(A/N) Darius X Lux? Rather an interesting combination don't you think?
This fic spawned due to two things. The first of which was that I finally unlocked Draven in LOL, and while I suck with him right now, his Q attack is one of the most fun things ever. With this, I came to read a bit more into character lore and did a bit of research into the backstory of the Blood Brothers :P
The second factor was that this was in fact a request from somebody called Okyptos. To you especially, I hope you enjoy reading this! (If not, oh well: I certainly enjoyed writing it!)
This is also my first fic using a different style of writing to normal. Usually, I brainstorm the entirety of the plot through the week and do a write up on Fridays and Saturdays. This time, I instead brainstormed a basic plot on a Monday, and then proceeded to slowly write the entire story on paper through the week before transferring it all into Word once finished. Let's see if that's changed my quality in any way :P
WARNING: Awkward dialogue, a naughty word or two, terrible attempts at comedy, ridiculous amounts of spelling errors and OOC Characters as per usual!
Just for You
The sound of a trumpet and the bellows of a boisterous bull signified the outcome of the small skirmish that had just taken place. A band of Champions stood together within the crumbling shell of what was once their enemy's base, bathed in the deep azure of the dying, dimming glow of the Nexus. The owners of the site had since fled, condemning their abandoned structures and minions to looting and murder at the hands of their dominating foes.
"Soft as shite." A purple minotaur growled, absentmindedly stomping on a stubborn minion as it desperately tried to stab his toes. "I've seen more bite in an anchovy."
"You got that right Alistar." A robe-clad magician grinned, glancing back at his comrades to seek their approval. "Wouldn't you agree Darius?"
Darius growled softly, not paying attention to the question at all. To be honest, he was lost in his own world at the moment, his beady stare fixed on the gentle, timid frame of a young Demacian woman.
Lux Crownguard.
Having been bred as a mighty warrior and leader for the hordes of Noxus, he had originally been rather skeptical of allying with someone of her bloodline. He had been privy to the bitter lies of the Demacian Army, and seen their brutality and lack of mercy first hand on the fields of war.
He had vowed to slaughter all Demacians.
And he'd tripped at the first step.
The woman may have not known it, but he'd acquired quite a fancy for her over their battles together. What she probably saw as a routine protection of an ally in battle he saw as a gesture of friendship, and a symbol of her daring and courage. He'd abandoned many an ally against impossible odds in his career, but for her?
He'd take on every enemy Champion there was, and then some.
"Darius?" The robed-man called, slightly more forced this time as he waved his hand in front of his glazed eyes. "Hello?"
"What? Y-Yeah, whatever..." He muttered in reply, retreating from the conversation suddenly without announcement. The two champions he left behind exchanged a confused glance, before returning to their discussion.
Alistar, Malzahar, Singed and...
Lux was missing.
She could surely fend for herself in the lush undergrowth of the Rift, but he had every reason to worry. There were some creatures in the wild even he would never confront, yet he was certain Lux was wise enough to avoid straying off the clearly marked out paths and lanes.
If she didn't appear within the next ten minutes, he would haul ass out and search for her. He wouldn't abandon her to a lonesome night in the cold, damp wilderness, especially during an occasion that should be celebrated in its fullest.
"Ta–da!" A gentle voiced suddenly cheered, the scent of freshly baked pastry roaming through the air and caressing the senses of all nearby. The foul copper stench of dried blood was quickly swept away in favour of this fresh new smell. "Well done, everyone!"
Lux had appeared at the other end of the base, in her hand a plain platter bearing several steaming muffins. It was an interesting image to Darius, who observed her from a distance as his allies flocked around for a bite. It was rare to find an image of purity and innocence in a bitter, chilly battlefield, but seeing such a young girl bearing nothing but tasty treats and care for her companions?
There was only one word to describe it.
Cute.
Darius couldn't decipher the joyous mumbles of his fellow Champions from such a range, but he was certain they were commenting on her excellent cooking abilities. Awkwardly coughing to try and cover the sound of his rumbling stomach, he slowly began to walk towards his team members, who seemed to step back a little as his bulky form came into view.
"D-Darius? I'm sorry, I... Forgot about you..." Lux laughed, a tad bit embarrassed as Alistar scoffed a chocolaty muffin in one gulp.
"Damn, this is good!" The bull chuckled heartily, his rough tongue sloppily running along his sugar-covered mouth. "A good battle and a fine meal? Recipe for a perfect day, eh Singed?"
The man in question took a polite and reserved bite from his cake, silently nodding in agreement with the behemoth of a beast and approval towards the culinary prowess of the young Demacian woman.
"I'm really sorry Darius!" Lux cried, her shoulders shrinking in guilt and her legs wobbling unstably. "I-Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
"Don't worry about it." He replied in deliberate monotone, hoisting his facade of stoicism into play. While he did have his protests, he couldn't stand to see the girl looking so fearful and saddened.
Yeah, you can repay me.
Please don't cry.
The burly Noxian returned to his previous position a good distance from the rest of his allies, who continued to chat happily over today's accomplishments as they licked their lips of chocolate and sugar. Lux stretched out her hand and tried to call for him, but her voice faltered as he quickly slipped away.
X
She forgot you.
She's had a busy day, she had every reason to forget.
... Or maybe she just doesn't care about you.
Silence.
She certainly looks at that Malzahar fellow more than you, don't you think?
Silence.
And with such vulgar eyes! She must really hate you.
Silence!
Darius cradled his head grumpily as darkness began to creep into the Rift. He'd elected to have a quick nap, but the absurdity of his love just kept coming back to haunt him.
A Noxian and a Demacian.
Like a Lion and a Gazelle.
It just wouldn't work.
Growling at his anxiety and insecurity, the small voice of joy and confidence in the back of his head struggled to try and maintain order by slapping a leash over his fears. Rubbing his sleep deprived eyes, he fidgeted on the spot due to an irritating ache in his back. Eventually it subsided to a lower frequency, but it still stung him terribly and stubbornly.
He could hear the loud and incessant snores of Alistar as he lay in a deep slumber. Save for the dull ambiance of the Rift, it was the only sound present. Darius had never really experienced such deafening silence in his years of war, and it actually came across as rather terrifying.
He'd give an arm and a leg for someone to talk to.
"Peace be with you, for here comes my lady."
He could spot her from a mile off, her colourful garments and angelic expression easily standing out against the dark, dreary surroundings of the locale. He wasn't entirely sure, but it appeared she was watching him, like a hunter observing their prey from the shadows. She seemed perfectly content with keeping her distance, but when she locked eyes with him, she had no choice. Flinching with surprise in realisation, she quickly surveyed the area before quietly making her way towards him.
"Think of others before yourself."
"How honourable of you, ma'am."
Soon enough she was standing in front of him, looking rather out of place as she always did. Darius waved his hand over the vacant spot next to him, offering her a seat which she took politely.
The two didn't bandy words for a good two minutes, neither of them sure of how to start a conversation. Alistar had since stopped snoring, and all was silent save for the gentle breaths of the woman Darius sat with.
"... So how are you?" Lux asked, granting Darius relief from the noiselessness. "Singed said you got injured during the battle, so I thought..." Lux trailed off before looking away, feeling that this was none of her business.
Darius couldn't help but chuckle at her words, having never actually heard Singed say a single word since their career together had began some seven months ago.
"I'm fine." He replied, trying his best to flash her a warm smile. He wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about himself at moment, and he quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind in an attempt to change the subject. "How about you?... W-Well, how you're feeling at least."
"Dandy." She grinned, signalling her joy with an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "I'm surprised my cakes turned out so yummy, in fact Malzahar even said..."
She probably realised who she speaking to at that point, as she retreated back guiltily. "I'm sorry about earlier Darius, I really am."
"Don't be." He replied bluntly, observing the landscape to avoid her saddened expression. "Trust me, I'm not even that hun-"
*Rumble*
What was that, an earthquake?
... Hold on, false alarm: It was just his stomach.
Darius flushed a vibrant red in embarrassment, ashamed to have shown a sign of such weakness to the Demacian. He expected to be mocked by her, but was surprised when she pouted in genuine worry for his well being.
"Now-now Darius, it's just plain silly not to eat when you're hungry! My mother always said when I was a girl that if my tummy rumbled, I should have a nice hot meal!" She instructed in a parental tone, as if she was a mother berating their son for not eating the crust of his sandwich.
Darius grumbled, having no logical comeback to fling at the girl. She seemed to fall silent too, not knowing what else she could say. With a cough, Alistar began to snore again to fill up the void of silence.
"... C-Come with me." Lux whispered.
Darius raised his eyebrow in confusion, but saw no reason to fear or distrust the young girl. In unison they stood up, and she led the way out from the base and to the peaceful woodland of the entrance.
Some sort of package sat there, small and colourful. Lux motioned at it expectantly yet stared at the ground, her visage still plagued with embarrassment and anxiety. Taking this as a prompt, Darius hulked over to the package to inspect it further.
It wasn't too big, say around twenty centimetres in width and half that in height. On its top sat a small red ribbon, to which was attached a note. The note likely had the recipient's name on it, which would make returning it far much easier. Glancing over his shoulder he noticed that Lux still stood a fair distance away, watching him with interest. Crouching down on short but powerful legs, he plucked the package from the ground and awkwardly checked the fiddly cardboard note.
"To Darius"
It was addressed to him.
Glancing back once more, he spotted a small, innocent, almost cheeky smile spreading on Lux's lips. She held her hands behind her back and leant to the side to observe him curiously. "W-What's inside?"
Still rather confused, Darius tugged on the loose ribbon and allowed the package to unfold. In an autonomous motion, the paper flew off and revealed the mysterious contents of the wrappings.
A cake.
It was large and aesthetically pleasing, artistic chocolate curls and icing spiraling around the edge from the centre, where a lone strawberry sat as if it reigned on a throne. Never before had Darius seen such craftsmanship in the field of baking; not even the greatest cooks of Noxus could match such fine quality.
"The real reason you didn't get a cake..." Lux began; still maintaining her distance but experimentally taking the tiniest of steps forwards. "... Was because I was making you a bigger one... I would've told you, but the others... I-I was a bit embarrassed..." She giggled softly, bravely trying to look him in the eye. "Childish, I know."
Darius analysed the cake in wonder, gobsmacked entirely by the sheer scale of the masterpiece. "Why did you make me this?"
She flinched at this question, barely managing to keep herself from blurting out a reply. Reconsidering what she was going to say, she tried again. "You've done so much for us all. You've protected me so many times and I thought you... D-Deserved something better for once."
Darius couldn't really think of an appropriate response. Slipping his glance between the parfait and the sweet girl, he considered what he should do next.
"Eat it." She said, scratching her neck nervously out of habit. "I-I'd love to see what you think of my cooking..."
Upon further inspection, he noticed that the cake had already been sectioned into eight even and neat slices. The strawberry wobbled precariously as he gripped onto a slice, so he decided to eat it first. In a slow motion, he took a small chomp on the fruit before eating it whole. It tasted sweeter than usual, which came as a pleasant surprise.
"Good so far." He said, noting how deeply flushed Lux was. It was strange that she was so embarrassed by this, although in all honesty he was being rather hypocritical considering how red he'd gotten. Grabbing a chunk with his large hands due to the absence of a proper eating utensil, he took a nibble of chocolate carefully and politely.
It was warm.
It was sugary.
It was divine.
He'd never really eaten a proper cake before, and he was shocked by the skills of the Demacian girl before him. While he often said that Noxus was supreme over her kingdom, they certainly had him beat in the culinary department.
"H-How was it?" She asked, having closed the distance as he was partaking in the tasty treat. "You can tell me if you didn't like it, I won't blame you..."
"Lux." Darius began, frowning in disapproval of her words. "Don't be so hard on yourself. This cake tastes... Smashing..."
"Smashing?"
"... I couldn't think of another word, don't laugh." He smiled reassuringly. "I'm starting to sound like your brother, aren't I?"
As terrible as the joke was, it did manage to ease the awkwardness and tension in the air. Finishing his slice in five more luscious chomps, he began the process of wrapping the cake back up in its packaging, prompting a raised eyebrow from Lux.
"Full already?"
"Nah." He sighed, slinging the package over his shoulder as if readying for a long haul. "I'm saving it for later, preferably when I have a fork on hand."
Lux nodded at this, but said nothing in reply.
Still, she stared at the ground.
Still, she blushed.
She was expecting something.
Awkwardly hulking towards her, his height towering over her petite body, he considered what she could possibly want from him. He settled a warm hand on her shoulder in a gesture of trust. "Thank you very much Lux, I am honoured by this treat. I really am."
It wasn't exactly what she was expecting, but she couldn't help but look up to and smile at the Noxian. Darius had another idea in mind previously, but a combination of embarrassment and insecurity had demoted his original plan to nothing more than a friendly bout of physical contact.
His gentleness surprised himself almost as much as it did Lux, having never really interacted with someone physically before in a manner that didn't cause grievous bodily harm.
Idle chatter eventually began to murmur from the base, the rest of the team having awoken from their slumber as the sun dawned behind the treeline.
"If you want, we could..." Darius began, unsure whether or not to proceed from there. The eyes of the girl spurred him on, her attention entirely focused on him. "W-We could share the cake together, just you and me..."
Lux's face said it all, her blush being overpowered by her beaming smile. "Of course!" She chuckled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
And with that the two began the trek back home, their fingers occasionally tempted to intertwine with one another.
Who could've thought that a Demacian and a Noxian could find peace?
X
When Darius sat a fair distance from his team, it usually meant he wanted some time alone. True, Lux came as the one exception to this rule, but imagine his surprise when a familiar yet highly irritating figure appeared in front of him with his usual cocky grin.
"How was the cake bro?"
Darius didn't know how he did it, but his little brother had the habit of randomly appearing where you'd least expect him. Draven had briefly tried his hand in Champion work alongside him, but he didn't seem to see the fun in war. He preferred to stay back at Noxus, entertaining the plebs and keeping morale high as he executed scum and villainy.
"I thought I told you to stop spying on me." Darius muttered, covering his face in embarrassment as if he was trying to disassociate himself with the man beside him. Draven leant close to him to grab his attention, draping his arm over his shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Draven wasn't spying on his brother!" He chuckled, his hammy voice sounding identical regardless of whether he was lying or not. "... Okay, maybe Draven was..."
"Whatever." Darius groaned, feeling like this conversation would be the end of him. "Let's cut to the chase: How do you know about the cake?"
"Well, Draven felt like trying his skilled hand in matchmaking." He grinned, smugly pointing at himself as if he was trying to draw the attention of an audience in the empty wastes of the Rift. "Being the master of ladies he is, Draven easily managed to get his bro into his first relationship."
"... How the hell could you be involved in all of this?" Darius asked, turning tad bit red upon the mentioning of him and Lux being in a relationship. Draven folded his arms and puffed out his chest, ready to go on a tangent.
"Draven was approached by that lovely golden lady, Lux was her name. She wanted Draven's help in approaching his bro, said she had a crush on him or something." He began, his voice suddenly adopting a foreign seriousness as he leant back and closed his eyes. "So, Draven did what he could. Told her about bro's preferences, what he liked and stuff like that..."
"Okay..." Darius said, processing this information. Draven grinned, happy that he could grab his favourite brother's attention so easily.
"Draven supplied her with some Noxian chocolate, but she insisted on using her own Demacian garbage. Draven was skeptical, but felt that the girl needed to add her own personal touches to her cake." He said, sounding a tad bit displeased at her choice of product. "Draven advised her to try and make a situation where bro would be alone. And since bro can be a grumpy guy sometimes, Draven told her to make more cakes for her friends, but leave one out."
"Right..." Darius muttered. "So you're saying all of this. The missing muffin, the cake, all of it... It was all your doing?"
"Yeah. Draven's a cheeky scamp sometimes, ain't he?"
Darius didn't reply, but Draven took his silence as an example of yet another person being gobsmacked by his great bodacity. To be truthful, Darius was often surprised by how intelligent Draven could be at times. Despite his unbelievable smugness and exterior of stupidity, the man could be extremely crafty when he wanted to be.
"Did the strawberry taste sweet by any chance?" Draven asked, rising from his place and dusting off his bottom. Darius didn't move to join him, but wondered why he was asking about something so insignificant.
"Yeah." He replied. "Why?"
"No reason... Draven out, toodles bro!"
The man disappeared before the last word even escaped his lips.
The Strawberry?
What, was it some sort of Demacian delicacy he got off one of his wealthy underworld contacts?
X
THE DAY BEFORE:
Lux stared at her creation with a look of discomfort in her eyes. Opposite to her sat a bored Draven, who rested his head on the table as he too stared at the masterpiece that she had designed.
"If that cake was a man, Draven would probably have to give up his place as the most attractive person around." He mumbled lazily.
"I don't know!" Lux cried, the brown chocolate cake staring back and not replying as if it was idly threatening her. "It just doesn't look right, it needs something else!"
Draven groaned, running has palm down his face and fiddling with the tips of his killer moustache. "It's good enough already. It has Draven's seal of approval, girl."
"But I want Darius to have the perfect cake! How else could I make it up to him?"
Draven raised his mighty eyebrow in genuine confusion. "Make it up to him? You didn't give bro a muffin! That's nothing bad!"
"He'll be hungry, he needs something more!" She whined, pouting childishly.
Draven sat in silence for a moment and searched through his pockets. A couple of loose coins jangled as he finally found what he was after, and primed it for launch.
"Catch!"
He tossed a strawberry at her at mach speeds, the girl barely managing to deflect it. It ricocheted off of the table and landed back in Draven's hand, much to his amusement.
"A Strawberry?" She gasped, the adrenaline rush of blocking that lethal projectile draining her of breath. "Is it one of the rare Native Demacian Redthorpe Strawberries? That'd be so romantic!"
"Nah." He said bluntly. "Just a strawberry I had on me."
"Why would you have a strawberry in your pocket?" She asked. "... Why am I even asking that question?"
"Plant it on the top, that should look pretty enough." He sighed as he handed it to her, rapidly growing impatient with this girl's obvious OCD.
"Hmmm..." She mumbled, planting it in the centre and tilting it at numerous jaunty angles. "Nope... Nope... Oh, just no!"
"This isn't romantic enough, what can I do Draven?" She cried, begging Draven for his apparent expertise in the department of romance. Draven grinned at the mentioning of his name, and promptly dispensed a simple idea.
"Meh, you could try kissing it."
He decided to leave the room at that point, the clanging coins in his pockets in tune with his whistling as his distance from her escalated.
Lux stared at the fruit in hand curiously.
"Try kissing it?" She repeated, a tad bit embarrassed about such an action. Indirect kisses were certainly cute, but that was really only reserved for people who knew about it. Darius wouldn't know what she was doing.
He wouldn't know that he was kissing her.
Taking a deep breath, she pursed her lips and leant towards the fruit slowly.
... Was her first kiss going to be with the strawberry or Darius?
She planted a soft smooch on the fruit, nothing more than a peck but romantic all the same. As she pulled away with a quiet sound of suction, she couldn't help but blush at such a girly action.
The strawberry would've probably blushed too if it could.
With slender fingers she placed the strawberry in the centre of the cake and got to work on packing it for movement.
Today was going to be a busy day.
X
(A/N): Draven, you magnificent tosser you! xD
Jeez, that was longest oneshot I've written yet at more than 4000 words! It's probably full of spelling mistakes, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're bored by now, but oh well :P
Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! (And Singed can speak, I've just always imagined him as a quiet person D: )