If you see a lot of updates for this story here in about 2 days when I get home from work (I work on an oil rig). It will just be me consolidating chapters and hopefully doing more proof reading. If you guys want to help you can always copy and paste in a pm parts that are off. I re-read my chapters before posting them, but I'm a horrible proof reader. Thanks, don't forget to leave a review/follow/fav! Thanks

Since I deleted Unwanted and merged the two stories into one large one. I'll be renaming the chapters all after this story.

Slowly buttoning up a blue dress shirt with golden thread, while he stood in front of the mirror. Watching himself wondering, how he got himself into this debacle.

A…date….I can't even stand her presence…let alone a date.

He shook the thought out of his head. He started wondering what Katarina was doing and started thinking back at the first time he found himself in her presence talking for the first time without a dagger at his throat.

…..

Sitting in his command tent writing reports on the latest events occurring in Kalamandra. Every night the past two weeks had been the same. After meetings between Noxus, Demacia, Zuan, the Kalamandra City council and the Institute of War regarding who would win the rights to mine the rich mineral deposits on the city outskirts. He would return to his tent and numb his mind writing and reviewing reports. The only entertainment he had would be sitting across the large meeting room from Katarina. He was almost certain she was looking at him, when she thought he wasn't looking. There was moments when their eyes met. He had caught her dozing off during a particular long speech, her head bobbing up and down facing the table in front of her. When one of the delegates suddenly tapped her on the shoulder and she quickly looked around embarrassed and blushing. He remembered her looking up in his direction to see if he had noticed. He chuckled at her smiling as she gave him a furtive smile as she wiped slobber off the side of her face.

But that was all he saw of her, the mind numbing hours of sitting there listening to pompous politicians pleading why their city state deserved to have exclusive mining rights. The sight of paper work was starting to give him a head ache, he rubbed his temples and stretched his arms leaning back on his chair.

"I need a break!" he spoke out laud to himself.

Getting up from his desk he decided to explore the town, he knew fighting wasn't allowed in Kalamandra proper and the local police was always patrolling so it was enough encouragement for him to leave his tent for ones. Besides the Noxian camp was on the opposite side of the town and much further away than the Demacian camp. He didn't blame the Kalamandra city council, Noxians loved to fight and most people of Valeran were weary of them.

It was relatively late night for Garen, around 9:00 PM but he found himself in what seemed to be the only tavern in the town. "The Hasty Hammer"

He swung the heavy wooden door and found it relatively empty for a place that could easily accommodate close to 30 only sex patrons were sitting in small clusters about the tavern. He found himself sitting alone at the bar. A large intimidating man behind the bar, looked up at him with a bored and annoyed glance.
"What's your poison?" he snickered.
"Ale, start a tab" Garen, spoke in a quite voice. Trying to avoid attention to himself from any of the clientel.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Crownguard" The bar keep chuckled.
Garen, raised an eyebrow. Wondering why he had spoken his name.
"Not often we get celebrities in this….excuse for a bar." The bar keep gave him a warm smile and slid a mug full of ale in front of him and left him to his own devices.

Garen, found himself unable to relax and found that he had finished the first mug faster than expected. Before he looked up to ask for another, the barkeep had already placed a second mug in front of him. This happened ones again and he found himself almost finished with a third mug. He started feeling the alcohol warming his body and soothing his worried mind away. He found his calloused fingers rubbing his chin. I need to shave. His thumb felt like it was rubbing sand paper. Deciding he was ready to leave he finished off the last of his ale. As he placed the mug down on the counter, he felt a presence at the chair next to him and before he could protest a fourth empty mug was slid in front him and one placed in front of the person at his side. He intimidating barkeep had a big smile on his face as he spoke.

"One for you, Mr. Crownguard and one for you miss, on his tab" he gave Garen a wink and walked to the end of the bar.

Garen, looked to his side as Katarina picked up the mug and quietly started drinking. As she drank he looked around the tavern noticing plenty of empty seats she could have chosen but for some reason she didn't. They looked at each other with a sideways glance as they had their lips to their mugs. Garen, sipped his and saw the side of her lips raise up in a smile as she chugged the full contents of hers. Quickly wiping excess ale from her lips with the back of her head.

"Barkeep! Two double shots of whiskey!" She spoke in a laud playful voice, before burping.

He turned his head finally facing her and he saw her hand at her mouth covering it while her cheeks started to turn a soft red hue from blushing.

"Careful wouldn't want to…" he found himself lacking a witty comment. "miss the meeting tomorrow".
She composed herself as she turned and spoke with a haughty smile.
"You know we don't have a meeting tomorrow for once." She smirked handing him one of the shot glasses that had arrived.

She gave him a sardonic look as they pounded their shots. He felt the warm burning sensation down his throat and sweet and sour after taste of burnt wood. Tightening his face trying to hide his disgust. He looked at her, her face gave him another sardonic smirk. She's toying with me.

He saw her raise her hand about to order another round.

"Kat…are you trying to get me drunk?" he found his voice slurring slightly.
"Maybe…"she chuckled softly.
"I still have a mug full…I'll sit this shot out." He spoke looking at his full mug of ale in his hand.
"suit yourself, guess I'll just have to play catch up" She shrugged and called the bar keep over.
"Two double shots again!"

When the shots arrived, Garen feared she'd slide one over his direction. But nonchalantly as if she was taking doses of strong medicine she drank one after the other within thirty seconds.

It took a good twenty minutes until Garen notice the alcohol start to affect her.
"So, tell me Crownguard. I'd expected you to be in a warm cot reading some book before bed like a prude." The comment made herself chuckle.

"Did, you decide to sit by me just to tease me? Or to drink?" He looked at her with his soft blue eyes.

He called the barkeep over and ordered another round. He was starting to feel a bit sober and wanted to make her eat her words. When the drinks arrived she looked at them with suspicion. He gave her a playful smile.

"If it's too much for you…you don't have to" The tone of his voice was teasing her.

She raised her hand to stop him from talking and shook her head.

"No, this is nothing!" As she downed one after another.

He followed and took his drink just as she had.

Around 20 minutes both of them had become drunk, she started slurring her words and had become hazy eyed. Garen had to admit she was fun to be around they spent a few hours talking, well if one could call it that. More like playful insults mostly at his expense. Whenever he did make a verbal jab at her he found her small fist punching his shoulder lightly. Whenever she would speak to him her hand would linger on his shoulder until she realized it and moved it quickly. He felt guilty actually enjoying her company, he knew it was wrong but he realized he was growing fond of her. The barkeep showed up and gave them a round on the house, which was already much more than he had planned on drinking that night. They argued over who's fighting style was better and as she tried to get up she almost fell down, to which Garen quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and kept her on her feet.

He slid coins at the table and the barkeep gave him a smirk, probably assuming he was going to get lucky with her.

Knowing he couldn't take her back to his camp and as they walked through the sparsely populated Kalamandra streets her legs gave on her and he started carrying her. Figuring he couldn't walk her miles in the dark to the Noxian camp he walked to the nearby hotel.

It was dimly light as he entered the lobby and asked an elderly lady for a room. She looked surprised to see him and nodded and gave him a coy smile when she saw the beautiful red hair woman slouched in the arm chair behind him softly snoring. Garen's cheeks turned red blushing at her assumption. He quickly slid her some coin and carried Katarina up rickety wooden stairs and up into a small one bed rom.

He plopped her down on the bed and she made a soft grunt. He leaned over her with his knee on at the edge of the bed to pull the covers from under her and pull them back up over her. At this she clumsily reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt. With her eyes closed she was almost doing it out of instinct. By the time he had the blanket over her she had managed to get his top two buttons undone. Before her hands fell back down to her sides and she fell asleep.

He decide it was a bad idea to stay with her for the night and quietly backed away from the bed and made his way down to the lobby. Before he could exit the elderly lady called for him

"Mr. Crownguard!" her voice with a perturbed undertone.

He turned around and she closed the distance between them her winkled face mirrored her concern.

"With so many soldiers around here it's been dangerous and…" she thought for a second, before speaking again.

"I don't think it be a good idea, leaving your girlfriend upstairs alone for the night…"She gave him a mischievous smile.

"Uh…she's not..my.." Garen tried to reply with a furtive look and tone.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. She is very beautiful you two look wonderful together." Her motherly face, brought a smile to Garen.

He nodded and made his way back up to the room. He sat on a wooden chair and rested his feet on the edge of the bed careful not to wake Katarina from her sleep. Tilting he's head back the quiet sound of her breathing was like a metronome which slowly lulled him to sleep.

The sun had shone through a small window causing Garen to wake up, he noticed she was still sleeping and dawn had arrived. She had turned in her sleep, sleeping on her side facing him. He didn't know why but he stood up and watched her for a few seconds. His hand slowly reached for her face the warmth of the morning sun only heightened the warm feeling of being around her. Which he had tried to deny himself, slowly with the back of his hand he moved a few strands of hair from her face moved slightly at his touch. He slowly turned around and made his way to the door but not before he stood there for a good 10 seconds watching her sleep before he left.

He saw the old lady sleeping at the front desk and politely woke her up.

"Here's more than enough to pay for the night, please send her up some food and coffee." He spoke in almost a whisper.

She nodded and returned from a side door with a cup of coffee and some eggs, bacon and fried potatoes on a tray. She had a big smile as she notice Garen, waiting to make sure she made good on her promise. He must really care about her.

When Garen, saw her enter Katarina's room from the bottom of the stairs he decided she would be in safe hands and walked out of the hotel into the cool Kalamandra morning.

…

Katarina was awoken by the elder lady with a warm smile which put her at ease, she laid a tray of food and coffee on the table.
"Courtesy of Mr. Crownguard" she stood up with a cheerful demeanor about her.

"Garen?" Katarina asked in a questioning tone.

"Yes, everyone around here knows who he is. Such a brave and handsome soldier. He staid and watched over you all night." When she saw Kat take a drink of her coffee with her brows scrunched up with a worried look, she spoke again.

"Don't worry, I value the privacy of my clients I never saw you two" She smiled again and quickly walked away closing the door behind her. But not before turning and giving Katarina a mischievous smile.

…..

"Knock""Knock"
Garen's thoughts of that night were interrupted. He finished buttoning the last two buttons on his shirt just as he had many months ago. When, he left Katarina in that Kalamandra hotel.

"Knock""Knock"

They knocks at the door became lauder.

"Garen! Do not keep your date waiting! He's mothers spoke in a annoyed and haughty tone.

Garen, groaned and replied.

"Almost ready!" yelling but trying not to sound annoyed.

That first encounter with Katarina at the Hasty Hammer, had become one of many where they would drink and flirt. Both trying not to cross a line that was undefined but always hanging over their heads.

As much as he knew he shouldn't miss her. Everything that happened then, the dance and the kiss he knew he was falling for her. He rubbed his palms over his face trying to comprehend his situation and misfortune.
"What does Delilah want from me?" he looked at himself in the mirror his soft blue eyes looking back at him with worry.

"Hurry up already!" he's mothers voice, angry, laud and agitated muffled by the door broke his trance.

Yeah, Kat tried to unbutton Garen's shirt. Either because I think she has ho, like tendencies or she really likes him. Maybe he'll make her want to be a better person? I don't know, thought I should just explain my reasoning behind it. Plus it makes a good transition into a memory and end of memory