Well, hi. Since I'm such a sucker for LoL and especially Vlad and Vayners, I thought to share a story I wrote a couple of days ago. I had planned on writing something with them for a while, since I ship them, even though it's more than impossible, but yeah... I do want to clear something up, though... First of all, I know there's no official link between Vlad and the Vayne family's murder, but since it was the work of a hemomancer, I thought I'd spice things up with some hints. And add some connections. Second, yes, Katarina is part of the Crimson Elite, not the Black Rose, but say, things in the 3rd plane happened before Swain was made a general and before the murder of Kata's father, so yeah, at that time, there wasn't so much turmoil, maybe. Then again, this stuff appeared in JoJ, but since they never continued it, there were many things left hanging, so I, once again, added some details on my own. And lastly, I do know they might be OOC, but really, who cares? I ship them too hard.
So, all I can say is, enjoy!
Spoils of War
Many years before Present Day
She was not exactly a creature of the night. By courtesy of many outsiders, she was considered one with the surrounding darkness, where she would hold her judgement for anything deemed 'unholy'. And were those unholy creatures many. There was no end to slaying and slicing them. And with her being but a young soul in such a cruel and dark world, it seemed as though her work would never end. But she was committed to its nevertheless, even if what she was met with was fear over gratitude.
Then again, she had not chosen this path for its blooming fruits, nor the bedazzled stares she'd get once every vile creature was eradicated in her way. She gave up everything for that sole purpose. Her family name and heirloom were long muddied, with the bloodshed she had to witness and being unable to lift a finger to halt. Her righteous city state of Demacia offered her no support in her vindictive plans; they'd only shelter her until she came of age. Nobody was willing to help her get revenge, and that was when young Shauna Vayne realised, that, if one wanted something done, they had to do it themselves.
So she trained herself and was lucky enough to come across a certain Hunter, in the far ends of Voodoo Lands, who, despite his old age and ticking clock, agreed on training her, and try bringing out her fullest capacity in eradicating the sullied.
Years later, after becoming the first Night Hunter, the still-young Shauna Vayne managed to get her well-desired and justified revenge on the blood mage who ruined her family and imminently changed her whole view on reality. She still wandered the grounds of Runeterra, telling herself that, despite justice was served, she still had to purge that damned darkness with the feebleness of her silver bolts.
Four years before Present Day
Immortal beings led such boring lives. Mundane affairs generally bored them to no end, and the Blood Lord was no exception. Having lived quite a few centuries – but never boasting about that fact – drove him to travel around the whole Runeterra, over the course of years, but, if he might dare, his heart felt pulled to Noxus the most. It was the least boring city state, so he'd believe, and the residents, alongside Bilgewater, were always up for kicking asses. The quest of power and their sole mentality was sick to an interesting point; to him, at the very least.
And yet, the unofficial meetings of the Black Rose over the last couple of weeks were becoming more and more uninteresting for the immortal being.
He was currently sitting on a couch, savouring some red wine, and listening to the discussions the mundane were holding, in the semi dark room with high ceilings.
"I believe the successor to Demacia is becoming a threat and we must get rid of him as soon as possible," a deep, ruff voice spoke in low tones, a firm fist resting on the wooden table as to make a point.
A loud sigh left bewitching lips and a woman with bob styled hair carrying a staff with gleaming gems rose from the sofa and walked over to the General. "Darius, you know very well that I agree on that, but he's the damned crown prince of Demacia. How do you think we could silence him, if we cannot even get close to him?" And the Deceiver did have a point.
Two daggers gleamed in the room, coming from a bored redhead's continuous twirling. Emerald eyes shone in the dark like a feline's, revealing a scar over her left eyebrow, crossing her eye and ending somewhere on her upper cheek.
"We use a distraction. Kidnap Lady Light since she's supposedly his fiancée, and make him succumb to us." She spoke firmly, daggers still twirling professionally around her gloved fingers.
"Katarina, I don't think our efforts will pay off, if we anger not only the Crownguards but also the Piltie boy who's supposedly in love with her." The other woman retorted, with crossed arms.
"Seriously, Le Blanc? You're afraid of that brat?" The redhead asked in pure mockery.
The Lord has listened and listened, with no intention to butt in whatsoever.
Someone cleared his throat, the man sitting at the far end of the wooden table. A pair of red eyes shone in the dark, coming from the crow sitting on his shoulder. The man, who gave off an air of hostility and utter dominance did not need to speak, for everyone in the room to pay attention to him.
"A decoy we will use, but while keeping our issues political. The mines from Kalamandria, for instance." He spoke curtly, but with every world revealed through half-covered face, bloodlust seemed to grow, as the people in the room were looking forward more and more to the incoming slaying.
Noxus was most beautiful at the gentle moment between day and night, when the sun had barely gone down, casting the sky in raw shades of red, orange and yellow. The soldiers believed that, the redder the horizon, the more blood were to be shed in upcoming battles, and prayed to their gods of war to bestow them with more victims.
Noxians, and their savagery.
The Blood Lord wandered on the darkened streets by himself, making sure to follow the shadows, not to be seen by many. He had not been ashamed of his appearance, but he simply preferred to be regarded as nothing more than a shadow. His burgundy cape hailed in the September breeze, while silver strands had come undone.
The sole reason he had joined that Noxian sect was because it seemed interesting, and he'd always wager on the thrilling side. Besides, he had a fearsome ability and, despite not despotic like the Master Tactician or keen on bloodshed like the Sinister Blade, he would offer his aid to the victorious side.
He had long learned not to mingle with humans more than necessary, even if some were quite... unique. Tragedies still erupted every now and then, but he'd savour them from the shadows almost every time. Almost...
As he was passing the small, and darker alleys, burgundy cloak swallowed by the darkness, with silver strands of hair the only detail giving his presence away, a door from an inn opened and then closed, revealing a rather peculiar sight.
The Lord couldn't help but stop on his sights and watch her just for a second more, hidden in his perfect camouflage from the shadows.
Before him was a woman, smelling of alcohol, but not one bit affected, as she stretched her thin arms and neck and headed to the direction he was just coming from. She was rather small of height, and quite thin, despite looking athletic, wearing a dark jumpsuit, with black boots and all sorts of weapons clinging to them, her jet black hair tied at the top of her hair, and braided to the end. She wore red glasses and the Lord pondered how was she able to even see in the dark. She had a smaller, silver crossbow on her right forearm and a bigger one, more menacing on her back.
As the echoes of her small steps gave away her position, he felt strongly tempted to follow her and bite her in all sort of places, just to make her lose her composure and moan–
A silver bolt landed on the wall, inches from his cheek, capturing a part of his silver hair. He should've been surprised by it, but he wasn't.
"Don't worry, I missed on purpose." Echoed her thin, but steady voice, as she faced him without fear.
He had to hold back a fit of laughter. He just had to pick himself the woman, hadn't he?
Removing himself from the shadows, which turned out not to be as safe as before, he stepped out on the alley, facing her. And indeed, the difference in height was rather perturbing. But if she was intimidated, she did not show it. How old could she possible be anyways, twenty-two?
"I don't believe we've met before, but becoming acquaintances in such a manner is not my way of doing things, Miss," he began, with that evil twinkle of teasing in his voice.
Scarlet eyes scanned her from head to toe once again, and he helplessly noted to his own self that she looked as though she'd break from the mere touch of his bloodied hands.
"That wasn't a greeting, though," she said, confidence filling the thin of her body, "that was my way of biding goodbye to another creature of the night." And she shot another silver bolt.
Bony fingers caught it before tearing through his clothes and piercing his heart. The contact burned in the slightest, but his healing abilities were faster and much better trained than mere poison. And it made sense, in the back of his head; her identity and dauntlessness altogether.
"Why would you hurt one of your own, love?" There was just the tiniest trail of mockery in his voice, and she caught up on it immediately. This woman was indeed something.
"I'm not one of you," she stated coolly, shot another bolt, tumbled to the side and shot the third one, with bigger force.
All in all, he managed to avoid them with ease. He lunged for her, movements fast and elegant, like those of a panther's, and between a blink and another, he was towering over her, his arms a hair's strand from her head, cloak wrapping her in an imminent darkness.
"Do not define me, Shauna Vayne." Her name burnt on his lips, but, all in all, he was glad she had made it out alive. She was still but a girl, but over the years, she was to grow into a fine and strong woman, and maybe then, she would cleanse him of his sins as well.
Until then, she had all the time in the world to overcome those terrifying nightmares and find the strength to take him head on and truly get her revenge.
"I-it's you..." Her upper lip trembled in fear as sapphire eyes widened behind exposed face. When had her glasses slid down her face? When had her eyes turned back to their usual shade?
He pulled back with outmost regret, not daring to hurt her, but patiently waiting for her to get stronger. He was immortal, but he was alone. And no price was worth of leading a life of loneliness.
"Vladimir," the way his name sounded, coming from those shaky, pink lips made his desire surface.
He'd be the happiest creature to break her down sometime, but he was fully aware that, she was the only one to put an end to his curse.
Present Plane
Were she in her right mind, she would have never accepted to come to the Institute of Justice, and become a champion for Summoners to mess with. Besides, it was Runeterra's final desperate try to bring peace among the states and whatnot. Not to mention the political reasoning behind it all. And the forced peace she had to go through, mingling with other champions, until some unskilled Summoner picked her up to spar on the Summoner's Rift.
Then again, her leads all pointed towards the League, when investigating the supreme ruler of blood magic. And rumours had it, that the hemomancer was confined within the League along the other Noxian and Demacian rulers to prevent further conflict. Not that she cared, really, since she wasn't that into politics. But the fact that she had been reduced to a plaything of bored children never ceased to annoy her.
Though she did have a couple of Summoners she enjoyed playing with, as she had great synergy with them. But that did not mean Shauna Vayne enjoyed being a puppet.
What's more, she was given a room in the Demacian Quarters, even if she had no affliction to them. Still, she had to endure Garen's spinning upside down, the half-dragon drooling over the crowned prince and the blondies sneaking up on dates and whatnot.
Not to mention she never once got to see him. Not up close, at the very least. Ever since the current Season, he hadn't been a meta pick, but then again, she wasn't one either. She never was a meta pick, ever since enrolling in the League.
"Sorry for disappointing you, Vayne," Gosu, a high elo Summoner – he was on her very short list of Summoners she enjoyed playing with – said apologetically, pulling the blue cape over his face in shame. His voice was shaky and he could not bear to properly face her.
They had just finished one of their longest and most difficult matches just a couple of minutes earlier, and imminently, they lost. For the Summoner, it meant precious points which sooner or later would make a difference in his ranking. Vayne too, felt every muscle tearing in her toned body, and it didn't help the fact that she was wearing such light clothes, as picked by the Summoner. Her beautiful, light golden top was smudged with her blood and cut in various places, her white scarf tied around her arm to stop the bleeding, and she had an ugly gash over her stomach. Her short dress was ruined, stockings dirtied alongside her boots. Her hair was no longer high in a ponytail, but dangling by the nape of her neck, with strands sticking out randomly. She felt sorry for her ruined attire, though that was the last thing she should've been worried about.
"It's okay, they had a strong comp from the beginning. We'll get them next time, kid." Vayne tried to cheer him up, even patted his shoulder awkwardly but was only met with a heavy sigh.
She hated working with teens and children.
But before the Summoner could reply, Vayne's attention was abruptly taken away. Over the boy's shoulder, she saw a certain figure, approaching the Rift, in outmost elegance. There was dark, evil energy oozing from him, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Not only because it was the first time she saw him this close, but also because he looked absolutely gorgeous in that attire she saw him in for the first time.
Tall as ever, he had a violet cloak over his head, covering his hair and most of his face, though two beams of emerald shone through, and, despite his chest was naked, he had a huge skull around his breastbones, and two smaller ones at each shoulder, connecting with the same violet cape. He also had violet pants, tucked in black boots, with a belt hanging around thin hips, and some matching violet gloves with skulls around his wrists.
Vlad.
He passed them by in a hurry, not even looking at her, and something ached inside of her chest. She wasn't crushing on him, but in the last four years, she continuously tracked and followed him, trained and trained and trained with the sole purpose of ending his killing spree, but he won't even recognise her anymore? Sure, her skin was a mess, and she looked different from her usual dark and unrevealing attires, but he was different too, and yet, she recognised him immediately.
She cursed under her breath and tore a random hair ornament from her hair, turned around and with inhumane precision, threw it at his head. But he caught it immediately, looking back in annoyance.
"I'm late as it is, what do you want?" He muttered grumpily, and she could barely pull herself together, to glare his way.
"Pathetic." She grunted, turned her back to him, and tried to hide her limping as she stomped away, unable to hold back her anger.
She had no right to feel anger or disappointment towards him, since the last time they met was ages ago, and she was still a child. And besides, every champion enrolled in the League was not allowed to fight outside the usual battlegrounds. So, even if she wanted to get her revenge on him, and they did end up as enemies, one of them would just be revived at the Fountain by the end of the match. The wounds did hurt, but they easily healed with a certain ointment.
So, there she was, the Night Hunter, rolling in her bed, in her Quarters, in the middle of the night, because her arch nemesis didn't remember her anymore. She felt as stupid as it sounded.
"Maybe I'll just let go of it all, live the rest of my life as a puppet. Since Runeterra is safe and all." She tried deluding herself with wishful thinking, though she knew it wasn't the case.
Runeterra was never safe, not from the vile creatures of the night. And while those monsters roamed the earth, she was having trouble sleeping and dramatizing over a guy, like a stupid teen.
Black hair sprawled on navy sheets, she had a palm resting over her stomach, and the scar it left. For some reason, that one wouldn't heal as fast as the other wounds, so she had to be cautious in the future. Besides, she had quite a few matches coming up in the following days, and they were big ones, so she desperately needed a clear mind.
A couple of days afterwards, the biggest surprise awaited her. She was called for a match, but the big surprise was him on the enemy team, as a top laner. They had quite a good comp, Vayne had to confess. Against Vlad they had Rumble, Azir on their team versus Orianna, Nidalee in the jungle against Rek'sai and in bottom lane, Vayne with Annie versus Kalista and Leona. And she had to admit, Kalista and Leona were a scary bot lane. She thanked the heavens she had Annie with her, though she wouldn't offer her as much sustain as she'd offer poke.
Vayne was sporting her Vindicator skin this time, and much to her relief, since she didn't feel like explaining to her teammates and Summoners why she had a gash on the side of her stomach. Vayne couldn't resist but steal some glances at him. And she had to admit, that Vandal skin looked rather hot on him, though people rarely used it. The tattoos he sported on revealed biceps, hair shoved to the side and black leather clothes suited him to a T, much to her inner turmoil.
Her early game was always sort of weak, at least until she grabbed her two essential items, Blade of the Ruined King and Phantom Dancer, though the second varied from time to time. Luckily for her, Kalista was in the same situation, more or less. Her spells were more advantageous than Vayne's, and the fact that she kept jumping about annoyed not only Vayne, but Annie as well. It was hard catching Kalista off guard, especially with Leona blocking and redirecting most damage for her.
Vayne knew that they would be at a disadvantage after level 6, since the other team had so many stuns and knock-ups it was frustrating. Still, her and Annie went on playing defensively, Vayne trying to last hit the minions, while pacing back and forth, not being caught by Leona's stun, while Annie poked for her, and stunned Leona when she got too close. Vayne and Kalista were pretty matched in farm, but Vayne still hadn't the opportunity to go back and shop, despite sitting on enough gold for Cutlass, boots and some potions maybe. They were on the red side, and Vayne was trying to freeze the lane until Annie arrived, when she had a bad feeling about it.
"I'm almost there. Gonna ward the tri brush from our turret and the river first," Annie called out from behind the turret and Vayne nodded, realising that both Kalista and Leona were missing for some time.
Azir gave up first blood to Rek'sai and Ori got an assist, while the battle on top was thro and fro. Annie was warding, so, as the lane was pushed, Vayne started to recall. And that's when all hell seemed to lose break.
All of a sudden, Rek'sai appeared through a tunnel from behind her and Vayne tumbled backwards as fast as she could, not to get knocked up, but before she could do anything else, Leona was thrown into her face, stunned immediately. Rumble was already teleporting in the second brush from the wall, and sand soldiers appeared around Kalista. Vayne had to burn her flash and heal to get out alive, but the Equalizier managed to catch them off guard, and the three were pushed onto it by Azir's soldiers, and soon Annie arrived as well, flashing onto them and summoning Tibbers immediately. Vayne started to kite back and for, healing on each hit, thanks to the runes her Summoner picked for her, but it was still not enough.
Her teammates focused on Kalista first, firmly taking her down, but Vayne still had to deal with Leona, who was rather tanky by this point, and with just a Doran's blade, she couldn't do much. And that's when she could've sworn she heard dark laughter. She had cast her Final Hour already to peel Leona off of her and just to stay alive, so when he had made his appearance, teleporting seconds after the fight broke out, she knew she didn't have big chances of surviving, unless she kept on kiting back and forth. His pool of blood catching her, Annie and part of Rumble too, though Vayne knew she was his focus. It was but a glimpse, but she saw the evil, red gleam of his demonic eyes and she condemned him away from her, so as not to be able to kill her, but she failed to throw him into a wall and stun him. So Vlad used his pool to get to her closer and to dive as well, stealing from her hp some more.
A burning sensation overcame her and Vayne was about to yell out in pain, as she realized it wasn't normal, for her skin to burn that badly. No matter how much she tried to kite and life steal, everything turned red before her eyes, the burning sensation from inside of her making her throw up blood, until her focus was lost and she had been slain, his face the last image she was able to see.
The teamfight ended in two for one, as Orianna showed up too late, and, despite their low hps, they managed to push bottom lane and also take the dragon, once Nidalee finished shoving top. Vayne tried to avoid him at all costs, seeing how he had penetration and damage over time items, and she had a vague feeling he had bought all those to torment her further, though she didn't have so much armour.
And she also had a difficult time killing the front line of the other team, since Leona and Rek'sai were very tanky, and they had great crowd control, which gave nightmares to Vayne and especially Annie. But after forty minutes or so, Vayne had become a killing machine, snowballing rather fast and, despite avoiding him as best she could, her team managed to pull a victory.
And yet, after the game, Vayne felt as though the gash had reopened, since it was somewhat burning her skin. As far as she could tell, there was no blood, but it made moving and breathing difficult.
Later that night, the woman with black hair had just finished taking a hot shower back in her room, and was busily grooming her hair in the mirror, amongst the rising steam. The front of her towel had a dull smudge of dark brown, but she didn't seem to care, as she was busy taking in her facial features. Her skin was pale, eyes crystal blue, nose thin and lips a soft pink. She had not grown taller, unfortunately, but realized that it was easier to move around in the shadows with her height, and, despite her body being a bit more toned, compared to her youth, she was nowhere near as feminine as Caitlyn or Sona, on the battlefield. Hell, even Katarina showed off her curves better than she did.
Then again, on the battlefield, it rarely mattered.
Vayne heard a soft knock on her front door and knitted her brows together, wondering just who would bother her at such an hour. Aside from the fact that nobody ever visited her, it was rather weird.
Regardless, she tossed the towel among a pile of dirty clothes in the bathroom and picked out a pair of tights and a random tee, her damp hair dangling on her back and shoulders.
And man, the visitor certainly wasn't one she expected. Not that she expected anyone. But him, of all people? Vayne found herself staring flabbergasted at his tall frame, slightly gaping even. She never saw him in casual clothes, for one, so the fact that he showed up with a gray tee and black sweat pants, hands shoved in his pockets and long hair tied loosely at his nape, he did give off a 'humane' feel. Scarlet eyes found her baby blue ones, and shivers raced down her spine. He was so damn tall!
But she quickly found her composure, and even quicker managed to spat at him. "What?" She grunted with crossed arms.
Vlad took his time to carefully take in her form, details and everything, starting from the slight crease between dark eyebrows, damp hair, the small swell of her breasts, arms crossed defensively, and those legs he only dared dreaming about on occasion.
"Today you shouldn't have died." He stated matter-of-factly, stepping closer to her, in a try to intimidate the woman, though he should've known better.
"What." She mouthed in shock. Vayne seriously had no idea how to act around him anymore. During the whole match, he was on her tail, trying to wound and kill her with every other chance he created for himself then he showed up telling her she wasn't supposed to die?
He made another step towards her room, but this time, she stood her ground. He was so not going to enter her room, though the thought of doing this and that with him was rather appealing.
Anyways.
"My spells shouldn't have killed you, with the amount of heal you have. What are you hiding?" The way those hollow, scarlet eyes stared down at her, it made her weak in the knees, like the little girl from back then.
But she wouldn't go back to those times. She was a grown up woman, not a little girl to be toyed with.
"Shauna." His voice came out as a dark lullaby and she nearly lost her footing.
Had she not been clinging onto the front door, she would've seriously lost it. And yet, she would not give in to him. "Stop it. Don't try to manipulate me." She warned, baby blue eyes becoming lost in his bloody ones.
Vlad leaned in closer, gently taking a damp strand of hair and twirling it around bony fingers, automatically bringing their faces closer. She could nearly breathe the same air he breathed, their noses almost touching. And it was the first time Vayne had come so close to him, to notice the porcelain skin, the silver hair framing his chiselled features, those long and snowy lashes, or how seductive his lips were, with the well defined cupid's bow.
All in all, that bloodsucker was a very handsome man. Probably the results of bathing in virgins' blood all those years.
She tried to pull away, but his hand was just a tap away from her gash and her whole body froze. She looked up at him with glassy eyes, not knowing what he was going to do next.
"Bingo, huh?" Was there anger in his voice?
Vayne couldn't tell, as she found herself backing in her room, and soon, the back of her knees touched the bed, and then, she was lying on her back, with that bloodsucker hovering over her. She couldn't move – that entranced she was to him. And she hated how weak she was in those moments.
But his eyes never left hers, and aside from the fleeting anger she felt earlier, he didn't give off strange, scary vibes. But maybe that was just him. And his way of torturing her.
"Why was it so hard saying something, if the wound didn't heal properly?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
It was then, that she was brought back to reality, and Vayne had to shake her head and blink his face out of her mind to come back to reality. "Because it's no big deal. And none of your business." She placed her palms on his rather toned chest, much to her surprise, and tried to push him off of her, but he wouldn't budge.
If only she had her crossbow with her!
"No big deal?" He repeated in a mocking tone, and pulled at her tee in a swift movement, revealing her stomach and half of her breasts.
She fought the urge to shout, but when she tried to push him off of her, he easily held both of her wrists above her head, not to be bothered. She hated how effortlessly he handled her.
"So this is no big deal?" There was definitely anger in his voice this time around, as he looked at the open wound.
In truth, Vayne had no idea why it wouldn't properly heal, but didn't give it much thought. After being reopened by Vlad though, earlier in the day, she began worrying a bit. And yet, look at her and the situation she currently was in. She should be ashamed of herself.
"Stop fighting back and let me help you, woman," he hissed, showing no patience, and the dangerous gleam in his eyes made her cease her tossing.
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, as Vayne hated how weak she'd become in a matter of seconds. All those hardships she went through, the training, everything proved useless, for, he got a hold of her easily, treating her like the useless human she was. If she only had her weapons with her!
"Oh," a soft moan left her lip, and she arched her back at the sensation.
Vayne was too late to react and by the time she realized what had happened, her body was beginning to succumb to his touch. He held the back of her waist with his free hand, cupping nearly all of it, while cold lips were pressed against her open wound. It stung at first, but she realized that he was indeed helping her, or at least, bringing her pleasure, with the way he was kissing her torn skin, and lapping his tongue at the burns.
She had to bite her lip and force her eyes shut, as not to give space to more noises such as that one. It was degrading to herself, and she wouldn't be able to face anyone else. Not after succumbing to the lord of monsters. And yet, she couldn't help but notice how small she was next to him, and those wide shoulders. He was on top of her, but he never let his weight on her, and she wanted to tousle his hair and run her short nails through his shoulder blades and back so much.
Before long, she couldn't hold back how good his lips on her skin felt, arching more into his touch, lust cradling her defiantly. She never felt this way before, with no man, ever, and it was such a bad joke to be turned on by the man she was supposed to hunt down.
"There, done." He said, breaking the spell and lifting himself, much to her disappointment.
He got up from her bed, without sparing her a second look and headed to her door.
"Make sure not to overwork yourself for a while." He then added; a whisper in the night.
And the woman, she felt more like Shauna the girl, than Vayne the Night Hunter, for the first time in years. And she hated it, how soft he was making her feel.
Boy, was she not prone to surprises lately! But this time, she had a rather good excuse, as Gosu asked her to help him out with said match. He was rather restless because one, his position as a top Summoner might go to waste if he kept n losing more points and two, in that day's match, he was paired up with a certain Summoner he had a crush on, and she happened to main many champions and roles, Janna included. So how could she refuse him so heartlessly?
Not to mention the death glares Vayne had gotten while they waited to head onto the Rift, coming from no one else than Vlad, who she was teamed up with. He was on top – apparently, people played him on top nowadays – against Nautilus, they had Viktor against Ahri, not the best match-up for Viktor, Vayne with Janna, versus Caitlyn and Morgana, and Lee Sin in their jungle versus Sejuani at the enemy. Janna had her beautiful Forecast attire, Vayne her Archlight – thank goodness the gash was no longer that visible – while said bloodsucker just had to wear that Soulstealer attire. It drove most females mad, Vayne included.
They were on blue side this time, and luckily for Vayne, she sneaked away from Vlad and his nagging. For some reason, she had a feeling he would nag at her endlessly. And she was a grown up woman who needed none of that.
The first couple of minutes were about farming, but eventually, Caitlyn kept on poking Vayne with her huge range, and it made her more annoyed than it should have, since she couldn't even farm. And even if Janna's shields were on point, Vayne was outdamaged and outpoked. And that annoyed her for some reason.
"Lee, come bot this instant." She stated with frustration, without a care that the poor jungler was currently clearing a camp in the upper river side.
"Uhm... can you wait till I recall?" The blind man asked with uncertainty.
"No." Vayne responded curtly. She was losing ground and if it kept going on like that, bot was deemed lost. And she had her BotRK already and level 6, so there could've been some action. Besides, Caitlyn still needed some gold to complete Infinity Edge.
Janna chuckled beside her and shielded her as her ad carry tumbled to the side, to avoid Morgana's snare.
"I'm coming as soon as you go in," his voice surprised Vayne the most, since she wouldn't have expected him to give up his lane for a sudden gank bot. Especially since he was doing quite well. "Just let me shove the wave in."
But Vayne had no time to wait. She wanted that kill, and wanted it there and then. Janna made sure the bushes weren't warded, so, with a shield on, she cast the die, tumbled forward, catching Caitlyn with her guard off and condemned her into the wall. Morgana's shield was a second too late, and Caitlyn got stunned. Vlad was already teleporting on a minion, and Morgana threw her snare, catching Janna instead, but Vayne went in full force, hitting Caitlyn with everything she had. Vlad soon joined her, but he had no ult, so all he could do was poke the enemy ad carry down and then enter his pool the moment Morgana's Soul Shackles would activate. But Caitlyn was already dead, despite trying to kite back. And a second before the shackles would've rooted Vayne, Janna threw down her Monsoon, pushing Morgana out of the way and healing Vayne considerably, and Vlad as well. But her bloodlust still wasn't over, as she went after Morgana too, who had retreated under the tower.
Luckily, they had minions under it, so they could easily dive. "Let me tank," Vlad suggested, as he went first, taking a considerably amount of hp from the other support, also tanking two turret hits, enough for Vayne to get a double kill and for Vlad to get out using his pool and Janna's shield.
As the minutes ticked off, the match became harder and harder, since the enemy team got a heavy deal of magic resist, and Vlad had to go for an off tank-ish build, while Viktor was forced to go semi-penetration. So that only left Vayne as the main damage dealer.
In a teamfight, near the baron pit, their positioning was not the best, and when Nautilus wrung his anchor towards Vayne, she already saw herself dead, and imagined the gash reopening, when, last second, Vlad took the hit for her, only to be charmed, snared and eventually erased. He didn't even have time to pop Zhonya's. And his death timing was quite long.
"Let's fall back, it's 4v5," Lee Sin announced, moving back and forth discouraged.
Vayne felt angry at herself the most. She knew very well that, whoever got caught, it was an imminent death, and because of her not paying enough attention, it cost them Vlad's life and maybe the baron itself.
"Cover me." She stated and tumbled forward, straight at the enemy team.
With a sigh, Janna followed suit. The enemy team tried to catch her, but she carefully avoided each skill shot, also thanks to Janna's additional movement speed, and she condemned Nautilus into the nearest wall, to be able to get to the carries. That wasn't such an easy thing to do, obviously, since they still had Morgana and Sejuani, but at that moment, Vayne saw Lee Sin fly by her head, land between them, deal some damage and kick Ahri towards Vayne, causing a massive knock-up wave in his wake, only to fly back at their side. Ahri tried to Spirit Rush and charm someone randomly, but Vayne condemned her into the baron pit's wall and Viktor poked her to death. Sejuani threw her ulti, catching Vayne, Janna and Lee Sin, but Viktor quickly put down the Gravity Field, getting a beautiful 4-man stun and using his ultimate immediately. Vayne took out her big crossbow from her back in a swift movement, tumbled to the side, avoiding a snare and a snap-trap, coming up right next to Caitlyn.
"Boo." She said with an evil grin and condemned her into yet another wall, tumbling among enemy lines, and finishing off the Sheriff in a couple of autos and the final touch of BotRK.
She was still surrounded by Nautilus, Sejuani and Morgana, but it was then, when he teleported next to her, going in with his Hemoplague, and the two took out Morgana instantly, while Viktor melted Nautilus and was working on Sejuani, with the aid of Lee Sin and Janna.
The ace meant their victory, and adrenaline was rushing through her veins. They won such a crucial fight, and she managed to redeem herself and her team from a possible loss.
She was currently showering, when the adrenaline rush had worn off. It had been an important match for her Summoner, and they finally moved like a team, but there was still something bothering her. Milky white arms fell to her sides limply, as waves of black were washed by the stream. She just looked straight ahead, replaying that moment over and over again in her head.
He had told her to be more careful, not to throw herself out in harm's way, but then he went and did the same, purposely getting grabbed by Nautilus. All because she was caught in a bad position. Just when did they become so friendly, to take hooks and grabs and even freaking anchors for one another? Why did he have to jump in to aid her? Why was he so... considerate of her?
Vayne couldn't stand it anymore. She had to ask him, had to make him tell her the truth. They were supposed to be enemies, not on sacrificing terms for the other!
Turning the shower off, she ran a towel over her still damp body, picked some comfortable clothes, tied her hair in a messy bump and stomped out of her room. The Noxian Quarters were quite a distance from the Demacian ones, but she didn't really care, and she didn't really know her way, since she's never been around. Alas, she could use her tracking skills to find the room he habituated, letting her sense of magic lead her. Problem was, she sensed black magic coming from everywhere, so it was quite difficult to grab a hold of that certain man's.
Pulling her hoodie over her still damp hair, Vayne cautiously made her way towards the corridors, deciding to inspect every room.
"What spy are you?" Came an emotionless voice from behind her and Vayne face-palmed herself for being found out.
As she turned around, she was met with no one else but Katarina, sitting on the railing bored and chewing gum. "I'm not a spy. I'm here on... personal business..." She replied lamely and the redhead rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure you are. Who are you looking for?" Vayne cleared her throat at that. Did she look that lost?
"I'm not lost, for your information. And I'm looking for Vladimir's room." She eventually said, not looking at the dagger mistress.
Katarina chuckled meanly. "I never knew he had it in him. Vampire boy didn't look like a good fuck buddy, in my opinion." She confessed with a shrug.
And Katarina Du Couteau certainly had a white and black list of fuck buddies. Not that Vayne cared that much.
"We're not fuck buddies." Not that I'd mind. "Anyways! His room?" Vayne shook her head from dirty thoughts and tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. She just wanted to get this over with. She hated having a midnight chat with that redhead killer, like the two were best friends of something.
"First door on the right. Enjoy the night." She added with a chuckle and by the time Vayne had found a good reply, the redhead was quickly gone as fast as a cat.
She mentally rolled her eyes then proceeded to walk towards his room. The air was rather chilly and she just remembered how her hair was still damp. Then again, the moment she arrived at his door and was about to knock on it, it flung open and she was immediately pulled inside.
"What are you doing here?" A voice asked with caution and slight annoyance, though she wasn't so sure about the last part.
It just happened too fast, and Vayne woke up hauled inside his room before she could say anything. Was it that dangerous to be around that area, or what? But when she looked up at him, all thoughts seemed to leave her head. Once again, he had worn simple clothes, like that black tee and sweatpants, hair resting on the side of his shoulder, still damp as well. Mouth left ajar and scarlet eyes peering down on the small of her body. All of a sudden, Vayne wished she had brought her crossbow with her. Just in case.
"I, uh... Are you an idiot?!" She burst out the following second, much to both of their shock. But she decided to go on and get it over with. The sooner, the better. "What was that, during today's match? You could've lost us the game! If we got aced, we would've lost for sure. Who in their right minds does such a damned thing?" And she went on and on with the nagging, but he didn't seem to listen.
Instead, Vlad was busy pulling off her hoodie and getting a dry towel to dry her damp hair himself.
"Thank you." She said, holding back a blush. "Anyways, I'd understand if you were a tank, like friggin' Maokai or Olaf, but you're not tanky, god damn it! And you don't jump in front of a damned anchor for the woman who's supposed to kill you!" Her nagging continued, though to Vlad, it seemed like empty words coming from a nymph.
He was too focused on her annoyed expression, the way her lips moved, and how cute she was, while he was towel drying her hair.
"Who's the woman supposed to kill me?" He repeated, with mild amusement.
Her brows creased, and he couldn't help but want to tease her more. He loved how she looked with her brows drawn like that.
"I am...?" She said with uncertainty.
He tilted his head to the side, looking at her with a grin and a provoking expression. "Really?" She backed from him, putting her hands on her hips in defiance. "Really." She repeated.
Vlad rolled his eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, you already killed me during today's match with that stupid positioning of yours."
She was fuming at his statement. "But you didn't have to get hooked, god damn it! If I got hooked, we could've started a teamfight and win. Easy-peasy."
He let out a sigh. "Alright, woman. Want to know why I got hooked instead of you?" There he was, at his limit. "Because you were fucking injured. What would you do if Nautilus tore through the injury again? Spend more time wailing and pretending it was fine?" He seemed honestly annoyed as he was lecturing her, but Vayne had no idea where the guts had come from.
"He wouldn't have. And I would've been fine even without your help. Now that I've said that, I can return to my room. Good bye!" She stated with annoyance, ready to stomp out of him room, when long fingers clasped around the thin of her wrist.
Shivers raced down her spine, and for a moment, she was frozen in fear, all sorts of thoughts waltzing in her head. What horrendous things was he going to put her through?
But when his other hand snaked up to her stomach, and suddenly, his front was touching her back, Vayne was completely at a loss.
"You're not going anywhere, anymore," he whispered seductively in her ear, causing goose bumps to break through her skin. She shivered at his cold, but gentle touch, and had no idea what to make of that sudden closeness.
"You must be drunk or something. Let me go." She tried to break free of his touch, but he only held her tighter, placing his jaw on the top of her head. He was holding her firmly, but not enough to hurt her.
"No."
"Let me go, I said."
"And I repeat: no."
"Stop playing games with me. I'm tired."
"No."
"You're annoying. I'm leaving."
"No, you're not."
His stubborn side had gotten the worst of her. Annoyed with him, and tired from the long day she had gone through, Vayne somehow managed to wring herself free of his touch. But she could only go so far, until she was pinned to the door, pale arms at either side of her head, caressing her dark locks.
She turned around and looked at him in desperation, only for her expression to change into one of shock. Never had she imagined seeing such a soft and warm expression on his face.
"You know how selfish we can be," Vlad began, as he softly caressed her cheek with the back of his palm. Vayne couldn't move, she was taken aback by the whole situation. "Let this be my last selfish act. I selfishly took your family for granted, when I wasn't able to stop the tragedy of that blood mage going on a rampage. I could only save you." He leaned closer to her, resting his head on her shoulder, taking in her perfume, becoming infatuated with lily-of-the-valley. "Four years ago, when we met, I provoked you on purpose, hauling you to hunt me, trying to make me the centre of your world, the sole purpose in your life. I wanted you to want me just as badly. And look at you, such a strong woman, with iron will, and I was hoping you'd be mine. Deep inside, I knew you wouldn't come close to someone like me, for we are destined to be enemies, until oner of us falls, but..." He lifted his face, looking at her with a melancholy smile. "If either of us had to fall, I'd rather it be me."
And suddenly, the cool air surrounding her had disappeared, leaving Vayne with a heavy feeling of emptiness. She was shocked from his sudden confession, but if there was something she wanted, it was Vlad the man. She could always kill the monster later. She just needed him that night.
"No." She stated simply, stepping after him and holding his hand. "I'd rather fall with you." Vayne confessed and turned him around, placing her small hands on his cheeks, rising on her tiptoes and, as she craned her neck to reach his face, her kiss was met with a smile, and strong arms around her thin hips.
"Together we rise, then," he whispered against her lips and swiftly lifted her off her feet, twirling her around in simple gestures, pressing her onto the dark sheets of his bed.
She looked too beautiful, too mesmerising to be real, and to prove himself that she won't fade away, Vlad kissed her once again, as he hovered over her with his tall frame. He had to be careful not to squeeze her with his weight, but the difference in height was rather amusing.
"Mmhhmm..." She cooed, as his lips travelled from her jaw to her frail neckline, fully aware how she was revealing everything to a bloody bastard, but could care less in those moments.
Fingers laced together, breaths in complete sync, she had never felt safer, than in the arms of that monster, the way they lay skin on skin, heart on heart.
"You know, we can fall together, at any given time," she whispered softly, baby blue eyes turning a shade of scarlet. "Though I'd rather rise now."