I thought I'd find you here. Especially since you didn't come to dinner. You still need to eat, remember? Starshadow remarks. The sun has long since set. I might have hidden myself on the balcony Yone brought me to the first time I left. I stare up at the sky, my hair twisted in a ton of knots. The stars do nothing to comfort me. What makes it worse, is that the stars are stained red by my borealis. My warning. It's not completely covering the sky, only the distance, where I believe I rescued the family. Where I set up the warning in the first place. There's just so much on my mind. I'll admit, I haven't interacted with anyone since Yasuo and Yone had their fight. I didn't even move for a while, waiting for Yasuo to work off his feelings. I don't want to confront anyone. Once Yasuo left, I walked around the courtyard, a little bit overwhelmed with everything that I heard.

I understand that Yasuo wants to help. He's probably even more driven to help from hearing what I did. But… all he's proven is that he's desperate to be able to fight. And fighting… it's not helpful to everyone. It's better to talk to others, to understand others… I guess that means I should try to understand Noxus… What's driving them to attacking Ionia?

Hello?

I remember. I mumble. I try to find some sort of help from the stars. Unfortunately, it seems like there are going to be clouds tonight. I'm not going to have any sort of comfort from my beloved stars tonight. That… is unfortunate. I could really use some guidance here. I don't want to talk with Daamien and Aurora quite yet. They don't have to try to figure out this mess. They wouldn't know how to deal with two of their favorite people being at odds with each other.

… I'm going to throw us back to the village tomorrow.

Sounds good. I mumble. I close my eyes. I've never heard Yone sound so mad before. Granted, Yasuo's never, ever dared to say anything like what he did, but… I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should talk to him… or Yasuo.

And I'm going to throw your scarf away.

Ok.

Now I know you're not paying attention to me. What's up? Starshadow nudges my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Sorry, what were you saying? I shake my head, giving my bonded my full attention. He slithers up the balcony fence, so he's face to face with me.

Time to eat. They made some really sweet food for us to enjoy. Starshadow answers me.

I'm not hungry. I groan. I rock onto my heels as I lean over the fence. My head rests against my forearms.

Now you're lying to me. You spent almost a week in a coma with people taking care of your needs, namely me, and when you wake up, you ignore everything around you in favor of talking to the brothers. Now, I've seen Yasuo and Yone. Yone is looking downright murderous to his little brother while Yasuo acts like a meek kitten begging for milk. Starshadow answers me. A soft giggle pulls itself from my lips.

Yasuo wants to fight against Noxus. He has the skill and the training, but Yone wants him to stay here and protect Elder Souma. Yone tried to get him to remain here, but Yasuo decided to bring up how Yone failed to protect me from all the hells I've been through. I explain. Starshadow's mouth drops open. He's definitely in shock as his fangs also drop in surprise.

Damn… That explains the kitten part.

"I… didn't get the chance to talk with Yone yet." I mumble into my sleeve.

I can tell. That also explains why he's been avoiding you. He hasn't once made his way to the medical wing. It's probably why you've gotten away with being alone for so long. He was looking a little less murdery and a little more concerned when Master Souma told him that you woke up. I asked him to let me find you and bring you back. Starshadow sighs and gently pushes his head against mine.

"I know that Yone just wants to look out for his brother. Master Souma picked Yasuo to be his student for a reason, so there has to be one. But the problem… is that this… this is an invasion. Yasuo has fought battles. So have I, but war… I've already seen what a battle can do, and it's just a battle. I don't want to even try to think about war. I think Yone is aware as well, and wants to protect his brother…"

Oh Leilah. You are so sweet. I don't know if it's Yone wanting to protect his brother. He knows full well that Yasuo can handle himself in a fight. He would never have been Souma's student. No, it's more like Yone knows that they are going their separate ways soon. Yasuo will remain as a protector of Ionia, and Yone will be going with you. This war… it's his test to see if he can trust his brother with a huge duty. It's sort of his last obstacle stopping him from completely committing to you. Starshadow forces me to look up with his tail.

"...I guess…"

It doesn't have to be one or the other, Leilah. Maybe he loves his brother and is afraid. Maybe he needs assurance that his country will be safe. Only he knows. And that should be enough. There's no need to attempt to fix something that might not be broken. Besides, no one is being sent to fight. Yasuo just has that feeling and Yone wanted to get him to think with his head and not his heart, much like you. Starshadow presses on. I take a deep breath and stand up straight.

"Maybe… I'm… I don't know what to do. A huge part of what caused their argument is me. Something about Yone not doing his duty to me. And… I'm not sure if I should say something or pretend I never heard it because it's between them but at the same time it's trying Yone's feelings and it sounded very pointed and… and… Gah!" I let out a soft growl of irritation. I'm not sure if I can actually voice out loud how Yone actually feels about me. He never said it himself, so I'm going to respect that. That secret remains with me.

"So you did hear that." Yone surprises me. I yelp and turn around, accidentally sending Starshadow flying.

WHAT THE ISLES! Starshadow catches himself with my magic as soon as he realizes he's been shoved off. I grunt and clutch my stomach, hunching over a little bit. My magic is apparently still recovering. Thankfully he's quick to get back to the fence, though I know for a fact he's not happy with me. That… was RUDE.

I didn't mean to! I didn't know he was here. You said that he wasn't. I try to defend myself.

I lied. You really think that he'd leave you alone once he figured out that you were awake? I just asked him to wait until he heard what made you so closed off. You're welcome, by the way. Starshadow brushes his scales free of invisible dust. I still shoot him a glare.

How did you know that I would switch to talking out loud?

It didn't matter. I can project what I hear to him, remember? Now, beg for my forgiveness, make me coffee, and buff my scales. I could have been seriously hurt. Starshadow sniffs.

"You shouldn't have lied to Leilah in the first place." Yone smoothly enters the conversation. I sigh.

"How long have you been listening?" I try to cover my blush, though it's definitely a little bit hard to do so when my version of a blush is my entire body glowing.

"Ever since Starshadow got here." Yone strolls to the fence next to me. He rests his elbows on the fence next to me, his shoulders just far enough to not brush mine. Just enough to give me space while also offering comfort. "How long were you listening?"

"I was… watching you guys fight. I didn't know you could fight with one sword that well." I answer honestly. The urge to lean against him is growing, though my guilt of listening to a private conversation is quite strong. Yone hums, letting me know that he heard me.

"So… you heard… Yasuo's opinion about… how I feel about you… And my duty to Ionia..." Yone stutters. I snap my head up to look at him. I've never heard him sound so uneasy… actually, that's not true. I've heard him stutter before. When he asked to court me.

"Yeah…" I have no idea how to help him be a little less comfortable.

"Leilah… I... " He takes a deep breath, letting out a chuckle. I raise an eyebrow at that. "It's funny. When it comes to stressful situations, I am more than capable of staying calm and level headed. When it comes to you, to be open, I seem to have lost all semblance of control."

"If it helps, I seem to be of the same mind." I giggle with him, finally letting our shoulders touch. His eyes are soft as he looks at me. Starshadow huffs a bit as he leaves the balcony.

Blech. You kids have fun. I'm going. Don't do anything inappropriate. This is no time for a-

"Shut up!" I hiss at him. He lets out a snakey laugh as he disappears. Yone blushes as hard as I do. The only reason why I can see it is because I'm glowing. I fight hard to control my magic. I am a little bit frustrated that I can control exactly how much magic I can use to heal, but when it comes to my feelings, I can't seem to get my magic to listen. "Sorry about him."

"It's fine. He's always been good at finding ways to break an atmosphere, even if he's a little bit vain." Yone reaches his left hand out to grab my right one. I smile softly at the feeling, letting my head rest against his shoulder. It's just like when we were younger. This… this is almost better than when we were younger. Back then, we were just friends, dancing around our feelings. Now… we're still bouncing around our feelings. But this time, we know how the other feels. We wouldn't be courting otherwise. If only he would say what's bothering him… "Leilah?"

"Hmm?" I pull my head up to look him in the eye. He smiles affectionately at me.

"I was just asking if you felt like I was failing my duty to you." He's talking a little bit faster than usual. I guess I got absorbed into my own head for a little bit.

"What? No. How would you be failing your duty to me? I'm the one with magic that teleports me everywhere. How are you supposed tokeep up with me?" I protest.

"Part of courting is that I prove to you and those around you that I am capable of protecting you. I think it's safe to say that I didn't exactly succeed in that regard." Yone hangs his head a little bit. I feel my heart melt a little bit.

"I think it's safe to say that I'm alive and free thanks to you. And… you make me happy. You courting me doesn't mean that you have to constantly protect me. It just means that we want to share a life, and we want to see how it works." I explain, reaching my hand over to have him look me in my face. He leans into my touch gently with a smile. I feel the exact same silly smile appear on my face. "That's what dating means to me. Where we share a life… together…"

Yone doesn't say anything, just enjoying his time with me. With his eyes closed… I've never started a kiss before… but right now… I kind of want to try. I lean forward a bit, shy at the idea of initiating, but I've definitely kissed him before. Right before I press my lips against his, I hesitate. I don't want to interrupt the moment. He's so peaceful right now. I don't want to interrupt.

"If you want to kiss me, you can." Yone cracks open his eyes just a little bit. I blush a little bit at being caught. Though, I take his encouragement as an ok, giving in and giving him a kiss.

He eagerly responds, his hands letting go so he can hold onto my waist. My eyes flutter closed at the gentle love. This… this is nice. His hands let go of mine to place them on my waist. He presses into an even deeper kiss. My head is completely spinning. I don't even want to try to open my eyes to see how Yone is reacting. By the time Yone lets up, he has to hold me up. One hand supports my back while the other my head.

"Can I keep going?" His voice is raspy as he presses his forehead against mine. I gasp a little bit before meeting his eyes. I swear that it's only his brown eyes holding mine captive that I can even think. They're completely blown out, all that attention on me. It's been years since I've been in Targon. I've been around too many cultures. A part of me wants to stop, as my culture demands that I do, but… This is addicting. I've been through so much hell, figurative and literal, that maybe… I can indulge… Maybe… we can keep going without going too far. Besides… I can be mature later.

"If you stop… before Starshadow comes back… I'm going… to hold it against you… Just... leave the clothes alone?" I threaten a little bit.

"Of course. I would never do anything against your honor." Yone chuckles a bit before he goes back to stunning me out of my mind. I want to make him just as stunned as he makes me, but I can't even get my thoughts in order. I melt against him, his muscles shifting as he gently tilts my head to my left. He presses kisses all along my neck, starting with my right side. My mind is completely blank. I don't even have the strength to even stand without help. He switches to my left side.

Out of nowhere, my chest tightens considerably. I can't breathe. My eyes flash open to see Deviago's face right in front of me. My entire body freezes. I'm trembling as Deviago pulls away with a smirk. His hand reaches up and touches my cheek. I flinch away. That causes Deviago to stop.

"Leilah?" Deviago asks. I can't keep standing. My legs give out from underneath. Tears are falling down my face. Everything in me begs me to get away, to move, to make a noise, but whatever Deviago wants, Deviago gets. "Leilah, are you alright?"

My ears ring. I struggle to make the noise stop. I blink again and it's Idiot's head rolling around in front of me. I feel my stomach try to escape my body. Deviago helps me to the ground. I can't scream. Where did Yone go? What's happening? STARSHADOW?

I'm here. Starshadow's head bumps into my palm. I can finally feel the tears on my face. I blink a few times. Deviago morphs back into Yone, though Yone is incredibly concerned. Starshadow keeps bumping his head against me, grounding me back into the present. Wow. That was a massive flashback if you were that loud and scared. What the Isles did he do to you?

"I… All I did… was kiss… her… shoulder..." Yone sounds so lost. I curl myself into an even tighter ball. Flashes of when Deviago kissed my shoulder fly across my eyes. Starshadow winces. Yone flinches as well. I want to glare at Starshadow, as he definitely shared that experience with him. "Oh, Karma, I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault… We… were caught up... " I feel the urge to comfort him. The poor man really had no idea. I guess I've been pretending I'm alright for too long. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize." Yone opens his arms slightly, offering me the choice. I fall into his embrace. He's careful to not touch me around my waist or my left shoulder. He probably still remembers my meltdown back when we first started dating… courting… I'm not really sure of the difference. "Don't apologize for something that was out of your control."

"I… I shouldn't have been in there. I should have left Navori when I could. I should have listened to you." I sob into his arms. He presses a kiss on my forehead while rubbing my back.

"Oh, Lo-Leilah. What happened happened. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that." I can feel my hair dampen a little bit. He's… crying. He's not sobbing like I am, as he can still breathe evenly, but he's definitely letting a few tears of his own out.

We just stay like that for a while. Starshadow keeps his head against my neck, just in case I have another flashback. He's the only one that has always been able to calm me out of a nightmare. Yone just keeps me close. I fight my hell for a while. Breath in… Breath out… Each breath feels like I'm fighting against the world. I'm definitely shaky. Breath in… Breath out… My hands are out of my control. I tighten my grip on Yone's clothes before letting go. I'm a little worried my nails are going to scratch him. I'll know when I pierce his skin when my own skin breaks. So far, I can feel bruises on my chest, though there's not much more than that. Breath in… breath out… I have been through flashbacks before… I can handle them… I can handle myself. I'm stronger. Stronger than what I was.

So… I think the mood is effectively broken. Starshadow remarks in my mind. I give a watery snort at the same time as Yone. His hand gently caresses my hair, tangling his fingers into my starry locks. I lean into him for a little bit of comfort.

"At least it wasn't because I was a bad kisser." Yone tries to alleviate the mood.

"You… I really hope you never think that it's because you're a bad kisser. If anything, you're too good." I compliment him. He presses a kiss on my hand.

"Good to hear. Now, I believe that you are attempting to miss a meal?" Yone stands up. He helps me stand as well. I'm still a little bit shaky, falling into him. Starshadow snorts as he slithers up my leg.

You definitely were faking that.

Was not!

"I can assure you, Starshadow, she is certainly not faking it." Yone chastises my bonded.

Well… Master Souma's the only one that hasn't paid up. Do I need to babysit to make sure that everyone's going to remain dignified? Starshadow shakes his head a little bit. I grab him and throw him off the balcony. Starshadow takes a bit of my magic to catch himself on the ground. My core twinges a little bit in pain, but it's worth it. RUDE!

I'm not like that! And you know it! I yell back in my mind. Yone shakes his head in amusement at our antics. That reminds me… "What are you going to do with Yasuo?"

Immediately, Yone tenses up. Whatever sweet atmosphere we have is gone in an instant. I know it's not necessarily my place to ask this, but I have to. I don't want them to have bad blood between them. I had a nightmare about them while I was recovering. Both of them are incredibly skilled. I'd hate to see the result of them actually fighting. Still, if what Starshadow said about Yasuo is true, I want to help. They're really close. I don't want this to stop them.

"I'm… not going to do anything until he apologizes. What he said was out of line. He should have never brought you into our argument." Yone is firm as he helps me walk down from the balcony. I'm still a little shaky from everything that's happened.

"Your opinion of him really matters, you know."

"I know. We both hurt each other rather badly…" Yone presses a hand against his forehead. "He was so calm when we were in Navori City with you. Why can't he have kept that behaviour and learn to stay here?"

"He's… he's more like me. We can't just sit back and let things happen, not when we can actually do something about it." I defend Yasuo.

"Perhaps, but you don't go looking for a fight to fight. He does, and that's… that's not right. He was the one to suggest going to talk to Deviago. Even more annoying is that he was planning to go with the evidence we've collected. I only agreed if I would do most of the talking. He's my responsibility." Yone is definitely frustrated. His hand finds its way to my hair. He's trying to calm down.

"Perhaps, but he's also coming into his own. And he is just as dedicated to defending Ionia as much as you are."

"Master Souma is one of the last users of the wind technique that Yasuo is learning. Once he is gone, so do his techniques. They defend Ionia. Master Souma has to be protected." Yone insists.

"It's not just because Master Souma became a father figure to both of you?" I raise an eyebrow knowingly. I think Master Souma is like Daamien to the boys. He's their rock and strength.

"...It's definitely not that." Yone scoffs. The pause before he talks speaks volumes. I'm still staring at him, though I'm a little amused at his stubbornness. He doesn't look at me, prefering to lead me away. It's a battle of wills now, and we both know that I can be too stubborn for my own good. He sighs a little bit. "He's Yasuo's master, and he took me under his wing a little bit. That's all."

I cover my chuckle with my mouth. I know better. He cares for Master Souma. I open my mouth right before my stomach growls. Now it's my turn to be under amused scrutiny. I meet his eyes and burst into laughter. Yone lets out a soft laugh before pulling me to the room where Master Souma, Yone's master, Yasuo, and Starshadow are sitting. Yone takes a seat before gesturing to the open space on his left. On the table right in front of it is a bowl of still steaming rice, along with plenty of other food. They didn't want to eat without me… That's… really touching.

Yasuo's head remains down. He's fiddling with his hands as I take a seat. Yone is resolutely not looking at his brother. I can feel Yasuo's desire to apologize and make things right. I grab the bowl of rice, and everyone else follows quickly. Starshadow breaks whatever conversation he's having with Yasuo to turn to me.

"Hungry now?"

"Starving." I smile as I take a bite of delicate fish. My mouth is watering from the taste. It takes everything in me not to make a noise. Yone gestures for me to grab some vegetables. I happily do so.

"I'm pleased to see Yone finally have a smile on his face. It has been too long." Yone's master, Seiyo, starts off the conversation.

"I still can't believe that Yasuo even won the bet." Master Souma shakes his head in mock disappointment. Yasuo's head tilts up for a moment before he ducks his head again. Yone can't help but glance at his brother in concern before he remembers himself.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Starshadow whispers quietly to me.

We get those two to talk and have Yasuo forgiven? I glance at Yone. it seems like Starshadow is keeping it private for once.

You read my mind.

We share a bond and had four or five years together. I should know you by now.

"You know, I believe that I helped Yasuo with that bet. It's supposed to be seventy-thirty in my favor." Starshadow throws out the bait.

"It is not!" Yasuo takes it without thinking. Master Souma gives Starshadow a wink at his masterful plan to get Yasuo to talk. Yasuo has his pride. To be denied it would definitely make him talk.

"Uh huh. I told you exactly how Leilah would never be able to recognize when someone is trying to be affectionate with her, nor would she be able to make the first move. I also called that Yone would never actually act on his feelings unless she was in rather harsh danger because he wants her to be happy and didn't want to force his feelings on her. I just let you call it so you could finally taste victory." Starshadow pops open his hood to preen. Yone narrows his eyes.

"No, I said that. You were the one that said that Leilah is too much of a country bumpkin to initiate anything." Yasuo argues. My right hand clenches in annoyance.

"You called me a country bumpkin?" I deadpan.

"Leilah, you can not even think about being selfish. Trust me, I've tried." Starshadow sniffs and raises his head up high.

"You, Starshadow, have enough ego for the whole world, and even then that isn't enough." I roll my eyes.

"I am a celestial. I'm bigger than this world anyway." Starshadow tilts his chin up a little bit.

"Isn't that the truth." Yasuo mutters under his breath.

"Hey!" Starshadow pretends to whirl around on him.

"You have so much ego I'm surprised that Leilah can even support your weight." Yasuo challenges Starshadow. Yone takes a sip of his tea.

"Are you saying she's weak? Cause I weigh as light as a feather." Starshadow harrumphs. I have to cover my smirk with my drink. Starshadow's gotten Yasuo right where he wants him. If he was really trying to be offended, he would have remarked about himself being heavy.

"Please, she's one of the strongest people I know. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and she's still standing strong. Besides, she goes everywhere. The only way someone could keep up with her is to be where she's going to be before she is." Yasuo makes a joke at my expense.

"Why do you think I'm stuck to her like glue?"

"Hey!" I protest. Yone sets down his cup. He's now looking at his brother with a blank face. In Yasuo's earnest behaviour, we've managed to get him to raise his head. Now Yasuo and Yone are looking eye to eye. Yasuo notices this and swallows his pride.

"Yone… about what I said earlier… I didn't mean to say it. It wasn't even true… I just want to help Ionia. Just like you are going to..." Yasuo stutters a little bit. Souma and Seiyo converse to themselves a little bit louder so they give the two some semblance of privacy. "I'm sorry that I said that."

"...You really need to get your temper under control. You can learn that while protecting Master Souma. Besides, we aren't even sure that we will have to be involved. We just know that Noxus invaded. Ionia should be able to stop them before they get too far." Yone accepts Yasuo's apology. Yasuo brightens up considerably before reaching across the table to grab some fish.

"I won't leave this place unless told to." Yasuo easily agrees. I roll my eyes. Men.

Oi!

You don't count, Celestial. Do you even have a gender?

...Fair enough. And I like the masculine titles. It's… nice to be close to Daamien in this way.

"Ionia can defend itself?" I ask in surprise.

"Well, Ionia is the first lands. If the magic isn't enough, there are people. People who can fight like the Kinkou Order for people. They'll be the ones to defend Ionia. If need be, we will come to Ionia's defense as well." Seiyo explains to me. I nod, understanding.

"Great. Everyone's made up, and I'm still starving. Pass the chicken." Starshadow barks.

"Starshadow…" Yone and I groan in unison.

"If there's any sort of sign that the two of you belong together, it was right there." Yasuo remarks. The masters have to break from their conversation to laugh. I glow a little bit.

"Yasuo!"

"That's exactly what Yasuo was talking about!" Starshadow points at the two of us.

Don't you start too! I hiss in my mind. Yone slides his left hand onto mine. All my annoyance with my snake melts away.

The rest of the meal passes by in peace. Master Souma asks me to regale him with stories about everything since the last time we had a meaningful conversation. That… was a lot to talk about. Everything since I was last here… That starts all the way from Bilgewater. It's been years since that happened. I try to tell him everything that I remember. To my surprise, I've forgotten a few things. I don't remember what the place smells like, or who I bumped into. I remember my eyes getting cut out, but… I don't really remember how I got caught. I remember escaping with Starshadow, but I don't remember how Starshadow escaped. It takes Yasuo speaking up to remind me of details I didn't recall.. Years of being who I am… It's amazing what I can forget. I really thought I would remember everything as that was the first time I was so badly treated. I… I'm not sure if it's because it's just become old to me or if it's because I've been through even worse nightmares.

After the meal, I go back to the balcony above. Instead of looking off the fence, I stay under the roof. With a flick of my hand, I conjure up the sky from Targon. I scan for each constellation I know. Each star lights up as I list each constellation. Myisha. Pantheon. Judicator… I feel my shoulders relax as I stare at my sky. I haven't forgotten any of them. I slump against the fence, my eyes never leaving. If I remember those stars correctly, nothing else matters. As long as I can remember who matters, what happened to me that was so bad can be forgotten.

Those stars aren't right. Starshadow slides up to his spot on my neck.

What do you mean? I glance down at him, my heart tightening in my chest.

My star… It wasn't named, but it shouldn't be there. Starshadow pulls away the smallest twinkle in the sky. It's a small one, close to that of the Trickster.

You still have a place in the sky, Starshadow. You wouldn't be a celestial without it. I put it back.

No. My place is with the Aspect of Hope. It's not in the sky anymore. Starshadow makes it disappear again. I glare at him a little bit before putting it back. It becomes a bit of a fight between us, with that small light blinking. Alright, enough! I came here to remind you that we're going back into the fray tomorrow. We're going back to the village to break the binding. Maybe we can get some people out afterwards.

That soon? I'm a little surprised at Starshadow's eagerness.

I thought you would want to get back in as soon as possible.

I do… but… I wish I could continue to spend time with Yone… It's been a long time.

Why not ask the man if he wants to come? Starshadow blinks his star out of the sky.

Well… I'm not even sure we're going to stay in Navori. We went to visit Ashe before. I point out. Starshadow turns his head back to me. I will the star back into the sky.

True… Perhaps a deal can be cut? Where Yone comes with us while we are in Ionia, but if we go off country, we leave him? Starshadow suggests. The star blinks out again. My stomach is starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

It doesn't seem right to just leave him in a spot and wonder exactly what's going to happen.

"Why do you have the sky under the roof? Especially when there is a perfectly good sky outside?" Yone asks, interrupting our argument. I look up with a smile as Yone joins us. He settles down next to me.

"I just wanted to make sure I remembered my home's stars. I didn't realize what I forgot until Yasuo mentioned them." I get comfortable on the man, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'm… kind of glad that you don't. Remember those details, I mean." Yone shifts a little bit to wrap his arm around me. Starshadow slips onto my lap and nudges my hands, demanding to be pet.

Well, Yasuo has no tact. I wasn't going to mention anything in case it triggered you again. Starshadow huffs. I start to scratch his scales to get him to shut up.

"He's not wrong."

"I… I was fine. To be honest, I've gone through a lot worse things than being held captive." I am surprised by how true that is.

"That… doesn't make me feel better." Yone rests his head on mine. He points a finger up at the spear and shield. "Pantheon."

"You remembered." I look up at him in surprise.

"Of course I do. Do you have any idea how often you would talk about your idol? I could be jealous." Yone teases me. I gently smack his chest before settling on him. My stomach is definitely getting worse, so I let the sky melt away.

"Hey, Yone?" I whisper softly. Yone hums to let me know he's listening. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Back to the village."

"Already? You just woke up today." Yone protests a little bit. I bury my face into his chest.

"My magic is so much stronger than before, and I don't exactly have the possibility of a vacation. I have to go back to help. And… I was going to ask if you wanted to come along?" I squeak at the end. There is silence before I feel him lift my chin up.

"I would follow you to the end of the world. You know that. But while my country needs me, I have to be where they know I will be. We got them into this… we have to do our duty to help them." Yone declines my offer. I let a sad smile grace my face, but I'm not surprised.

"In that case, do you want to just spend tonight here?" I ask. Starshadow hears it and escapes my fingers.

I'll go grab a few pillows. Starshadow leaves. And like that, the weight of the world comes back onto my shoulders.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be the start of hell. But for now, I want to enjoy being with Yone. I have no idea when I'll get to see him again.

Anyone else have their little hearts melt? Cause I have to say, this made me melt a little bit writing it. I wanted to give Leilah and you guys a little bit of warmth as... well, the invasion is definitely going to hurt everyone. And while I can be cruel, I am also reasonable and Leilah definitely needs a little bit of love. Along with Yone. Feel free to leave in reviews what you are hoping for when it comes to Yone and Yasuo. Lemme know if you hope that they won't fight, that Leilah can save Yone, or that Yone dies so he can be with her for eternity... Hard choices, huh?

Anyway, this week's lovely champion is... DR. MUNDO! Ugh, they're changing his lore and this is going to mess everything up, but I'll try... And reading his lore is utterly terrifying, as he's a bloody sociopath, but... I want to be positive, so... I really hope that you are passionate about your tasks as Mundo is about harming others for his pleasure... my god that hurts to write, but I'm really trying. And I hope you guys are having such an Extraordinary day that you feel like one too, just like how you all make my day just by reading. **Hint hint, reviews please!**