direction of the Last Drop. The two other soldiers went west, and I ran south.”

Two large, burly men, littered with tattoos and hardened by the streets, guarded a small cart covered with blue metal barrels, a strip of thick translucent plastic going down the side, showing the bright magenta liquid inside. Four more paced around the small clearing area, seemingly on the lookout for someone.

Six men within a ten yard radius of each other. If you were right, that cart held about thirty gallons of Shimmer. Tests done on the drug proved that it was highly flammable, which normally meant that with your sniper gun, setting the scene ablaze would be easy. But with a mere regular shotgun in your possession, you’d need an extra boost.

“Look in your pouch for me,” you direct to the Firelight soldier, “do you got any of those spark pouches?”

The Firelight uses his good arm to fish in his thigh pouch, producing a small, red sack of gunpowder. “What’re you thinking, Lieutenant?”

“We need to take these guys out while destroying that shipment in the process,” you explain, pointing towards the triangular shape of trajectory between each of the guardsmen and the cart, “the spray of the Shimmer is about fifteen yards, which will cover more than enough of the ten yard radius those guys are in. I need you to throw that spark pouch right in between the two guards on my signal. When I shoot, it’s gonna be enough Shimmer spray to kill them…but we gotta move fast to avoid it.”

It wouldn’t have been the first time someone looked at you crazy for such a straightforward plan. You’d garnered many such stares since you first began in the Firelight ranks. There was a method to your madness, as Ekko would put it, and there had never been a reason for anyone to not trust your judgements or plans. Despite the Firelight’s initial questioning of the credibility of such a plan, there was no choice but for him to go along.

The two of you backed up as much as possible on the rooftop to make it easier for a clean getaway. Once in position, you pulled out the gun you had acquired earlier, checking the magazine for sufficient bullets. Then, you took aim at the center of the cart, inhaling a deep breath to steady your hand and focus your vision.

At one, the world began to slow when your aim focussed steadily.

At two, you prepared your wrist for the recoil that would shock your hand.

At three, the Firelight soldier threw the spark pouch with expert precision. Not a second later, the shot from your gun rung out.

The sight that Ekko wakes up to is a pleasant one compared to the week he’s had.

The sun is blinding through his makeshift sunroof. There’s a dull pain on his side, and a ringing in his ears that subsides the more his vision focuses. It’s a great contrast to what he thought he’d be seeing when he awoke, but he welcomes the feeling of home that washes over his being.

His eyes turn to his side where he sees you, sitting next to his bed. His jacket is thrown loosely over your shoulders, and in your hands, you twirl a piece of folded paper. His eyebrows furrow at the sight; he isn’t expecting you to be here with him.

Noticing that he’d woken up, you focus your attention on the injured man. The folded letter is placed on the crate that acts as a nightstand next to Ekko’s bed, and you lean forward onto the bed to get closer to him. His hair is disheveled, locs splayed everywhere on his pillow and on his face. His abdomen is bandaged tightly, yet even the white gauze leaves little to the imagination. And the sun shines on his cocoa colored skin, contrasting against your own as you slip his larger hand into your own.

You needed to feel him, and be thankful that he was here.

“Hey, you,” Ekko croaks out, voice raspy and patchy from what you can only assume was yelling and sleep.

“Hi,” you mutter out against the back of his hand, lips pulled into a tight smile.

“Thought you were still mad at me.”

“”m not mad,” you mumble, shaking your head, “just glad you're okay.”

The fact that you’re not being snarky with him tells Ekko that there’s something weighing on you; something that’s not remorse for your absence, but something deeper. His eyes travel over to the nightstand, falling onto the letter once again.

“What’s that?” He points out, curiosity filling his patchy voice.

There’s a moment’s pause before you speak again, your voice somber and emotional; “It’s….what I saw.”

What I saw can only be referring to the incident a week prior, Ekko determines. His eyes turn back to you, his hand giving yours a gentle tug towards him, gesturing for you to climb into bed with him. He meets little resistance, and takes a little pride in how easily you slip into his side, molding against his form as you were made to. His arm wraps around your shoulders, helping you hide in the crook of his neck; a much needed escape you’ve wanted to indulge in for a while.

“Deal with it later,” he mumbles against your hairline, “jus’ stay with me.”

Resting against Ekko’s broad chest, you thought on his words. Knowing yourself, dealing with things later wouldn’t be as productive as he’d hope. You’d want to forget the subject entirely, revert back to the same concealment as before. Knowing the both of you, it couldn't be dealt with later.

“It was her eyes, Ekko,” You mumbled into his shirt, prompting the darker male to turn his attention to you, “there was something in them, Ekko. I swear there was.”

Seeing Jinx on that night wasn’t what any of you had intended. She’d very scarcely shown her face on the streets of Zaun, presumably at SIlco’s behest. As mad of a kingpin he was, he himself couldn’t deny the deranged nature the blue haired girl had. And yet, when she showed signs of stability, he seemed to allow her off on transportation missions at the very least. And it just so happened that after six years, a week ago was the first time you’d seen Jinx since the night Vander died.

When you saw those blue eyes, dulled and lifeless, it hurt. Hurt to know that the possibility of Powder truly being gone was higher than what you’d let yourself believe. Hurt to know that you would never have your friend back, and that there would never be any chance of recovering the family you’d list all those years ago.

You’d seen her, and then, she saw you. And when she did, the world slowed. And for a second, when your eyes caught each other, a flash of something came across her eyes that caused your body to react against your well-trained judgment. It was as if she had recognized you and felt a sense of…wistfulness.

Though it didn’t reflect anything of the like when she raised her gun towards you, and you had no choice but to act before she could.

“There was a moment where I…thought she recognized me,” you muttered, “but then she….raised her gun to me.”

Ekko’s chest stuttered as he released a shaky breath to your words. There’s a pause before you speak again, “Is it easier for you to just…believe she’s really gone?”

A long moment of silence passes…”Yeah, it is.”

Ekko has always thought about Jinx. It’s hard not to when her presence can change any of his plans on a whim, since he has people to protect and her mentality is as finicky as a time bomb. But Powder…he hates to think about her.

“If she was gone from the start,” Ekko mutters through a voice crack, “it means there wasn’t a chance to save her in the first place. Means I never failed in saving her, I guess.”

Your hand reaches up to caress Ekko’s face, jaw clenched tight from his own words, and when you look into his eyes, you can see the vulnerability he tries so hard to hide when talking about the blue haired girl. There was beauty in it, you always told him, though you never thought he truly believed you when you said it. Ekko was never given much grace to be vulnerable, to be a boy. He’d found that in you; so you knew it took a lot for him to even admit as such to your question.

You don’t really get to be a kid after watching the people you love die in front of you. Even the ones who still walk the land with another soul in their bodies.

You press a kiss onto his lips; gentle, affirming, and grounding. Your thumb runs the length of his cheekbones and  you find comfort in the crevice of his neck once again. When Ekko relaxes against your hold, you release a breath of air, and think that perhaps it’s best that you adopt his way of thinking as well.

Powder was gone, but at least in this hell, you had each other.

If you enjoyed, please leave a like, comment, and reblog for others to see! And don’t be shy to send in a request!

[parvulous-writings]

About the Night before // Vander x reader

Request:    Hi! What about a reaction of Vander x reader where vander goes to benzo and he sees some scratches on vanders shoulder or back from the night before with the reader? :D don’t rush things it was just a thought! :3

Requested by: ​Anonymous

Summary: Benzo visits his friend Vander one morning, and finds out what the old Hound of the Underground has been up to. 

Warnings: Mild  language

Words: 2K

Notes:  So, it’s not scratches, per se, but a very similar situation! And it turns into a very long convo 0-0 My requests are currently open! My pinned post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist! Original character list - please request for these too!    

Not my gif

A thick, green fog clouded the upper skies of the Lanes, letting nought but a little ray of light through here and there; a particularly nice morning for the Undercity. Business, of all kinds, was starting up as per the norm, one of these being the Last Drop - a frequent place for all dwellers of the Lanes. As the freehouse opened it’s doors to the general public, the first to stroll in was a very close friend of the owner - another local merchant, by the name of Benzo. Trailing behind, and nearly getting hit by the door as it started to swing shut behind Benzo, was the older man’s young ward, who had insisted he accompany him to the establishment, so that he could see the few other children around his age. Benzo, of course, complied - anything to keep the young boy out of trouble, and somewhere he knew. Well, for a little while, at least. Whilst the more youthful of the pair scuttered off to find his peers, Benzo made his way over to the bar. “Mornin’.” He grumbled, resting his arms on the cool wooden surface as he shuffled himself onto a stool. The tall man behind the bar - by the name of Vander - gave Benzo a small huff in greeting as he ran a damp cloth over the surface of the bar, trying in vain to remove some of the years old sticky patches where beverages had been spilt. "And what do you want?" The man asked, though not in any way malicious. His tone carried the amusement that most of their conversations held at one point or another. Benzo pretended to think for a moment. "How about a mate who's less of an arse than you?" the pair chuckled lightly, and Vander shook his head slowly, he knew it was all in good fun. “Just thought I’d drop by, check in, and whatnot...” Benzo continued, “Been a while since I’ve seen you... something wrong?” Vander glanced at the man across  from him, as he  moved to pour him a pint. “No, nothing’s wrong...” Vander replied honestly.  “Just been busy...”  “Kids getting into scuffles again?”  “No, not more than usual...” Vander shrugged. Benzo hummed at this.  “Right...” It was unclear whether  or not he actually believed Vander. He tapped the fingers of one hand rhythmically against the scratched surface of the bar, somewhat deep in thought. 

Vander watched him, his grey eyes flitting between his friend’s face, and his never-resting fingers. He quirked one, bushy brow, waiting patiently for Benzo to do or say something  more. But, he didn’t. Not for a few minutes at least. It was then that something caught Benzo’s eye; something only just visible over his friend’s shirt collar. A small mark, possibly even a shadow - Benzo wasn’t sure. “You got a little bit of uh... dirt, there...” Benzo scratched the area that was affected on Vander on his own skin. Vander’s brow furrowed slightly,  and he replied simply; “I han’t been anywhere that bad... And the better half ran me a bath last nigh’...” He grumbled, starting to rub his neck, initially thinking that perhaps he had missed a patch whilst washing the night before. It seemed to click for both of them at the same time. Vander’s cheeks started to turn an interesting shade of red, though thankfully this was mostly hidden by his beard. Benzo couldn’t help the chuckle that started to bubble past his lips, hanging his head and shaking it slowly. “Good night then, I take it?” The man asked, finally bringing his face up to lock eyes with Vander again, before falling into a new lapse of giggles. Vander just sighed, giving his friend a moment to get it out of his system. “Yeah, actually. Had some alone time with the other half, and-”  “I can see that.” Benzo blurted, laughing again. Vander, once more, looked unimpressed.  “... And had some conversations.” Vander tried  to continue, not that Benzo was listening this time around. It took another minute or so for his friend to settle again. “I’m glad you’re finding it so amusing.”  “How can I not?” Benzo continued to chuckle. “I’d have thought that a man, at your age, would know how to hide a bloody hickey!” Vander just sighed in response to his friend’s guffaws. He knew better than to try and speak over his friends instances of giggles - firstly because it would only anger himself and Benzo, and secondly  because he knew that moments like this could be few and far between in the Undercity. “Right...” Benzo sighed happily, “Sorry, I’m done, I’m done...”  He wiped under his eye with the back of his hand. Vander looked quite  bemused.  “I’ll take your word for it...” Vander shook his head, a light smile on his lips, only just hidden by his beard. “But yes... had some conversations, after the fact, I mean.”  “So we’re just skippin’ to the end of it all, you’re not tellin’ me any details?” Benzo asked, only half joking. Vander gave him a mildly unimpressed look.  “No, you’re not getting details.” He paused, and then continued. “So, me and the better half had a conversation...”  “Yeah, you said that.”  “... About maybe having some more kids.” 

Silence fell between the two men. Benzo was the first to speak. “More kids?” He asked, incredulously, leaning back slightly where he sat, keeping one hand on the table to steady himself. He let out a long breath of disbelief, as if he were the one who was planning to expand the family. “Don’t you think four is enough already? Not to mention the amount of trouble they get into on their own? How  the hell are you going to deal with more kids?”  “We’ll manage.” Vander replied simply; he had faith in both his abilities, and yours. His kids had always taken a shine to you, why or how it had happened was never really clear, but the younger ones certainly seemed to listen to you more than they did most adults. Benzo just looked at him in more disbelief. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, now. “Stop gawking at me.” Vander scolded, but the man’s expression did not change.  “I’m not helping if they get into trouble...” Benzo warned.  “I wouldn’t expect you to. They’re not your problem, are they?” Vander chuckled, slinging the rag he used to clean glasses over his shoulder to keep it  out of his way. "I s'pose not... But they'll be around little man, won't they? That'll eventually make them my problem." Benzo laughed  - it was quite a common thing for Vander's kids and Benzo's ward to get into trouble together. Vander hummed in agreement. "Yeah... But I think Vi might help them... As much as she can, at least." "Aye, she's a good role model, besides all the scuffles and back alley fights... Takes after you. I remember when we were that age and you were just the same." Benzo recalled with a sly smile. "Yeah, I remember... And I also remember the reason I got into those fights." Vander looked knowingly at his old friend. ”Certain someone I knew kept getting himself into trouble... And it’s not like me to just leave someone to  fend for themselves in a situation they can’t handle, is it?” Benzo sighed quietly - he knew Vander had a point. He couldn’t remember a time where he had been in over his head, and Vander hadn’t come to give him a hand. It was certainly unlike the burly man - or his pink haired daughter, who certainly took after him when it came to fist fights - to leave someone unable to defend themselves. “Vi will take care of them, if me or the other half can’t... I know it ain’t... ideal, in a place like this, and I know it’s another mouth to feed, before you even say anything.” Vander cut Benzo off just as he was about to speak. “But, I don’t know how to explain it to you without you thinking I’m a complete and utter sap.”  “I thought that anyway. You’re just confirming my theory.” Benzo joked with a deep rumbling laugh. “To be fair on you, though... Could take your mind off of other things, eh?” Vander nodded quietly in response - he agreed entirely that whilst an addition to the family could cause certain stresses, they  could also be an absolute joy to have. “An’ on top of that,” Benzo continued, “Could help some of them calm down a bit... I think that could also help with all the scuffles...” Benzo was referencing one child in particular; and Vander knew it. Young Mylo had been bristly ever since he turned twelve. Vander was sure that it wasn’t something the young boy always meant for, but it certainly happened often, especially with the youngest of the bunch, Powder. Perhaps Benzo had a point - a new addition to the family could in fact help Mylo regulate his emotions with a little more success, or it could go in the exact opposite direction and lead to a total fallout. 

“So how you goin’ to tell ‘em?” Benzo quizzed - a valid query. “Well, I think Vi already knows... or at least has a feelin’ that that’s we’ve been discussing, behind closed doors an’ the like...” Vander moved around the bar to actually sit next to his friend, rather than remaining standing on the other side of the bar. It made him feel closer to his friend, and more at ease than before. This was a close conversation between the two of them, so why not physically be closer? “Y’know, she ain’t brainless... But I still don’t know how she feels about it all... I think she thinks the same way you did... It’s dangerous - and neither of you are wrong... It just... Might be a kind of light in the darkness, for us...” Vander’s voice was quieter now, more gentle.  “You have never sounded sappier than you do right now. And that’s saying something.”  “I know.” Then silence fell between them both once more. There was something... Odd, permeating this silence. A sense of... Almost comfort, or as comforting as the pair dared to get with one another. The two were extremely close, but they rarely would divulge into their emotions with one another, it wasn’t the done thing. There were touching moments like this, though they were very few and far between, as neither of the men really felt comfortable in doing so, it wasn’t something that they had done with most people - or in the case of Benzo, any people. It was new to them, and naturally they shied away from the feeling, and the discomfort of bearing their souls to one another. “What about the other kids?” Benzo broke the silence, unable to bear it any longer.  “Well they’ve got no idea... I don’t think Powder will be worried, she’ll probably be more excited than anything else... Claggor will be a little wary, but the same... It’s Mylo I’m worried about - ‘specially when the kid gets older. Y’know what he’s like.” Benzo nodded sagely as Vander went on, humming quietly in agreement.  “If he don’t mellow out enough for you, send him over to mine sometime, I’ll keep him busy... He can help little man, they’ll keep each other occupied, I’m sure.”  Vander gave Benzo a smile, “I owe you one,” He told the man, as both got to their feet. They knew from the dim light streaming through the window in the door it was time for them both to go their separate ways for the day, and reconvene at a later time. “You owe me more than just one, Vander.” Benzo jested, and both laughed, shaking the hand of the other, before Benzo gave a wave, going back to his shop on the other side of the Lanes. Vander moved back behind the bar, and  the day went on as normal, operating practically like clockwork, as it had done  for so many years now.

[roxnpens]

My dearest Roxy,

I request 2 and 13 for Silco pretty please. The details are up to you! Thank you 💜

Dear Kels, thank you for your request <3 I enjoyed writing it a lot.

It also made me think about Silco: Would he be melancholic about his partner? Would be able to trust or love again after his trust was so viciously broken? I think “yes” - because it shows how he treats Jinx and how much he cares for her… so why wouldn’t he trust someone who’s been there for him all the time - from when it happened with Vander?

A walk in the Clouds

TW: [Silco x fem!Reader], [Established relationship], [Melancholic Silco], [Mention of Pain], [Comforting], [Soft Silco]

Tumblr prompt for @ilikemymendarkandfictional :)

Synopsis:

For a long time it as been just you and Silco. You and him against the world. But the ‘Eye of Zaun’ is not always as ruthless and dangerous as he wants everybody to believe - he has a soft side… especially with you…

________________________________

The Lanes were overcast by shadows and clouds, a thunderstorm beginningto draw near from Piltover’s coast. But you were safe from it. Safe inside the Last Drop, on the lap of your longtime lover.

Silcos mismatched eyes are on you, drinking in the sight that you make: straddling his lap, your hands on his shoulder to keep yourself steady, his hands on your hip - kneading small circles into them. Lovingly you stare into his eyes… you’ve been there for him so long, he couldn't imagine his life without you anymore. Especially now… when his medication was due… when he needs to be injected with shimmer… when his pain is almost unbearable. But both of you always take your time when his medication is due.

You always calm him down first, let your hands roam his body, massage his scalp, kiss him all over his face, kiss his scarred lips with an unfathomable softness - that it almost breaks his heart every time. It’s incomprehensible for him how you could love a monster, a lusus naturae like him. He loves it - your little ritual. He loves the intimacy between you and him, how he can let loose of the world, of his problems, of his pain…

“Why did you choose me?”, you suddenly ask, your gaze never waivers its love. Silco had his good eye closed - so just a questioning huff left his lips.

“Why did you choose me, all those years ago?”, you extend the question.

He opens his good eye and now the hot and icy gaze is on you.

“Because it’s you, it's always been you.”, he whispers, every syllable contains his whole heart.

His lips softly press against yours and a tender silence falls over the two of you, occasionally interrupted by the wet sounds of your meeting lips. It's the wonderful stillness between you two that he so passionately indulges in.

After a few more moments you break this kiss which Silco comments with a groan. You grab the injector from behind you.

“Silco… it’s time.”, you say softly, an understanding smile on your lips.

Silco exhales heavily. “I know… I know…”

You put a hand on his cheek and carefully overstretch his neck. You place the injector over his eye.

“Ready?”

“Ready…”

With a snap the needle rushes down, penetrates the eye and pumps the purple fluid into his eye.

It hurts…

It always hurts…

But today… today it burns… it burns like the day Vander cut his face and the polluted waters disfigured his face… the day he came to you for the first time…

Silco clutches at your hips with a force that could break bones, his head first snaps back and then forwards toward your shoulder. You knew he was in a lot of pain before he groaned the first time. One of your hands immediately cradles the back of his head and the other finds its way to his back and strokes it soothingly.

The next minute Silco groans, breathes heavily and keeps holding himself on your body, while the waves of pain roll over his body.

You caress him throughout the pain the whole time, never leave his side. You softly rub the tense out of his back and shoulders. Massaged his scalp - your nails scratching his scalp with just the right pressure. When he relaxes a little - you kiss his head and whenever possible his lips.

After a while he relaxes slowly and his head keeps being buried in your neck. You notice that his pain episode ended by how he started drawing circles on your waist again. Yet he doesn’t look up to you, like he always does afterwards and you start to worry.

“Silco…?”,you ask carefully, “Is something else wrong?”

"Nothing's wrong, my eye. I just…”, he finally looks up to you - directly into your eyes. You could see a tear gathering in his seafoam eye.

“… I didn’t think it was possible to love someone this much.”

His words are so full of love - it almost makes your heart burst. You have been together for such a long time - he let you know that he loves you from time to time, always bought you what you wanted and let everyone pay dearly, if they did you wrong. But this gaze of uttermost true love in his eyes was the ultimate love confession in all these years.

He continues. “You’ve been there for me from the beginning. From the day Vander betrayed me - over the day I avenged my dream by killing this snake���until now…” He gently strokes your cheek and you lean into his touch. Outside a thunder growls in the sky.

“Thank you, my eye… thank you for being my most trusted friend… for being the love of my life…”

He leans forward and takes your lips by storm - just as it begins to rain outside…

[onyxedskies]

“I can’t stop thinking about you”

hehe

sorry about the delay i've been tired

also are you proud of me this isn't in a modern au

pairing: marth x m!alear

word count: 441

Marth was staring at him.

Alear was pretending not to notice–if nothing else, after all, he really did have to get through these financial reports at a semi-reasonable hour–but the longer it went on, the harder it was. Alear was tired, and he really just wanted to go into his emblem form and cuddle up with Marth, but Vander said that these needed to get done so he really wanted to at least try.

It wasn't working very well.

Alear was this close to giving up, and then Marth wrapped his arms around him. And, well, Alear was just a mortal. (Probably.)

"I can't stop thinking about you," Marth said, and Alear felt a blush crawl up his neck. "You're working too hard. Come to bed?"

"I have to finish this," Alear said, though the call of sleep was getting stronger by the minute and his protest sounded weak to his own ears.

"It will be there in the morning, darling," Marth said, voice dripping with affection. Alear melted a little bit, relaxing further into Marth's hold.

"You're a bad influence," Alear teased, but he tilted his head so he could press a kiss to Marth's jaw anyway. Marth's smile was so bright it nearly blinded him.

"You love it," Marth said.

"I do," Alear conceded. He then smiled. "Just like I love you."

That got a dusting of pink to crawl up Marth's cheeks, just as Alear had planned. Marth settled with burying his face in Alear's shoulder, and Alear laughed.

"I love your laugh," Marth murmured, still audible despite Alear's shoulder muffling him. Alear felt his blush grow.

He glanced at his work, sighing when the words kept swimming on the page. One look out the window told him it was some early hour of the morning.

The reports could wait one more day, Alear decided.

Wordlessly, Alear shifted into his emblem form. He didn't have to know that Marth was grinning; they could feel each other better, this way, feel the kisses and hugs and warmth generated by whatever plane of existence their bodies seemed to reside in.

Alear floated over to the bed, Marth trailing behind him (still clinging to him, of course). They got settled, facing each other, and Marth began to pepper Alear's face with kisses.

"I love you," he murmured. "My lovely, lovely little dragon. My beautiful darling. My love."

Alear's face burned with the compliments, and he leaned forward to bury his face into Marth's shoulder as he continued to spew them. Marth tightened his grip around him, and Alear smiled, closing his eyes.

Yeah. This was better than financial reports. Much better.

[sakiblack]

We were always ment to be

Arcane x female reader

Silco x female reader

Five minutes.I leave them for five minutes and they are gone.I would go look for them…but by the time i have realised they were gone it was to late.So the only thing i could do was wait.And wait i did the whole day in fact.

I was leaning against the wall next to the entrance to the Last Drop.Why? Well its the only place they will come to after coming back.They live here after all.What ever they did it must have been a big deal since they havent goten back yet.Most of the time they are here in 2 hours.But not this time.

y/n:There you are.

I mumbled to myself as i saw four small figures walking to the front door.

y/n:Mind telling me where you all have been?

Vi:Y/n.

She sounded suprised but i knew it was all a mask.

Mylo:Heyyyyy

y/n:Cut it Mylo.

Mylo:Yes ma'am.

y/n:I let you kids of for five minutes and you come back 7 hours later covered in bloo-.

I stoped for a second as i realised they were all bleeding a little exept for Powder.

y/n:What happened?

Vi:Nothing.

y/n:Dont give me that shit.

Claggor:We went to Piltover.

Vi:Do you have to tell her everything?

y/n:So the four children at the penthouse thats you.

I asked even tho it did not sound like a question.

Vi:y/n we just wanted to-

y/n:Im disappointed in you Vi.

I could see her face fall as i said the word /disappointed/.

y/n:Your the one that should take care of them when you decide to run of.

Vi:Will you tell Vander?

I looked away from her disappointed.They were like children to me.My children.It was hard to see them hurt.

y/n:I wont say anything….but he probably already knows.Everyone here is talking about it.

Vi:Thanks.

I sighed as i petted her head.

y/n:Inside. All of you.

I said as they walked in.As we all entered my eyes looked for Vander and i found him at a table with some people.Helping out another one hm?

The door closed and his eyes looked at us and stoped at me as we exchanged glances.I said i wont tell him anything but sometimes you do not need to use words to speak.He got up the second i looked away from him and walked after Vi,Mylo,Powder and Claggor.

y/n:Get in.

I said as i opened the door to their room before closing it.I just stood there untill i heard someone walking to me.

Vander:It was them hm?

His voice was calm.

y/n:I left them alone for five minutes. I didnt think they would-

Vander:Its not your fould.They did it on their own and we cant turn the time back.

I sight as i looked up at him.I was not a child but my height was of a teenager.And if someone else saw us it would look like Vander was talking to a kid.

y/n:Dont be hard on them.

Vander:Im never hard on them.

He said as he walked into the room closing the door behind him.

I stood there for what felt like hours before Mylo Claggor and Powder walked out of the room.

y/n:They about to have the talk hm?

I asked softly.

Mylo:Yeah.

He said as i leaned against the door trying to listen.

y/n:So what really happened out there?

Claggor:We went to Piltover took some things, made an explosion,had a fight with some guys and got here.

Mylo:Dont forget the part where Powder lost all the things we got.

Powder:I told you i didnt mean t-

y/n:A fight? With our guys?

Mylo:Yeah a group of idiots.

I sight as i looked at Powder.

y/n:Im just happy your all okay.

Powder smiled at me as she hugged my leg.

y/n:How did Mouser do?

I asked smiling.

Powder:He didnt work.I think i need some other parts.

y/n:Why dont you go get some and ill help you build Mouser again?

She smiled as she quickly made her was up the stairs.

It was then that Mylo quickly moved away from the door as Vander walked out.

Vander:Get up Claggor.We are going out.

Claggor:Now?

Vander:Yes now.

He said as he took something from Mylos hand.

Mylo:Hey thats mine.

Vander:You wanna be treated like adults right? Then you should know better then come back empty handed.Im ganna have a little word with your informent.

He said as he and Claggor walked up the stairs.I sight and i walked into the room and took a seat next to Vi as Mylo did the same.

Mylo:She is a problem.

Vi:Mylo im really not-

Mylo:Do you remember what was in the bag?The biggest payout we have ever seen and she lost it.

Vi:She is young.

Mylo:You dont have to tell me twice.

y/n:Mylo thats enough.

I said as he looked me without saying a word.I was not Vander.I could not save them from anything.But they still listened to me like i was some kind of queen.Or maybe a mother.

y/n:Leave her alone. I can name a few times you messed up.

Mylo looked away from me as he still didnt say anything.

Vi:You know what Mylo. Your right.There is a lot of things Powder does wrong.Like complain about everything.And brag-

Mylo:Okay i see where your going with this.

Vi:Powder is my problem okay? Your problem is knowing when to shut up.But ill halp you with that.When ever you see this face it means its time for you to shut up.

Mylo:But i-

Vi pointed at her face as Mylo just sight as looked away.I  chuckled as i got up and petted Vis shoulder.

y/n:You should go talk to Powder.

Vi looked at me with a small smile as she walked out of the room leaving me and Mylo alone.

Mylo:Dont i already know what your ganna say.Your older you should take care of her and not act like a ba-

y/n:Not this time.This time its something new.

I said softly as he looked at me with curious eyes.

y/n:Mylo everyone is strong at some things and at some they arent.Same with me.Im good at talking to peopl..making them understand somethings but im shit at making you guys stay next to me.

Mylo chuckled as he stared at me.

y/n:What i wanna say is noone is perfect.I know she gets on your nerves but your old enought to know that.And hey maybe you could teach her some of you sick moves.

I said teasingly as i gently pushed his shoulder.

˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘

ˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇ

Lay low.Thats what Vander said and thats why we were here.I still dont know how this place is called.But i like to call it the lay low place.

Vi was training while me and Claggor were just staring at her.

Mylo:Remind me why we are in this dump.

Asked Mylo as he was waiting for Powder to finish fixing the shooting game.

Vi:Vander said we should lay low.And this place is the best one for that.

Claggor:Whats the metter Mylo? Scare Powder will beat you again?

Mylo:Hey if she didnt stop fixing these things i would not keep missing.

y/n:Sure.

I said smiling as i walked to him as Powder just finished fixing the game.

y/n:Good luck then.Youll need it.

I said teasingly as Mylo started to shoot .

Vi:You guys know i would not take you on a job you could not handle right?

Mylo:You kidding?That was the best job we have ever done.Maybe just dont take Powder next time.

I sight as i looked at Powder.

y/n:Your turn Powder.

She looked at the targets and started her turn.And she got all of them.Guns really are your strong suit hm.

y/n:Bam! You go Pow Pow.

I siad proudly as Powder walked to one or the arcade games in the room.

y/n:So you know how i have been wanting to get that knife i saw at the store a week ago right?

Vi:Right.

y/n:Well its on sale. And i think ill be able to get it in the next days.

Mylo:Thats great.

He said looking at me in a sarcastic tone.

Was it a good thing to talk about some knife i wanted for a long time? No.But it sure as hell is better to talk about then other things.

Powder:Hey guys.You should see th-

Before she could finish someone was thrown at the window.I looked at the man in horror as my eyes moved to where he came from. Enforcers.A lot of them.

:Search them.

I could hear one of them say as i took a step back Powder quickly stepping behind me.

y/n:Be calm everyone.

Mylo:Go ahead idiots. We have nothing.

Said Mylo as one of the enforcers walked to me and Powder and stopped right infront of me.

y/n:Sir i can assure you w-

Before i could finish the room went dark.So it ment we have to run.I took Powders hand as we all started to run.Was it a good idea?Hell no.But there is nothing to do about it.

We ran  out of the room and into an allyway.But to no suprise there were enforcers there as well.

Just then a leader came down next to us.

:Over here.

I heard a voice say as i looked up and saw Little man.

We all quickly got up and pushed the leader down fort he enforcers to not be able to get up.

.,...,.,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,,

y/n:Mind telling me what the fuck that was?

Mylo:Dont look at me i didnt push the button .

Claggor:It was me.I …Vi gived me the look and i just-

y/n:What the hell were you thinking?We had nothing to hide.

I said as i glared at Vi.She looked at me ashamed.She was hiding something.

Savika:We should hit them back.We got the numbers to beat them.

We were in Last drop.I was scholding the kids in the corned before Savika started to speak.

:Yeah lets teach them what it means to mess with us!

Yelled on of the man.

Vander:You sure thats what you want?We have crossed that bridge onec before and we all know how it ended.

:Your just protecting your kids.

Vander:Im protecting our people.I would do the same for any one of you.We look out for each other.Its how it has always been.This will blow over.We just need to stand together.

Savika:The Vander i knew the one who built the underground would not be afraid to fight.

y/n:Savika.

I said as i walked into the crowd.One of the man puted their hand on my shoulder to stop me from moving closer to her.

Vander:Do i looked scared?

He asked as he walked to her.

Savika:No.You look weak.

She said as she turned around and walked out with some of her guys behind her.

y/n:Savika.

I said as i walked past the man holding me and walked out of the Last drop.

y/n:Its the best thing to do.If we fight again ….do you know how many people would die.

Savika:Stay out of this y/n.If he wont help ill find someone that will.

And just like that i was left outside as she and the rest of her man walked away.

,,,.,.,.,..,.,..,.,.,,,.,..,.,.,...,.,,,.,,.,.,..,,.,,,..,..,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

y/n:Vander. This is getting out of hand.

I said as i was sitting at the bar with Vander playing with a scroll.

y/n:Im not saying we need to finght but just explain things to them.Im sure they would under-

Vander:Grayson gived me this scroll.She needs to take someone up there so this all will end.

y/n:Dont tell me your thinking what im thinking.

He looked at me with sad eyes as just then the door upened and three Enforcers walked in.

Vander:What can i get you?

He asked as he puted the scroll away.The man looked at me and then back at Vander.

:Four sump rats will do.Search the place.

The other two man moved away and started to look for the /four sump rats/as i didnt dare to move.

Vander:While your wasting your time how about a proper drink?

:Ill take the strongest you got.

Said the man as Vander gived him a drink.

Vander:mh be careful with that

He said teasingly.

:Heh nearly forgot.I ran into an old friend of yours.He had some stories.

Vander got up as some of the guys in the bar did the same.I look at him as he nooded in agreement.

:You werent always the peacekeeper.

Vander:Yeah well you cant escape the past.Be a shame if i had to put them on again.

Just then the one of the man came back with nothing.Thank god he didnt find them.

y/n:Told you.

:You people down here are all same mistaking arrogance  for bravery.You think your standing up for something but we all know there is crime behind every coin  in this place.Your just a small man  that the world forgot to bury.And im ganna bury a lot of you!

He yelled as he walked out of the bar.

I groaned as i quickly got up and made my way to their room with Vander right behind me.

y/n:Are you all okay?

I asked as i walked into the room.

Vi:No we are not okay. They almost saw Powder.What if they took her?

Vander:Noone is taking anyone.Never ganna let it happen.

Vi:Its already happening. You heard him they wont stop we need to fight back.And if you wont i will.

I glared at Vi as for the first time my glare was not ganna make her stop talking.

Vander:I have heard this talk before.

He said as  he walked out of the room with Vi right behind him.As she walked past me our eyes meet.My eyes were full of dissapointment as hers were full of anger.I love her but its hard to see  her grow up so fast.

I didnt say a word as i walking to my bed and took a seat on it.Powder and i shared a bed.She said it felt safer if she felt i was next to her and i must say i felt the same.

Powder:Do you wanna help me make smoke bombs?

I glanced up at her with a small smile.

y/n:Id love to

I said as Powder and i started to make small smoke bombs.Im not sure how long it was but somewhere in the middle Vi walked in with a toy in her hand.I glanced at her as she took a seat next to Powder and wispered something to her before she left yet again.I didnt question what she said but some minutes after Powder got up and walked out of the room.

y/n:Pow pow? You okay?

I asked entering the bar as i saw her sitting beside Vander.She didnt say anything as Vander was staring at the toy in her hands his eyes wide.

Vander:Y/n come with me.

He said as he told Powder to go back to Mylo and Claggor before he pulled me out of the Last drop.

y/n:Vander what is this about.

Vander:The scroll.Its not there where i left it.Someone took it.

Y/n:What who would have-

Thats when it clicked.Vi.She took it and if im corect she called them already.

-.-,.--,.-,--,-.,-,.-,.--.,-,.-.-,.-,.-,.,-.-,.-,-.,.--,.,-

I have watched Arcane at least two times.And i thought i would write something for it.I have had this for some time.I thought i would not use it but here i am.I will ofc still write for avatar but i was just thinking id put this out here.I might continue this story or start even smaller ones.But ill see about that.Id like to thank anyone who read this.And i am sorry if there are any words spelled wrong.English is not my first language and im not the best at spelling.

[vole-mon-amour]

1x07, part 1.

Her little smile and his embrace. <3 He needed that.

And then he does, and he can run on his own, and he and Jayce are supposed to be enemies then. :(

He puts too much faith into Jayce. For better or for worse, he loves him. :(

Yet, he doesn't know where Viktor is. I'm so mad at him. :(

I like how loyal Sevika is to Silco. She calls him "Sir" gives advices. She sees a true leader in her and she cares.

YOU've had a lot on YOUR plate? Viktor is literally DYING. This isn't about you, you silly privileged boy. Jfc.

T h e y.

It took me ridiculously long to notice, but look at his tie. Look at his clothes. He looks amazing.

Calling the only person he truly loves his dog... oh, they're going to regret that in a minute. :) I love this scene because he deals so wonderfully and so in character with it. He's a great villain.

I like how even Sevika has to wear a mask and how for him it's a good signal. But while everyone is coughing, he gives his speech and he's breathing just fine.

He needs to take just ONE long breath while Finn is literally suffocating. Makes you wonder how resilient Silco truly is. And how much of that is the result on Vander trying to kill him & that he now has to take shots for his eye/immune system.

Here we go again. Totally platonic father and daughter relationship. x)

She tortures him & he lets her. She sits in his lap & he lets her. She insults him & he lets her. There's no one else he would allow to treat himself that way.

This one particularly gets me because she's almost sitting on his crotch and the zoom in happens on his reaction, on his hand, and I'm sorry, I can't see this as completely platonic. This is possessive and toxic and the line between parenting and romance is very much blurred.

The wrist touch. How vulnerable she immediately becomes.

[ace-of-zaun]

pregnancy fic was just perfect! Oh maybe now something with angst and HEA ? "Sil...is it true? Vander saw you with her! After all this time? After everything I've done for you ?!"

A/N: Thank you!! Ooo, my first young silco request (I have more plans for young silco but haven’t had a chance to write them all out yet). Thank you for requesting and apologies this took so long! <3 -el x

young!silco x f!reader, 2.5k words, SFW

Warnings: angst, cheating worries, miscommunication / misunderstandings, established relationship, fluff, happy ending, love confessions

Growing up in the Undercity, you’d always found yourself inadvertently searching for one simple thing to ease the pain of living. 

Passion. 

Something that lit a fire in your bones, sparked your desire to live, not just survive, as it had been prescribed by the above. 

As a young adult, you’d joined the Children of Zaun in search of that passion, helping out in the bar of The Last Drop every evening. 

Early on, you’d recognised that whilst fighting the enforcers that kicked down your brothers and sisters wasn’t your particular forte, it didn’t mean you couldn’t fight for Zaun’s freedom in your own way. 

And in joining the group of rag-tag revolutionaries, it would appear that the Fates certainly had that long-awaited passion lined up in your cards, namely in the form of a thin, dark-haired, young man named Silco. 

Infamous for keeping out of everyone’s way (or rather, they kept out of his way), the co-leader of the revolution kept his strict schedule of completing missions at night and silently keeping the blackmarket ledgers in the afternoon. A schedule that he rarely deviated from. 

That is, until he met you. 

It all began during the early hours of one morning, when he’d stumbled into the empty bar as you were cleaning glasses and finishing putting chairs on tables. Horrified by his bruised and bloody state, you’d helped to patch him up and sent him on his way with a strong shot of liquor to dull the pain. 

After that first encounter, he then began to stay most nights whilst you cleaned up the mess left by the patrons, chatting with comfortable ease like you’d known each other for years instead of mere months. 

And more often than not, he would stay in the bar up until you left, always missing the way he’d watch the door long after you’d disappeared into the night. 

It wasn’t long until Silco had started to walk you home, insisting that the harsh streets of Zaun weren’t safe for a lady such as yourself, like you hadn’t been walking them your whole life. 

But you didn’t mention it. You were simply glad you got to spend just that little extra bit of time with him. It was just another few minutes where you could quietly admire his sharp features and his careful way of speaking. 

And then everything had changed on one fateful night where Silco had stumbled into the empty bar from an exhausting mission, marched straight over to you, and pulled you into the most thrilling kiss you’d ever experienced.

You’d both been practically inseparable ever since. 

He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the whole of Runeterra, and you had a way of bringing him down from his passion-filled anger at every little injustice you were both forced to endure. 

Hidden deep under that harsh facade was a full-hearted man, who desperately wanted to make you happy, almost like his life depended on it. 

If you were being honest, even after less than a year together, you’d probably say that you and Silco were made for each other. Which of course made the pain you were experiencing right at this moment infinitely worse. 

Hiding out on a rooftop high above the streets, you allow yourself to sob, your body unsure of how else to deal with the grief that was spreading through your blood like a dull fire. 

Moments after arriving at the bar, early for your shift as always, Vander had pulled you aside and quietly informed you that he’d caught Silco kissing his ex-girlfriend outside The Drop, only a few minutes before you’d gotten there. 

Your heart felt like it had been broken in two. 

Vander had been very sympathetic and had tried to comfort you as you stood in the bar struggling to catch your breath, but you wouldn’t let him. Instead, you’d ignored his pleas to sit on the sofa downstairs, and had stumbled away from the stifling noises of the regulars. 

You couldn’t be anywhere near the place. You couldn’t be anywhere near him. 

Without really knowing for sure how you’d gotten there, you’d ended up at the one place you always go to when you’re feeling upset. A place where no-one could find you whilst you took the time to process whatever was plaguing your mind. 

That is, all except one person, who is no doubt the cause of the scuffling noise you can hear behind you, as you sit with your knees hugged to your chest, hiding behind the large ventilator shaft. 

You struggle not to sigh loudly in frustration as the tell-tale sound of him climbing the pipes and onto the roof interrupts your miserable ruminations.

Really, it was your own fault. You should have picked a different place to wallow in your misery, because the one person who knew of your secret sanctuary was the one person you just couldn’t stand to see right now. 

The noises stop and you keep your back flush against the cool metal, spotting a tall figure peering around it from the corner of your eye. There’s a noticeable drop in his shoulders when he discovers you, but you continue staring straight ahead at the glow of the city. 

From sheer stubbornness alone, you refuse to look at him because if you do, you know that you’ll start to cry again. And right now, he doesn’t deserve your tears. 

“There you are, sweetheart,” Silco says, relief seeping through his words, “I was worried about you.”

You fight the urge to scoff. 

Completely unaware of your bitter heartbreak, Silco takes a seat on the floor next to you, pushing back the longer strands of hair that frame his face with one hand. 

“Vander said you were upset but wouldn’t tell me why,” he continues, his tone of voice terribly gentle and full of concern, “What happened?” 

His fingers begin to idly draw patterns on your knee and you hate the way it automatically relaxes your body.

Still unable to speak in a web of hurt and betrayal, you stay silent, closing your eyes as if it would erase all the pain. 

To his credit, Silco waits patiently and you can just feel his concerned stare on you as you focus on trying to find those impossible words. 

There’s a moment where you debate lying to him, but when you crack open your sore eyelids and finally take a look at him, your chest is filled with an indescribable heaviness, like you’re drowning just from the sight of him. 

You can’t stop the words from tumbling out of your mouth. 

“Sil…is it true?” 

A stunned pause while Silco visibly processes your words before he frowns, and you loath how endearing he looks as his brow scrunches in confusion. 

“Is what true?” he asks gently. 

He sounds genuinely confused and you feel sick suddenly thinking about how he’s always been a good actor, especially when it got him out of something. 

It almost feels like a slap to the face. How dare he act dumb after betraying you like that. 

“Silco, don’t make it worse by treating me like I’m stupid,” you snap, pulling your knees even closer to your chest. 

“What are you talking about, my dove?”

The combination of his worried tone and the endearments he always uses to address you make you feel so unsteady, you’re practically shaking. Silco tries to take your hand but you snatch it away from him, blinking away tears as you glare back out towards the city. 

“Vander saw you with her,” you spit out. 

And Silco does the very worst thing he could do at that moment. 

He inhales sharply. 

Your heart leaps in your chest as you interpret the sound as the one emotion you’d dreaded finding in him.

Guilt.

Silco says your name shakily and it’s like the dam has burst. 

You fight back a sob as you begin to cry again, which makes speaking almost painful, but you carry on regardless. 

“After all this time? After everything I’ve done for you? I sat awake night after night worrying about you when you went on all those stupid missions, I patched you up when you came home from a fight with the enforcers, I-”

“Darling, look at me.” 

Your jaw hurts from how tightly it's clenched shut and Silco must notice because he slowly reaches out to hold your cheeks, his thumbs absentmindedly wiping away your tears as he gently turns your head to face him. 

Nothing could prepare you for the look of pure heartbreak that is etched upon his face, a deep hurt dancing in his eyes that you’ve never seen before in those pools of green. 

For a moment, you’re almost pulled into it, ready to forgive him for all his transgressions and for any he might make in the future, right up until he speaks again. 

“It’s not what you think-”

And there it is. The spell is broken and you jerk your head away from his grasp. 

You’ve heard this kind of denial before, of course you have, but you’d never expected it to come from Silco.

“Let me guess, it’s not me, it’s you?” you interrupt sarcastically. You’re being spiteful on purpose now, a blatant defence mechanism that you refuse to acknowledge. 

“No,” he stresses impatiently, “Will you just let me explain?” 

You can tell by the little wobble in his voice that he’s holding back, that hotheadedness just itching to break free. But he’s holding back; for you. 

Taking a moment to consider his request, you come to the decision that after everything you’ve been through together, you at least owe him a chance to tell you his side of the story.

You nod glumly and he relaxes marginally in response. 

“She kissed me and I pushed her away the second I realised what she was doing,” he explains carefully, running his hands through his hair again now that he isn’t allowed to trace constellations on your skin.

The confession makes you pause. Vander didn’t mention anything about Silco pushing her away, but then again, perhaps he didn’t stick around to watch. 

“Why would she do that?” you ask, your brow furrowed. 

“She came to ask me to run away with her,” he tells you, “Said she has a job in Piltover and still has feelings for me and that she wanted me to leave Zaun to be with her.”

Like you’ve just been smacked in the back of the head, you begin to feel dizzy at the prospect of Silco leaving you to live in Piltover. At the prospect of never seeing him again, of being alone without him, of-

Silco delicately places a finger under your chin and lifts your head to meet his worried gaze. 

“I said no.”

Relief immediately sweeps through you.

“Why?” you ask him soberly. 

“Because I don’t have feelings for her, never did really,” he tells you nonchalantly. Completely candid, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

You tilt your head and are just about to ask him why his ex-girlfriend would think that he did have feelings for her, when he continues speaking. 

“And because I love you.”

You think your heart might have stopped for a brief moment. He’s never said that before. 

In the wake of his series of confessions, you can only gawp at him, feeling positively overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions you’d found yourself on. 

“Look, I’ll prove it to you,” he says, taking advantage of your stunned silence. 

Silco reaches into his pocket and pulls out an envelope that is clearly unopened. 

He twists and turns it between his fingers, letting you see his name written in pretty cursive on the front, and the unbroken seal on the back. 

“This is her new address. I haven’t opened it, so I don’t know where she’s going, and I don’t want to know,” Silco stresses, looking you dead in the eye as he does. 

His expression still holds that hint of softness that seems to be reserved only for you, despite the lines of seriousness currently framing it. 

Then, Silco brings out his lighter and sets the corner of the envelope alight. 

You watch in bewilderment as the paper burns to ashes in seconds, fizzling out in a puddle on the roof when Silco drops it to avoid getting burned. 

Staring at the now ashen puddle, you think you believe him. 

He wasn’t cheating on you. It was all just a terrible misunderstanding. 

But in spite of your relief, you still find yourself needing more clarification. 

“Why didn’t you get rid of it straight away?” you ask, wiping the remaining tears from your face with the backs of your hands. 

“Because I went to look for you as soon as she left. I thought you’d still be at your apartment, but you must have already set off,” he replies. 

You must have just missed each other, which would explain why it took so long for Silco to find you. He must have traipsed back and forth across the city a few times before he got to you. 

Silco inches closer to you, slowly reaching out for your hand.

“I would never leave you for her. I wouldn’t leave you for anyone,” he says earnestly. “You’re everything to me.”

Looking up at his face, you allow him to take your hand in his as it all finally clicks for you. 

Of course he’d never hurt you like that.  

“Oh, Sil. I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” you sigh, resting your head back on the cool metal behind you, “It’s just when Vander told me, I didn’t know what to think.” 

At your obvious emotional exhaustion, Silco puts his arms around you, pulling you into his warm embrace. He always knew how to make you feel better. 

“I know, sweetheart. I just wish you could have heard it from me first,” he tells you with his own sigh. 

You both sit for a quiet few moments, your head resting against his chest as he gently cards his hand through your hair.

Honestly, you’re just glad it was only a misunderstanding. That it was over now and you could go back to normal. 

As you’re running through everything that had just happened in your head, trying to figure out what to do now you’re missing your shift at work, you remember something Silco had said that you didn’t get a chance to respond to. 

Something you’d been trying to find the courage to say to him for a long time. 

You pull back slightly in his grasp and look up at him, watching his face as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Silco?” you ask, in a whisper. 

“Yes, my sweet?” he says gently.

“I love you too.”

And you do. Now, as he’s looking at you like you single-handedly created the skies and the oceans, more than ever. 

Silco’s lips curl into the most beautiful, perfectly imperfect smile and he leans forwards to press them against yours in an ardent kiss. 

Yes, you’d certainly found that long-awaited passion in your life, and it had come in the most wonderful form possible. 

-

Taglist: @pinkrose1422 @steponmesilco

[band--psycho]

3.6k Celebration Masterlist

Thank you to everyone who sent in requests! I'm so grateful to every single one of you and I hope you all enjoy the stories I'll be posting for this challenge! I'll update this as frequently as I can!💛

Thank you all for your support!

Fred Weasley x Reader - You kissed me last night — And you didn’t stop me for @beeroses

Jax Teller x Reader - This isn't goodbye for @rayslittlekitten

Jax Teller x Reader - She’s in love with someone else — Then why is she standing outside in her wedding dress? for @beth-gallagher22

Chibs Telford x Reader - You showed me what living was like again, I’d forgotten for @rl92

Vander x Reader - I didn’t mean to fall for you - Neither did I for @conretewings

Harvey Specter x Reader - Everyone should dance in the rain at least once in their lives for @malfoys-demigod

Harvey Specter x Reader - I can’t believe I got a first date let alone a year for @choochoo284

Harvey Specter x Reader - You know I’m holding back from fucking your over the kitchen counter, don’t push your luck for @callsign-ember

Sirius Black x Reader - I just...adore you for @xacatalepsyx

Raymond Smith x Reader - I like the sound of there being an us for @thedreadandthefugitivemind

Raymond Smith x Reader - I'm really in the mood to tease you today for @wild-rose-35

Raymond Smith x Reader - You tried to kill me three days ago for @deathbecomesnerds

Thorin Oakenshield x Reader - Just a few more minutes for Anon

Negan x Reader - I cannot stand you and yet I cannot stay away from you for Anon

Steve Harrington x Reader - Person A asking Person B out on a date and Person B panicking about what to wear for Anon

[k1nky-fool]

Least Sane Moments

Part 6/7

Masterlist

Vander x OC Minute

Pairing: M/F

Rating for part: Mature

Warnings: Mostly investigation, some talk of the operation that Devoan was abducted by.

Taglist: @gaybybirth @gatnalien @seas1mping

-Vander-

The following morning was all the more surprising. Mita was awake well before Vander, and her top priority was making sure their guest was alright. She wasn't on the couch, and the entire space was empty save for the books on the floor. 

Mita followed the soft sounds downstairs to discover five kids conversing. The new girl was sitting on a pillow on the floor while Claggor had scissors carefully eliminating the choppy blocks from her hair. Powder was retailing in detail about some hijinks the group had gotten up to in the last few weeks while Vi and Mylo watched from the sides. 

"Morning, Minute." Vi greeted. 

"Good morning. I'm glad you're all getting along with our guest." Mita noted. 

"I uh.. didn't get the chance to tell you, umm… my name is Devoan." She introduced with a small, awkward smile. 

There were plenty of chances for her to say her name last night, but if Devoan didn't have another name she wanted to be called, then there was no other name Mita would address her by. "It's nice to meet you, Devoan." 

Claggor handed her a sanded down shard from a mirror. "Do you like it, Devo?" 

She looked over his handiwork with a smile. Purple hair fell just past her shoulders and she nodded. "Thanks, Claggor. It looks nice." 

"Any time." He shrugged off and began working on sweeping the floor. 

"Can I talk to you, Minute?" She got up and brought Minute back upstairs, away from the kids. 

"I didn't expect you to have an answer in one night." Mita noted. 

"Less of an answer, more of a condition." Devoan said. 

"Go on." 

"I'll tell you everything I know about the operation. Location, security, victims, and the money coming in." Devoan began, "But I'm going back. I want to burn that place to the ground with my own damn hands." 

"I can't in good conscience put you in that kind of danger." Mita explained. 

"I'm not asking." Her voice shook, but she was standing her ground. 

Mita wasn't playing around with the idea of letting Devoan run back into the hands of her abductors just so she could be the one to burn the place down. It also didn't appear like there was a whole lot of wiggle room to convince her to give up the information without getting what she wanted. 

"What about a compromise?" Mita asked. "You need to do more than just be there to burn the place down. What can you do?" 

"I can pick locks." Devoan jumped at the offer. "They use the same locks for every cell, I only need one, then the rest are as simple as having the key." 

"Great. Then I'll need more information." Mita deadpanned. 

Devoan took a long, uncomfortable, breath. "The place used to be my house." She said, "But the building used to be old factory dormitories. They took over with force and took whoever they wanted. My mother sold us out." 

Mita tried to keep a straight face, but that was a whole world of pain she couldn't even comprehend. Betrayal like that couldn't come from anything but pure evil. In this sense she could only imagine it coming from someone that was sickening enough to value profit over their own child. 

"There's 24 cells, but only 17 prisoners there. Most of them girls, but it's not regular sex trafficking. They've been taking medical samples. Blood, saliva, spinal fluid from a few." Devoan explained. "The money coming in is from some topside medical scientist. No idea what his name is, we just call him Fingers, because it pissed him off and we thought it was funny." 

"You got a description of the guy?" 

"Tall, lanky man. Dark blue hair, but it's gone gray around his forehead. He's maybe fifty or sixty, but his skin is pale like he's been draining his own blood too." Devoan listed off. "He stopped seeing us personally after everyone kept calling him names. He's got some fragile ego on him." 

That would be enough to give Grayson. If he's a topside doctor, then she'll know where to find him. "What's security like?" 

"It'll be spotty since Sevika's gone now. She brought a good twenty people with her, and they won't work if Sevika's not there. Five or six people are left, and if I start a fire, they're not gonna stay behind to secure the prisoners." She explained. 

"We're not starting a fire before we get the prisoners out." Mita put her foot on that before it got anywhere else. "Aside from it being too dangerous for us, we want as many alive and out as possible." 

Devoan scoffed. "We can't save everybody, Minute." 

"We're going to fucking try." Mita glared down with a stern voice. 

"What's all this out here?" Vander's voice was still gravelly from waking up, and he certainly didn't look put together. Mita only found it endearing enough to release the tension of the conversation.

"I have a plan." Mita said. "But I'll need to bring you and Devoan." 

-Minute-

“You sure that’s best?” Vander asked. 

“Works for me.” Devoan shrugged, already grabbing Powder and asking Vi to bring Ekko here. She had some building to do. 

“Mita, you can’t be asking her to risk her life like this.” Vander said quietly. 

“I asked her not to, she wasn’t going to give me any information if I didn’t agree to let her burn the place down. At least this way, we can get out everyone safely. After we clear out the operation and take out this scientist, we can rest easy.” 

“Do you think you can beat him?” Vander asked much more seriously. 

She’d never been able to do it before, but she didn’t need to beat him. She just needed him distracted long enough to get the girls out. “I don’t need to beat him, I just need to survive him.” 

Vander’s shoulders relaxed, letting out all the tension. “Good.” 

“This is my last bounty, Vander.” Mita assured, taking his hand in hers. “After this, I just want to go home.” 

His calloused hands held her face gently, as if she were made of glass, and his lips met hers like it was his nature. The short kiss felt like only a taste of what home would be. “We’ll be waiting here for you when you do.” 

“Vander I-” 

“Don’t say it now.” He interrupted her. “Makes it sound like you’re planning to die.” 

“Fair enough.” Mita nodded. “You know what to do?” 

“I can’t promise she’ll help.” Vander reiterated. 

“Sevika’s presence won’t make or break this operation.” She said honestly. “It would certainly help, but the choice is hers. She might have gotten Devoan out, but I know Mystique won’t forgive a debt that easily. If she doesn’t want to meet the wrath of my employer, then she’ll help.” 

“If she was willing to hire a creature for her personal interests before, and if the five-eyed survives, she’d have a solid reason to be scared.” Vander pointed out. 

“She will do whatever she pleases.” Mita said. “It’s up to Sevika if she’s willing to risk it.” 

“All I can do is ask.” Vander shrugged. “I know where she lives. And since Mystique’s girls have been under my protection for years it only makes sense that it’s my responsibility to make protection happen.” 

“Thank you, Vander.” Mita kissed his cheek as he left to seek her out. 

Mita made her way over to Devoan to check in and make sure her part of the plan was actually feasible. “Do you have what you need here?” 

Devoan was sketching out exactly what she needed out of the device. “I designed this thing when I was like ten. I’ve had more than enough time to overthink how to improve it. What I don’t have here, I know Ekko probably has on its way. We told Vi to explain that I’m building a lock-picking device, and if he’s as brilliant as everyone says, then he’ll know what to bring.” 

“That’s good to hear.” Mita said, hearing Powder and Claggor shuffle around upstairs while Milo did a few exercises with her swords that she showed him. “Devoan, you don’t have to tell me anything, but I’m struggling to think of how this could even happen. Both of us know it’s not just the scientist that made all this happen. I don’t want to let anyone responsible for this be on the loose.” 

Devoan’s pencil stilled in her hand. “My mother’s name was Tevil Sedarma.” She said first, slowly, but Mita understood. 

“That’s a Noxian name.” She realized. “You’re from Noxus?” 

“My mother was.” She said, continuing to sketch rods and clockwork measurements onto the blank spaces of the page. “There are a lot of reasons to flee Noxus. And even more reasons to be low on luck after immigrating to the polluted underground of a classist city while six months pregnant. So when luck started to look up last year, she had a lot of reasons to take that chance.” 

Devoan mentioned that her mother sold them out. “The scientist approached her.” 

“She died four months ago.” Devoan said with so little emotion in her voice, Mita might not have known she was talking about her mother if she hadn’t just been told. “I don’t think she knew he was looking for a trait that was passed down from mother to daughter, so he wanted her just as much as he wanted me. I can’t even say it serves her right, just because I don’t know if I'd wish that hell on even her.” 

“I’m sorry this happened at all.” Mita said, trying her best to hide how much it hurt to know the child in front of her knew suffering not even a creature knew. 

“Me too.” Devoan replied with the same near-professional tone. 

The back door opened and Ekko came thundering down the stairs with Vi. “I’m here!” 

Devoan’s eyes went wide as she laid eyes on the young boy. Mita knew it was the look of ‘no wonder they call him a genius.’ He was so young, and to hear that he was Mita’s first choice for repairing her mask, and seeing the things he’s fixed and built just hanging or being used around the Last Drop was a surprising reality. 

“Oh, and I thought you’d need this, Mita.” Ekko pulled her fixed mask out of the sack. 

“I wouldn’t even know it was cracked.” Mita’s hands ran over the smoothed surface. 

“I also reinforced it. So it won’t be breaking like that again any time soon.” He assured. 

“Thank you, Little Man.” Mita gave him a generous extra amount for the repair job, and headed off to do her own part of the operation for tonight. 

It was hard enough to get out of the last drop without being seen, but sneaking through Piltover in broad daylight was far more terrifying. She could have tried to hide in plain sight, but not only were Piltovan clothes expensive, they’re also awful to move in. 

By the time Mita managed to get to her destination, she was out of breath, and wished she had slept in a little later than she did. 

“I was wondering when I would see you again.” Grayson noted, not even looking up from the files on her desk. 

“I had a bit of a fall.” Mita said, admittedly feeling better with the mask on her face. “I need your help.” 

“Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” Grayson said. “I take it someone topside is responsible for the abductions.” 

“Yes.” Mita answered. “But I don’t need you to arrest anyone.” 

Grayson stopped writing. “So he’s dead.” 

“Not yet.” She said, “I have a survivor.” 

Now she was shocked enough to look up. “Who?”

“Her name is Devoan. She’s barely sixteen.” Mita explained. “I need your help to get her somewhere safe.” 

“I’ll do whatever it takes.” Grayson agreed. 

At least she didn’t need to try convincing her. “She’ll be crossing the bridge tonight. I need you to be there to receive her.” 

“And what will you be doing tonight while I receive her?” Grayson asked. 

“Whatever it takes to never need a favor like this again.” 

Grayson’s face went entirely blank. “Minute, I can tell when someone is trying to avoid saying they’re going to kill a man.” 

“I’d hardly call him a man.” Minute deadpanned. “Live or die, it won’t be a problem again.” 

“You better bring her to my apartment instead.” Grayson suggested, writing an address down on a note. “The last thing I want to do is force her into trusting me.” 

And that was why she went to Grayson in the first place. 

There was a lot going into figuring out how to end this. The head of the operation wasn’t even the worst part about this case. With Devoan’s description, Mita has a few leads on how to find out exactly who he is. The five-eyed creature was by far the more concerning, but as far as Grayson was concerned, he was just a legend. Maybe people that had mistaken Mita for a man and or miscounted the number of eyes on her mask. They had attributed the sightings of her to a whole different person and made him a myth, and when she was done with him, he would be nothing but just that. A myth. 

Regardless of whether the scientist dies, he’ll never see the light of day again. Mita doesn’t even care who gets to him first, but if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll pray that he only spends the rest of his life in Stillwater Stronghold. 

“Do I need to worry about you coming after him if I get him in custody?” Grayson asked. Mita couldn’t think of any reason she’d ever want to see him alive long enough to even bother killing him, but she couldn’t be sure that Devoan won’t finish the job. 

She couldn’t even find it in her to blame the girl if she wanted to. “No.”

“Then happy hunting, Minute.” Grayson finished, letting her take a deep breath before attempting to climb across Piltover to stay out of sight. 

With the first errand of the work day finished, the second would be much harder. For some reason breaking into a research hospital is much more difficult than breaking into an enforcer precinct. There was someone in every room that she could see from the outside, so windows were not an option this time. 

What was apparent was that nobody really seemed concerned about what the doctors, nurses, and students were doing on their own. And a hospital would have spare uniforms for every mess they’re dealing with in a day. 

Sneaking in through the staff entrance was a little tricky. She hid behind the door until a stray student walked out alone to get around the clockwork code lock that sat on the frame. It took a little bit of staying behind corners to avoid being seen while she hunted down the spare uniforms, and when she did, she was just thankful to find long sleeves. If there’s anything that can quickly alert everyone that she wasn’t from around here, it was arms full of scars. 

Scrubbing sweat and dirt off her face, and making herself look like she cared about her appearance did a lot to change her. Maybe it was just because she hadn’t actually looked at herself in a mirror for this long, let alone without a mask. 

Without the messy helmet hair, or having a cut or bruise on her face that she needed to disinfect or put ice on, or sweat and dirt dried on her skin where her mask rested on her forehead and cheeks, the woman looking back at her was not the woman she knew. 

Mita had been no stranger to wanting a different life. Only after a while, she had given up even fantasizing about it. Maybe she didn’t want an easy life, but almost anything was better than what she did have. Hell, she’d have even been happier to just be a mediocre bounty hunter, instead of going through what she did to get where she is. 

Now here she wasn’t just wishing her life was better for once, but doing something to make it better. She’s done bounty hunting. A life, all her own with people she loved. She’d get to go home. 

Only a year ago, if Minute had been told she’d even have a home to go to, she would have called them insane. Hell, if she’d been told she’d even be given the name ‘Minute’ she would have thought they were insane. If that was right, then this was the least sane choice of her life. And Minute prayed to whoever was listening that she would never have a sane moment ever again. 

Someone else entered the bathroom and Minute walked past without raising any eyebrows. Thankfully acting confident here was about all it took to stay under the radar, so long as she stayed out of their way. 

She swiped a writing board and pencil just to mimic the other nurses that were checking things off on their lists as they buzzed about the hospital. She would be unarmed, but her clothes and swords were very well hidden, and she wasn’t worried about anyone being dumb enough to attack her here. Sure, she was under their radar, but she was still almost six feet tall and was seeing a lot of bald spots from her eye level. 

Mita kept walking around like she was going somewhere with just a little bit of urgency, and most people would either walk past with the same urgency or politely get out of her way. She kept her focus on her peripheral vision, spying into the offices for anything that matched Devoan’s description. 

When she found the office, she walked in without a second thought. The item that caught her eye was a bag of green liquid seat up for intravenous injection. The office was empty, but even if he had been in here, she’d be fine with just killing him. There’s plenty of walls and hard surfaces in here to turn a tall, lanky, man into a small, lumpy, mess.

There was a photograph on the desk of the exact man Devoan had described, working with another man and a young girl as they skimmed oil slick off the top of the river Pilt. He looked healthier in the photo, even though it didn’t have any color, he definitely didn’t look like a walking husk. 

The plaque on the desk read Dr. Jerrus. 

A man like him would probably keep his own medical records where he could take them with him if he needed to. If Devoan is right and he’s abducting girls because they seem to carry some resistance to his condition, then he’d want to have his research and medical records with him. 

“Sorry, are you looking for Dr. Jerrus?” A young woman behind her asked kindly. She was a little older than Devoan and wearing a student’s uniform. There was a lot to take in about her appearance, her hair was a little bit lighter of a blue than Powder’s, and her eyes were a polish away from shining silver, but the dark scar that covered the right side of her face was not what Mita expected to see in Piltover. 

However even under the scar, she could tell this was the girl in the photo. “Yes, do you know where I might find him?” 

“He’s out right now, and probably won’t be back until late tonight. House calls are like that sometimes.” She explained kindly. 

“Well, perhaps you might be able to help me?” Mita suggested. “We haven’t met yet, I’m Tevil Sedarma.” It was a bit of a risk to use the name, but if this girl was involved, she’d be surprised to hear that name.

“You’re from Noxus?” She asked innocently.

“My family was, but I was born in Piltover.” She improvised, just repeating what Devoan said.

“Well I hope Piltover has been kind to you.” She said sweetly. “I’m Ojin Tesyk, I’m studying to be a doctor at the academy.” 

“You’re studying under Dr. Jerrus?” Mita asked. 

“Yeah. It’s sad that his condition doesn’t yet have a cure, but his work is doing a lot for disabilities all over Piltover and the Undercity.” Ojin explained. “I wanted my work to do the same.” 

“Ah, yes his condition.” She solemnly agreed, figuring that Ojin wouldn’t share much if it sounded like she hadn’t already been told. “Has he mentioned any breakthroughs to you? I can’t help but be hopeful that it isn’t a lost cause.” 

“Well. He probably didn’t tell you that the same accident that caused his bone marrow condition scarred my face.” Ojin said with a bit of jest. The photo was of both Ojin and Jerrus clearing pollution in the river. Some kind of chemical exposure could have done that. “We found that I have a genetic resistance to the kind of disease that took hold in Dr. Jerrus. I’ve given blood and bone marrow to try to help, but it wasn’t ever enough. He’s been trying to find another lead for a while.” 

And that’s how he found out. “I’m surprised that the disease can move so fast in just a year.” Mita tried, knowing that he approached Devoan’s mother a year ago, which meant that it’s at least been getting worse for about that time. 

“Yeah, it wasn’t this bad at the start.” Ojin said. “Anyway, what can I help you with, Nurse Sedarma?” 

She didn’t know she’d already said everything Mita wanted to know. She just had to confirm that it was indeed Dr. Jerrus leading this operation. However, what she needed was some kind of proof to send to Grayson. “Well, I’ll just drop this off in his office, since he probably means to get to it later, but he did ask me to get something from his office files.” 

“What did he ask you to get?” Ojin asked. 

Mita had to think really hard to figure out how to keep her cover. “He said he left a personal file here that he needed for an errand.” 

Ojin’s eyes became sad. “What kind of errand?” 

If she says too much, she’ll lose her cover. “Forgive me, he asked for a little discretion.” Hopefully that would be enough to stop her from asking anymore questions. 

“His personal files are in the bottom left drawer.” Ojin said. “Can you at least tell me if he thinks he’s going to die?” 

“He needs money.” Mita settled on, sifting through files, scanning over them for anything that could tie him to the operation underground. “I think it’s really more of a last ditch effort. He’s doing everything he can to stay alive.” That much was the truth, and it’s all Ojin needed. 

She nodded, accepting that Mita wasn’t a threat or a bad omen. “Where did you two meet?” She asked more as a friendly curiosity than suspicion. 

“I used to be an Enforcer working security for Progress Day.” Mita said. 

“Well that explains a bit.” Ojin chuckled. “No offense, but you look really strong for a nurse.” 

“You think nurses don’t have to be strong?” Mita recalled a lot of times she’d met some mentally unstable vagabond and had to wrestle them away from a shard of glass or a sharp-broken pipe they wanted to use to hurt themself with. 

“Definitely, but nurses tend to look more wiry. If you were an enforcer, then it makes sense that you might have had to prioritize size in your workout-” If there was anything this girl was, it was a medical student. A very talkative medical student. Mita was at a loss for words to reply to her at all, and she focused on finding something in his files. 

When her thumb crossed one of the files, she noticed the paper was in a blockier font, and the paper was more brown and worn down with age. Whatever was in here wasn’t from Piltover, so Mita took her chances and pulled it from the drawer. 

Reading over it, she saw the name she needed. It was a deed to the building that Devoan’s mother owned. The factory dorms were in her name, and right at the bottom was her signature; Tevil Sedarma, signing over ownership of the prison building to Killigan Jerrus. Mita closed the file before Ojin could read it. “Thank you, I should get this to the Council Hall.” 

“Any time, Nurse Sedarma.” She smiled, bidding her farewell as she headed downstairs back to pick up the bundle of clothes and swords on her way out. 

She fashioned her skirt into a bag that covered the swords, and walked in plain sight down to the Enforcer station, and walked to Grayson’s office with the same urgency she used in the hospital and the result was more or less the same. Grayson wasn’t in her office at the moment, but she knew leaving the file on her desk would be enough to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to show his face up here again without every enforcer in the city piling on him. 

After changing back into her clothes across the river, she was ready to prepare for a fight. 

[ellalalala]

🏡🍎🌷 pspspsps

I like that you're calling me like I'm a cat you saw on the street. 😭

🏡 What is your perfect writing environment?

Doesn't really matter so long as I'm alone! I write at my desk (which is usually messy) while listening to music to block out any outside noise. If someone calls my name while I'm writing, it's over; I'll get distracted and lose my train of thought and will have to spend another thirty minutes trying to get back to where I left off.

🍎 What's something you learned while researching for a fic?

I did a bunch of research on Dostoevsky's life a few years ago for a fic that I never posted and found out that a lot of the things he wrote about were things that he had seen happen in his own life. His father was a doctor at a hospital for the poor called Mariinsky Hospital, and once, young Fyodor Dostoevsky found out about a nine year old girl being raped by an older man; the event haunted him, and he wound up writing about the topic of old men lusting for little girls in Crime and Punishment and The Devils (+Brothers Karamazov, but I've never read that one).

At that time, I also read a lot about Mykola Hohol (or Nikolai Gogol) and his life; his religious trauma, the guilt he felt because of his sexuality; his short-lived career as an actor, so on and so forth. Both were very interesting, though I've unfortunately forgotten a lot 😭

🌷 What's one of your fics that isn't as popular, but you hold dear?

There's two! They have around 90-140 hits both and they're definitely two of my lesser known fics, but I'm genuinely so proud of them and often go back to reread them!

pure as the driven snow is a Silco x Vander fic that was inspired by a song from the Hunger Games prequel with the same title.

two worlds apart is a Sigma x Nikolai (Bungou Stray Dogs) fic where they chat a lot and one confesses and it all goes to shit! I love it so much this is my pride and joy!

fanfic writer ask game

[am-i-interrupting]

Can’t Go Back

Chapter One

Prologue

Tags: 2.4k words, eventual silco x reader, gn!reader, sex worker!reader, bisexual!reader, canonical character death

Isabela was a favorite. She was a favorite because she was predictable and she was easy to please and just fun to be around.

She came in once a month to share a smoke, maybe make out in your underwear before she focused on you. She wasn’t one of those that you had to be wary of because they pushed boundaries. No, she focused on you and what you wanted and she asked and she was good.

She let you relax. She would buy the whole night. She mostly just spoke about the going ons. She was your main source of gossip and you were her single consistent as she often hopped around jobs.

She was straddling you now with your hands held above your head. A blunt was placed between her lips. She switched both of your wrists to be held in one hand while she used the other to move her blunt from her mouth. She leaned down and sealed her lips with yours, exhaling into your mouth as you inhaled. She moved back to her sitting position.

She pressed your wrists into the cushions and squeezed them before she let go. She trailed her fingertips down your arm and to your chest. She reached for an ashtray and tipped off the growing end of her blunt.

“And then he had the nerve to think that I would just let him do that. Can you believe it?” she asked in her silky smooth voice.

“The audacity of some people,” you said.

She gave a small snort of laughter. Her hand went to your stomach. Her blunt nails curled against the skin causing it to tingle. She smiled, satisfied, when she saw your stomach muscles clench at the action.

“So, I told him—“

“Hey! You can’t go back there!” Varrick yelled causing both of your heads to snap towards the closed curtain.

Suddenly it opened and instead of seeing some hulking figure like you may have expected, you saw someone small, someone you knew, someone scared.

“Ekko,” you said softly, as you guided Isabela off you and tried to button your shirt, “what’s wrong?”

He looked at you for a moment, panting. That’s when you noticed the dried tears. That’s when new ones started to streak the old ones’ paths.

“Benzo,” he said, his lip starting to quiver. Your hand hovered above his shoulder. “They killed Benzo—“ your blood went cold— “and they took Vander.”

He buried his face in the fabric of your shirt. Shellshocked, you placed a hand on his head. Anger now creeping in, you asked, “Who?”

“I— I don’t know,” he said, voice muffled.

Knowing the kid and his knack for following things even when he shouldn’t, you asked him a different question, “Where’d they take him?”

He told you as you put on your shoes. You squeezed his shoulder and kissed his forehead. “Stay with Varrick, okay?” He nodded.

Then you ran. An adrenaline you hadn’t had in a very long time pumped through your veins.

Vander was in trouble. When was the last time Vander had been in trouble? In trouble that he couldn’t handle? Benzo was dead? No. You didn’t want to think about that. It would do you no good now. You had a mission right now. No side thoughts.

You had been running for maybe five minutes when an explosion of blue came from the direction you were headed. Your heart stopped but you still ran.

It took longer than you’d like to get there. By then it was too late. You saw him, Vander, on the ground unmoving.

Still, you called his name and ran to him. His chest didn’t move. His eyes were unblinking. You checked for a pulse anyway. Nothing.

You were stubborn. You wouldn’t give up that easily. You started doing compressions on his chest. His purple veined, too large chest. (What happened?)

You’d just placed your hands on it when you saw the googles, Claggor’s googles. You felt nauseous. Without a second thought, you abandoned Vander. The kids were more important.

“Claggor,” you called out. “Claggor!”

You reached for the blood splattered googles and that’s when you saw the arm. “Mylo?”

Oh heavens. Oh no. What happened?

Breathing beginning to go uneven, you started moving the rubble. You strained as you pushed but you’d worked with rock before. You pushed it off the body, while calling out the boys’ names. You barely glanced down at the mess of blood, guts, gore and hair the same shade as Mylo’s before your stomach rolled.

You turned your head as what you’d eaten that day expelled through your mouth.

They were kids. Kids! Barely teenagers but kids nonetheless. And they were.

Heaving and wiping your mouth you saw the monkey head. You weren’t naive enough to think that it couldn’t get worse but regardless you went still before you went frantic.

“Powder! Vi!” you yelled at the top of your lungs as people finally gathered, deeming the danger gone. “Violet! Powder!”

You ran into the rubble of the building. You ran all throughout the Undercity screaming their names. You needed to know what happened to them. Be it good, be it bad. You had to know. For your sanity. You screamed until your voice went out.

You leaned against a building. The adrenaline long gone and your energy depleted. You couldn’t cry any more tears. You didn’t have anything in your stomach. Your muscles ached. Your feet were sore.

“Vi. Powder,” you said in a voice so quiet it might as well not exist.

You stayed there for a minute and then two and then three and then four and then you couldn’t count.

You righted yourself and went back to the brothel. You were let in and you went to Babette’s office. Ekko sat restless in a chair with Varrick guarding him. He looked up at you, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes very quickly smothered.

“Can you come here for a minute?” you asked him, holding out your arms.

He numbly got up and walked over to you. He placed his head on your shoulder. His arms stayed limp by his side as you wrapped yours around him.

“Did any of them make it?” he asked in a weak voice.

You held him tighter. “I couldn’t find Vi or Powder,” you told him.

In a quick motion he wrapped his arms around you and started sobbing. “I’m sorry,” he choked out and your heart tightened.

“It’s not your fault,” you told him.

You already had time for your tears. It was time for his. You held him closer.

It’d been four months. Four months of fighting. Four months of pain. Four months of losing. Four months since you lost.

You were angry. You were hurt. Maybe that made you a little reckless because when you heard word that Silco had acquired some blue haired girl, you stilled.

“What?” you asked in a slow, drawn out, hard tone.

“Someone said they saw a kid at the Last Drop. Blue hair, small, looked like one of Vander’s kids.”

You tightened your grip on the schedule you were supposed to be studying.

Babette noticed the look. “We don’t know it’s her,” she said softly. “We have to act rashly if we stand a chance. Without Vander—“

You’d already grabbed your gun and were out the door. You made a beeline towards the Drop. No one was stupid enough to try and stop you. That was until you got to the door and some kid stationed outside it tried to.

He wasn’t a kid. Maybe early twenties but he was as stupid as one if he thought he could get you to stop your trek. All it took was a hand to the mouth and another banging his head into the side of the building several times and he was out.

You threw open the door and it was mostly empty. Only a few people inside, none of them who you wanted to see. Your eyes narrowed in on Sevika.

Traitor. Somehow you weren’t surprised.

“Where is she?” you asked, voice booming in the muted sound of music and conversation.

Sevika looked your way. A scowl formed on her face as she moved to stand. She placed her cigar onto an ashtray as she strode over.

“Where is who?” she asked.

“You know damn well I’m not here for Silco right now,” you said. “Powder. Who else would I be talking about? Word gets around that there’s a blue haired girl in Silco’s company and you don’t think I’m gonna come around asking questions? You should be smarter than that by now.”

“Well, she’s not here,” she said. “I don’t know where she is and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you just to watch the look on your face when you realize just how out of control you’ve gotten. It was about time you got knocked down a few pegs.”

You stepped closer to her and gestured to the metal that was now attached to her skin with your gun. “Last time I saw you, you had more digits and an arm. You want to lose the ones you’ve got left because I’m pissed off and you’ve hit a pretty tempting face.”

Sevika grinned and shook her head. She moved to a defensive position and you backed away, gun at the ready to fire. Your finger was just about to squeeze the trigger too. Of course, that was when footsteps came from above.

“Well, well,” a familiar voice said, “when I heard visitors I wasn’t expecting such a pleasant surprise.”

You didn’t take your eyes off Sevika. You didn’t look at him. You couldn’t.

“Where is she? Where’s Powder?” you asked.

A sigh and, “You can go back to your card games now, Sevika. I’d like to have a chat with this one.”

Sevika’s position dropped for a moment. She looked like she was going to question but decided against it. She didn’t take her eyes off you as she sat down.

“Come along, we have much to discuss,” he said.

You risked a glance where he stood. Well, he walked now. His back to you. You gave a grunt of annoyance before you started to back up to where he was, gun still pointed at Sevika. You didn’t walk forward until you got to the stairs and even then you didn’t turn until Sevika was out of your line of sight.

“Where is she, Silco?” you asked.

“I don’t remember you being so brash,” he said before he opened the door to what was now his office. He beckoned you inside.

“You didn’t kidnap one of my kids last time we spoke,” you said as you brushed past him, knocking his shoulder just because you could.

Silco seemed almost genuinely offended at your words. “I didn’t kidnap her.”

“So you admit she’s here?”

The door closed behind him. “She came willingly.”

You turned to him, refusing to look him in the eye or at his face. Instead you focused on the hand that shoved him against the wall.

“She’s a kid and you killed not only her caretaker but her friends. Of course she went with the first person that came near her,” you said, pressing the barrel of your gun to his chin.

“I think we’ve come to a bit of a misunderstanding,” Silco said. “It seems you don’t have all the pieces.”

“No? Seems like a pretty clear picture to me,” you replied.

“Yes, well, lineart seems to give you an idea but it’s the colors that make the meanings clear,” he said. “I may have killed Vander but I didn’t kill those kids.”

“Enlighten me.”

“There was an explosion. I lost several of my people to it. Nearly lost myself. That’s what killed those kids,” he said.

That idea. Why did that idea still hurt you? Why did the thought of him dying still hurt? Why did it make you panic? It’d been almost a decade since you last saw him, even longer since you’d last had a conversation. Why did that idea make you freeze?

He took advantage of your stupor and grabbed your hand. He pried your fingers off the gun. You could hear the click as the safety was turned on.

“Look at me,” he said. You didn’t move. “Look at me,” this time he used his hand to tilt your head upward.

You had no choice but to look at him, at the scars, at the eye, at what Vander had done all those years ago.

“Am I lying to you?” he asked.

You jerked your head out of his hand and took several steps away from him. Once again, the gun was pointed at him.

“You killed Vander,” you elected to say.

“And he tried to kill me. I’d say the score is settled,” he said. “Go ahead, pull the trigger if you wish but you won’t kill me. I know you.”

“People change,” you said. “You certainly did.”

“Maybe but you want to know where the girl is, right?” he asked. “Sounds like you may need me more than you think.”

“I—“

“There’s also a different matter of fact,” he said as he took a step forward and tapped the gun, “the safety’s still on.”

He turned and left you half stuttering and half fuming as he opened the door of his office. He left, leaving you able to do nothing but follow.

Eventually he led you to a small bedroom. A bed was pressed on the corner, markings were all over the walls, but most notably there was a girl sitting in a chair with a book in her lap. She was young, too young for the noticeable bags under her eyes. Her hair was blue and braided. Her eyes were a similar color. She had freckles on her round face, doting across her nose. She looked up.

She said your name softly and you knew that voice. Tears began to prickle your eyes. Immediately all your defenses crumbled.

“Powder,” you said softly.

She ran over to you, her book falling to the ground, as she wrapped her arms around your torso and almost toppled you over from the sheer force of her run to you. You held her close. She nuzzled into your chest.

“I was so worried about you,” you told her. She shook in your hold.

[conretewings]

I can't get the idea of the kids trying to get Vander and reader under the mistletoe. Hhhhheeeelllllppppp 🙏❤️

-Ahhhh yeeeeah baby! Getting into that Christmas spirit with some mistletoe shenanigans! ❤🎄

Vander x gn reader, pure fluff

It started as an offhand joke from Mylo, but with some shared looks and gears turning quickly spiraled into a quest

Acquiring a ball of mistletoe wasn't easy but Ekko helped them find one

Claggor had to prop Vi onto his shoulders so she could tie it in a doorway

Vander soon came through, at first not seeing the decoration, then you joined a few minutes later

LET THE GAME BEGIN

They keep making up reasons to lure Vander and you through the doorway at or almost at the same time

You two know something's up but aren't sure what until he spots it

"...Ah, I see."

You two exchange knowing looks; if this is what they want you're going to make them work for it

Over the next few days they continue to try and herd you both through the doorway together, but you keep thwarting their attempts

Now it's a game of wits and plausible excuses, and you two are winning much to the kids annoyance

Finally on the third day while carrying some laundry, Powder trips and falls in the doorway, yelping in pain and you both quickly come to her side

After a brief once over she seems fine so Vander pulls her to her feet-

She suddenly smirks at you both with a shit-eating grin, glances upward smugly, then darts away

You follow her look to the mistletoe and realize she won

Vander shakes his head and curses under his breath while you chuckle and lean your forehead against his chest

Then you feel fingers under your chin as he tilts your head up and gives you a tender, knee-weakening kiss and you're both lost in the moment-

Until you hear snorts and giggles from nearby

[skeletonsweatshirt]

Vander dealing with a drunk customer flirting with his s/o?

HEHEHHEEHE I LOVE JEALOUSY PROMPTS

Vander when a drunk customer hits on his s/o

Vander x gn!reader

Tags: JEALOUS VANDER, protective Vander, just a lil self-indulgent, maybe a lil spicy if you squint hard enough

A/N: I am in love with him and also I love everything jealous and protective so I am on my knees thanking you like you are the lord themself. thankyouthankyouthankyou anon.

I feel like Vander gets so overprotective that he checks with other bartenders and trusted patrons to make sure he's not going insane or overthinking stuff.

But bitch when he figures out that one of the patrons is hitting on his partner, feral cannot even begin to explain what this man feels.

He'll try his best not to go ape shit. He really will. Because in his eyes, violence only gets ugly.

It'll start with him getting really touchy. A hand on your hip, an arm around your shoulders, a kiss maybe. He'll try to show the patron that you're his so they'll back off before he has to keep going.

The next step is words. He'll call you babe or say something flirty. He'll whisper gruffly into your ear.

If that still doesn't work, he'll stick to words, but towards the customer instead of you.

Little statements that are passive-aggressive. Like "Hey, buddy. You know saying things like that to someone isn't very polite. Especially when they're already taken."

Next is usually having them forcibly removed. There are very few times he's gotten physical with someone over you, but if their hands start to wander, he can't promise anything.

His protectiveness is 10x worse if you're oblivious to the situation. If you don't realize that the other party is attempting to court you.

Oh baby if you don't realize and he does, he's ready to throw hands.

He has dragged someone out by the collar and thrown them out into the street.

When he comes back and you look confused, asking why he would do that when they were being friendly, he very calmly explains to you that they were attempting to flirt with you.

Usually, on the nights that you get flirted with when the bar gets less busy, he'll take you to the back and either be all lovey-dovey or make out with you so roughly you don't know what hit you. Just so he can show you you're his and get over any insecurity he might've gotten from the events.

Okay, that's it hehe.

"I don't know why anyone would do something like that to someone so pretty." The customer cooed.

You grinned at the patron. This was one of your regulars, and he always paid you compliments. Of course, now he was visibly drunk, but a compliment is still a compliment, right?

Vander stood at the other side of the bar. He was serving customers, as usual, but when he caught a glimpse of a patron chatting you up in his peripherals, his hands halted. He placed down the glass he was cleaning and turned to the bar back that was coming back from a beer run.

You could only hear Vander's gruff voice, not actually what he said to the employee. You assumed he was just asking for a restock on something. You continued the conversation with your customer, ignoring your partner's words.

After a few minutes and a refill on his drink, you heard heavy steps approach you from behind. One of Vander's strong hands was placed on the small of your back and slid up to your waist.

"Hey, babe." He hummed. His eyes went from you to the customer sitting on the other side of the bar, nursing a half-full glass.

Vander's hand ran up and down your side softly. You were used to his random acts of affection. He was a very lovey guy. Like a giant stuffed bear. It was part of why you loved him so much. He wasn't afraid to just be romantic in front of people.

The customer continued to chat you up and compliment you, despite Vander's presence. His hand floated forward and brushed yours, fingers running over your knuckles. When you peeked over, Vander's expression had noticeably changed.

"Sir, it's not very polite to touch someone without asking them first." He spoke lowly.

"It's okay, Van. He's one of my regulars. I don't mind." You say with a soft smile.

"Yeah, buddy. Buzz off. Don't you have other customers to get to?" The patron spat at your boyfriend.

Vander's eye twitched. His hand fell from your waist and he basically stopped over to the gate separating the bar and the open floor of the Last Drop. He walked out to the other side of the bar and grabbed the man by the bicep without looking down."

"What's your problem, man?" The customer exclaimed.

"My problem is that you don't know your place. Now, you're gonna get up and leave or else it's going to get ugly between us. And trust me, you don't want it to get ugly." Vander spoke in a low voice with an oddly calm smile.

"You can't tell me what to-!" The customer started.

Vander glared daggers at the man from the corner of his eye. "I can. Because not only do I own this bar, but that's also my partner. So you can use your legs and walk away, or I can throw you out. Your pick."

The man groaned and stood up. Vander's hand left his bicep and dropped to his side. "Good choice." He whispered. The patron finished his drink and walked off, presumably to the exit.

Vander returned behind the bar where he cupped your jaw in his hand and kissed the top of your head.

"What did you do that for, love? We were just talking." You questioned.

"He was flirting with you. Very obviously flirting with you." He stated.

His fingers glided under your chin and forced you to look up at him. He made eye contact with you for a number of seconds before he leaned in, kissed you, and walked off to return to his duties.

[purplefangirl42]

for the requests - Silco x Lil fluff 👀

Thanks for the request Jasper! Here's some Young!Silco x Lil fluff for you! 💜

Tags: Drunk Silco, Fluff

Rain always chased people away. Nobody wanted to venture out, even if they were desperate for a drink. Which meant bad business for the Drop. She had served three people, one of which was Silco, who was currently sitting at the bar with his head resting on the scratched wooden surface of the bartop. 

Lil had cut him off after his third drink, stating that he didn’t have enough body fat to hold anymore alcohol in his system. He had protested loudly for a few minutes, trying to persuade her to give him more every time she came near him. Eventually, he had given up and assumed his current position.

Lil sighed as she placed the last clean glass back on the shelf. Even if he was a skinny beanpole, he wasn’t exactly light. If she had to drag him back up to his room, she was going to have quite the task in front of her. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to where he was resting. She rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface beside his head, which earned her a pained groan.

“Rise and shine.”

A muffled grumble was the only response she got.

“Didn’t quite catch that, please repeat.”

Silco turned his head so the side was resting on the bartop rather than his forehead.

“I’m all shined out and I have no desire to rise,” he said.

“Are you planning on spending the night at the counter?”

Silco opened one teal eye to look at her.

“Will you be joining me?”

Lil snorted at his question, shaking her head.

“No thanks. I have a bed to get home to. But I need to clean up your puddle of drool first, which means you need to remove your face from it.”

Silco’s other eye opened and he scowled at her before lifting his head off the bartop. He ran his hand through his mop of dark hair as he moved his head around in an effort to work out the kink in his neck he had no doubt given himself by staying in that position for so long.

“Can you walk up to your room or do you need help?” Lil asked.

Silco gave her another scowl as he moved to stand from his seat. It deepened into a frustrated frown when his first attempt was not successful. After the third attempt, he let out an annoyed huff and looked at her again, this time with a pout.

“I may need assistance.”

Lil rolled her eyes and moved around to the other side of the bar to help him. Pulling one of his arms over her shoulder, she began walking him in the direction of the stairs. She had no idea how she was going to get him up the stairs by herself. Luckily, Silco seemed to have enough stability to help her, and they made it up with only a few stumbles.

Eventually, they made it to his doorway. Lil pushed the door open and guided him inside in the direction of his bed. When she tried to ease him away from her, he unceremoniously plopped down onto the soft surface, landing in a twisted position. Lil shuffled his long, gangly limbs and pulled at him until he was in a decent position to sleep off his drinks. As she looked down at him, she wondered if he would be alright if left alone.

“Do you think you can manage to not get sick if I leave you unattended for a little bit? I’m going down to finished closing everything up.”

Silco let out an unintelligible grunt.

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Lil said before leaving the room and its occupant.

She headed back down to the bar and cleaned up the last of the small mess for the night. She made sure everything was locked up and turned off the lights before heading back up to Silco’s room. When she arrived, she placed a glass of water down on the table beside his bed and looked over at Silco. 

He had turned over onto his stomach and was hugging his pillow tightly against him, a dopey smile on his lips. Lil figured he was going to be alright, but she wanted to stay with him, at least until Vander and Benzo returned from their run. She turned away from the bed to grab the rickety chair from the corner of Silco’s room, hoping to at least have a place to sit while she watched over him. A gentle touch at her wrist caused her to pause and turn back toward the bed.

“Silco? Are you okay?”

“Please stay…” he said quietly.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I just want to get the chair.”

The light grasp he had on her wrist tightened as he wrapped his fingers around it. He pulled on her hand until she was standing right up against the bed. Silco had turned onto his side and was looking up at her with a sleepy smile.

“Do you know how wonderful you are?” he asked, his words slurring together as he spoke. “Wonderful and beautiful and kind and beautiful…”

“You said beautiful twice.”

Silco blinked at her and his smile widened into a toothy grin. His chipped front teeth made the expression even more ridiculous. 

“That’s because you are very beautiful!” he said, every word louder than the one before.

Lil pulled her wrist from his grasp and tucked his hand back onto the bed.

“And you are very drunk.”

“So? That doesn’t change anything.”

Lil laughed softly and leaned over him to pull the blanket up to cover his body.

“Drunk people think everyone is beautiful,” she said.

“Not Benzo. He’s still ugly,” Silco stated, firm in his opinion.

Lil smiled at him, which only made him grin again.

“I’ll be sure to let him know you think so,” she said as she moved to straighten up again.

Silco reached up and touched the side of her face, causing her to pause in her ascent. His grin had disappeared, replaced by a much softer expression. His glazed eyes roamed her face as his thumb passed over her cheek.

“I really mean it, Lil. You are beautiful.”

Neither of them moved for a few moments, their eyes never breaking contact as silence filled the room. Lil could feel her heart pounding in her chest, sure that Silco could hear it too. He had never said anything like that before, so she wasn’t sure if he was truly being honest or if it was just the alcohol talking. 

She reached up and grabbed his hand, removing it from her face. She held it in her own for a few seconds before guiding it back to rest on the bed beside him. Having removed herself from his grasp, she was finally able to grab the chair she had been trying to get before, pulling it to the side of the bed and sitting down.

“Get some sleep, Silco. I’ll stay here until the guys come back.”

“Can I have a goodnight kiss?” he asked.

Lil raised an eyebrow in response to his question. He sure was being bold tonight. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, right between his eyebrows. 

“Now, go to sleep.”

Silco’s dopey smile returned and he closed his eyes, burying his face into the pillow once more. Lil could feel her own lips lifting into a smile as she watched his breaths even out, indicating he had finally fallen asleep. She wasn’t sure if he would remember this when he woke up the next morning, but she would never forget the tenderness in his eyes when he called her beautiful.