The Ivory Ward District was definitely one of Noxus Prime's better districts. Located on the higher-up parts of the city, snuggled between the massive walls spreading out of the Immortal Bastion, the houses looked older than those in any other part of the city. Ancient families who were able to uphold their greatness resided there, right next to the new rising powers and those strong enough to claim a place next to age-old influences. At any other time, Lux would have admired the architecture and the different structural designs which melted into one another, and how most of the newer houses did not disturb the regality of the obviously older ones through fences which accentuated their distance. She would have loved to get a book and research the eras in which the nice, well-tended houses were built in. She would have loved to learn how the residents had updated the interior and exterior designs to fit into modern security measures, or how the different architectural styles merging into each other indicated the origin of the architect. There was an abundance of things to take into account while studying the playful arc of an Ionian-styled gable, their angle similar to those constructed in the Fa Dynasty, but combined with the crafting materials and the colors of the north. Sadly, Lux had no time to dwell on the question of if the gargoyles on the house she had just passed were crafted here in Noxus, the sandstone in Shurima, or if they were imported from the Ironspike Mountains, where the granite of quarries was naturally black. She had so little time to contemplate her many questions.
The neatly paved streets were clean and neither thugs nor whores or other people of questionable repute occupied them. This alone was a great difference to the districts Lux hid in. The only people walking around were guards and private security of the richer families residing there.
Guards, in higher quantity than usual and, of course, Lux herself.
She pressed herself into a corner to evade another patrol, clutching a single flower tightly in her hand.
Lux, of course, was not here for the pleasure of being around fascinating culture, but because of a specific target: Family Blackclaw. Old blood, seats in the Noxian High Command since before Jarvan the first's death, and their family manor was right before her, in the Ivory Ward District. Lux normally targeted much lower marks than this, but rumors told that the two remaining sons of Lady Blackclaw, current head of the house, would not uphold the family's greatness. Many people from aspirational houses were very, very interested in the truth contained in those rumors. They were willing to pay enough gold to make Lux reconsider her decision to ease into higher-up targets. Thrillingly, the Blackclaws had guarded their mansion better than the houses Lux had already visited, making it much less boring to plan her assault.
Her first mission with high stakes and it already seemed like she had not prepared well enough. She had managed to get into the house unnoticed, succeeded in not get too distracted by the Demacian cedar she found as a roof truss, and she had obtained her share of information. Information of which was not about the strength of the Blackclaw's offspring, but something of a much greater delicacy. While disengaging, she had unfortunately met the honor-guard of the Noxian noble house just as she had been crossing the rose garden of Lord Blackclaw. Cultivating the delicately beautiful flowers seemed cruel, but the pride Lord Blackclaw took in the action made the act seem so much more horrific. . In her attempt to flee she had accidentally broken off one of the prized blossoms, and since then her mission had gone downhill. The first scream of a ward Lux had not detected repeating the screeched warning of, "ROSETHIEF!" and had nearly set the whole house on fire. At least, if she was regarded as such, nobody would know about the information she had managed to extract: family Blackclaw's personal mage-forming program in the northern Shuriman desert as well as their deportation to Ionia. Needless to say, she had taken the rose with her.
Still, the Blackclaw guard was significant in their number, plus they controlled the gates, which were already starting to close even though she had sprinted there at top speed.
Lux cursed silently. That complicated her departure. She had her invisibility up for quite some time now and would not be able to hold it for much longer, most certainly not until dawn. She did not dare to copy the face of a noble residing here. Noxian nobles were cautious to the level of paranoia, so Lux was sure there were some hidden safety protocols she didn't know about. The only way out of the Ivory Ward was through the gates since three other sides were guarded by the high walls of the Immortal Bastion.
A situation suiting her ingenuity just fine, for she was always quick in making up backup-plans. Plan might be an exaggerated term for the idea growing in her mind, but it was better than nothing, so her feet carried her to a new location as the idea shaped in her mind. She just had to tiptoe around another group of guards and then cross the few hundred yards that parted her from her destination.
She carefully eyed the impressive mansion in front of her, protected by a high wall as well as iron-spiked gates. The building itself was noticeable in how functionality and grace united seamlessly. It was old, well-kempt, and the manifest of ageless money, power, and influence set in stone and glass. The Du Couteau Mansion. She could not shake the feeling that she was doing something really, really stupid. She contemplated before continuing her path, the strain of keeping her invisibility up slowly seeping into her head. At least she had a lead, so her situation was not all bad.
She had verified the location of the man she kept bumping into through a maid who liked to drink. In between the stench and vapor of alcohol too strong for her taste, she had found out that nobody asked questions about the Du Couteaus, lest they desired a visit by the Blade's Shadow or another agent of the house, and that no amount of liquor would get her past that barrier. She had been forced to investigate herself to find out in which room he lived— upper floor, the last room in the east wing with a good view over the street as well as to a part of the garden, most likely with access to the roof. Lux listened to the streets. She heard a whip-like crackle as a barrier rose around the gates, without doubt stopping any unauthorized trespassing to this part of town. Holding up the barrier surely costed much energy to maintain, Lux figured, which meant she played on time. The unnatural obsession with pointless roses surprised her. She took another deep breath and tucked the one she had stolen into her belt.
Her plan was set and with the guards still checking the streets, there was no room for stalling. She climbed over the fence without fear.
Forming the light around her to hide from optical-based traps, she made it over the stone wall and onto the property. No one knew which kind of defenses the Du Couteaus had installed in their garden, so she took the neatly graveled access road. Lux figured an assault coming as directly as this would be unexpected.
After carefully rounding some well-hidden seals and some equally concealed hextech devices, she had reached the mansion's outer wall. The stone was different under the window she had identified as his. It was just a bit rougher, a bit better to climb. And, as far as she was able to sense, much less guarded than the other windows. On top of that, his window was open. Interesting, but understandable, if she took into account who lived behind it. It was doubtful anyone would willingly break into there. She contemplated this while climbing up the stone, scrapping her palms and nearly breaking her nails while doing so. In Noxus, hope and trust were much rarer than fear, she thought pitifully as she slipped through the window, into the unlit room, quiet as a mouse, listening to any sound a human would make.
It was quiet, save for the soft rustling of Lux's own clothes.
It was dark as well.
Lux took a deep breath. The room smelled like he did, so there was a good chance she was at the right place after all. Breaking into Talon Du Couteau's bedroom was bad enough, but it was not beneficial to contemplate what would happen should she meet another member of the household. A good thing was she never thought about losing. Because there was no blade in any of her body parts, she estimated nobody was at home.
She had made it.
First, she discarded her invisibility and the strain in her head dissipated. Lux started planning out her next steps.
She stood by the window in indecision, not daring to explore the room any further. She placed the rose onto the windowsill, her reminder of this evening. She debated on making her presence known, in hopes that it would cause her to look the least threatening. Surprising this special Noxian seemed like a surefire way to find a knife in one's throat, so she lit a small ball of light to brighten her way. Carefully she crossed the clinically tidy room to turn on the Piltovan switchlights —or possibly zaunite— Regardless, there was a switch and after turning it there was light; one reflecting on the many different sizes and shapes of enough bladed weapons to equip at least half an army, simply hanging on the walls like other people would display expensive art.
This should be enough of an announcement, she thought while retreating back to the window, away from the two doors, for she was not able to tell which one led to where.
Lux had enough time to lay out several courses of action for what could happen if she decided not to leave right now— and even for when she left. Even then, she took Talon Du Couteau neither for the type to not notice an intruder nor for someone who would let a challenge like that go unanswered. Plus, she could still hear the guards roaming the streets, and the distant flicker of air indicated that the barrier was still up, so getting away was not an option.
It felt like an eternity passed with only her thoughts to keep her company, for Lux did not dare to move anywhere in the room. It was likely paranoid, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Today, she had crossed one noble family already and adding a second one, one with much more influence and power and deadliness, was nowhere near the top of her wish-list. Still, her curiosity had not vanished, and right now she was supposedly in the personal bedroom of a regretless murderer. The said murderer was seemingly in possession of plum-colored bed sheets and a large, four-poster bed, but that was not the only equipment that made this room look not only inhabited but thoughtfully, practically furnished as well. An undecorated floor-to-ceiling wardrobe with closed doors occupied the part of the wall not hung with blades. Lux was able to see beauty in nearly everything, and the shiny weapons of all colors and shapes sure looked impressive, forming a flowing pattern on the walls. On closer examination, they all looked used but cared for, and sharp enough to split the floor, should they fall. A little bookshelf standing next to a small leather sofa completed the picture of a room only used for personal reasons. It was unusual to have a seating accommodation in one's bedroom, at least it had been in every rich Noxian household she had infiltrated as of yet, so this had to be another personal preference. In a house like this, Lux had expected a sitting-room intertwined with the other rooms in a way that would make defending it easy and attacking it hard. All of sudden, Lux felt like an intruder even more.
She did not hear him coming. No footsteps from outside announced the arrival of another person, but the door swinging open without a sound was more than Lux needed. There was no one standing in the doorway, making it look like it had opened by itself, but Lux knew better.
She took a deep breath, steadying her tone while keeping her body completely motionless. "You keep a lady waiting forever." She chimed to the seemingly empty room with a bright smile, searching for any sign of life. There was no visible movement. Where was he… Where was he….
"A lady visits a man's bedroom uninvited?" A dark, menacing voice answered. The hooded man she had encountered a few times over the last few weeks stepped out of the shadows on the opposite of the open door, clad in the purple clothes she knew, minus the giant arm-blade and the armored boots. He indeed was as silent as a shadow.
Lux took in his posture. Even without any visible weapons, he looked dangerous, like a bird of prey with talons invisible, but clearly hidden somewhere. And this particular bird of prey was currently surrounded by his weapons. "A lady marvels at nicely colored bed sheets," Lux kept her tone light and her smile untarnished, "Do they really match your attire?" Her attempt to joke came out a little weak.
His head whipped to the window, listening to the sounds outside. "You came here to marvel at the superior interior design?" He scoffed.
She spared the blades on the walls a mocking glance. "One reason. But I haven't seen you in quite some time, I thought it would be a splendid idea to pay you a visit."
He listened another moment, gaze switching between her pose and the window. "Splendid idea…" He repeated tunelessly. Then, he seemed to decide something, seemingly in her favor, for she was still alive and well so far. "You already get clingy?" He rasped. His words sounded almost taunting and were at least lighter than his previous ones as he stepped to another window, far enough away from her to observe the street and the guards bustling around at this late hour.
"Can you hold it against me?" Lux batted her eyelashes, leaving him enough time to comprehend why she had invaded his privacy.
If he was surprised, he did not show it. His face was as blank as always as he inspected her from head to toe, for the first time taking in her whole appearance, gaze halting at key points of her physique. She had dropped the greatest parts of her illusions, for keeping them up after the long time she had spent invisible was too draining, but she was not prepared for the open evaluation of her physical assets. Her darker hair and eyes seemed to intricate Talon much less than the rest of her body, especially her hands. With his indifferent expression never wavering, it started to feel dangerous in another way than trying to keep her throat intact.
"And the personal guard of house Blackclaw is your idea of an entourage," His gaze flickered from the street to her, the fingers of his right hand fondling the handle of a dagger. Lux was not able to place if that was an unconscious gesture or a warning.
She decided for the former and smiled warmly, "I thought of bringing more flowers, but Alois seems to be quite possessive about his. I had to improvise." She nodded to the blossom on the windowsill.
Another moment in silence passed as Talon's gaze switched between the street outside, the rose, and her. He seemed to shrug. "Were you even trying?" He asked, pushing his hood out of his face.
An intrigued glimmer appeared as his eyes became visible and for the first time, Lux was able to look at his unconcealed face. Her heart rate picked up even more. She was possibly the first Demacian to ever be able to do as much.
His face was constructed of sharp, angular lines, his skin a bit darker than expected for someone who spent the whole day under cover. His eyes the molten gold she already knew, but his dark hair was longer than expected, bound together by a hairband, but still curling at the nape of his neck in possible dampness. His forehead looked a little sweaty, with little dark curls clinging to the skin.
Lux decided to keep it going while shutting out the too Demacian thoughts, locking them for later. She shook her head in feigned exasperation and showed the sting a rose had given her, opting to continue their banter. "I received an injury acquiring this rose, you are quite hard to please." At least he had not openly drawn a knife on her, not that it meant anything. If this was either how Noxians flirted, or a game before the sharper reality would stab in, she had no idea.
"You already think so?" The brief flash of his teeth was openly predatory, sending a shiver down Lux's spine. Turning to her, he tugged at the curtain which fell to cover the window.
Oh. Did he mean… Oh. Lux did not let her confusion show. This was no progression of events she had anticipated, but she had always excelled at improvising. "A visit in a moonlit night with a personal guard of honor…" With a shift in the air pressure, the warding barrier around the Blackclaw estate flicked into power. Much too late, she thought disparagingly. "Special effects while I speak…" She blinked at him innocently.
He held her gaze and unwrapped the fastening of his cloak, still regarding her with a certain level of cautiousness, as if she was a riddle he was not able to solve.
"You spared no trouble," In contrast to his stern expression his tone still was almost light, although his hands hovered over a spot where she knew at least one blade was hidden. Contrary, the movements of his hands were deliberately slow. His wary gaze flickered to her hands ever so often, so she copied this behavior, keeping her hands visible and only moving them haltingly.
"Looks like you are expecting someone," Lux tilted her head to the cleanly made bed. "I wouldn't want to crush a date." She lifted her chin with a smirk that showed more confidence than she actually possessed.
His eyes danced between the bed and her, otherwise, he stood as unmoving as a statue. "I had a date with the shower, you definitely cut into that one," He murmured.
"Sounds like something you shouldn't miss," Lux pouted in fake disappointment, averting her eyes a little. Not enough to miss his movements though, that would have been impolite and dangerous.
Again, there was a considerable silence. It was broken by the bright clinging of metal as he shrugged the cloak from his shoulders, hanging it over the weapons rack she had noticed prior.
She contemplated his actions. He was forfeiting a part of his arsenal from access, despite her presence. Perhaps he did so in wary trust, but it confirmed her prolonged life, so she found no room to question it. She wished there was a guide to this part of Noxian behavior. Even if his relatively relaxed posture and the removed cloak indicated that she did not completely fail, she had no idea how to continue. Besides, the back and forth was entertaining for her as well and was likely the nicest interaction she had had in quite a while.
"Wanna turn my date into a threesome?" Now his eyes shimmered like the blades displayed on his walls.
As he had turned this to her, it was her turn to consider. Not bad, not bad.
Showing caution was acceptable, so Lux weighted her options. She wailed inside at the only outcome this game of hers would provide, the only comfort being that it would not cost her less than getting caught by the guards. And, focused as ever, Lux shifted her attention to the task at hand. She would take what she could get, as always, to an acceptable price. Getting caught by family Blackclaw was definitely the worse alternative.
"I love being the third wheel," She decided, beaming at him with the sweetest smile she could muster; even though that was not the case. She really, really wanted a shower. None of her own hideouts had one, but the idea of taking one with another person was unappealing. Specifically with a stranger, the dangerous murderer from an infamous family, who looked at her with appreciation, a healthy bit of caution and a little confusion.
"Oh, I won't make you feel like that," Talon rasped as another expression Lux could not quite place set his eyes ablaze. His fingers wandered to his waist, as slowly as all of his movements were, to fumble with his belt buckle. Lux observed the metal coming loose, falling to the ground with a heavy chink as the weapons strapped to it hit the floor. Only now did she notice the dark stains on his shirt.
Sweat, not blood, she figured by the lack of irony smell. There was no hesitation in his movements as he pulled his shirt up, minimizing the time it covered his eyes as he tugged it over his head.
"Words are shallow..." She teased while trying to copy his body language and taking his body in, willing herself to relax and pretend this was completely normal for her. He was slim, well-muscled, and his torso looked different than anyone she had ever seen, not that she had many references. The scars entwining across his upper body were quite impressive. Some were torn and faded from time while others were silvery lines of well-tended blade wounds. The freshest scar, one she remembered aiding, still had a tint of pink to it. It was not nearly red enough for how little time had passed, though, so there had to be magical healing involved. Handily, Noxus had arcane healers were Demacia had none. Lux refrained from shaking her head, forcing her thoughts back to the present. After all, getting distracted in this situation would surely kill her.
Ridding herself of her weapons seemed like a good idea, so she let go of her baton, which landed on the floor with a clonk. Lux's fingers twitched, instantly missing the safety it provided her with. Even though neither of them was truly unarmed. He was fast enough to reach one of the many blades and was most likely trained in hand to hand combat; she could unleash the more unrefined parts of her power.
She continued with losing her own cowl and the belts around her chest and her waist. Freeing herself from her shirt was another tense moment and the point Lux chose to relax. She was in the more vulnerable position here, and nothing she had heard indicated that Talon Du Couteau liked toying with his food. Having heard as much but not really knowing were two different things though, and the uncertainty kept her on the edge.
It was hard to assume that someone whose eyes roamed over newly exposed skin like he did right now would jump and kill her any moment. Lux decided that she liked his expression as well as the appreciation she saw in his face. Her pants were next, and getting out of them left her in her underwear. "Like what you see?" Lux drawled playfully, directing one hand to her hip but halting sparingly as she debated where to put her other hand. Light, this is complicated.
Talon seemed to snap out of his trance. "Worth a personal guard of honor," He answered, sounding more serious than moments ago.
Lux giggled, flattered, trying to hide her tension as well as the blush creeping up her face with a small turn of her head so her hair fell over her face. She bent her arms behind her back to open her bra.
By now she had identified the expression in his eyes as hunger and awakening lust, so she shrugged the first strap off her shoulder before she did the same with the second one.
Talon's eyes followed her movements for a few more moments before his hands got into motion, fumbling with his pants, removing his underwear in the same, slow motion and stretching his now naked body.
The light-mage regarded his unconcealed frame, forcing her breath to stay even. He did not have the body type that passed as beautiful in Demacia, where bulky and muscled men with arms wider than her thighs, thighs wider than her hip, and as tall as possible, were favored. Talon was slightly taller than herself, although not nearly as tall as Garen or Jarvan, and displayed long, slim muscles that were obviously worked for agility and speed rather than for brute force, with nearly no visible body fat. A comparison between him and the Demacian beauty standard was like contesting an ox against a panther.
Lux decided that she liked felines more than cattle.
Some of the scars continued their path down his lower extremities, one particularly twisted one, carved in between two muscle bellies, did not look like an accident. His body looked intriguing, making Lux's fingers twitch with the urge to explore.
At least the part of physical attraction isn't hard, she thought with relief.
She had not expected that a naked person could still look dangerous.
Well, not naked, she pondered. Talon seemed like the type to be just nude, lethal even without any clothes on.
The assassin broke the tense silence. "Like what you see?" He drawled, imitating her tone.
Lux snickered again. "Indeed worthy of an entourage. And a moonlight visit," She nodded, her eyes glancing at his face again.
She noticed his gaze faltering for just a brief moment. She had not expected a sign of uncertainty, regardless of how small it was, and somehow it helped to calm her down. Maybe he was not as sure as he acted. Which, in turn, meant she was doing good. Lux combed her hair back in a way she hoped was alluring before she tucked her thumb under the band of her panties and pushed them down with a sway of her hips.
For a moment his eyes flickered down over her body, then up just as fast before reaching her eyes once more. Lux held his gaze and had to force herself to keep on breathing as she stared into pools of molten gold. Her heart pounded like a drum, it seemed like a wonder that he had not heard it by now.
Talon took a step sideways and reached back to one of the two doors in the left wall of his room, pushing it wide open. Lux only hesitated for a moment, gathering her courage, before she moved closer. Talon kept his distance by retreating through the door backward, not taking his eyes off of her.
Lux followed into the other room and the texture under her feet changed. She looked down and caught sight of a dark mosaic tile that decorated the ground in intricate patterns. At the sound of a shower spray turning on, her head snapped back up to the assassin whose attention was still fixed on her as he went under the shower first. Water blurred the sharp lines of his face and straightened his hair, changing its already dark color to inky black, hiding the scars on his skin.
Lux closed in on the shower slowly while Talon turned his palms up in the universal gesture for I mean no harm. He indeed looked almost harmless like this. She took one last breath before she followed him under the warm spray.
It felt heavenly, pouring on her in a way she now realized had missed dearly. Not that she forgot about the second person in the shower, but it took a moment to remind herself that she was not in a safe environment. She raked her fingers through her hair once as water limited her sight.
Lux looked up to Talon, trying to figure out what she had to expect.
She had no idea what was expected of her, what would happen now, or where to start. She did not know so many elemental things important for this encounter, she did not even know if it was appropriate to start touching. Did Noxians kiss? She considered the thought warily.
This had been a rather stupid idea, Lux reevaluated, shortly before Talon raised his hand at a glacial pace, moving towards her. She refrained from flinching away and let his fingertips connect with the skin of her upper arm, where she could still see it. He kept it there for a long moment before letting it glide down her arm, just the barest whisper of contact. A shiver ran down Lux's spine.
Of course, she had heard what Demacians rumored about Noxian intimacy. A land obsessed with power and dominance, it was easy to imagine how the people translated ideals to the bedroom. Or the bathroom, in her case. There were enough speculations on how Noxian men treated their women and even more speculations how Noxian females surely liked to be treated: harsh, and they would reciprocate the same way. Looking at women like Katarina Du Couteau on the battlefield had left no one thinking Noxian bedrooms were nice places. Lux had hardly spared a second thought to it but, at that time, it had sounded reasonable.
And here Lux stood, under her first shower in ages, with— measured by Demacian standards— a soulless murderer of which she had encountered again and again over the last months. Encounters she had survived. Lux had minimal time for readying herself, but she prepared for a short, painful experience in that she somehow had to express was okay and not disturbing at all.
The gentle caress of fingertips on her shoulder, down her arm, paired with the unobtrusive distance the nude man in front of her kept, spoke a much nicer language.
His gaze never left her hands completely and he looked tense as well. It was likely he still expected an assault from her. The thought that someone like him saw her as a potential threat excited her unexpectedly. She lifted her hands as slowly as he had, showing her palms before spreading them over his toned chest and taking another small step closer, tracing a rather long, slightly bulgy, scar that looked like a close call down to his abdomen. Noxians got what they were strong enough to take, she reminded herself. At the moment, she had all the liberties she dared to take.
"Do you have soap?" Lux purred in a way she hoped was seductive, as she had figured that as the most effective way to, quite literally, get in touch with this body. Without waiting for his answer she grasped behind him for the white bar she had spotted, his head slightly turning to keep her hand in his peripheral vision.
She carefully foamed the soap in between her hands, a movement he watched with fascination, before she opened her palms again to rub it on his body.
Lux quickly noted how his muscles tensed when her hands left his skin, so she changed her approach and did not let the contact break anymore, kneading the tense muscles of his shoulders and arms in an attempt to soothe him. The strong wires felt nice, firm and soft at the same time. Lux had never touched someone as she did now, and it was not unpleasant. The thought that he was just as tense as she was reassured her.
Talon seemingly decided he was soaped thoroughly enough, for he took the bar out of her hands and reciprocated the gentle washing, starting with her hair. He took his time caressing her arms and stomach, and Lux felt she easily leaned into the soft touch as her tension slowly abated. Getting touched felt nicer than expected, regardless of who she shared her time with.
The fastest of his movements was a flicker of his eyes to hers— in hesitation, possibly— before he rubbed the soap over her chest in small, circular motions. Lux's breath hitched as his padded thumbs glided over the peak of her chest, sending a wavelet of pleasure through her, while his other hand continued to stroke her shoulder.
Lux pulled her lower lip between her teeth, unsure how to proceed for a moment. She looked up into his face, hoping to get a hint. She found all of the assassin's attention fixed on her and her reactions. This was hardly the expression of someone only caring for his own pleasure. He was tense. There was no denying it and he was not moving forward anymore. She refrained from swallowing visibly but let her fingers wander over his shoulders, down his toned chest as his hand slid down her abdomen, thumb following the line down to her navel. Lux allowed herself a more shallow breath before she forced it to even out once more. Exploring his skin, she followed the different lines and marks of his toned body, teasing her fingertips with their differing texture, daring to lower her gaze from his face to where her fingers traced. Not low enough to take a full-on glance at the very male parts of his physique, though, as she did not feel confident enough to do so much just yet. She had half expected him to take, or at least to do something, but after the first, rather bold, grasp to her chest he seemed to recoil to stroking her skin, varying speed and pressure until she was nearly shivering with anticipation she had never experienced before. There was still at least forty centimeters of space between them, and Talon did not seem inclined to breach the distance. Lux continued nagging on her lower lip as her fingertips drew a sinuous curve around his belly button, hesitating if she should go further. He seemed to wait for something; sadly Lux had no idea what that something might be. Hesitatingly, she spread her hands over his bigger ones and pulled slightly, taking a few steps backward until her back touched cold tiles. She leaned against the wall, guiding his hand up her abdomen and to her chests once more. He seemed to know what to do where she did not, and this touch had felt good. A distant part of her writhed in sudden anxiety, wanting to get this all over with already and for this game she did not understand to end so she could go home.
His concentration was still fixed on her, her movements and reactions, as he cupped one of her breasts with his hand, thumb rubbing gingerly over her soft flesh. Now Lux gasped as it felt like a spark striking, ready to ignite to more. Just the barest hint of a smile grazed Talon's lips as he repeated the motion, evenly careful, on her other breast. He did not seem to share Lux's sudden willingness to speed things up a notch, so she let her hands wander up his torso once more until she reached his shoulders, where she rubbed a soothing circle before pulling him, the unmistakable signal to move closer.
He complied with a small twitch of his lips, following the tug. Something poked her hip, and Lux forcefully evaded every thought in that direction. As much as she had wanted this to be over with, now she would need a few moments to become accustomed to the idea what getting it over with would entail. Lux slid her hand down over the skin of his waist and then, with a small step even closer towards him, to his back, which made him twitch just the slightest bit. Lux was not able to differentiate if that was discomfort or not, but for he did not display any signs for her to stop, she used her thumb to massage the muscles next to his spine with a long, slow stroke up and down before she had gathered enough courage to let her hand follow the curve of his spine. She lost her audacity in the last possible moment, not feeling for his butt like she had originally intended, but the outlines of his hip. Another shiver went through Talon's body, minor enough to be dismissed as a figment of her imagination. He had yet to do anything with his lips and Lux was rather glad that she did not have to think about breathing and coordinating another body part of hers. She breathed in and let her hands slide over the protrusion of his hip bone, following the V-shape of his lower abdominal muscles. As uneasy she felt losing sight of Talon's face, her anticipation won as her eyes were faster than her hands and she blinked down his body before her hands caught up, getting a glance of what awaited her.
He seemingly enjoyed what they did, the logical part of her brain concluded, suddenly eager to tactically explore what she had felt poking her. Lux's fingertips skimmed over Talon's pubic region to the base of him. With a sudden sharp inhale too little to act as a warning, Lux was pushed against the tiles, a thigh pressing between her legs making her gasp as searing lips latched on her neck, right behind her pulse-point. An unexpected wave of pleasure and hunger washed over her, lighting up the smoldering spark within her to full ignition.
Lux gripped his hips firmer even as she was surrounded by the assassin's presence, grinding herself against the hard body in front of her with an embarrassingly surprised moan as the heat rising within her body pooled between her legs.
Talon kept her pinned to the wall, his flying breath a good indicator he was not completely unaffected by her, even though him pausing, taking the time to calm his breath, made it seem like he was ignorant of the increasing urgency in her movements.
Lux wound her head free of the shoulder keeping her in check but Talon caught her a moment later, spreading his fingers over her cheek and combing his hand back into her hair before he used the leverage to pull her head to the side, pecking and grazing her skin with his sharp teeth. A new wave of hotness ran down Lux's spine, but Talon was already so close, too close, for her to be able to simply rub herself against him in order to relieve the building tension within her. She was not able to differentiate if it was panic or lust surging through her as his teeth were so close to her throat.
Lux let out something close to a whimper before she shoved him, creating the little space she needed to finally cup his erection with her palm. It felt like velvet covered steel, an interesting feeling, and she started rubbing experimentally. A hiss against her ear acted as the only warning before Talon twisted her around so now not her back, but her front was pushed against the cool stone of the shower wall.
Talon's hands fanned out over her abdomen where they stayed visible, pausing his actions long enough for Lux to catch sight of them once more, to realize what his intent was. Her thoughts went into overdrive as his fingers dipped lower and, with much more haste than before, grazed over her outer folds.
Now it was most definitely a whimper that left Lux's throat. Knowing that a notorious backstabber stood at her back was suddenly much less important than his hips grinding against her, not nearly as catching as his fingers, lingering just over the spot where she wanted him most. She almost caught fire as he caressed her soft skin testingly, his teeth reclaiming the skin of her shoulder while his hard length pressed against her backside.
She wanted something of him so bad right now, the fire burning inside of her flaring to new heights. She had only a vague idea what that something was, though, but hoped he knew, for otherwise, she would simply lose herself in this newly found fire.
Lux's hand fumbled to his hip again. This time she encircled the base of his cock with her fist, trying to get an angle that would allow her to explore more. Another deep growl and him pressing himself flush against her back was her answer. At this angle she was not able to stroke him, so she pushed her behind against him to get more room to maneuver. A deep, somewhat breathless chuckle echoed in her ear and resonated in her chest as his finger finally slipped between her folds. It took longer than when her own fingers rushed there, her anticipation skyrocketing, but eventually, he found the sensitive nub hidden there. Nothing could have prepared Lux for the hot wave of ecstasy that hit her as Talon rubbed her clitoris experimentally, much softer than she did herself, while he pressed the tip of his cock between her legs. Lux squirmed, wanted to turn around, to regain control over the rapidly out of control slipping situation, but felt herself pressed harder against the warmed tiles, the wrist of her hand that was not trying to get a grasp around him secured against the wall.
"Stop teasing already," She gasped breathlessly, trying and failing again to generate more friction.
"You insist?" His lips were on her ear, sucking at her sensitive lobe while he secured her with his body weight and continued to rub maddeningly slow circles on her clit.
For a moment she was not able to answer, and his fingers wandered to her opening, circling it before dipping inside of her.
Oh, light.
"This is me insisting, you got it," Lux's voice trembled while trying and failing to keep it calm and even. His digit slid out again, returning to Lux's pleasure point as the pressure on her core increased. Both of her hands scratched against the tiles as she felt the tip of his cock sliding into her.
This was what she wanted, even though she had not known before. Combined with the finger still worrying her sensitive nub and his ragged breath in her ear, she was nearly overwhelmed. The smooth surface of the wall was nothing to grab, nothing to dig her nails into like she wanted to do right now, it only sufficed to brace her arm against it. His hard length pressed forward slowly and pain mixed into pleasure, sharp and unexpected. Lux barely had enough time to grit her teeth to force a gasp down as another, much more pleasurable pressure eased the pain, leaving her weak on her feet and gasping heavily as Talon ever so slowly pushed his entire length into her, opening her up on his way. His breath was hot against her ear until he had buried himself fully inside her. Then he stopped moving, increasing the pressure on her clitoris. His other hand slipped up her abdomen, to her chest where he squeezed the soft flesh. Lux bucked in his tight grip. It was too much restriction, his grip not strong enough and the pressure between her thighs too much. She moaned ecstatically as she bucked against him again, not knowing if she wanted more or less room to move, but the pleasure had set her nerves on fire, and it was not enough.
Talon seemed to notice as he started to grind inside of her, pushing her harder against the tiles, letting go of her breast to press his hand above hers. She spread her fingers to catch his, getting at least something to hold on during his maddening touch, hardly realizing the sounds echoing in the bathroom emitting from herself. She tried to keep herself together, to not surrender against the excitement building within her, but at his whispered, "Come on, let go," into her ear, somehow Lux's body complied. Her pleasure peaked and came crashing down onto her, body convulsing and her voice hitching breathlessly in her throat.
For a moment she was caught between the unyielding wall and the assassin's steeled body, anchored by his strength while her world flushed white behind her closed eyelids.
Then breathing was the only thing she was able to do. Her rapture slowly receded, concentrating in wave-like pulses around his still very hard length.
The separation from his warm body and the wall was abrupt, unexpected, and entirely unpleasant as he pulled out of her and spun her around. In a daze, she blinked and her hand clasped around his, indecisive if she needed to defend herself or if she could follow the urge to lean into his strong frame.
His eyes were widened, probably with bewilderment, a notion Lux did not understand but filed as non-threatening nonetheless. So, without much thinking, she placed her hands on his cheeks, only distantly noting him freezing as well as his hand flying to her throat before she rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips on his. One second it felt like he was fighting her, trying to shake his head free. Lux had neither thought about this move, nor placed any expectations in this kiss and was still much too caught in the moment to realize how Talon ceased every movement as she cuddled into him. She leaned even closer, moving her lips against his warm, rigid ones, relishing the last pleasant shivers coursing through her.
The moment of him not responding stretched, enough for Lux to notice even through her haze. She let him go, startled by his lack of reaction. Before she got more than a glimpse of his eyes, set ablaze by a dark firestorm, his lips crashed back on hers, the impact of her head hitting the bathroom's wall pillowed by his hand closing around her head, grasping at her hair. The warm water was turned off as Talon took hold of her upper arms and pushed her right out of the shower cabin.
He did not give her enough time to regain her footing as he pushed her backward, nearly slipping twice on the wet floor, stumbling out of the bathroom and into his bedroom.
A few unstable steps later, something hit the hollow of Lux's knees, throwing her off balance. With a yelp she dug her nails into Talon's back, tumbling onto his bed. He followed swiftly, pouncing on her and pinning her to the bed with his body. She instantly took hold of his face once more, placing another open-mouthed kiss on his lips. This time he seemed eager enough, reciprocating the kiss with equal fervor. Then he caught her wrists and pinned them over her head with one hand, the other one running down the curve of her waist. Lux was left breathless by his unabashed desire as he pushed himself inside of her again. Lux's head flew back against the mattress, her eyes closing shut as she tried to determine whether this had started to hurt or please her more. Before she had decided, he pulled out of almost completely, coaxing her to open her eyes. She had never felt as bare as she did right now, Talon's attention fixed on her in the same way when he closed in on a target. He readjusted the slightest bit and his next thrust, angled only slightly different than before, made her see stars. Then he pushed into her again, reigniting the pleasure that had slowly calmed. It felt good, oh so good, but completely different than it had before. Her hitched gasps found their answers in his ragged grunts as his expression became more interesting than the rest of her surroundings. The sweat on his forehead, the way his usually sharp gaze started to waver as his thrusts became more and more erratic, his grip around her wrists tightening almost painfully, his other hand digging in Lux's waist as his hip bucked against her. Lux observed this in a detached, post-bliss fascination; the moment one of the most dangerous men in Valoran came apart over her. Golden eyes lost focus before squeezing shut, Talon clutched her wrists even tighter, his member twitching deep inside of her with his groin shoving against her until he shuddered with a strangled sound and stilled his motions.
Lux gasped, now pinned by his body as much as with his hands.
He hovered over her for a long moment with eyes closed, regaining his breath and his focus before he rolled to the side, releasing her wrists.
She felt his fingers curling against her lower arm, not bothering to break contact there and where their legs still touched.
She allowed herself a moment to enjoy the tingling in her body as well as the warmth. He had stopped bothering about keeping his breath even as it seemed, for he breathed just as heavy as she did. A sudden urge to turn into the warmth just the length of an arm away from her forced her to dip her toes into reality once again.
She was not with a friend.
The warmth inside of her died down to something manageable. The personal and close feeling she had felt had begun to dissipate.
The bed was damp, they had not bothered to dry before changing locations, and Lux felt fatigue creeping into her bones. She greatly desired to close her eyes and sleep now. Specifically after another shower and preferably covered with one of those soft-looking blankets they had ruffled.
Lux pulled her fingers back slowly and gently, to refrain from running them over the nearby arm. The turn of his head indicated he still tracked the movements of her hands. Otherwise, he did not move anymore, so Lux decided to copy this behavior, at least until she caught her breath.
It had become quiet outside as if the searching for her had already stopped. She steeled herself. It was time to pack up and go.
The mage rolled onto her stomach to lift herself up, all the while feeling Talon's gaze following her. The movements of her boobs seemed to be especially to his liking.
Getting into her clothes was tense again, even though the assassin chose to stay in his bed, stock-still safe for the movements of his eyes.
Before leaving through the window, Lux changed her mind and slowly returned to the bed and the motionless man inside of it.
Palms showing, she lowered her head to place a kiss on his lower arm, now returning to trace his movements for signs of aggression. Currently, there were none.
"That was nice," She told him quietly.
He hummed in response but did and said nothing else. Which was probably good, for he did not intercept her as she moved to the window. He stayed motionless until she had taken her leave.
In the safety of her apartment, she activated her guarding spells and slumped on the bed, allowing herself to empathize the Demacian she still was.
She felt sore between her thighs; sore and tender.
Lux recollected the things her mother had once said to her. She still remembered how, after one of her greater outbursts, a composed Augatha had told her she would never be like other girls, never be able to marry or let herself be courted by a honorable man, for some parts of her were hideous. She had observed older girls getting courted and eventually getting married and the thought of never having to endure that herself had set her free. No ties to a home she would be forced to watch over, nobody who would forbade her from seeing the world, no one to completely take over her life, and no one whom she would have to hide from for the rest of her days. Even now this thought did not fail to make her feel better.
She had not wasted anything, for she would never have some things in her life. She did not want some things and had decided so when she rejected to do nothing more with her life than manage the Crownguard estates. She could do everything she wanted to because of what she was; she was able to achieve her dreams because of it. She nourished that thought until it heated her innards.
She would do what she wanted, she had no worth in the dynastic games of her home country, and nobody would ever notice what had happened in Noxus. That most definitely made her feel better. Even greater was the anger rising within her.
Augatha would never dare to think her working here, or in Piltover, or even the lands between Demacia and Noxus, which her mother considered less valuable than reducing herself to the level of a pretty watchdog.