The sky seemed blacker than normal, though Quinn blamed that on the fact she was in Noxus where everything seemed to be painted either black or red. It had just begun to rain, causing her to hurry closer to her destination. For some reason, she remembered exactly where the tavern was, despite only having been there once.

She hurried inside as the rain began to come down harder, slamming the door harder than she had meant to.

There were more patrons this time, all of whom turned to look at her loud entrance. They were certainly Noxian, dirty and almost feral in their appearance. Quinn tried to act normal, pulling the cloak tighter around her body. Her eyes scanned the bar to find Sid, who seemed to recognize her immediately. He jerked his head to the side, gesturing to the stairs as he went back to cleaning a glass. The other patrons slowly went back to their business.

Quinn swore she could feel their eyes in her back like daggers as she made her way to the stairs, but when she turned her head the men had all returned to their drinks and conversations.

"What the hell am I doing?" she muttered under her breath.

This was insane. She shouldn't have even come in the first place. But she knew, and could not deny, that Talon made her feel something she'd never felt before, something she craved and wanted more of.

She shook her head as she went up the stairs, mumbling to herself about how stupid she was. She'd sate this stupid desire of hers and leave, go back to Demacia and pretend none of this had ever happened.

The door at the end of the hallway was closed, the hinges seeming to be repaired after her last visit.

She took a deep breath and could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest, worried that it might burst out. Her hand shook as she raised it to knock on the door, but before she was able to even make contact a voice called out to her from behind the door.

"That you, birdie?"

Quinn's face flushed red as she attempted to stammer out a response.

"Y-Yes…"

"It's open."

This was it. There was no turning back anymore. The moment she stepped in that room she'd be risking everything, her reputation, her honor, all for some fling. But she'd already come this far.

Her hand didn't stop shaking, even as she twisted the doorknob and stepped inside the somewhat familiar room. It looked the same as she remembered, though the table had been propped up correctly with some of Talon's blades resting on it.

He stood by the window, looking out at the rain that had started to come down quite heavily. The cape of blades was missing, as was his infamous blue attire. Instead he wore a plain black shirt and pants, his hair no longer tied back but instead hanging loosely to brush at his shoulders.

As the door clicked shut behind Quinn, Talon turned his head to look back at her. Seeing him like this, in this dim room without his assassin gear, Quinn realized just how intimate the moment was. They weren't two enemies trying to kill each other anymore; they were just a boy and a girl alone in a room, allowed to do anything their hearts desired.

"Talon…"

"You can set your things down. I think I've made it very clear that I'm not going to kill you, so there's no reason to be armed."

Quinn just nodded, walking over to the table where his weapons rested and set her crossbow beside them. As she removed her cloak she could hear his footsteps and her heart only continued to slam against her ribcage, amazed that he couldn't hear it. She hadn't worn her armor this time, remembering how Talon mentioned she would be much more noticeable if she did, and without it she felt terribly exposed. Her shirt was tight and she suddenly felt like she was suffocating.

"Hey."

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to see that he had made his way over to her, practically on top of her. He reached a hand to stroke the side of her face and Quinn felt like she was going to pass out.

"You're scared," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"Terrified," she admitted.

He chuckled to himself and took some of her hair between his fingers, twirling it methodically.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured, "…Unless you're into that kind of stuff."

Quinn choked out a laugh at that.

"No… at least I don't think so."

His other handed snaked around her waist, pulling her close against his broad chest.

"Perhaps we could find out?" he purred.

The Demacian felt her knees shake and had to brace herself against Talon's chest with her hands to avoid fainting on the spot.

"I…"

"I'm kidding. You Demacians are so uptight."

"If you think I'm uptight you should meet Garen."

"I'll pass. I've heard plenty of stories from Kat."

Their eyes met and time seemed to slow down. It was just the two of them in this world and nothing else mattered. There were no loyalties, no wars, no kingdoms. Just them.

Quinn's hand wandered up to his face absentmindedly and began tracing the several scars he'd acquired over the years. Talon stood still, eyes locked on her face as hers followed her fingers. Moments passed and her fingers found their way to his lips. There was a small scar by the corner of his mouth and she ran her finger over it curiously. Talon moaned ever so softly and Quinn froze, snapped out of the trance he'd put her under.

Their eyes met again, hers full of wonder and his ablaze with a burning desire. Quinn felt her heart thump in her chest one more time and then their lips had crashed together with immense passion. His hands were in her hair, grabbing tightly as she tried to adjust herself and find a place for her hands. She settled for his waist at first, but quickly began to claw her way up his back to find his shoulders.

His hands left her hair and for a moment she was disappointed. That problem was quickly solved, as he had reached for her ass and hoisted her up, keeping a firm grip as she scrambled to wrap her legs around his waist.

As he made his way towards the bed she noticed that he tasted faintly of alcohol. It was the one that he'd given her last time, the one that she'd loved and drank an entire bottle of. Now it was happening again, she was getting drunk all over from his kiss, but she didn't want it to stop. God, she never wanted him to stop.

Quinn collapsed back onto the bed, panting desperately for air as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. Talon grinned as he loomed over her, pleased with his work. He could feel the sting from the scratches she'd left on his back, still taste her lips on his. Her body was trembling, still coming down from the high he'd given her. He began to pull out, only for Quinn to whimper and grab at his shoulders, pulling him down and keeping him inside her.

"Not yet," she gasped, "Still… sensitive."

Talon didn't protest, propping himself up on his arms to avoid putting all of his weight on her. Her hands lingered at his shoulders, fingers ghosting over the skin she had turned red. She continued to breathe deeply in an attempt to stop herself from shivering so much but it was hard when he kept looking at her with those beautiful eyes of his.

"That wasn't forgetful, was it?" he asked teasingly.

Quinn groaned when he smirked at her, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Shut up…" she sighed.

Talon just chuckled and reached an arm up to his face to push away some of his hair. Most of it was plastered to his face with sweat, but a few loose strands had managed to escape, much to his annoyance.

A horrible storm raged outside, not unusual for Noxus, and a clap of thunder helped Quinn find her way back to reality.

"Alright," she breathed, "I think… I think you can move now."

Talon obliged, careful to be slow as he pulled out of her. She whimpered again but didn't try to stop him, gasping when he had finally removed himself completely. He rolled over to lay on his back beside her, staring up at the ceiling and listening as the rain pounded against the window.

They were silent, both attempting to steady their breathing and relax their muscles. The storm was relentless, wind howling so violently that it was a wonder the window wasn't blown open. There was a flash of lightning and then another, the thunder following closely behind.

"Why?"

Talon turned his head to the side to look at Quinn, whose face was still pointed at the ceiling. He wasn't sure if she'd meant to speak out loud, so he grunted in acknowledgement.

"Why me?" she asked.

The assassin wasn't sure what she meant.

"Why… why me, Talon?"

"I'm not sure I follow…"

"Why this? Why haven't you killed me?"

Her head fell to the side, eyes meeting his. They were dark and lost, clouded with confusion.

"I could ask you the same thing," he sighed.

"You're an assassin. You kill people, that's what you do. You kill Demacians."

She looked back up at the ceiling, knowing that looking into his eyes was a trap.

"You're right," he admitted, "I do kill people. But I also like to break the rules."

He sat up and leaned against the headboard. Its paint was flaking off and left some open splinters, causing Talon to adjust uncomfortably.

"You on the other hand, are a goody two-shoes."

Quinn scoffed as she felt his eyes fall on her, rolling over on her side to avoid his gaze.

"So I guess the real question," he continued, "Is why haven't you killed me?"

The scout bit her lip. Why hadn't she killed him? She should've done so back in the forest when he'd fought off the Noxians who'd double-crossed him. Jarvan would've praised her and maybe Garen would've stopped being so hard on her.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Funny how that works, isn't it?"

His hand reached out to touch her shoulder and she shivered instantaneously, causing him to pull back. When she didn't respond, he looked out the window, counting how many seconds would pass between the lightning and thunder.

"Storm's getting closer," he said under his breath as he noticed the time shortening.

"It hardly ever storms this bad in Demacia," Quinn mumbled.

Talon laughed as he reached up to rub his shoulder, still sore from the wound.

"This is nothing for Noxus. I've seen much worse."

The bed creaked as Quinn finally sat up. She felt awkward and unsure, the complete opposite of how she'd felt twenty minutes ago when she was moaning Talon's name into his ear. Still confused as to why he hadn't killed her, she decided to bring the subject up again.

"Isn't it your duty to kill all Demacians you encounter?" she asked, "Isn't that the Noxian way?"

"Duty?" he turned to look at her and scoffed, "Duty requires loyalty. I don't believe in loyalties."

Quinn was surprised to hear that. She thought all Noxians were loyal to the kingdom's cause and would do anything to uphold it.

"You don't? But Noxians do everything to honor –"

"Only fools pledge their life to honor."

Again, she was caught off guard. It didn't make sense to her. She'd pledged her loyalty, her life to Demacia long ago, before she'd even joined the military, as had most Demacian citizens. Noxians were just as, if not more, proud of their heritage and sought to conquest other lands for the glory of Noxus.

"I know that's hard for you to understand," he said as if reading her mind, "But I grew up on the streets of Noxus. I know what a terrible shithole it is, so why would I want to defend it? I wanted to get out of here more than anything."

"So why didn't you?"

Talon laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Impossible. Had to kill to stay alive, so I got pretty good at killing. Got the attention of lots of guilds that wanted to recruit me."

"You said no?"

"I left the bodies of the assassins they sent for me in the gutters."

The scout gulped nervously.

"But then one day, I met one that I went even with. He was a master of the blade, seemed to know exactly what I'd do and was able to disarm me, sword at my neck. Turned out to be the General Du Couteau himself. Said I could either die or become an agent of the Noxian High Command."

Talon rose from the bed and wandered over to the small table on the other side of the room. He and Quinn had disposed of their weapons there, though they had been thrown rather hastily. The familiar blade was easy for him to spot and he took it in his hands. It was one of the smaller ones he kept, nothing as flashy as his cloak or the one he brandished on his arm, but he was quite fond of it. The Du Couteau initials were engraved in the hilt, and there was a slight curve to the tip of the blade.

"I accepted of course," Talon continued, "But I'd only obey him. I had no interest in serving Noxus, but I had to respect the man that was able to defeat me."

Quinn had been watching him silently, noticing the fond glint in his eyes when he picked up one of his blades.

"When he disappeared…"

He hesitated, gripping the hilt of the blade tightly in his hand. Without realizing what she was doing, Quinn left the bed as well, slowly making her way towards him.

"When he disappeared, I was free," he said through gritted teeth, "But… Over the years I'd come to respect him… He treated me as if I was his son…"

Quinn stood in front of him, his eyes focused on the blade in his hand. She could see him shaking with anger and instinctively reached up to place a hand on his shoulders. He flinched, his eyes darting up to look at her, widening as if he'd forgotten she was there. She offered him a reassuring smile and the warmth in her eyes caused a horrible ache in his heart.

"So I stayed," he finished, looking back down at the blade, "I know he wouldn't just disappear. He wouldn't leave us…"

He was caught off guard by Quinn wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a hug. She rested her face on his chest and squeezed him gently. His body stiffened instinctively, unsure of what to do. This was the first time he'd ever been properly hugged. What was he supposed to do?

"I lost my brother when I was younger," she said suddenly, "And he was everything to me. I know it's not the same, but… I understand what it's like to lose the person closest to you."

Talon felt a distinct wetness against his chest. Was she crying? Still wary, Talon set the blade back down on the table and cautiously wrapped his arms around her to return the embrace.

"I'm… sorry…" he mumbled awkwardly.

To his surprise, she laughed. It was weak and she choked it out, but she still laughed.

"I know you don't do feelings," she said softly, "It's ok. You don't have to say anything."

"But I –"

She nuzzled her face against his chest, stirring something inside his stomach that he hadn't felt before.

"This is fine," she whispered, "Stay… just like this."

He was grateful that she didn't ask him to pour out his feelings to her, but at the same time he felt like he was supposed to say something. But no words came to mind and instead he remained silent, eventually leaning his head down to rest on top of hers.

They stayed like that for a long time, their breathing falling in synch as they took in the scent of one another. The storm continued, the claps of thunder seeming to become quieter, a sign that it was heading another direction.

Talon noticed Quinn's grip on him loosen, her knees bending slightly. He took that as a sign of exhaustion and, without a word, lifted her up off the floor to carry her back to bed. She merely gave a weak moan, forcing herself to tighten a grip again to make sure he didn't drop her.

He laid her down gently, pushing some locks of hair out of her face before standing up straight and turning back towards the table to gather his belongings. Katarina would be wondering where he was and the sooner he got back the less suspicious she would be.

As he began to take a step he felt a tug at his hand. He turned his head to see that Quinn had grabbed him by the hand and was looking at him with pleading golden eyes.

"Stay."

Just one word. One word that tore into him in a way he hadn't expected.

"I… can't," he replied softly.

He tried to pull away but her grip tightened, pulling back with more force than he thought she had.

"Stay," she repeated, "I need… please."

Dammit, why did she have to look at him like that? Those eyes melted him and he was at her mercy. He'd already lied to Kat about being unable to find intel on their last excursion to Demacia, he'd be able to conjure up another lie with ease.

"Alright," he sighed, "Just this once."

A weak smile came to her lips as he went around to the other side of the bed and climbed in, reaching down to pull the blankets up and over them. Quinn immediately moved closer to him, snuggling into him as she rested her head on his shoulder and threw an arm over his chest.

Talon wasn't exactly sure what to do. With all the affairs of his past he'd just leave after the deed had been done, regardless of whether or not he had to kill them afterwards. Hesitantly, he rested his hand against her hair and ran his fingers through it, to which Quinn hummed in approval.

"Goodnight, Talon."

"Night, birdie."

Author's Note: That was faster than expected. I was on a roll and actually cranked out a couple chapters pretty quickly so the next one should be up soon. As usual, thank you for the feedback, it really helps when I know what aspects you guys do/don't like. See you next chapter~