Have some Cass/Nami. I insist.
"Is this-?" Nami's hands shook above the glowing orb, afraid to make contact as if touching would make it disappear.
"It isss." Cassiopeia smiled. Smiled despite herself. Despite knowing exactly how his conversation would end.
"I don't believe it." And she looked up at Cass, unshed tears glistening in her eyes and an expression that conveyed the gratitude of an entire people. "Where?"
"An old Lunari temple buried deep in the Shadow Islessss. I pulled a few stringsss to get Diana sssafe passsage, and she brought thisss-" she gestured to the orb -"back withh her." A few strings included buying of the acquiescence of most league affiliated denizens of the region as well as a promise to represent them in their next major League dispute, but none of that mattered. Not when it helped Nami.
And then the marai was crying, clutching Cass tight in a thankful embrace, and instinctively the Noxian coiled around her, a protective reflex she'd developed in some of Nami's more vulnerable moments. "This can save my entire people," the marai whispered. "How can I even begin to thank you?"
"Honorary empresss would be nicccee, but I'd settle for a kissssss," The Noxian jested. And she had to, because if Cass took the situation seriously than she'd have to accept that the moonstone would make Nami go back to her people… away from her. She'd have to accept that she might never see the woman she loved ever again. That she'd be alone again. And then she'd have to justify that that grateful smile would be worth all that. Cass wasn't sure she could.
She tried to keep her composure - she really did - but when Nami leaned forward and Cass met her halfway with just a little too much desperation, she saw the glint in the marai's eye and knew she'd caught on.
"You're scared, Cass," Nami whispered. "What's wrong?" And with anybody else Cassiopeia could have kept her charade up. But Nami knew her too well.
Her voice was uncharacteristically small. "When you go back to your people... promisse you'll visssit?"
"Visit?" Nami chuckled. "Why would I visit?" And Cass tried to turn away because she wasn't going to let Nami see her heart break, but smooth hands stopped her, brushing her face gently and keeping her meeting the Marai's eyes. And Nami flashed her that damn gentle smile that always melted her as she said: "I can't visit what I don't leave."
And Cass couldn't have foreseen this outcome and she thinks she might be grinning like an idiot and thank god Katarina isn't there or there would be no end to the blackmail. Then confusion crosses her features. "But I thought - do you not have to go back to your people?"
Nami smiled again. "I'll go back to give them the stone, say hello to some friends and family and whatnot, but I don't need to stay. I'll be gone a fortnight at most." The marai continued. "My people have a saying Cass. It goes: Home is not where you were born. Home is where your sexy stunning Noxian half-serpent girlfriend is." And Cass couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't think that's how it actually goesss."
Nami grins, shrugging. "Something might've been added in the translation - can't fathom what. But I like it that way."
Cass smiled, pressing a chaste kiss to the wonderful creature she couldn't imagine living without. "I like you that way too."
I'll probably end up writing more of these two.