{A/N}: Hello there, reader! My name's Noisiboi and this is my first League of Legends story as well as the first in a series of stories I plan to write.

As you more than likely read in the summary, this is collection of story drabbles or one-shots that loosely connect to each other in a kind of informal story arc; this one in particular is focused around the pairing Talon x Katarina!

So before I start rambling, I'll end my author's note here and let you get to reading the content you actually came for.

Enjoy!

-Nb

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The Blade and Her Shadow

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I: Cat and Mouse

The alert, careful gaze of Katarina's protector and adopted brother was zoned in on her from afar in the middle of the dense, Noxian woods, his hunched, cloaked form gracefully perched atop a single branch just high enough that he could watch his lady close enough without being seen.

Katarina was independent, skilled, and most of all headstrong. She would never approve of her beloved sibling watching over her when she needed to get away and be alone for a while during these routine morning walks she would treat herself to.

He understood however.

Katarina was honor-bound to her country as a lady of nobility and as the eldest daughter of House du Couteau, a House of great prestige due to the infamous skill her late father, arguably the greatest swordsman in all of Noxus. In all of Valoran, one might even say.

One like Talon might say. Katarina's secret, young protector grew up knowing only how to fight to survive. Assassins from across the continent would come to "humbly" request him to join their league.

And every time he declined, the humble requests turned into attempts on his life for rejecting their offers.

Every assassination attempt, every death threat was met with relentless ferocity. The heads of his many assailants would serve as proof even today of Talon's fierce resolve.

Katarina's father was the only one to ever defeat him in combat, and with ease at that. Talon was in awe of the du Couteau's mastery and was more than willing to die at the hands of such a skilled swordsman.

But his lady's father had different plans in mind for Talon.

Taking Talon under his wing, he raised him as his own son with his two daughters, the renowned Katarina and Cassiopeia. Even in their youth, the two girls were as fierce as they were beautiful.

From the day their father took Talon into his home, raised him among his own flesh and blood, and gave him a family that he never pictured himself having before, Talon was a changed man.

The bold resolve that Talon already had within him was increased tenfold, his perseverance heightened beyond that of any normal orphan boy.

And when Katarina's only father, when Talon's only father, disappeared, it changed the mentality of everyone in House du Couteau. Cassiopeia became more vicious, Katarina less sociable, and Talon more protective of Katarina than ever before.

With Katarina having all the expectations of House du Couteau thrust upon her shoulders, Talon knew that whatever, or whomever, had taken away their father was just as much of a threat to Katarina as the new leader and representative of their great House.

Talon let the only father he ever knew slip through his fingers, potentially never to see him again. He would not lose the same fate afflict his Lady Katarina.

Once he set his mind to something now, there was nothing that was going to stop him…

… Except perhaps the one red-haired girl he was determined to watch over at all hours of the day.

The one red-haired girl that was now staring at him from where she stood in the clearing of a vast forest, fully aware of Talon watching her from his perch.

With a playful grin and a wave of her pale fingers, she called out to him, "Good morning, Talon."

Talon's carefully hidden eyes went wide beneath his hood and his cheeks glowed with embarrassment as he quickly hid himself behind the trunk of his chosen perch tree.

"How did she notice me?!" He thought silently to himself, blushing like a giddy, young child.

The redness in his cheeks didn't fade when he realized his heart was pounding out of his chest at knowing he'd been caught by Katarina. And to add insult to injury, she smiled at him as if she'd known he was there all along.

It was like this was all some game of cat and mouse to her. Almost as if she was enjoying it.

"How long had she known I was here?" Talon asked beneath his breath before peeking out from behind the tree to see what Katarina was doing now.

She was gone, the clearing in the woods now void of any life aside from bushes and grass.

Talon's eyes narrowed suspiciously before he found a surprisingly strong hand slam against his chest, pinning him back roughly against the tree trunk as Katarina revealed herself in front of him, one hand on Talon's chest and the other holding a dagger tauntingly against his throat.

He looked down at the dagger swiftly before his gaze found its way up to meet her own.

Their eyes locked with one another, Talon's dark blue orbs clashing with a sea of green in Katarina's irises, devious intentions setting her eyes ablaze with passion.

A sly simper found its way across Katarina's lips and Talon gulped quietly at the frustration of not knowing what was going through her pretty little head.

"How long have you been watching me like this, Talon?" Katarina finally asked, a sickeningly sweet tone in her voice.

Talon tilted his chin up away from the blade she held at his throat, "Um… Overall or just today?"

"Stupid answer, Talon, stupid!" He chastised himself inwardly.

Katarina's mischievous eyes widened at his response, "Oh, so this has been a regular thing that you've been doing lately?" She asked, her sweet tone switching rapidly to a spiteful one.

Talon's face turned white as a ghost, but he couldn't take his gaze off of her lest she slit his throat for daring to interrupt the privacy of her morning walks, "It's a possibility."

His voice came out in a quiet stammer.

Katarina let her playful grin from earlier slip across her lips as she suddenly lowered the dagger and slid ever closer to him, "You know, little brother, it's dangerous to follow a cat in the woods alone."

Talon's blush quickly returned and he looked down at finding the distance between them closing rapidly, "This isn't my first time doing so. I'm aware of the risks…" he trailed off.

Katarina squinted a little before suddenly taking her hand off his chest and letting it slide up so she could wrap her arms around his neck loosely, "Yeah," she started.

"Let's talk about why you've been following me around so often."

Her warm breath caressed his lips and his cheeks flushed fiercely now at the temptation that overwhelmed him because of it.

It would seem that the tables had all but turned on their once innocent game of cat and mouse in the woods.

{A/N}: So how do you think their conversation went afterwards? *wink*

As I stated earlier, this is the first in a series of drabbles I have plans to write. I will post the next chapter of this Talon x Katarina story as soon as I can!

But in the meantime, what other pairings do you hope to see me write? Did you like the Talon x Kat fluff?

Let me know, I love any feedback!

Thanks for reading, guys and gals.

-Nb