Wild But Innocent Stories: Darius x Lux 1 - Itch

by Wiger

Darius visits Demacia on a diplomatic mission, but becomes enthralled by a certain gold haired sorceress. Not my work, just a repost of a long gone author.

This is not my work, but that of an author who used to be on this site, named Wild But Innocent. Her profile is still on here, but she deleted all of her stories and left Fanfiction for good. Luckily, I recorded some of her stories, and since I feel that they are too great to disappear, I'm posting them myself for everyone to enjoy.

It was like an itch he couldn't scratch.

And he hated her.

God, he hated her.

He was one of the most powerful men of Noxus; the general of the Noxian military - everyone looked up to him. Not only Noxians - all of Runeterra saw him as superior. And he would lie if he'd say that he didn't enjoy it. Especially because he knew what he'd gone through to get there.

The sleepless nights in the streets of the Noxian slums, together with his annoying brother... He was lucky to still be alive. But after all, it had made him into the warrior he was today. So in a way he didn't feel sorry for himself - he knew too well that he was the man he was today because of the struggles of the past. He'd accepted it - he barely talked about it to anyone. He'd moved on. Gotten stronger. Worked his way up.

The only times it came back vividly was in his dreams. But that was nothing compared to the amount of dreams he had about his other little problem.

He'd never had problems with women. On the contrary; he could pick a random woman from Noxus and she'd worship him. They were all begging for his love and affection - so that wasn't the problem.

It was her.

It had been her.

For a long time now.

It had started slowly, like a tickle in the back of his mind. It'd never even crossed his mind that at this point in his life, he'd be obsessed. With her. It was still a mystery to him how a woman had been able to creep up in his mind and make her home there. He'd tried to kick her out. He'd tried everything. Sleeping with other women, fighting battles until he was exhausted, doing his work till late at night... just to prevent him from sleeping - because he would dream about her.

He'd wake up covered in sweat, groaning from frustration.

Other men had this problem, maybe. Not him.

The tickle in the back of his mind had grown stronger everyday since the moment he'd first seen her. And now it was itching. Uncontrollably. He wanted to rip his brain out, to tear it apart, just to make it stop.

He wasn't a pussy. He was definitely not the romantic type - on the contrary. These kind of things only happened to men who didn't have their shit together. Any man who was content with his life and himself wouldn't have this problem.

But right now he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

If he could have the problem, any man could have it.

It wasn't like it made him feel weak; no, it made him all the more aware of his manliness and the way he wanted to show her the kind of man he was.

He combed his fingers through his hair and looked in the mirror. Today was a new day... and hopefully today would be the day the itch went away.

"Darius! C'mon, man! I've been ready for half an hour now and you know how much time I like to spend on my flawless appearance!"

Darius grunted when he heard his brothers' voice on the other side of the door. "Go ahead, I'll catch up later."

"Alrighty! Here goes Draven - the glorious!"

Darius couldn't help but grin at his brother's use of his own name. He hadn't always been this full of himself. Back when they were kids, Draven had never hidden the fact that he admired his older brother, that he depended on him, but most of all that Darius was superior to him. By now, his confidence had grown so much that he'd never say that again. Maybe he'd still feel it - everyone in Noxus knew that Darius was able to behead his brother with a swing of his axe before the executioner even would have time to react - but he'd never say it out loud.

He still had some work to do before he had to leave to the Fields of Justice. Some administration things, and there were a few new soldiers who were dying to join the military, and he also had to check up on the ammunition. Half of those things weren't technically his responsibility but he still wanted to see if the people below him did their jobs right. 'That's a thing generals should do,' he thought. 'Take charge. Be in control. Know what's going on.'

He spit out the foam out of his mouth, rinsed, and put his toothbrush away. He walked over to his desk and sat down on his old wooden chair, grabbed his books and took out the forms he needed to fill in.

But the itch in the back of his mind started making itself known again - preventing him from doing any work. He wanted to give in. To scratch. To satisfy his feelings. But he wasn't able to. Noxus was his home; his pride. He clenched his teeth, grabbed his fountain pain and started working. He couldn't wait to do some actual fighting later today - it usually helped.

If she wasn't on the battle ground of course.

x x x

'Not her.'

Those were the thoughts that flew through his mind when he arrived on Summoner's Rift. And they softly brushed the itchy spot in the back of his head - the place she'd made her home. He grunted and grabbed his axe tighter.

He waited in the brush next to his tower until he saw Teemo arrive to his lane. "Great," he muttered. "That little poisonous rat works on my nerves..."

"I can hear you!" the yordle screamed and Darius grinned.

"I know, and I don't care."

Luckily he'd seen where the little guy had gone invisible, so he walked up and swung around, knowing that he'd hit Teemo in the face. He felt a poison dart in his back when he walked away, but it did little to nothing.

It was no use for the yordle to fight a big Noxian general; and soon Darius found himself winning his lane. Like most days. They'd been fighting for about half an hour now and he'd pushed down two towers, and getting ready to take the other team's base. He wanted to fight more - the little rat wasn't a challenge for him anymore.

As he started cleaving down the first base tower, he sensed something familiar. Slowly, he walked back into the top lane, knowing that someone was in the enemy jungle catching up to him.

"Just come out," he screamed. "And I will cut you down for Noxus!"

He knew it was coming. It was her. He'd heard her yells and her awful positive words. He'd felt her presence. And that was the exact reason that he stayed in the top lane. He didn't feel like facing her - even though he would be able to kill her in two seconds. But now she was coming his way.

There it was. He squinted his eyes when he saw the flecks of light shooting through the air, he was ready to flash away from them to escape the bindings. But he was too late. He was stuck. Not that he would die or anything, but now he was forced to fight her.

"In the name of Demacia, I will punish you!"

As she jumped up from the floor and charged up her ultimate ability, he looked at her from under his eyebrows. He saw her flying blonde hair, her shiny armor, her perfect figure, but above all... he saw the depth in her eyes.

He was conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to smash her against a wall and bury himself inside her, making her feel like heaven over and over again, hearing her scream his name in pleasure - but he also wanted her heart. He wanted to see what was in her thoughts, in her soul. There was more to her than this happy, pretty girl running around with a light wand. He knew the look in her eyes. And he wanted nothing more than to take care of her.

The light from her laser cut through his skin but it didn't damage him enough to die - so he grabbed his axe, pulled her in and instead of scratching the itch, he bit on his tongue while slicing through her body. As he jumped up in the air to finish her off with his Noxian Guillotine, only one thought went through his mind.

He hated her.

God, he hated her.

x x x

He didn't even want to think about the first time he'd seen her. It was annoying to think about it - and useless. But sometimes he saw the flashes of the first time they met. Her bright blue eyes, looking right through him as if she'd seen that he was more than the man everyone had made him look. He'd known of her existence; he'd known the Demacian captain had a sister. He'd known they were both part of the League of Legends. But that day when he arrived at the Institute of War and introduced himself to every champion, was something that was just embedded in his brain. Well, not the whole day. Just that moment. The look in her eyes when he had held her hand and introduced himself as Darius, the Hand of Noxus. He still remembered the way her voice was forced, sturdy, but shivering underneath the confidence she tried to play off, when she told him she was Luxanna Crownguard, the Lady of Luminosity.

That look had settled in his mind and never left. That look had started out as the tickle and turned into an itch that he wanted to scratch so hard that it would make a wound.

He couldn't have her. For multiple reasons.

She was too young. Fourteen years younger than him. She was an adult, but twenty-three was just too young.

But most of all; she was from Demacia. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' he kept thinking. His people would look down at him - or would they? He knew that he was going to make them respect him either way, but he taught his soldiers to fight for Noxus and to despise anything else.

And he wanted to be the perfect example.

Draven didn't care - he slept with anyone he wanted, Noxian or not.

Darius couldn't do that. Not to his Noxus. That's why this wasn't just a small problem.

She'd been to Noxus a couple times. She was an excellent spy - he'd seen her work. He'd seen her around. He'd caught every little glimpse of her when she was in Noxus, dressed as a simple Noxian woman. She'd looked amazing. Her armor and her bright shiny stuff was only distracting, it was her and only her he wanted to see. He'd watched her as she'd walked to the motel where she had been staying, he'd watched through the open door as she undid the zipper at the side of her simple brown dress and took a deep breath without the tight fabric holding her waist, before she'd walked up the stairs. He'd wanted to follow her, to make her his.

He had wanted to catch her off guard, to make himself known - to tell her that he'd seen her and that her work was useless now. That he would get her killed. That he would take her as a prisoner. For the rest of her life.

He hadn't been able to. He'd let her walk around, trying to ignore her presence. Nobody else had known it was her. She'd blended in perfectly - nobody had found out. Not even Swain or LeBlanc. But oh well, they were too busy with other important things anyway.

He wondered if she knew. If she could actually see the way he struggled, the way he looked at her. It seemed like every time she had the chance to be near him, she walked away. Like she fled from him.

He couldn't blame her. He really couldn't. He was Noxian, a man, and incredibly strong. But for some reason, he had the idea that it didn't have anything to do with those things. Or maybe it did, in another way... have to do with everything.

He slammed the door to his room at the Institute so hard that the walls trembled. He knew it was time. The itch wasn't going to go away - it would only get worse, until the moment he would actually hurt himself. Better to take action now than to wait until the consequences were too much to handle...

But he knew that she would never care. Oh, he wanted to forget. To push it away. But no matter how hard he'd tried... No matter how hard he'd pushed away his thoughts, they always kept coming back. Seeping through the cracks in the walls of his mind... Into his dreams.

x x x

He didn't like the way Demacia looked. Much too clean, too shiny. Too light. It reminded him of her. Trying so hard to be bright and positive, but bitter on the inside. With an almost silent grunt he put his hood further over his head to prevent him from being recognized. It wasn't like he was uninvited - he was smarter than that. He'd made sure that he had made an appointment to talk to Garen Crownguard, the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard army. Her brother. He actually did have some things to discuss with the giant man child, so it wasn't all a lie.

Knocking wasn't his thing, instead he slammed on the door of the building a couple of times. A guard opened the gigantic wooden doors and frowned for a second, but then Darius removed the hood of his cape from his head and then the man gasped and immediately opened the door for him.

He grinned; apparently he had a reputation, even with the enemy...

"Darius. Welcome. I hope you are impressed by our wonderful city," Garen shouted from across the hallway and gestured him to come inside. Darius gave a nod to the guard and then entered the building. It smelled like old carpets and looked nothing like the house he lived in himself. He didn't like all the luxury; he liked to keep it simple - he slept in the same building as his soldiers and his brother. He didn't need to have a beautiful house with stuff he didn't need. He hated the way the nobles lived. They had everything without working harder for it. He'd never wanted to be compared with those rich families. Disgusting. However, he could understand that it was hard to get out when you were born into it... Much like her.

Somehow he knew she didn't want to be here. Her eyes were telling him that they longed for a place to call home - and that this wasn't it. He'd heard that her mother had decided to take her away from home, to put her in the military against her will when she was way too young. And he knew from experience that she must've seen things that probably had changed her forever.

He entered the big room at the end of the hallway and closed the door behind him. He took a chair in front of Garen and took his time to look around. Everything was neatly organized, there were a lot of books. Judging by the title they were useless. But who was he to judge - every military leader did things their own way. He liked to keep it straight to the point. And so far, it had worked. And he'd been general for a few years now; long enough to say that he did things right.

"This is the first time a Noxian general has been here to discuss business," Garen started and took a notebook from the side of the desk. "I have to respect you for that, especially because we both know the history Demacia has with... your state. I would lie if I'd say that there isn't a bitter aftertaste from those years and years of battle."

"You could say that," Darius grunted. "I am here to talk to you about a few basic rules we have to set. Now that the League of Legends is here, there is no need to fight anymore. But if something ever happens, in either Noxus or Demacia, I want to make sure that things get solved without everyone destroying each other."

"That sounds like a good idea. However, I do want to know: who came up with that idea?"

"Swain," Darius said, and it wasn't even a complete lie. "He talked about it, but I decided to take action in the name of Noxus and set things right. To protect Noxus. And you get your side of the deal as well."

Garen seemed to think it over, then grabbed a fountain pen. "This is going to take a long time; writing everything down. Also, after everything is settled, I have to ask for approval from King Jarvan. Much like you need approval from Swain."

Darius nodded and shrugged. "I have time."

"It is not going to be done today. Writing everything down according to the laws and rules of both Demacia and Noxus will take time. You might have to stay here overnight."

There we go. "As long as it's not a problem for you, I'm fine with that," Darius smirked. "Is there a motel around here?"

"You can stay here. We have a guest room for occasions like this. A few months ago Pantheon stayed here to discuss business. It is not a problem. Unless you decide to steal things or vandalize the building. Or use this as an excuse for a Noxian invasion."

Darius couldn't help but laugh at Garen's foolish words. "I might be Noxian; but I am a man of my word. I won't cause any trouble. Not when I can be of such importance to Noxus."

Garen gave a nod and wrote a line down, showed it to Darius and after he gave his approval, he started writing. They discussed business for hours and hours, until they were halfway. Darius would lie if he would say that he didn't enjoy talking business. He truly believed in this purpose. Of course it wasn't the sole reason he came here, but that didn't matter. He was here to do his job. To keep his people safe and happy. To prevent them from the pain he went through as a kid, the constant fear of being killed and not knowing if you're going to make it through the night.

However, if he'd find out that Garen was lying, that this wasn't a proper deal - he would kill him without hesitation. Much like he'd done with the weaklings who were trying to get all the power in Noxus. One swing of his axe and they were gone. He wouldn't do any different with this bonehead. Sure, Garen was a big guy, but he didn't stand a chance against him. And he knew that Garen knew that. Even though the guy would never - never ever - admit that.

"It is eight o'clock," Garen then said with a heavy voice. "Would you like to have dinner with us?"

"Who's us?" Darius immediately groaned, the itch making itself known again. Tickling his mind. It almost was painful...

"My men - the direct ones under me. It is Friday, once a week we eat together to keep the bond strong. Not the soldiers, they eat by themselves. And most of the time my mother and sister join too. You know Luxanna from the League of Legends."

"I do." He clenched his teeth up until the point where it was almost painful. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to join. Are they all fine being around a Noxian?"

"We have more Noxians over for dinner than you're aware of, apparently," Garen grinned.

Darius frowned, but decided not to ask further. It would only make him mad. Because even after everything that'd happened, he still didn't like Demacia. He wanted to rescue her, to save her. To make her feel like no one ever had before. In every way.

He hated her for making him feel that way.

God, he hated her.

x x x

His fingers were tapping on the table as he looked at all the expensive plates and cutlery. I might break something, he smirked. He couldn't wait to get back to Noxus, where they had simple and less fragile things. But he still had something to finish here. Yes, the new set of rules he'd made with Garen, but most of all - he needed her. In his life.

She might attack him. Or scream. Or just cry in agony. He actually didn't have a perfect plan. He would never truly hurt her though. Deep down he just hoped that she would... at least acknowledge him. See him. And not run away. To see the man he was and that he could make her feel like the woman she was. If she'd have him. He wouldn't blame her if she wouldn't have him.

All the women who were worshipping him in Noxus couldn't compare to her in any way. He deserved better than them. Whiny girls. But her, no, she deserved better than him. He knew he was rough, that he was from the enemy state, that he was too old. Too manly, maybe.

He hadn't said a word while Garen was talking to his other men - who were eyeing Darius in silence. He didn't feel like making them feel at ease - he wasn't here to make friends. He was hungry though. When the big door clicked open half of the guys looked to the side to see who was there, but Darius did not want to be one of those men. He kept looking at the wall, refusing to look. He knew it was her. He knew it from the way some of the men held their breath when she walked by. They all wanted her. They didn't deserve her. Nobody did.

The seat in front of him was taken, but the one on the left of that was free. She silently walked over, stopped, and pulled back her chair. It was then and there that he looked up, only to find her in the most beautiful dark blue dress. It was simple, it had sleeves that were flowing out and falling down like rose petals on her shoulders. A tiny band of gold decorated the collar, and he couldn't see how long the dress was but he just knew it almost hit the floor. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent his mouth from falling open. She didn't look at him.

Her hair was the same as always, shoulder length and held back by a hairband. She quietly sat down and grabbed her fork and knife.

"What's for dinner?" she then broke the silence, a happy smile on her face.

"First, a salmon salad as the entree, then as the main course beef wellington with pea puree, and for dessert raspberry pudding."

He could see she tried to hide her excitement, but at the word "raspberry pudding" her eyes lit up. He smirked and made a mental note of that. For what? His mind then went to places it shouldn't have gone, as he kept looking at her. She looked across the table and it felt like she avoided his eyes on purpose. It frustrated him.

"General Darius from Noxus has joined us tonight," Garen's voice then boomed across the table, "because we have some business to finish today and tomorrow. We are writing down the official rules that will stand when something happens between Demacia and Noxus - to protect our states."

"Wait-" Lux' voice then interrupted, "does that mean he is staying tonight?"

"Yes, Luxanna. We have a guest room - next to your room - as you know. He will be staying there. Do you have a problem with that?"

Then, for the first time in minutes, she looked at him. Oh, he should look away, to not make known that he wanted her so bad, but he couldn't. His eyes locked into hers and he raised an eyebrow because he wanted to know if she actually had a problem with that.

"N-no. I was just wondering," she then said while taking a plate of salmon salad from the tray that was carried behind her.

"He will not cause any trouble. He is here for Noxus, we both receive a great deal from this arrangement."

"I would like to add," Darius' dark voice then boomed through the room, "that I notice you are all very hospitable. I do not like Demacia one bit, as I am sure you feel about Noxus, but I thank you for that." He avoided her eyes.

One of the colonels at the table grinned at that and nodded. "Honesty. I respect that."

Hopefully they didn't spit in the food, was the thought that crossed his mind when he took a plate of salad from the tray. But at this point he didn't care - it was the first meal he'd had today. He took a bite and tried not to look at her again because he knew he'd have a hard time swallowing his food if he'd look at her. But even thinking about the fact that she almost sat across from him made him pause his movements before slowly resuming and forcing his food down. It wasn't all that bad, but he liked the simple Noxian food better.

He just had to look at her. He just had to. When he looked up from his salad, up to her face, she was looking at him. He couldn't let her know what he was experiencing. Not yet. So he just made his trademark face - aggressive but honest. She seemed to feel caught, because she looked away immediately. Oh, he could just imagine the way she would look in his arms, peaceful against his body... At home.

The rest of the meal he tried not to look at her. He tried to make small talk with the people that were sitting next to him. When the raspberry puddings arrived, he looked up at her to see her reaction and he could see her excitement, she had a big grin on her face when the maid put the plate in front of her. "Thanks, Ellen. I will see you tonight, okay?" he heard her whisper to the maid under all the noise from the talking. The maid looked happy.

"Tonight we'll be making shepherd's pie." Lux' face brightened and she nodded, before looking around to see if anyone had heard their conversation. Apparently nobody had noticed, but he had. Her eyes caught his and immediately her cheeks turned red. He couldn't help but smirk at her reaction. His smirk turned into a smile when she blushed even harder before attacking her raspberry pudding.

Apparently she was taking cooking lessons without anyone knowing... Interesting. He wondered why. But he didn't ask. Instead he ate his raspberry pudding in silence - he didn't have a sweet tooth, but he had to admit that this one was pretty good - almost good enough to lick the last bits off of the plate, but he stopped himself from doing that. He wanted to taste her lips with the hints of raspberry pudding still lingering on them...

God, he was losing his mind. He could kill her for doing this to him. It was time to get back to discussing the arrangement before he would just go crazy and attack her right here at the dinner table.

When she finally stood up and left the room, he looked around to see if anyone had noticed his attention problem. But because he'd kept talking to everyone around him, nobody had noticed that he was distracted by her presence. He had to admit that Draven had taught him a thing or two about making small talk, even when your mind isn't really there. 'Thanks bro,' he mentally grinned to his brother.

x x x

They were over halfway with the papers, and it was midnight. With a sigh he took off his armor - something he always wore when he represented his job. He'd even brought his axe, luckily in this area it wasn't that weird to carry a weapon around since it was the Crownguard residence and everything had to do with the military. He was the only one with an axe this big though - something he was proud of. No Demacian could handle a weapon like that.

He laid his stuff down on a chair and threw off his boots. He wore a pair of leather pants and a white sleeveless shirt underneath that needed some air through them - he would put it in front of the window tonight. He decided he needed a shower before he would go to sleep. He noticed that there was a lock on the outside of the bathroom as well, and he wondered what it was for. As he walked into the bathroom, he noticed another door at the other end of the bathroom and he wondered why that was there and where it led - his mind put the puzzle pieces together about the locks on each sides of the door. But instead he shrugged and took off his shirt. His mind started itching again for the millionth time that day and he let out a grunt. "Dammit..."

Then, with a loud whack, the other door opened. His movements stagnated and he couldn't help but stare. It was her.

"Oh shit!" She then immediately covered her mouth. Her eyes wandered down his chest and she visibly swallowed. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were still with Garen."

He grunted again, but didn't say anything, waiting for her to explain herself.

"My room is on the other side. I share my bathroom with the guests...!" she tried to sound bright and happy but he could hear the hesitation in her voice. "I... usually the guests don't really use the bathroom at this time, and you should've locked this door so I would've known that..."

"Why don't you have your own?" he then asked bluntly.

"My own what? Bathroom?" She took a step back towards her room. "I'm not exactly the most highly respected member of the house. And we only have guests maybe once a month."

He looked at the bathroom interior and he had to admit it was quite simple compared to the rest of the building. He hadn't even seen the soaps in shapes of lilies yet - and the hairbrush in front of the mirror. He had to force himself to focus on other things and he was happy that his leather pants were made of quite hard leather or else she might've seen that he wasn't really able to control himself at this moment.

"I'll wait till you're done, but hurry," he then said and grabbed his shirt from the floor and slammed the door behind him. He locked the door to his bedroom from the hallway just in case someone was planning on killing him during his sleep.

He put his hand through his hair and let out a frustrated scream. His plan wasn't working out. In his mind it all sounded logical and the right thing to do, but when she was in front of him, he just... he just couldn't think.

He waited for her to lock the bathroom door from the inside, to prevent him from coming in. But the click didn't come. And then he heard the water flow. His mind went crazy. So crazy. He wanted to rip his heart out and throw it out the window just to get rid of all the frustration, the endless itching... The itch he couldn't scratch. He just couldn't allow himself to. Because he knew what would happen if he did. It would all be a big mess. He could only imagine the consequences. Another grunt escaped his throat as he put his shirt in front of the window on a hanger. Why had he even come here? - he wasn't really sure anymore. Just knowing that she was so close, on the other side of the wall, undressing, the water running over her skin...

Then he heard a voice. Her voice. Singing.

"I had a dream about a burning house..."

He grabbed his chest and held on tight.

"You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out

Laid beside you and pulled you close

And the two of us went up in smoke..."

God, he wanted her bad. So bad. She was just singing like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn't in this room. The only reason why she would be singing was because she truly did feel comfortable with him around. As he listened to her voice, he almost fell asleep to the way it made him feel. At home. But his pants were growing so tight that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep even if he wanted to.

Then the water stopped and he forced himself to think about something else, something other than the fact that she was behind the bathroom door - naked. He thought about Noxus, about how he wanted to get back home, how he missed everything there. How he wanted normal plates and simple food, about how he would tell his soldiers about the agreements between Noxus and Demacia... But all he could see in his mind was her.

He then heard her door close and he opened his side of the door and walked into the bathroom. He wanted to shower, to freshen up, to go to bed and wake up and go back to Noxus. He wanted to forget that he'd ever thought that giving in was a decent idea.

But when he walked into the steamy bathroom, something inside his mind broke. He tried to stop himself. He really did. He tried to stop himself by taking a quick shower and holding his breath, to prevent himself from smelling the flowery scent she'd left when she had disappeared into her own room. He thought about the idea that he should lock the bathroom door for her so she wouldn't be able to ever get inside again... To stop his mind from going there. But as he stepped outside of the shower and dried himself off, he wiped the mirror and looked into his own eyes and he knew it was too late. The last bit of common sense preventing him from scratching the itch had left. Being surrounded by her scent and her presence just was too much. He wrapped the towel around his waist and instead of walking into his own room, he opened her door.

He heard her gasp.

His eyes looked for her. Her room was simple, just some basic decorations and some books next to her bed. She was standing next to the nightstand, dressed in a basic white nightgown that was just above her knees, held on her shoulders by two thin straps.

"Why didn't you lock the door when you were in there?" his raspy voice echoed through the room. She had been with her back towards him the entire time, but now she slowly turned around. For some reason he expected fear in her yes, but there wasn't any of that. Instead, it looked like she was conflicted. Immediately she smiled bright.

"I must've forgotten! I do that som..." her voice broke a little when her eyes went over his chest again and she took a deep breath. "I do that sometimes. I tend to forget stuff. But oh well, you didn't do anything weird. Turns out not all Noxians are as bad as they say... Sorry though. For not locking the door."

"Are you really sorry?" He then groaned and did a step in her direction. She put her hands up and gestured him to stop.

"P-please don't come any closer... Darius."

Her saying his name like a whisper made him almost lose his mind. He didn't listen to her. "Why not?"

"Just... just stop... d-don't come closer... I'm warning you... I'll use my magic."

His mind went back to a day earlier, when she'd come from the bushes at Summoner's Rift and caught him in her binding. He felt the same way right now. But instead of holding him in place, it only made him want to get closer - and she hadn't even used any magic on him. He didn't want to do anything to her that she didn't want though. And she told him to stop. Why didn't his body want to listen?

"Please..." she whispered and then he paused, arm length away from her. She was still standing next to her nightstand and she nervously put one book straight on the stack.

His heart hurt in his chest and he wanted to tear his brain out - but he kept standing still. The longing for her was visible in his eyes, he knew it. Her bright blue eyes were looking into his and her blonde hair fell in wet strands down the sides of her face. She was beautiful.

"Business was only half of the reason I came here, Luxanna."

"What was the other reason?" He could hear she was trying to sound optimistic, the positive girl she was at the Fields. But she couldn't fool him.

"You know the other reason. And I know it's second nature to you, but in front of me you can drop the happy mask."

"I-I do? And why? How do you know..." She held her own waist. He could see she was shivering and he didn't know why because it wasn't cold at all.

"If you would allow me to explain," he then gestured, lifting an eyebrow.

She was halfway into her nod when it all went in slow motion.

He slammed her against the wall - his hands on her soft body; around her waist, under her butt, pressing her against the surface and finally, finally after all this time, capturing her lips with his own. All he could think was how amazing she felt under his skin, how soft and warm and welcoming... the taste of her lips... he could feel another shiver go down her body and he pulled back, letting her go completely. It was only a few seconds but it felt like minutes.

Her arms fell down her sides, her mouth was still slightly open and her eyes were big.

The only reason he'd let go was that he was truly worried that he might've done something that she didn't approve of.

"There you go, Crownguard," he then said. "Do you understand now?"

Her eyes were watery when she looked into his. "I think I do," she whispered.

His brain screamed at him to leave, to get back to the guest room and to go to sleep and forget this ever happened. That she didn't love him back and she never would.

But he'd scratched the itch.

Scratched it hard.

He could see the battle in her eyes, he recognized it. He felt it. And he knew exactly what she was going through. Exactly.

When he stepped into her direction again, she put her hands up in front of her chest as if to push him away if he'd get too close.

Itches start itching even more once you've scratched. He knew that. It wasn't like he didn't know.

It was the exact reason why he'd known that this wasn't a good idea. Why he shouldn't have come here. Why he shouldn't make love to her all night long - if she wanted him.

But every single bit of reasoning was gone, and all he wanted now was to scratch until it hurt.

His breathing was heavy and he squinted his eyes when he looked at her confused, but beautiful face. He felt like his whole body was filled with stones and rocks - and it hurt. So much. If only she could love him.

"Listen up," he then said with a painful lump in his throat. "I am only going to tell you this once, so pay attention. I don't know what this is, but I've had this feeling for years now and even though I know I can't have you, I need you to know. It's like this itch that I am not allowed to scratch and it's been annoying the crap out of me for way too long now. Every time I see your goddamn beautiful face on the Rift I just want to take away your sorrow and what everyone has done to you. I know you think of me as an enemy, as a rough man who could only hurt you. And I don't blame you. That's why I've been holding back. I've tried to forget about it, to live my life, to try other things, other women... It didn't work. And god, you made something in my head break when you didn't lock that bathroom door. And I just had to. I came here to do business but also to be near you. God, that sounds too damn cheesy. That's why I only say this once. And now everything in me is telling me to make you mine, to make you feel the way you deserve, but I won't. So if I were you, after I go back to my room, I'd lock the door from your side. For your own protection."

He then turned around and walked to the bathroom door. Every step felt slow and heavy, as if he'd break and fall to pieces at any second. But he kept walking, picked up his pants from the bathroom, walked to the guest room and slammed the door behind him.

It was all up to her now. He'd already gone too far by kissing her, touching her...

The carpet on the floor tickled his feet as he stepped into his bed, the thin blankets covering his abs. He didn't bother to take the towel off his waist. He pulled his arms up behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He was so tired of it all. It was way past midnight now and the next morning he had business to do. For Noxus. His visit here wouldn't go unrewarded after all, because he'd fulfilled a big task as the highest Noxian general. Swain would be proud.

But it just all felt so inferior when she was so close by. Like nothing made sense but her.

Fifteen minutes passed - normally he would be asleep by now, but he was still staring at the ceiling, not even bothering to turn the light off. His head was spinning and he felt like he was sinking through the floor. He always felt heavy because of his armor, but this came from the inside.

He thought about her singing. It was probably just random... he thought. It had nothing to do with him. Or with anyone. She probably just had a song in her head that she felt like singing. But it was still stuck in his head. He heard her voice singing... "Laid beside you and pulled you close... And the two of us went up in smoke."

He wanted to go up in smoke. He wanted to burn up in flames with her. Forever.

In his head he heard his brother's voice: "Don't be such a pussy, brother. You can get all the women you want, anytime you want, and you're thinking about a Demacian? That's something I would do, not you!" Well, that's what Draven would've said if he'd actually known that his brother had fallen for a Crownguard. But he didn't know. So instead Darius just imagined his brother saying that. Of course any man with eyes would admit that she was very attractive though. But no one else could see the depth of her eyes - that was for sure. He wondered why. Why he was able to see through her when no one else could.

He had to go back to Noxus tomorrow by five. Hopefully business would be finished by then. Maybe it would actually be better to escape her presence too - even though everything inside him was screaming for him to stay here. Not that he could. Why would a Noxian general stay any longer in Demacia than he needed to?

With a frustrated scream he decided he couldn't sleep anyway, so he stood up and walked through the guest room, looking around at the decorations. They all had something to do with Demacia. Family weapons, pictures, certificates... A little sculpture of the Demacian crest icon. Behind that, on the shelf, were a few books. He frowned as he picked one up. It looked used, and it said "How to use light magic" - it immediately had his attention. He opened the book and on the first page it said "Luxanna Crownguard. College of Magic." He flipped through the pages and saw some scribbles next to the text. She had beautiful handwriting. However, he could see that when she wrote fast that it became more angular and less graceful. A smirk was on his lips as he thought about how she must've read this book over and over again. The Crownguard family didn't allow anything other than straight A's, he was sure of that.

He also knew that this probably was when she was still happy. Before they'd deported her to the military to be "useful". Before they'd forced her to be a spy in Noxus and fight for a state she didn't even feel at home in.

He put the book aside. By now he realized that she probably used this room to put some of her stuff in because she didn't have enough space in her own bedroom - and this room only got used by guests who just slept here and then left anyway. Nobody would care about some of her old college books. Nobody - except for him.

The Hand of Noxus.

It was madness.

He thought about all the times he'd led his soldiers to victory, about how he got respect from all of them by decapitating their weak leader. About the way they screamed for his leadership, how they wanted him as the general. He thought about all the times when he and Draven had stolen bread from strangers just to get by - and how he was now one of the most powerful men of Runeterra.

He didn't need a woman to feel good about himself. He didn't need a woman to be satisfied. He didn't need a woman to prove that he was powerful. He was fine without a woman. But he wanted her.

He wanted her.

God, he wanted her.

He looked at the other books that were on the shelf, most of them were novels about women who had to rely on themselves to get by. He couldn't help but still have the corner of his mouth curled upwards as he looked through the stuff. He usually wasn't the kind of man to be nosy, but this time was different. This was hers.

When the creaking of the bathroom door got him out of his train of thought, it didn't even strike him as odd at first. But then he realized that the door had been closed and was moving now. He didn't want to turn around because he felt every hair on his back stand up straight. If this was what he thought it was, then there was no going back.

"Darius..." he then heard. It was her voice.

He turned around.

Now it wasn't his fault anymore. She came to him. Those were the things that went through his mind when he scooped her up in his arms and walked to the bed, laying her down and bending down over her. He looked into her heavy-lidded beautiful blue eyes. Their faces were so close, he could feel her short breaths on his skin and he slowly lowered his face down. He still kept looking at her, he wanted to take it all in. Luxanna Crownguard was here, in his arms. Whether she came into the room to get something or to just say something, he didn't know. But he'd warned her.

And now there was no going back, he thought as he saw her close her eyes and move upwards.

Two very soft lips met his.

He then closed his eyes too and pressed her down into the pillow.

A soft moan escaped her throat.

She wanted him too.

He immediately deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and nipping on her lips, devouring them, wanting to hear more of those soft noises. Her whimpers were music to his ears - the towel around his waist was getting way too tight already. He'd never had that before just by kissing a woman. But this was her.

He breathed in sharply through his nose as he kept kissing her, pushing his tongue into her mouth and feeling hers moving against his right away. She tasted so sweet. He felt all his blood rush downstairs and he had to stop himself from taking her right away. He wanted to please her, he wanted it to be all about her. For her to feel the way she deserved to feel.

"Darius..." she whispered again and he let out a throaty grunt, not knowing how to control himself anymore. Her white nightgown was moving against his skin and his hands slid underneath it, touching every piece of skin they could find. He found she was wearing a simple pair of panties, and it wasn't time yet to get rid of them. Not too fast, he told himself. Her hands then grabbed his wrists tightly and for a second he thought she would take them away from under her nightgown, but she slowly guided them upwards to her chest, where his hands cupped the softest breasts he'd ever felt.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath as he started fondling and caressing them. Her little moans slowly turned into cries of pleasure, and her hands tangled up in his hair as he kissed her with force. Her soft skin under his fingers, her breathy moans against his lips...

Suddenly he took his hands away from under her nightgown, he fell down next to her and pulled her close. Just holding her. Her hands were still in his hair and their lips were barely touching. Her body felt tiny next to his; he wanted her to stay in his arms forever.

She then brushed her lips against his mouth and he felt her smile slightly. "Why me...?"

"Don't even start," he said with a hoarse voice.

"I'm too young... I'm from Demacia... I never thought you had these feelings too... All I did was run from you... And-" He caught her lips in a deep kiss and her words got lost in a helpless moan and she tightened her grip on his hair as they kissed for a while. He pressed her waist into him and she broke the kiss and gasped when she felt his erection push against her.

"Is that...?" she then nervously grinned. He thought she was just too cute - he wanted to make her experience what "that" could do to her...

"It sure is," he grunted.

"I've n-never..."

He hushed her and held her close. He was mentally complimenting himself for holding back so long, but he wanted this to be special for her. If she even wanted him to go that far. She chuckled. "I mean... I don't know why I'm saying this, but I also... I've done things... to forget..." she swallowed. "To forget... about you. But you... I just never thought... that you could ever feel... for me..." She shivered. "You being near me... it has all kinds of weird effects on me." She closed her eyes. "Is this even real? It's like you know me, like you can see inside me." Another shiver. "The general of Noxus. The famous Darius. Me? Oh god... this can't be real."

He pressed her even closer against him and kissed her so hard that it took her breath away. Her damp hair was sticking to their skin but he didn't care. All he wanted was for her to know that it wasn't a dream. And for himself too, for that matter.

"Darius..." She then said, out of breath. Her fingers caressed his stubble and she looked into his eyes. "Make love to me."

She didn't have to tell him twice. With more patience than he felt, he grabbed the fabric of her nightgown and slowly slid it upwards, revealing her black panties that contrasted against her white skin. She sat up and lifted her arms to let him take off everything. His breath got stuck in his throat when he saw her perfect body. Her breasts were the perfect shape and size for her, and even though he'd felt them already, he knew that he would never get enough of seeing them. His eyes wandered to her face and a sly smile was on her lips.

"You don't have to hold back," she then whispered. "I'm ready..."

A lot of things had broken in his mind that night already. Too many flipped switches. He'd scratched too hard.

But this was the last straw.

With a growl he tore her panties apart, not even bothering to take them off properly. Her hands were on the towel he was still wearing and opened it up quickly, throwing it next to the bed. Her hands were all over his body, over the muscles on his chest, his stomach, his arms... He couldn't wait anymore. He sat up and opened her legs, the view of her perfect body spread out for him already too much. As he positioned himself, pressing against her, he felt she wasn't lying when she said she was ready... He grabbed her hips and then pushed inside her, her tightness wrapping around him and as she moaned in ecstasy he groaned deeply from the pleasure. Their voices sounded perfectly in harmony.

"S-so big..." she whispered, her breath stuck in her throat. "So good..."

He moved back and then slammed inside her again, his elbows leaning next to her and his hands finding her breasts again, pleasuring them and his lips found her mouth, kissing her at the same time. Her hips rolled upwards to meet his movements and he knew that no matter what would happen after this - she was the best he'd ever have. Her whimpers and needy moans became stronger and stronger and for a second he thought about someone hearing them, but right away that thought vanished because he truly didn't care if someone heard. She felt amazing. Too amazing - he wasn't going to hold it for much longer...

Then she let go of his lips as her breathing stopped, she threw her head back and he felt her insides ripple around him as her face twisted in pleasure. "Oh Darius..." she managed to get out and all of that together was too much. He exploded inside her and filled her up, looking into her eyes as he finished. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him, panting.

She didn't have to say anything - he knew what she wanted.

He removed himself from her and flipped her around so that she was now with her chest on the blankets. He grabbed her hips and moved her up a little, admiring the view before shoving his manhood deep inside her once more. She shivered again and he just couldn't believe that he was really doing this to her; that she'd wanted him just as much as he wanted her...

Her hands grabbed the pillow and she looked up at him from the side, her mouth opening in a moan and her eyebrows going into a frown from the pleasure as she kept looking at his body hovering over hers, making love to her... it was such a sweet sight. He felt manlier than ever; having her here beside him. Finally. And he'd make her feel like this every day of their lives. If only that was possible. But he couldn't really think about that for long because she pressed herself up against him, meeting his movements and then she grabbed the pillow, pressed her face into it and let out a long, muffled moan as he felt her climax again. There must've been something he'd done right... It was like their bodies responded to everything they were doing, everything. As if they were made for each other. He grit his teeth as he came again, not being able to hold back after her walls had violently started clenching around him.

Out of breath, she smiled. "Wow..."

He laid down next to her and held her against him, her back to his chest.

"So..." he mumbled in her hair, "cooking lessons, huh?"

She chuckled. "Yeah... Can't stand living as a noble. I want to be able to take care of myself. Even in the military the food gets cooked for you. It's stupid..."

"So when you were in Noxus, where did you eat?"

"When I was in Noxus?" she asked with a high-pitched voice but he could hear her smile.

"You know exactly what I mean, you infiltrator," he grunted and kissed her neck.

She shuddered again. "I didn't think you'd see me. But that was before I knew... this... And I thought I blended in so well with the Noxian civilization!"

"You did," he nodded. "But I saw you anyway. I remember seeing you walking to a motel and opening the zipper of your dress because it was too tight. Still regret to this day that I didn't follow you."

"Oh really?" she whispered and turned around, facing him. "What would you have done once you slammed on my motel room door and I opened up?"

He smirked when she said "slammed" instead of "knocked". She knew how he liked to do things. Instead of answering, he kissed her softly. "This," he then said. "And this..." He then kissed her with such power that he could feel her muscles relax and just letting him take over, while her lips responded to his.

After minutes, he let go and looked into her eyes.

"Why... didn't you?" she said.

"My feelings were so controversial that I was fighting myself too hard at that time. Plus I didn't want to take advantage of you in a place that wasn't your home..."

"Like this place is my home," she breathed. "But you know how I feel, don't you?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I've always wondered why I was the only one who could see the pain in your eyes when all the others could see was happy smiles and positivity. You are quite good at keeping up that image, though."

"Thanks," she chuckled. "I don't really have a choice. If I had, I wouldn't be here."

"Come with me," he stated.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me. Come with me."

"What would everyone think?"

"Do you still care about that?"

"I am not talking about Demacia, I am talking about Noxus. You do have a reputation... you powerful general. They'd all think you lost your mind if you came home with me..."

"True. Even though I've never had my mind together as much as I do right now. How about this," he swallowed. "You keep doing what you do, and ask for more missions in Noxus. And longer ones. Ones that require you to be there almost all the time..."

She sighed happily. "I like the sound of that. That sounds like a perfect idea for now."

"For now?"

"Until I can be with you without being undercover," she whispered and leaned up on her elbow. "Or until Draven finds out."

He grinned - she knew his brother too well already. Which indicated she'd also been paying attention to his life over the past few years... "You seem to know a lot about my life. Is that why you kept running from me?" he then bluntly asked. "Because you were..."

"So deeply in love with you that I couldn't stand looking into your eyes because I knew I'd show you the core of my being just being near you? Yeah."

He chuckled at her response but couldn't help but feel his insides burn at the thought that she was madly in love with him. He didn't think he could ever deserve her love. Yes, he was strong and powerful and all that, but aside from that, he was rough, straightforward and too harsh sometimes.

She moved up, put her hand on his chest and then swung her leg over his chest so that she was sitting on top of him. Her fingers trailed the lines of his muscles. He liked how his muscled body was so broad that she fit on his stomach perfectly with spread legs. She was tiny compared to him, but beautiful. Her naked skin was sticky against his from all their lovemaking, but they both didn't care. They'd clean it all up in the morning.

As she grabbed his hard manhood and lowered herself down on it, he watched her intently. He clenched his teeth as she rocked her soft body up and down, the view already making him lose his mind. God, she was beautiful. He grabbed her waist and met her movements with powerful thrusts, making her mouth fall open.

He knew that there was no chance in hell that he'd ever get enough of her.

And that this was going to be a long night indeed.

x x x

"Good morning..." a soft voice whispered in his ear and for a moment he thought it had all been a dream. That it was the best fucking dream of his life. It wouldn't be the first time waking up in the middle of a dream about Lux... But when he opened his eyes and looked to the side and felt a warmth against his body, he realized that it was all reality.

"Well hello..." he said with a hoarse morning voice and she blushed. He grabbed her neck, pulled her close and kissed her.

"I want to wake up like this everyday," he then admitted when she let out a happy sigh after he'd let go.

"Me too," she shuddered. "But you have to be with Garen in fifteen minutes - so you better get ready and I'll take care of the blankets... I know a maid or two who run early rounds so nobody will find out. Garen will have something to eat for you I think."

"It's like we're married already," he groaned and kissed her again.

"I wish," she mumbled in between kisses. She then looked at him with eyes that sparkled. "I've never been this happy in my entire life... I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Excuse me?"

"Well look at yourself," she blushed, "fought your way to the top, started off in the slums with your younger brother but now lead an entire army, you're the most powerful man of Noxus, but still so involved and caring about your people, passionate about your job and about... me... and not to mention," she then smiled nervously, "you are so sexy. Handsome, manly, just hot."

"I think I have five more minutes before I need to get ready," he then grunted and took the blanket away from her. "Unless that is too fast for you."

"Usually it is," she grinned, "but with you two is enough." She gasped when he started kissing her neck. "That doesn't mean that I don't like longer... sessions... though..."

"I'll take care of that," he smiled against her skin.

x x x

It was five and a half days later and he hadn't heard from her or fought against or with her at the Institute of War.

He missed her.

God, he missed her.

He walked through the streets of Noxus and his mind was all over the place, but he still managed to talk to the citizens and ask about their needs. He always did that, just because he knew what it was like to be poor and feel like you need things but can't get them. He liked to make sure that the nobles would give as much money as he could get from them to give to the poor.

"Look, mommy! General Darius! He is tall," a tiny boy said as he pointed up to Darius' face. Darius smirked and walked to the next street.

However, before he could walk any further, a hand rested on his arm. "General Darius?"

The voice made his heart skip a beat and he looked down to the voice next to him. He recognised the beautiful brown dress and he was still convinced this dress looked the best on her - even better than the one she'd worn for the dinner a few nights ago. A hood covered half of her face, but the gold blond locks that came from underneath them made sure that there was no doubt about who she was.

"I am staying at the motel on the main street," she said quietly. "If you wish to... visit me, you'll find me there."

He nodded even though she couldn't see it from under her hood. "Thank you for letting me know, miss." Nobody had heard their conversation, but just in case, he wanted to stay professional.

She smiled and his heart was beating fast. He didn't want to wait till tonight. He wanted to hold her, to feel her everywhere. To make sure she was okay, that she didn't get in trouble.

As he looked at the brown dress swaying around her hips when she walked away, he decided he wouldn't wait till tonight. And as he predicted, she walked straight to the motel. People didn't even notice the Demacian presence, she blended in perfectly. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as he followed her. In the meantime he greeted everyone who noticed him - but making sure he didn't lose his pace.

Just before he walked to the door, he saw her go up the stairs.

She opened the zipper of the dress and took a deep breath before walking upstairs, out of sight. Oh, now she'd done it. He nodded to the motel owner as he walked past him.

"I've got business to do," he explained and the man nodded furiously as he saw the general walk up the stairs.

He saw a door close just in time to know which door was hers. The motel smelled like leather and old wood. Just what he liked. He slammed on the door three times and then waited. But he knew that if she wouldn't open it, he'd kick it in.

But it opened. Slowly.

Her hand gestured him in and he walked into the room - didn't even pay attention to anything, just to her. He smashed the door into its frame behind him and locked it. Immediately he had her up against the wall, kissing her, and he felt that this was how it was going to be for the rest of his life.

The itch was never going away. And now that he'd scratched it hard, he wanted it to stay there. She was the strongest, most caring, most amazing and sexiest woman he'd ever met.

When her hands grabbed the front of his armor and pulled him close, only one thought went through his mind. And he breathed it out to her.

He loved her.

God, he loved her.

x x x

Nothing really changed, to be honest.

To them.

But to us, everything has changed.

I still remember when it started. When I saw him for the first time.

The look in his eyes when he held my hand and introduced himself as Darius, the Hand of Noxus. I still remember the way my voice was forced, sturdy, but shivering underneath the confidence I tried to play off, when I told him I am Luxanna Crownguard, the Lady of Luminosity.

That look had settled in my mind and never left. That look had started out as the tickle and turned into an itch that I wanted to scratch so hard that it would make a wound.

I couldn't have him. For multiple reasons.

He was too old. Fourteen years older than me. I was an adult, but twenty-three was just too young.

But most of all; he was from Noxus.

Still... I wanted him. I wanted him more than anything else.

It was like he knew me - like he could see straight through me. Like he could see that I was hiding behind the mask I kept up at the Fields - just to prevent anyone from coming close to me. Afraid of pain after all that I've been through. After my own family betrayed me. I had nothing left. Until he looked at me.

I couldn't scratch. Even the little bit of home that I still would have left, would have crumbled under my feet if anyone ever found out about my love for the Hand of Noxus.

Until he came to visit Garen. Until he sat across from me at the dinner table. Until he walked into my room after I'd taken a shower.

His hands on my skin lit me on fire right there. The song I'd been singing that night turned into reality. When he left to his room right after, for my "protection," as he called it, I knew that I didn't want to protect myself anymore. The man I'd wanted for so long just admitted his feelings for me. I wanted to have him all for myself. Even though I still couldn't believe it - the most beautiful man of all Runeterra wanted me, when he could get all the women he set his eyes on?

It's still so unreal to me. But he is laying beside me right now. It's been two years since we finally cleared the air...

I've been to Noxus multiple times, for long periods of time. Darius helped me gather information that I could tell the people at home to not make them think that I was up to other things than to infiltrate the High Command. But we'd spend all the nights together. Talking, making love.

I've visited his residence. And I even met Draven a couple of times, and I think he's onto us, but he knows better than to threaten his brother.

The time to reveal our relationship is coming closer. I actually can't wait to be with him without having to dress up as a Noxian woman or sneak into his room at the Institute of War just to be near him. Though he'll still make me wear that brown dress even when I don't have to go undercover - I'm pretty sure of that.

Why is it that his presence still sends shivers down my spine? And after all this time, he still wants me... I look up to him so much. He's the sole example of power, care, strength, resolution and love all wrapped in one. Even though people other than me might have trouble seeing the last one. But I know. I see the faces of the women he passes by on the streets. They all want him. But for some reason, he only wants me. He only cares for me. He only makes love to me... and he only loves me; Luxanna Crownguard.

And I love him.

God I love him.