For my first attempt at fluff, I think it looks pretty good, though that's really for you guys to jusge xD Anywho, the goal was angsty fluff...which I may have have failed miserably, but still, pretty good!
.***
On a late fall afternoon, when the leaves were turning and an edge of chill began to line every surface, Riven and Irelia walked down a bustling Demacian avenue. Riven learned shortly after arriving that Demacia was as close to a safe zone as someone like her would ever get. People like she and Irelia could walk the streets and not draw a single eye- once the league games began to entail creatures from other dimensions and otherworldly specters, normal people didn't garner nearly as much attention, and that was fine with Riven. She wasn't much of a people person.
She made a special exception, however, for her girlfriend Irelia. Without ever being informed, Irelia picked up immediately that Riven was beyond trivial romantic ideas. Chocolates and flowers and other typical gifts held no appeal for her, and every suitor was almost always turned down. Irelia, however, was far beyond typical.
They would go to the park and watch the children play, or go to the coffee shops and talk about the world between cups of cappuccino. Or on days where either of them was particularly lazy, they would return to Riven's dorm and simply cuddle each other. Irelia would always fall asleep within moments(swearing each time that 'no, I'm perfectly awake, I swear.'), tucked in her love's arms without a care in the world. Riven loved those quiet moments; Running her fingers through Irelia's hair, she could forget the past for a moment.
But only for a moment.
Riven began to feel she was getting distracted; how was she to fix her homeland with love distracting her? She was a soldier- she was good at it, and it was all she truly knew how to do. Love was a distraction, and less than a second's worth of distraction was all it would take to end your struggle. She had planned, rehearsed the words, that would end this foolish dream, but it took less than a glance from Irelia's blue eyes for Riven's will to falter. So now they walked, like they always did, but now every time Riven turned and saw Irelia smiling, she felt herself dying, one piece at a time.
Once they turned the corner to a quiet side street, Irelia finally broke the silence. "Is everything okay, Riven?"
No. "Yes, why?"
"Well," Irelia pressed both of her palms to her cheek, making her face resemble a fish. "Your face is kind of scrunched and tight, like Nami when it's too hot out."
Sad or not, Riven couldn't help but chuckle. "You have an interesting sense of humor. Where are we going?"
"Somewhere we haven't been," Before Riven could ask any other questions, Irelia wrapped her arm around her waist, pulled her close enough that Riven could smell the faint hint of strawberry soap. "It's worth the walk, I promise."
Riven knew this would be harder the longer she waited, but the comfort she felt was unparalleled, and she wouldn't feel it again for a very long time, so she let herself enjoy the cruel pleasure as long as she could. Her mind turned to the times she had woken up screaming, and Irelia would say naught a word, just let her scream and cry until she could finally sleep again. She would be suffering in silence again very soon. Why was she making this more difficult than it had to be-
"See? Worth the wait?"
Irelia had taken Riven to a low-sloping hill with a beautiful view of the western sunset. It seemed to be consumed by the green horizon, and it burned larger than Riven had ever seen it. There was no one else on the hill; they had been granted their own private paradise, and it was wonderful. "Normally there are more people, but the cold kept them away. They have no idea what they're missing, do they?" Riven couldn't take her eyes off the stunning sunset. She was still gawking when Irelia set out the blanket and pulled her to the cloth. "It's amazing, " she finally admitted, sliding her hand under her lover's.
"Sounds a little familiar," Riven turned to the side, her face red, unused to being complimented.
Instead of pointless talk, Irelia lay her head on the Exile's lap, letting the stunning vista do all the talking for them. For Riven, this was a glimps of paradise; this was what could be, if life didn't happen the way it did. She would miss all of it: the feel of the blanket, the softly blowing wind, Irelia's quiet breathing. The world is a beautiful thing, she realized, if one takes the time to view it. No, no more false dreaming. It was time to wake up. Riven opened her mouth…
…But not a sound came out. She tried again, only to fail again. She couldn't bring herself to shatter the happiness she finally found, no matter how much it tore her heart apart. Even if it could never be, Riven's heart clung to the foolish ideal like a shipwrecked survivor to wreckage. For the second time in her life, her heart and mind had been at odds. As the sun fell neatly under the horizon line, Riven's chin hit her chest, and she began to weep.
One could never fault Irelia for her response time. Before the first tear had hit the blanket, she turned over and, after seeing Riven's upset state, raised her hand to catch the second. "Riven? What's wrong?" She asked, sitting up to face her. Riven's mind reached for any words that could explain how she felt. The only ones that seemed to come to mind were, "How? How do you do it?" She wrapped her arms around herself, but it wasn't the cold that gave her the chills. "How can you stay so positive when the future is just so-" she paused to wipe her eyes. "- uncertain?"
Irelia smiled soothingly, and took Riven's hand in both of hers. "When I was younger, Leto taught me something very important." She raised it to her mouth and kissed it once. "The past has already been defeated." A second kiss. "And the future is still throwing up its defenses." A third and final kiss, then lowered it to Riven's lap. "The only battle that can be truly won, is the battle for today." Cupping Riven's chin, she raised it just enough that their lips could meet. When she pulled away, Irelia whispered, "Today, I love you. Tomorrow can wait."
"It's that simple?" Riven asked, perplexed.
"That simple." Irelia nodded. "Now let's enjoy today, shall we?" Returning to her spot on Riven's lap, the last dredges of sunlight burned bright, brighter than the unbreakable spirits of its watchers.
.***
As the sunset gave way to creeping darkness, Irelia stretched, her way of indicating she was tired."Feeling better?" She asked, searching for her pack amongst the dark grass. Riven nodded, adding "I'm sorry…I've not been feeling well." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, thankful she had calmed down. "I'm ready to return if you are."
Irelia smiled, pulling her to her feet. Adaptable, optimistic, comforting…Riven cursed herself for even considering leaving such an amazing woman. She stood to the side while Irelia folded the blanket and slid it back into her pack. There was not a single piece of light to the sky as they headed back to the dormitories, nor a single piece of light to Riven's eyes.
.***
Due to a bit of rotten luck, Riven had a little time to think.
Irelia had been drawn for a late-night exhibition match, and wouldn't be able to join her immediately, so Riven spent her free time sprawled across her bed, lost in thought. While usually she didn't mind time to herself, today her bed felt…empty. It was too big, too wide for just Riven's frame. She realized half-heartedly that this is the way it could have been forever- alone in beds too big for her to sleep alone.
Even worse, Irelia had told her she loved her- Riven had been so distraught it didn't even cross her mind. Love was a scary thing, a monster that could never truly be cut down. And now it swallowed her whole, consumed her each time she and Irelia were close. Before she tried to run- flee the inevitable monster that claimed everyone sooner or later. But a life on the run from what she desired- from Irelia- simply wouldn't have been a life worth living.
A knock broke through her reverie, and she dragged herself to the door. On the other side awaited Irelia, mid-yawn. "I'm sorry I'm so late," she began, towel in one hand, sleeping gown in the other. "I volunteered to help put Gnar down for his nap." She placed a quick peck on Riven's lips- the taste of what was nearly lost is twice as sweet, the Exile noted- and stepped inside. "Do you mind if I use your shower? I'm a little sweaty."
"Not at all," Riven opened the bathroom door and beckoned her inside, still unsure how to explain her earlier emotion. Instead, she let her hand linger on the small of Irelia's back as she moved by her. The Ionian elder jumped at her touch, but paused in the doorway to give her more time. "Careful, if I wasn't so tired I might invite you in." Irelia warned tossed her a sly smile as she closed the door and started the shower.
After she was sure she couldn't be heard, Riven pressed her hand to the door and sighed, content to no longer be alone. Irelia always seemed to carry an aura of peace with her, despite her martial skill. When the shower finally stopped, Riven had slid under the blanket and blown out the candles, and lay watching the stars outside her open window. Just as before, Irelia entered the room yawning, more tired than she let on. Just as soundlessly, she slid under the covers, pressing her lips to Riven's cheek. "You're in my spot."
"My bed," Riven countered.
"Not tonight." Irelia was already climbing over Riven's body, giving the lowest of sighs when their breasts touched. "I always sleep closest to the stars." With Irelia in her proper place, Riven wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. For several minutes, the only sounds came from the music of the night: the crickets and cicadas, the wind and the warblers. Now, as Irelia teetered on the edge of unconscious, Riven finally found the words. "Irelia?"
"Yes?"
"I was going…going to break up with you earlier," At the mention of the words, Irelia shifted uncomfortably, but otherwise said nothing. "What a fool I would have been. I've always moved with the seasons, letting the world dictate my actions. But not anymore. No matter what happens, no matter what I have to go through, I am going to change Noxus for the better. But I want you to be there with me.
"I guess I just-" The words tumbled out before she could stop them. "don't want to be alone anymore."
After a few seconds of silence, Irelia finally said, "You won't be. That, I can promise you, will remain through the seasons. As long as you let me sleep, that is."
Riven rarely smiled, but in the dark her lips curved upward, and she squeezed her love tighter.
"Irelia?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too." Shaking free from her grip, Irelia turned and kissed Riven on the lips. "Now go to sleep."
Once again, Irelia fell asleep first. And once again, Riven found herself stroking the woman's hair, wary of the defensive future, but content with the battles of today.
.***
You know how this story happened? Matteo6321 PMed me a request, and somehow I did okay. If you have a pairing/premise you'd like me to try, all you have to do is PM me as well :D My NOTPs are clearly stated in my profile, but everything else is pretty much okay. But hey, before you do that... you're already down here. Click the review button, maybe add me to your alerts, too! It's free, I swear!
-Volty