They took lunch in a little restaurant tucked away in Piltover's meandering alleys.
Ezreal needed some coaxing to have Syndra walk inside: the establishment wasn't exactly to the Sovereign's exacting standards, it seemed. She eventually consented with an enigmatic smile. Ezreal had no doubt: she thought that the chance for teasing him about his lack of tastes was worth the pain.
Ah! Foolish girl!
Her being her only made all the more satisfying the moment she took a bite out of her chicken salad and froze.
"Something's the matter, Sovereign?" He singsonged with his best shit-eating grin, a slice of pizza in hand.
Syndra's threatening glare could be easily summed up as: "You win this time, but my vengeance will be swift and terrible".
He didn't need to wait long.
After some time, she excused herself with an enigmatic little smile and graceful manners: she needed to freshen up, she said.
Needless to say, he was immediately on high alert, so much that he managed to resist only two minutes after "this is taking too long" to run after her. Only to find her, grinning wickedly, right behind him while he was raking his brain in front of the girl bathroom, searching for a discreet way to find her.
"A man is trying to peek in the girl bathroom!"
Thank God he had his reflexes out and ready, and, by the time a crowd had amassed at the place, he was cowering in their booth already. Syndra was already there waiting for him, damn super speedy levitation.
"You witch!" he panted, trying to hide behind the table and look into the corridor at the same time. Did someone see him? Would they come and get him? Holy shit, he had never been so scared in all his life! "That was totally unfair!"
Syndra smiled graciously and returned to pick at her meal, in much better humor than she had been before.
Ezreal glared sullenly at her and grumbled and was totally ignored. He just thunked his head on the table in defeat. There simply was no winning with that devil.
After lunch, the program for the day was to go to the beach. Syndra derailed it right away by announcing that they were going shopping first.
"What, you didn't buy enough things? You know, when you ditched me the first day?" Ezreal was still grumpy about the bad joke of earlier.
The glance she threw him was a mix between amused, slightly exasperated and, but this only him was able to tell, a bit concerned.
"Would you stop it?" she said, sounding annoyed for all the world. "It was just a joke".
He crossed his arms and looked elsewhere, making a face like he was thinking about it. In reality, he spied at her out the corner of the eye.
"Stop it." Her command was firm and the pinch on his biceps just as much, but the little flash of concern crossing her features couldn't escape his by now expert Syndra-vision.
"Alright alright," he chuckled, fending off her pinching. He smugly lifted his chin. "Be thankful i am a generous guy".
The flash of relief crossing her eyes would have escaped anyone, especially since she was almost preternaturally quick at hiding it.
"Good," she said, calm and conversational, like if she didn't expect any other outcome.
Ezreal laughed. He was enjoying far too much that little moment, he knew, but how couldn't he? She really cared!
"What's with you being so happy all of a sudden? Did you get a sunstroke?"
"Who knows?" He stuck his tongue at her.
The boutique they went to was chosen by Syndra and, appropriately to her tastes, it was a first-class one.
While he waited in front of the dressing rooms, Ezreal had to repress the need to fidget. There were fancy clothes and fancy people, mostly girls and women, everywhere he could see. Add to that that many threw him glances that said "who let this barbarian in?" and he had just the right recipe for social awkwardness. He only hoped nobody called the security or something… damn, what was taking her so long?
"Ready!"
Relieved, Ezreal turned and was immediately smitten.
Syndra had chosen a form-fitting purple one-piece that complimented nicely her figure. A sarong of a different shade of purple circled her waist, falling long both in the front and the back; three golden-colored rings held it at her waist on one side, a large flower-shaped decoration on the other. She had kept her strange hornet hat: she had to have taken a real fancy to it!
Noticing his gaze, she smiled, pleased. Turning to a large mirror, she started to surveil her appearance, humming to herself.
Ezreal grinned. "Isn't this the moment where the girl timidly asks if she looks good?"
Syndra threw him a skeptic glance and scoffed.
She gestured for a trio of shop assistants hanging close by and, with a husky voice and half-lidded eyes, she asked if one of them could help her. A bout of elbowing and crowding over after, a girl with eyes sparkling with admiration was ready to follow her to the ends of the world.
Syndra threw him a satisfied smirk before disappearing back in the dressing room, little admirer at her heels.
Ezreal rolled his eyes, ignoring the bad stares the other two tried to drill a hole in his head with.
The next stop for them was the beach.
Golden, luscious and beautiful. Piltover's beaches were a marvel to see, with a crystal clear sea to match. Adequate to the season, people crowded the place, sunbathing, playing, swimming and more.
Ezreal had just the time to open his mouth: he wanted to suggest a nice, cozy free beach he passed his summers in. Syndra plowed straight in, announcing where they were going and, without giving him time to protest, taking both the lead and his hand and marching on.
To Ezreal's complete lack of surprise, the beach she dragged him to was some extra-luxury, extra-reserved, extra-everything kind of place. Their spot was already set and waiting: a pair of long towels spread over the golden sand and a large beach umbrella to provide shade. There was privacy to spare: the few customers were evenly spaced out.
A mix between a lifeguard and a majordomo led a royalty confident Syndra and a wide-eyed Ezreal to their spot.
They both changed - their spot had a freaking bungalow coming with i - and then met up back on the beach.
"Nice swimsuit," Syndra commented, not even bothering to hide her skepticism as she looked him up and down.
Ezreal pouted. Alright, his shorts weren't nearly as glamorous as her outfit but at least they went well with his hair.
"I guess." Syndra rolled her eyes as he told her so.
Ezreal crossed his fingers behind his head, grinning. "It's cute as heck, and you know it".
Syndra scoffed and dragged him to their spot.
"So, what now?" He asked, letting her drag him across the sand. "Swimming?"
"Nope," Syndra replied. "No water so soon after lunch".
Ezreal made a salute. "Yes, ma'am, or it's mom?"
Syndra chuckled.
They sat and Ezreal was immediately happy for being there. The warm air, the breeze, the sand beneath and the clear sky above. That place was a paradise!
He turned to Syndra to say so, but then he noticed what she was doing and watched, curious.
With disciplined motions, the girl took out one item after the other from her bag: lotions, three of them, packed food, books, crossword puzzles, sudoku, some kind of wooden puzzle he couldn't place, bottles and more. By the time she finished, Ezreal was blinking at the most complete assortment of beach items ever witnessed by man.
"Holy crap," he breathed out. "Do you have a boat inside that bag as well?"
Syndra adjusted a little pile of towels, the shadow of a smile on her lips.
"It's just the bare minimum for a day to the beach," she said, matter-of-factly.
Ezreal chuckled, earning a side-long glance.
"What?"
"Nothing!" He said quickly. "Just, you know, this was supposed to be a casual exit, not a military expedition".
Syndra shrugged. She leaned down on the recline she had made for herself, putting up sunglasses.
"The best…" She let him finish the phrase.
"…or bust." Ezreal grinned. "I noticed the swimsuit, you know. From what i saw on the beaches we passed, the one-piece is the latest rage".
Smiling, she lifted a finger wrapped in a purple aura. A book and a drink orderly took flight, one ending in her lap and the other in her hand.
Ezreal laughed. "Don't you ever relax?" He asked, only half-joking. "Also, books? Come on, let's go walking!"
She hummed, sipping from the straw.
The look she threw him from beyond the glasses held a question, one that he didn't fail to catch.
"Fine!" He said, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I won't tell you how to pass your holiday." He didn't resist putting a bit of whiny in his voice. "But take a look at the place at least! It's amazing!"
Syndra glanced at the beach and at the sea, expression practically radiating with skepticism.
"Fine, i guess."
And that was that. She turned to read, with that focused look from which he knew there was no return, not if he didn't want to be thrown halfway across the ocean.
Sighing in defeat, he sank on his towel.
With a pout, he watched the sea. Beautiful, it was beautiful, but he hadn't come just to sit and sightsee. He wanted Syndra to walk around, meet new people, open up a bit.
He sighed, shaking his head. Fine. That lunch argument wasn't without merit. He would be the bigger man and wait. Then, in a way or the other, he was going to drag her outside of her bubble.
His resolution found, he rustled among the pile of books Syndra had brought. Unsurprisingly, there were a couple he was riveted at, leaving him unsure if feeling outraged for the blatant attempt at manipulation or pleased for the thoughtfulness. That damn girl!
Time passed in companionable silence as both settled at reading.
And yet, it wasn't much that Ezreal started feeling antsy. Had it gone long enough? An unreasonable part of him feared that the more time passed the more difficult would have been to dislodge Syndra from there.
Eventually, he managed to sneak a peek at a fancy-looking watch Syndra held in her bag. Yep! Long enough!
"Alright!" exclaimed a very excited blondie, jumping straight at his feet like a coiled spring. "Swimming time!" And then he would find a way to drag her in some more crowded beach!
Syndra immediately took the wind out of his sails.
"Sure, in a bit".
Ezreal went wide-eyed with horror. Just as he feared! She had gone deep into her reading. Now dislodging from there would have impossible!
"But…!"
His protests ended in a yelp as an invisible giant hand grabbed him and tossed him into the sea like a hand grenade.
After a hearty dose of spluttering, kicking and panicking, he was bobbing in the waves, pouting at a smirking Syndra.
"Fine!" He called. "Be like that! See if i care!" Why did he even struggle so much? She was so impossible!
The distracted wave she gave him in answer made him only fume some more. Angrily, he dove under and swam away. So impossible!
After the first contact, the water was amazing; clean enough that he could see the sandy bottom, just at the right temperature and with the sun warming him from above. It was paradise.
Ezreal quickly felt his annoyance drain away as he swam; and, as irritation flew away, he started scheming.
No doubt about what Syndra intended: that little meet-up was shaping up to be just like their days back at the gazebo. He wasn't going to lie; he was happy she found them so enjoyable to carry them even into the holiday. Alright, he could start purring in happiness, but that was not the point. The point was that he hadn't brought her there only to jump from a bubble into another bubble. He wanted her to mingle, to meet other people, to open up, even if only a bit. And that meant that he needed to find a way to dislodge her from there. Was the prospective scary? It absolutely was. She had gone into her "i will toss you into the ocean if you disturb me" mode, he could say that under oath, especially because he had been tossed once already. Not even he had ever managed to move her once she entered into that frame of mind…
Whatever! What couldn't be done yesterday will be done today! He only needed the right idea…
In fact, why go far? He had just the right way. A bit of funny doing, someone would say being goofy and stupid, she was going to laugh and then he would coax her out of her lonely mood and into the water. From there, improvisation would lead the way. Easy and simple.
With a grin, he dove into the water.
"Hey, Syndra!" He called, jumping up and waving. "Hey! Look at me!"
He paused when she didn't react, frowning. Hadn't she heard him? But he wasn't so far away.
He tried another couple of times, only to get the same result. The girl had to be really into that book of her.
…or was her? He wasn't sure.
Ezreal swam back and forth, thinking. Now that he thought about it, she did that from time to time; close herself in her little world, repelling all attempts from others to enter. Was that her way to keep distance? It made sense. They had passed time together, but never entire days…
He pouted a bit. Was that her way to keep him at arm's length? If it was so, it saddened him, a lot. He hoped they had become friends enough to be passed that. Maybe he was wrong… or maybe he was overthinking, again.
Welp, whatever the case, it was time for some old-fashioned brute force. It was for her own good, after all. Also, it may be that he still had some grudge from what happened back at the restaurant.
Grinning, he pushed himself up. Opening his mouth, he inspired, filling his lungs, then let it all out.
"Help! I am cramping! I am drowning! Help!"
He didn't remain to see what happened. He dove back into the water, swam around and pushed himself forward with the quickest frog style he could muster.
For some time, nothing happened. Ezreal swam off-shore a little bit more. The bottom went back up, he found, ending into a shoal. He climbed over it, crouched so that the water masked him completely and waited. Thank god he was good at holding his breath.
Then, he felt it: a vibration passing through the water and brushing against him. A current buffeted him, first from one side, then from the other. Sand kicked up from the bottom, murking the water for a moment before settling back down.
He waited, keeping himself from grinning like a fool to not lose precious oxygen.
Eventually, as the waves turned stronger, he decided that it was enough. He was about to burst out laughing down there!
Pushing his feet against the sand, he stood up, emerging from the water in a mess of splashes.
Grinning widely, he blinked, putting the situation into focus. And what a situation!
The general area where he had been before seemed to have forgotten how physics was supposed to work. The waves twisted in steep depressions or straight-up flew into the air as large currents of crystalline water. There and then the sea ended abruptly, large fissures letting the soggy bottom see the sun for what had to be the first time ever. It looked like what an excited kid could have done with a pair of scissors and a bunch of blue cardboard. But even that strange sight paled in comparison to the dark figure on the beach. Blazing with power, it hovered above the sand, snow-white hair forming a corona around her head and with two purple flames where her eyes had been.
Ezreal had to remember to breathe. Say what you want about Syndra; the girl knew how to make an impression.
Sucking a breath, he called his best "gotcha!", and grinned and shivered as the eyes of the raging being on the beach fixed on him.
The energy went out like a blown candle, and Syndra, a normal human woman and not raging goddess, was once again on the beach, watching him fixedly.
Ezreal grinned at her, brushing a hand through his hair.
"Got you!" He singsonged, loud enough for her to hear. Now that had got her attention, didn't it?
Surprisingly, the expected explosion of indignation and rage didn't arrive. That actually threw him off his game. Did… did he go too far? God, he really hoped he didn't go too far!
He scanned her, unsure what her deal was. Her expression was a bit… strange? Lips tightly pursed, eyes wide, with a bit of a stunned look that he couldn't quite…
It clicked.
"Oh…"
He looked down at himself.
Golden skin and defined muscles, shining lightly by the moisture covering them, while droplets left trails upon firm surfaces.
Yep.
Ezreal flashed her a grin, brushing a hand through wet golden hair.
"What's the matter?" He teased jokingly. "Did i smite you?"
He was joking, more for the sake of lightening the air than out of true mischief. He was pretty confident in his looks, but it wasn't like one like she could get smitten by one like him.
To prove that, Syndra shook herself out of her daze. The glare with which she pinned him made his grin turn strained.
Then she gestured and two things happened.
First, he felt the by now familiar giant invisible hand dragging him toward her. Second, the sea opened like two giant arms had just brushed the water aside, as a toddler could do with a small puddle.
All for the sake of delivering him faster to a smoldering witch.
In the half-second it took, Ezreal pictured harsh pinches and even worse, but what he got was a bit different from what he thought.
Syndra smacked him, then hugged him tightly, then, as if to wipe out the moment of weakness, started to berate him.
"Idiot!"
"What the hell you think you were doing?"
"I thought you were drowning! You made me get up and gave me a scare when i was supposed to relax!"
"Dolt!"
"Stupid!"
"I should drown you myself! Right now!"
Ezreal took it all without a word, too stunned for anything else. All the insults flew straight over his head, leaving him with only a starting realization.
She got scared; like, really really scared.
A wave of shame hit him, churning in his gut like bad water. A glimmer of pleasure for her concern tried to emerge but it was swallowed right away by the surging tides.
"Sorry", he mumbled, hanging his head low. He could be a little shit and a jokester, but he knew when things went too far.
He heard her pause abruptly, felt her gaze trying to drill a hole in his scalp. Then her hand was around his wrist and she was dragging him back toward the beach.
Ezreal didn't resist. Damn, he really didn't think it would go like that… was she going to drag him back to their spot and keep him there like a chained puppy? He didn't put her above it and, what was worse, he almost felt like he deserved it.
But that would have made everything useless. It was time to be stubborn.
"Wait a moment", he said, pulling back a little.
The gaze she pinned him glowed with both power and cold fury.
He forced an awkward smile. "Ice cream?"
She widened her eyes for a moment, then narrowed them dangerously, their glow intensifying.
Ezreal swallowed. Was she going to smack him again?
She didn't, but her grip on him tightened. "Fine", she said, sounding like she had just allowed a prisoner a brief reprieve before execution.
Ezreal smiled, only to receive another glare. His smile turned apologetic, but Syndra just turned away with disdain.
Ah, goddammit.
Syndra refused to go to the bar of the beach their spot was on, Ezreal suspected with a throb of guilt, because she wanted to get away from that place. A part of him was guiltily happy for that; it went in the direction he wanted, and people in the surroundings were kinda jumpy after seeing the sea opening.
So they made their way across the foreshore and into more affordable beaches. As they walked, Syndra never let go of his wrist, even as she stubbornly kept her gaze forward, refusing to look at him. For his part, Ezreal wallowed in guilt. He didn't protest when they surpassed bars: something told him she needed the walking more than ice cream.
As they walked in tense silence, they met more and more people, until both beach and sea were filled with the crowds of tourists he was more accustomed with, the hubbub of lots of people splashing and having fun filling the summer air.
As they passed into another beach, recognition hit Ezreal: he actually knew that place!
"Hey", he murmured, pulling gently.
Syndra started a little then turned to him. The gaze she regarded him with was harsh and quizzical.
"How about we take our ice cream here?" He said, gesturing toward the back of the beach. "There's a good place here".
Syndra followed his gesture with her gaze. She looked in that direction for a moment, probably remembering only then what the nominal aim of their little excursion was. She looked annoyed, and for a moment Ezreal feared she would refuse.
"Alright", she said instead and, without adding anything else, she dragged him forward.
The bar was quaint and small, little more than a box worn-out by wind and salt. Customers could take their pick from a rust-encrusted billboard upon which a mostly faded poster showed images and prices. Both made their choices without much thinking, then Ezreal took them from the vendor, an old man that looked as weather-beaten as his stand and that handed them over from a small window.
Syndra refused to let him go even as he struggled to take out his money. Thoughtful, she didn't even acknowledge the wink the vendor gave Ezreal. The young man did, grimacing a little.
They were soon back on the shoreline, walking side to side in tense silence, both avoiding to look at each other.
Ezreal absently licked his ice cream, barely registering the cool taste. Dammit, nice mess had he done back there. Now she had clammed down and even if he had managed to bring her out among the people that weren't going to change a damn thing; as she was, he doubted she would be willing to make new acquaintances.
Goddammit, he was a moron. Sure, he didn't expect such a strong reaction but sure as hell he could have foreseen if he put some thought in it. And anyway, what with the stupid "i am drowning" joke? Goddammit, Ezreal, you stupid little…
"Stop it".
Ezreal started and whirled around.
Syndra was glaring at him, fine eyebrows knitted with annoyance.
"Uhm, what?" He wasn't sure to get what she meant.
His confusion seemed only to peeve her some more. "You've been acting like i am a timebomb", she said. "Stop it".
He needed a moment to register and when he did he almost sputtered in disbelief. Him? But she was the one… he stopped himself. Wait, was that her way to say that it was fine, or that her peevishness had run out? It was so… Syndra that he thought about it only a moment before doubt became a certainty.
And yet, it didn't feel enough.
"Sorry", he said, hanging his head down.
"About what?" For the first time, she let him go, crossing his arms and watching him critically. Her ice cream floated beside her, surrounded by a purple glow. "I am not angry just for a stupid joke".
Ezreal bit her lip. She was angry alright, and not only that. There was something else he couldn't exactly pinpoint but that felt even more cutting, something that felt far too close to betrayal for comfort.
"Sorry", he repeated.
She turned away, scowling.
"Sorry".
"It's nothing".
"No, it's not, and i am sorry for it".
"I said it's nothing".
"You don't mean it".
"Don't tell me what i mean".
"You don't and you know it. I am sorry".
"Shut up".
"Not until you listen to me. I am sorry".
"Will you stop it? It's getting unsightly!"
"Sorry…"
"Ugh." She pinched the bridge of her nose, looking absolutely exasperated. "Look, will you stop if i promise that i am not angry?"
It was less her words and more all the little cues he had learned to look for that convinced him that now she was getting close to sincerity. Beneath all the frowning and scowling, he could see she was a bit amused.
"For real?" He asked, getting excited.
"Oh my god", she mumbled in her hand. "You look like a puppy for real right now. Lacking only the wagging tail…"
Puppy or not, he didn't care. He drew himself up, taking a solemn bearing.
"Can i beg for your pardon, my lady?" He courteously asked. He bowed at the waist, offering her his hand with a small flourish. Hopeful, he smiled at her.
There was no mistaking the amusement now shimmering in her eyes.
"Fine", she snorted, settling her fingers in his hand. "I forgive you, you goofball. But never do that again, ever".
The seriousness of her last words did nothing to block the giant smile that he felt appearing on his face.
"Aw yea!" He hugged her with enthusiasm, eliciting a surprised squeak from her as she squashed her cheek against his chest. "Never again, i promise!"
Looking down with a giant grin, she caught her blushing with anger.
"I told you to never grab me like this again!"
"Ouch! Don't pinch!" He laughed even as he vainly tried to shield himself from her pinching rampage.
Still worth it!
Anger from unauthorized hugging passed, the walk took that light mood he had been hoping and craving for. Syndra left her hand resting on the crook of his arm, but he didn't mind one bit. If anything, he suspected it was necessary: the woman seemed annoyed by the crowd, sometimes throwing hard glances there and then.
Ezreal had to admit he was pretty happy for the trust.
They walked without a hurry, enjoying the waves lapping at their feet, the warmth of the sun over their skin and the icecreams they bought.
"So, you knew that place?" Syndra asked after the moment of lull. She seemed pretty curious.
"Oh yes". Ezreal was only too eager to tell her. "When i was a toddler, i went to that beach plenty of times with my parents".
"Oh?" She looked him up and down with an intrigued smile, clearly trying to imagine a little Ezreal. "I suppose you almost drowned, more than once".
"Hey, give me some credit". Ezreal looked away, licking his ice cream. He didn't feel any malice in her words, thankfully. "It happened only once".
"Nope, it didn't".
"Alright alright, twice. I am sorry, Mrs. Know-it-all".
She chuckled. "I just knew it". Then, after a long moment: "You had a nice childhood here in Piltover?"
Ezreal sneakily glanced at her. Her expression had turned thoughtful.
"Well…" He searched for the right words. "Nice is the word. My mother was always there for me, no matter if i came back home with both scraped knees or after breaking a vase. She was strict sometimes, but i like to think it's thanks to her i am not a jerk today. She's the sweetest person alive and i'd fight bear-handed with a tiger for her. My father wasn't very often at home, he was and still is an explorer himself, but he still always found the time for me; he was the one to teach me most of what i know. History, geography, you name it. He used to read me these big books about old stuff, just enough to arouse my curiosity, and then he left one or two for me to read on my own when he was gone. And when he came back, he'd always bring me a souvenir and then listen to me rambling about what i read; we'd actually talk about it deep in the night. Mom had to come all the time to send us to bed". He smiled fondly. "They both always encouraged me to find my path. It's thanks to them i am what i am today".
With a small start, he realized to have been rambling. Ah, crap, he didn't mean to. The light mood had made him lower his guard. The last thing he wanted now was to seem like he was bragging about a topic that he knew was delicate to Syndra.
Glancing toward her, he saw that she had a strange expression. It wasn't sad, she never was sad, only… wishful? A bit of that.
"You've been lucky", she murmured, then glanced toward him with a strange look. It passed before Ezreal had the time to decipher it, replaced by sly amusement as she took in his startled expression.
"Moron", she said, leaning against him until her head was on his shoulder.
Ezreal blinked at her, puzzled. He sighed. It looked like he still had a lot to go before fully understanding her.
Welp, she looked and felt like she was relaxed and not tense. That was what it mattered.
They walked like that for some time, a companionable silence hanging between them.
The moment was broken by a loud voice calling.
"Yo, Ezreal!"
Both turned, just in time to see Vi running their way. The Enforcer wore a jacket over a shockingly red one-piece that clashed so bad with her hair that it was almost an aggression. Despite clearly being dressed for the beach, her massive gauntlets were still over her hands.
"I didn't expect to find you here!" She said, slowing down as she came close. "And with who…?" She stopped abruptly, eyes bugging out as she recognized whom exactly was with Ezreal.
The young man threw nervous looks between her and Syndra as they immediately locked glares.
"Stop right there, you witch!" Before he had a chance to play peacemaker, Vi was already up for war. "I don't know why you've come here but you stay sure i won't let you hurt anybody!"
Ezreal wanted to facepalm. Goddammit, Vi!
Syndra's smile was calm and pleasant, with just a hint of teeth. "If it's not the brute of Piltover", she mocked. Leaving him, she walked toward Vi. "Dear, if i wanted to hurt somebody", nonchalantly, she put a finger over the giant fist Vi had raised to block her from getting close, "i would have done so".
At that point, a series of things happened. Ezreal felt an electric-like wave of goosebumps running along his skin and setting his hair on edge. At the same time, Syndra's eyes took a glowing purple hue, her voice turned hollow and echoing and the whole damn beach started trembling, with grains of sand starting to raise from the ground. Also, but that was probably the least of them all, the point where her finger touched Vi's gauntlet started to smoke and fizz.
Thankfully, a more responsible person was there to save the day.
"Please, Vi, don't take unnecessary actions". Caitlyn, wearing a bikini, her tophat and without a weapon in sight, walked to the scene like she was going to set straight two Piltovian bickering over a parking spot. Ezreal could almost hug her. "Deeply sorry for my aide's behavior", she said, tipping her head toward Syndra.
The Sovereign arched an eyebrow. For a long moment, the two women locked gazes, impassive one, full of power and piercing the other. Then, Syndra's expression turned pleased; her eyes stopped glowing and, thanks to all the Gods, everything started trembling and flying.
"No offense taken", she said pleasantly. With a swirl of snow-white hair, she returned to him, not a care in the world.
"What?" She asked as he watched her, stunned and bewildered.
Ezreal opened his mouth, found nothing of adequate to say, then closed it again.
"Forget it", he just sighed, eliciting a chuckle from her.
For her part, and how much he envied her, Caitlyn lightly smacked her aide on her wild mane of hair.
"I told you not to do that", she rebuked her.
Vi didn't even register, too busy looking bug-eyed at the brand new, smoking, finger-sized furrow on her super-armored fighting gauntlet.
"Oh dear". Syndra slipped her hands on the crook of Ezreal's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes practically sparkled with wickedness. "So difficult to find competent aides these days, isn't, Sheriff?" Her voice was pure honey. "And, Enforcer, i'd find better gloves if i was you. Those are a bit too frail, i fear".
Vi's wide eyes blazed, the only thing seeming to keep the Enforcer from going in the hand of her superior on her shoulder.
Ezreal exchanged a look with Caitlyn, seeing his own exasperation and discomfiture reflected on the Sheriff's expression.
Goddammit, Vi! Double goddammit, Syndra! It was all going so well!
The Sheriff invited them to their spot as means of apology. Despite that being his objective all along, Ezreal wasn't really sure about it, not with a still fuming Vi close by. The choice was soon out of his hands, though: Syndra graciously gave her consent and, before he even had the chance to put a word in, she was already dragging him along.
"You wanted this, don't you?" She murmured with a sly smile, shutting off any protest.
Ezreal rolled his eyes and said nothing, eliciting a chuckle from her.
Soon, they were making their way between rows of beach umbrellas and tourists. Vi didn't even bother trying to hide her displeasure; the Enforcer walked ahead, her Gauntlets slung over her shoulder with a cord and a frowning expression on her face. From time to time, she glanced over her shoulder, her gaze hardening as she saw how Syndra kept at Ezreal's side, holding at his arm as if they were a couple. Judging by the sly shimmer in the Sovereign's eyes, Ezreal guessed she had just found a new entertainment.
Oh boy, Vi. You're kinda digging your own grave here.
"So, what are you guys doing here?" He asked Caitlyn, trying to change the mood.
The Sheriff smiled calmly, apparently undisturbed by the ongoing bad chemistry between her aide and the still very possible calamity over her city. Ezreal was unsure between being impressed and start to fret.
"The chief gave us a free day", she said. "Vi suggested we pass it here at the beach".
"And i am regretting it", said girl complained out loud.
Syndra giggled. "Your brute seems to have fallen in love with me, Sheriff", then, noticing Caitlyn's slight concern, she smirked. "No need to be scared of little me, officer. I won't do anything to your pretty city… maybe". The purple glow passing through her eyes wasn't reassuring in the least.
Ezreal sighed. "Don't take her seriously, Caitlyn. She's just being mischievous". She started lazily patting her on the head. "Bad Syndra. Bad. You don't threaten people's cities".
He felt her stiffen a little, then she turned, fixing him with a flat look. "Get your hand off my head before i throw you into the sea".
Ezreal obeyed with an awkward laugh. Oh boy, that felt far too close for comfort.
"Ah! Whipped!" Vi laughed.
Syndra threw the Enforcer an amused glance before leaning against his shoulder. "Exactly," she purred. "My own golden puppy". Lifting herself on her toes, she fondly patted him. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"
Ezreal nuzzled against her hand, humming pleased sounds.
"It's me? Am i a good boy?" he asked eagerly.
"You are!"
"Yay!"
He laughed, echoed by Syndra's chuckle.
Caitlyn's expression softened with fondness. Vi just made a disgusted sound.
The beach that the two officers had chosen was a public one, without particular pretenses. It had nothing to do with the super-exclusive one Ezreal and Syndra were before; where that one was an expanse of shining sand that was as gold dust, with a beautiful sea in front, this one was small, almost cramped, with garbage polluting its sand there and then, while a canal coming from the city discharged suspicious foam into the sea.
Ezreal loved it almost instantly. Syndra instantly made everybody known how much glad she would be to erase the place with a blast of dark energy.
"Vi is attached to this beach. She often came here during her childhood". Caitlyn was the portrait of courtesy even while keeping at bay a Vi sputtering with outrage.
Their spot was right at the back, isolated from the other few tourists and consisting only of a large umbrella, a couple of towels and two bags, a small one and a big one that practically overflowed with miscellanea stuff, many of which mechanical related.
Syndra slowly took in the place, skepticism written all over her face. Ezreal was just mentally preparing for a hammer-like comment when her gaze stopped on the beach volleyball field.
It wasn't anything special, really, just an old net tattered by wind and sand held up by two poles. There wasn't any line, the limitations of the field left to the fantasy of the players and to a few weather-beaten rocks and sticks.
Syndra's eyes lit up as she watched it.
"Let's play", she ordered, pulling at his arm.
Ezreal watched her as she had just grown another head. "Excuse me?"
He got a smack on the chest in all answers. "I said, let's play!"
Ezreal blinked, struggling to keep up. Did she look… excited? Like a kid that had just entered a candy shop.
"Sure?"
She smiled; not a smirk, not a grin, a smile, full and bright, shining like the sun. Ezreal was instantly stunned, so much that he didn't protest as she dragged him toward the field.
"Hey, Sheriff!" Syndra called. "Get your brute and let's have a match!"
Of the two, Vi was the first to get over her own surprise for the sudden challenge.
"Oh, you're on!" She said, fierce, and dragged her own stunned companion to the field of battle.
And so it was that Ezreal found himself in one half of the raggedy field, staring at a Caitlyn that looked just as stunned by the sudden turn of events as he was.
"Keep the gloves", Syndra graciously offered to Vi, the Enforcer busy putting her gauntlets away. "Let's keep it interesting, shall we?"
Vi looked at her suspiciously, before a fierce smirk swept across her face.
"You're going to regret it, bitch", she growled, slamming her gauntlets on her fists with a clanking of gears and a hiss of steam.
Caitlyn and Ezreal started, but Syndra's expression remained pleasant. Her only reaction was to rise up from the ground and start to hover; which wasn't exactly reassuring, both had to admit.
Uncaring of the fears of both friend and superior, Vi took out from her bag a ragged-looking volleyball. She frowned at it, then to Syndra.
"Sounds cool and all, but no way this thing is holding my slams". She let the ball flop back into the bag. "What then, genius?"
Syndra didn't answer. Instead, she lifted a hand. Ezreal felt a buzz on his tongue as black electricity ran through her curled fingers. The energy coagulated into a black sphere that hovered above her hand. Syndra's eyes glowed briefly and the same markings that a normal volleyball would have appeared on her very personal reproduction. Then, with a flick of her fingers, she sent it flying to Vi.
"Try this one", she said as the Enforcer caught the ball with a yelp. "It won't break".
Vi watched the thing in her hands like it was a poison snake. She prodded it with a finger, getting a sound like metal on metal. The fact that it didn't explode in her face had to be enough for her because she grinned.
"Alright! We're on business then!" She turned suspicious. "Don't start controlling it or some shit. I am getting the win if you try something funny".
Syndra lifted a hand. "On my honor", she promised, practically dripping with irony.
Vi snorted. She threw the ball and then caught it with a big hand.
"It's on!"
Ezreal felt the strongest need to facepalm. Caitlyn looked like she had just eaten a bad apple.
Incredible cosmic powers used for… oh my god!
The teams were already done so technically they just had to start. Ezreal still took the time to sneak close to his teammate.
"Play nice?" He murmured, not even bothering to hide his concern. "Please?"
The glance she threw him was a mix of amusement and annoyance. "I am not a bomb, blondie. Stop pestering me".
"You know what i mean…"
"Oh, shush". She air-brushed him with a small wave of energy. "Let me have fun. It's since the village i don't get to play like this".
She didn't mean to say that; Ezreal understood it from the way a shadow seemed to pass across her expression, disappearing as soon as it had appeared but still leaving a trace of sternness.
He grinned. "Well, let's make it fun then".
Now he knew why she had been so eager for it. It reached far, and he was going to be damned before ruining it for her.
She nodded, but the glimmer in her eyes told him she appreciated it.
"Have you two done plotting?" Vi called from the other side of the field. "I'd like to crush your butts before tonight!"
Ezreal let Syndra's evil laugh and blooming aura pass over him like a cold wind. He took a stance. Now he had a reason to go for it and he wasn't going to pull any punches. He nodded with a resolute grin toward Caitlyn, to make her know as much. The Sheriff arched an eyebrow. She didn't quite understand, but she trusted him, so she took a stance in turn.
"Whenever you're ready, brute".
Vi grinned fiercely. She threw the ball in the air, started running and jumped. The open palm of her gauntlet smashed against the sphere with a deafening clang.
Ezreal registered the ball as a meteor barrelling against him.
The impulse was to jump the frick out of the way and he didn't resist it.
The ball impacted against the ground where he had been standing a moment before like a cannon shell, sending a two-stories high plume of sand shooting up. It didn't even bounce up; it just embedded itself straight into the ground and remained there.
Ezreal's eyes almost shot out of his sockets as he took in the crater now covering one-quarter of their half of the field.
"Holy fuck, Vi!" He called, almost laughing out of disbelief. "For real?!" It wasn't going to wound him or anything, he was proper tough as a League Champion had to be, but no way in hell he was going to be able to repel a shell like that.
"Sink or swim, blondie!" Vi taunted, earning a glare from the Sheriff, to which she gave a thumb up and a grin. Caitlyn sighed and gave him an apologetic look, to which he laughed. What the heck! Now his blood was starting to pump!
Vi's next squash went for her main objective, even stronger and faster than the first.
Syndra didn't move from her hovering position. Wearing a focused expression and glowing eyes, she lifted both hands at head height, tracing a picture with her fingers.
As the by now familiar tingly feeling ran over him, Ezreal expected something cataclysmic to happen, topped by flying bodies, screams and shockwaves.
Instead, there was a sound like broken glass, a scattering of purple energy fragments and the ball hitting the sand.
A clean point!
Vi cheered and punched the air. "Yeah! In your face! See that, cupcake?" The Sheriff didn't exactly share her aide's enthusiasm, torn between being concerned, impressed, or surprised.
Ezreal looked at Syndra, wide-eyed.
The woman hadn't moved one inch despite the ball having embedded itself a foot away from her. She glanced at him. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, a shimmer that was amusement, cold-blooded ruthlessness and raw power flashing through them for a moment before she turned back to face their opponents.
Ezreal immediately started to sweat. Oh crap crap crap. She was plotting something. Crap crap craaaaaap!
Vi's cannonball smashes scored another two points before Syndra reacted.
As the ball roared toward her, she pointed an aura-enveloped hand toward it. The air in front of her shimmered, then condensed into a sheet of vaporous-looking purple energy. The ball sank into it, instantly slowing down to a stop. With a smirk, she flicked her fingers, sending the ball into the air.
Ezreal was taken off-guard but still had the reflexes to smack the ball before it hit the ground.
Caitlyn wasn't as quick. The ball hit the sand a foot away from the Sheriff's outstretched hands.
Point for them!
Silence fell on the court as glances were exchanged and demeanors changed.
Syndra graciously smiled, a floating demon lord looking down on a foolish hero that thinks she could be defeated. Vi narrowed her eyes and turned something in her gauntlets, making twin plumes of steam jet out from both, before taking a battle stance. Ezreal exchanged a look with Caitlyn; he grinned, she turned serious, both nodded.
Alright, now it was fucking on.
And it was so that Ezreal found himself in the most challenging beach volleyball match of his life.
Caitlyn and Vi were serious business alright. The Enforcer lacked finesse in her movements and wasn't the best in defense, but her attacks were devastating and hit with pinpoint accuracy. Caitlyn compensated for her lack of brute strength with staggering precision and field strategy; the Sheriff was almost preternaturally good at being right where the ball went, being the perfect support for her aide. Together, they made an exceptional team, covering for each other flaws and increasing their strength with excellent teamwork.
But Ezreal and Syndra weren't anything less. With her longer reach and ridiculous blocking ability, the Sovereign was the ultimate defender, a hovering powerhouse covering most of the field by herself. Still, she couldn't be everywhere at once and that was where Ezreal came up. He was as fast as a bullet and his ability to quickly reposition meant that he was always there to launch that precise smash in that blind spot or to catch one opponent while she was off-guard. He was actually impressed by how well he and Syndra worked together. Their chemistry was simpler than the one perfected by years of tandem work by their opponents, but that didn't mean that it wasn't effective: Syndra defended and he attacked, and damn if it worked, well enough to keep the game always a close one. Still, he was surprised: Syndra leaving the offense to him? That sounded like flying pigs!
The game kept going for nobody knew how long, the score going up and down as they struggled for dominance. It was intense enough that neither Vi or Caitlyn bothered with anything more than focusing on it. But not Ezreal. A nagging suspicion kept stinging at him even as he played, one that increased with each cheer or taunt from Vi and how Syndra took it in stride, smile never losing her grace.
There was something in the way her friend was playing, the way she moved, something that he couldn't exactly pinpoint…
It hit him like a thunderbolt, so startling that he almost missed a pass.
Holy crap! Now he got what she was doing!
Two things: first, she was taking Vi's measures, her strength and ability. Second, she was fricking playing with her, like a lazy cat stalking that poor mouse; all for that moment of crushing climax. Holy shit!
She was sharp. She knew he knew almost instantly. Her feral smile told him just as much. Worse, it was too late: she was ready. That chilling realization hit him as she gestured for him to pass her the ball, the opposite of what they had been doing until then.
Welp, he dazedly thought, sending the ball up. That's it, Ez. You're going to end up as a meme or in some cautionary tale. Good job, i guess.
Their half of the field erupted. Sand fountained up like after being hit by a naval shell and, right at the top of it, riding a wave of dark energy, there was Syndra, the ball right in front of her and a hand blazing with purple fire extended above her head. She remained there for a long instant, a figure of unrestrained power, just what it was needed to flash everyone present with a smirk that was all teeth and purple light blazing from within. Then her hand hit the ball and it was the turn of the other half of the field to disappear into a building-sized explosion of sand and wind.
Ezreal started in alarm. Did she get carried away? He couldn't see Caitlyn and Vi anymore and…
That thought was cut off by the two officers flying off the whirlwind. They floated as if they were held afloat by a bunch of invisible hands and, quickly and precisely, were delivered where he was before being delicately laid on the sand.
Ezreal found himself blinking at two frazzled, very surprised, sand-covered but otherwise unharmed Piltover officers.
Only then he noticed that they had been all delivered at a safe distance from the atomic bombing in which the field had disappeared too.
And the bombing wasn't left behind either. As if someone had pressed the rewind button, all the sand thrown in the air turned back and down; faster and faster it went, until there was a mini-cyclone covering everything, that then disappeared with a single shockwave that they registered as a slight breeze. What remained was the volleyball field, looking just as it was before they started, and even a bit better since both net and poles were cleaned out of the sand.
"I think that's our point".
They turned, just in time to see Syndra gently land on the ground. The woman's gaze was a mix of thorough amusement and placid satisfaction.
Ezreal let out a breath he didn't realize to have been holding. He sighed, then smiled. Well, at least she didn't get carried away. That was good, wasn't it?
Caitlyn and Vi exchanged a wide-eyed look. The Sheriff chuckled, while the Enforcer hung down her head in defeat, grunting and rustling her hair.
"Point and game", she grudgingly admitted. "You made your point. I am not getting back on the court after that".
Syndra smirked. "Aw, you're so nice, Vi". She practically radiated with wicked satisfaction. "Here, let me help you with that". At a flick of her finger, the Enforcer's figure seemed to blur. She grunted in surprise, but then all the sand fell from her like a discarded dress.
"Stop that! Holy shit!"
Syndra left her to try to flail the tingling out of her skin. She turned to Ezreal with a satisfied expression.
He got up. "I'd say that you're terrible, but that would be an understatement".
She chuckled. "She asked for it".
She looked pretty fulfilled, but it didn't escape him that the challenge was still there in her eyes, and it was all for him now.
Was she saying: "This is what i am, a devastating, vindicative, blunt as a hammer and just as delicate witch. Take me or leave me"?
He almost erupted in laughter there and then. It was so much her that it almost was unfair. Still, it felt reassuring in a way. In her damned way, it was her offering him a chance.
Something of his hilarity had to show on his face because she frowned.
Grinning, he raised a hand. "Put it here, partner. Up five!"
She watched him for a moment, quizzical, before a smile bloomed on her lips.
"Ezzy and the Sovereign take no prisoners", she exclaimed, clapping his hand.
Ezreal laughed.
Behind him, Caitlyn chuckled, patting a grumbling Vi.
That was enough excitement for all of them so they decided to chill out for a bit. Thankfully, Vi had enough towels for all of them, even if it took some coaxing from the Sheriff to convince her to share them.
After that devastating defeat, the Enforcer had turned morose. Gauntlets still on her hands, she planted herself at a good distance from Syndra and started to shovel at the sand, muttering and grumbling.
"Enforcer?" Syndra's musical voice attracted her attention. The woman laid on her stomach on the towel, a single glowing eye peering at the officer from a tangle of silky hair. "How about you make yourself useful? I need someone to do my back". She showed a bottle of tanning cream she had pilfered from Vi's bag to emphasize.
The Enforcer's glare could have drilled a hole into reinforced steel. "Don't bother me", she grumbled, returning to her sulking.
She had pushed her metal fingers in the sand when her gauntlets suddenly stopped moving. First the one then the other, they fell from her hands as levers and buckles just opened of their own will.
"Hush". Syndra's voice was sultry and teasing. "The loser has to give something to the victor, doesn't she?"
A moment later, an invisible force grabbed hold of a stunned Vi and started to drag her toward Syndra. The poor Enforcer tried her best to claw at the sand to resist but it was all for nothing: she was unceremoniously plopped down beside the Sovereign, a bottle of cream flying in her hand and a seductive back right under her eyes.
Syndra set her head on her crossed arms with a satisfied sigh. "Be careful, alright?" She chided. "All that movement left me so… tense".
"Mh". Vi shivered a little at the sultry way that the last word was delivered. She looked down at soft curves and flawless skin for a moment then shook herself. "Listen here. I am not going to…!" Her phrase ended in nothing as some lotion flew out of the bottle and into her hand.
"Aw, getting scared now, pretty girl?" Syndra peered at her, eyes glinting. "And i thought you had some fire in you".
Vi swallowed, her cheeks turning red. With a determined frown, she squeezed some more lotion in her hands and started to work. She almost jumped at the little humming sound Syndra made the moment her hands brushed the Sovereign's back.
Ezreal decided that he had enough.
"I and Caitlyin are going to get some drinks. See ya later".
He practically whisked away the Sheriff before taking away in a hurry, Vi's silent pleas for help feeling like a burning mark on his back.
"She sure is a handful", Caitlyn commented as they made their way toward the bar.
Ezreal smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that".
"Don't worry". The Sheriff shrugged. "Vi could use the lesson". She sighed, more out of resignation than real exasperation. "I told her to act properly".
"Oh? That is a surprise".
"What is?"
"How well are you taking it. Aren't you bothered by, you know…" Ezreal mimicked an explosion with his hands.
"I've had my share of dangerous individuals and know how not to be impressed anymore". Ezreal saw the professional policewoman. It was a moment, then formality slid back away. "Yet again, maybe it's not the right term to be used here".
"You think?" Now it was Ezreal's turn to be surprised.
Caitlyn nodded, somewhat thoughtfully. Her voice took the formal tone of a detective exposing a character study. "The viciousness and vindictive attitude are what i'd associate with a dangerous individual, but they came together with a self-restraint and a control over her own ability that i would not". She chuckled at Ezreal's inquisitive expression. "To put it simply: she's been waiting and waiting not only to put Vi in her place in the most devastating way she could conceive but also to make absolutely sure nobody got hurt in the process." She smiled. "Those aren't the actions of an unstable individual".
"Right?" Ezreal wiped a non-existent tear away. "She came so far. I am so proud". He grinned as she chuckled. "For real, though. I am glad".
He really really was. Caitlyn was the sharpest, coldest tool in the rack, and that meant that not everybody would arrive at the same positive judgment she had, but at the same time she was rarely wrong and that made her words all the more precious.
He really was glad.
The bar was one without pretenses, just as the beach was. They took their drinks at the counter, sipping with long fancy straws from funny-looking glasses.
"That said," Caitlyn said after a while. The Sheriff looked thoughtful. "I can't say i would love to pass much time with the Sovereign. She seems to be the kind of person that carries constant headaches".
Ezreal rolled his eyes. Oh boy, if he knew far too much about that.
"That makes the way she acts around you all the more impressive". She closed her eyes, sipping calmly on her drink as he arched an eyebrow. "Oh, i noticed. One had to be blind not to. You two share quite the connection". She smiled gently. "Very impressive considering how famously closed she is".
Ezreal brushed a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling bashful. "Well, nothing special. We just passed some time together. I bet anyone could do the same".
"I wonder". Caitlyn took some time to drink. "And what about you?" She suddenly asked.
"What about me?"
"How come you like to pass so much time with her? I don't mean to pry", she added at his expression. "I am just curious. You are free not to answer if you don't want to".
"No no, it's fine". Ezreal grinned. He thought about it for a moment. "I mean, who wouldn't want to? She's the Sovereign, you know? She's so smart and exceptional and… what?"
Caitlyn hid her chuckle behind a hand, eyes glinting with amusement. "Nothing, nothing".
Ezreal rolled his eyes, returning to his drink. There was something alright, and he knew just what it was. Still, there was no point chasing the point so he just let it drop. He had put his mind to peace about it a long time ago after all.
Eventually, the time came to say goodbye to the beach and to the two officers.
Poor Vi was a shell of her former self, looking more frazzled with a smirking Syndra clinging at her arm than after almost being blasted sky-high by a high-velocity projectile.
"It has been a good day". Ezreal was unsure between being amused and concerned. "Thank you both".
"Yes, adequate". Syndra let go of Vi, that looked about to slump down in relief, and glided to him. Ezreal didn't miss the quick harsh glance she threw Caitlyn's way, nor how the way she took his arm had just that tiny smidge of possessiveness.
He rolled his eyes. Women…
"Thanks to you too", Caitlyn didn't look perturbed in the least, smiling calmly. He elbowed her aide. "Someone here needed the time".
Vi threw her a desperate look, but the Sheriff wasn't moved.
Grimacing, the Enforcer came forward. "Yeah, i guess i am sorry," she mumbled, avoiding Syndra's gaze. "I guess you're fine. Not like, damn, you're fine. More like, ehm, goddammit…" She covered her face with a hand, blushing.
Syndra giggled, a little wicked sound. "Aw, aren't you cute? I told you you'd came around". Briefly letting go of his arm, she stalked to her, the scene reminding Ezreal of a panther closing down on a rabbit. Getting up on her toes, she laid a little kiss on the taller girl's cheek. "See you around, plaything. Be good, alright?"
Vi's expression was priceless as the Sovereign glided back to him.
Ezreal smiled apologetically. "See you around, guys".
They watched them go, poor Vi practically slumping against Caitlyn.
"Oh my god, poor Vi". Ezreal threw a flat look toward the grinning demon climbing at her arm. "You're terrible".
"I think not". Syndra's smirk was like a cat's. "In fact, i think that it was very appropriate".
Ezreal brushed a hair through his air, letting out an exasperated groan. He grinned to her. "Welp, at least it has been an enjoyable day, wasn't it?"
Syndra leaned her head over his shoulder. "Adequate, yes".
Author's notes.
Time passes but inspiration strikes the moment I return to this story. Not even these big bulky chapters seem ever enough; this couple has just so much to say.
Welp, this is it. Leave a comment if you feel like it. I always love to hear what you guys have to say about the adventures of this wacky duo.
Cheers!