The nightmares woke him, as they almost always seemed to. It was nothing as terrible as the last time he'd slept with Quinn, but it was enough to pull him from his slumber, and he found himself catching his breath as his eyes shot open. There was a familiar weight on his chest and he glanced down to find Quinn practically on top of him, an arm and leg flung over his body while her head rested comfortably in the crook of his shoulder.

A lazy grin formed on his face as he turned his head to the side to look at the balcony. They'd forgotten to draw the curtains, though considering they were on the second floor he doubted that anyone had seen what they were up to the night before. Valor was perched on the balcony, his head tucked into his wing while he slept. The sky was still dark, the first rays of light threatening to spill over the horizon at any moment. That was his cue.

Reluctantly, Talon pushed Quinn's limbs to the side, carefully moving her head to rest against a pillow. She didn't seem to notice, so he swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching his arms in the air as he let out a yawn. It was odd, he thought, how he always seemed to sleep better with her at his side.

"Talon…"

Apparently, he hadn't been as stealthy as he'd hoped. Her hand searched lazily for him, eventually resting on his back with a hum of content.

"Come back," she yawned, "You're warm."

Talon chuckled softly before standing up, earning a displeased grunt from Quinn.

"I've gotta go," he said, "Don't want anyone to see me leave. I'm not really supposed to be here."

He could hear Quinn mutter something in protest, but it was mostly incoherent. She reached out for him again but he had already moved, heading to the bathroom to retrieve his clothes. For once, they were in a nice pile on the floor, having undressed himself for once. He pulled on his boxers, taking the rest of the clothing in his arms

As soon as he returned to the bedroom, Quinn began to mumble again, slightly louder this time.

"Just a little longer," she groaned, "The sun's not even up…"

He crossed the room to return to the bed, amused at the pouty face Quinn gave him.

"It's easier to hide in the dark," he replied, "And there shouldn't be too many Demacian guards wandering around at this hour."

She knew he was right. He was always right. But that didn't make it any easier.

He reached out to stroke her cheek and her hand was quick to follow his, resting delicately on top. She wanted him to stay more than anything, to crawl back in bed with never let her go.

"I don't want you to go."

The look in her eyes made him weak, but he knew that he had to keep his resolve. If he stayed he'd increase his chances of being caught and never being able to see her again. Not being able to see her again…

He quickly shook the thought from his mind, instead focusing on her, trying to ignore the way his heart was beating so rapidly.

"You know where to find me," he assured, "Come find me and I'll stay with you for as long as you want."

Quinn squeezed his hand and nodded, the familiar smile he adored so much returning to her lips.

"I doubt your sister wants me back anytime soon, so the usual place?"

"Of course."

He flipped his hand over to hold hers, bringing it up to press a gentle kiss against the back of it. Her smile grew as his lips lingered, drawing out the kiss as long as possible. Perhaps he didn't want to leave her either, she thought. When he finally did pull away, he allowed his hand to remain, their fingers loosely holding on to each other, not wanting to be the first to let go.

It was Talon who parted first, taking a step back so that he could finish getting dressed. Once he'd finished, he leant over to place a kiss on her forehead, a pleasant warmth trickling down into Quinn's toes at the display of affection.

As he made his way to the balcony, he looked back over his shoulder one more time to see Quinn settling back into the bed, pulling the blankets around her tightly and snuggling into the pillow. Damn, she was adorable.

"Don't keep me waiting," he called.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

True to her word, Quinn did return to Noxus as quickly as possible, though it wasn't nearly soon enough for either of them.

The moment she'd walked through the door Talon had pulled her into his arms, lifting her off the ground as he kicked the door shut behind them. Quinn's infectious giggle filled the room as he spun her around and Talon found himself laughing with her.

"It's hardly been a week!" she laughed, "I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome."

"We both know that I'm hardly a patient man."

He carried her over to the bed, keeping her in his arms as he sat down so that she could lay in his lap. She was eager to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face into his hair, inhaling his familiar scent of steel and alcohol she'd grown so accustomed to.

"How long do I have you for?" he asked as he gave her waist a playful squeeze.

She giggled again, having missed his touch. They hadn't been apart that long but to Quinn it felt like years. Any time without him seemed so lonely, dragging on and on as though it would never end. Seeing him again made her heart overflow with happiness, reaffirming her love for him.

"A whole week," she replied, "Hopefully you don't have anything else to do…"

"Just you."

His lips were quick to find her neck and she let out a squeal of delight as he nipped at her flesh, the spot at her collarbone that he'd discovered where she was most sensitive.

"Talon! I just got here!"

"Your point?"

Her body curled in on itself as he bit down again, her knees pulling into her chest as she tried to stop herself from moaning. It wasn't fair, she thought, how he knew exactly how to make her bend to his will.

"Are we… just going right into it?" she asked, feeling a familiar warmth against her cheeks.

"Is that a problem?"

Definitely not a problem, but it was different. Sure, Talon had a high sex drive but this was unlike him. Usually he'd be more subtle in his seduction, always happy to watch Quinn fall apart at the seams from his slow foreplay. But now he was eager, wasting no time to get right to the point.

"It's not a problem," she replied, "Just… different. You're not usually so eager."

He pulled away from her neck, his expression softening as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I've been waiting for this since the moment I left your bed," he breathed, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

Quinn's heart hammered in her chest violently. Rarely was he ever sentimental and now for him to suddenly show emotion, after she'd confessed her love, she couldn't help but hope.

"Really?"

Her breath hitched as she spoke, betraying her as she attempted to hide her anxiousness. She didn't think he would say it since they hadn't seen each other since her own confession, but perhaps he'd taken the time to self-reflect. At least that's what she could dream.

Talon nodded, their noses bumping together. There were no more words to Quinn's disappointment, but she knew better than to let it bother her. Of course he wasn't going to say he loved her just like that, no matter how hard she wished for it. She sighed softly, allowing her eyes to close in thought. She wouldn't try to force him to say it; there was no point if he didn't mean it. So, she'd continue to wait, satisfied with the simple fact that they were together.

"You ok?"

Talon's voice dragged her from her thoughts and her eyes opened to find him looking at her, his brows pulled together in concern.

That was enough for her.

She smiled, reaching a hand up to touch his face, Talon quick to follow and take her hand in his.

"Yes," she murmured, "As long as you're with me, I'll be fine."

Talon averted his gaze hastily, biting the corner of his lip as he tried to look anywhere else.

"How do you say such things so easily?" he mumbled.

Quinn noticed the slight blush on his face and couldn't help but giggle, pressing her lips to his cheek in a sweet kiss. It was nice to see him as the flustered one for a change.

"Because I love you," she answered.

That only caused Talon's blush to intensify, but before she could tease him he'd removed her from his lap and pushed her down into the bed before climbing on top of her. The blush was still there and he was trying, but failing, to avoid her gaze.

"You…"

He bit his lip as he tried to think of a response and Quinn giggled at the sight of his intensely focused expression.

"You're going to drive me crazy if you keep saying things like that."

She opened her mouth to speak, unsure if he was serious or not, but was cut off as he brought his lips to hers. It was a deep kiss, one that melted Quinn and made her eyes roll back. When he pulled away she raised her head to follow, not quite able to reach again.

"That's one way to shut you up," he teased.

Another attempt at a retort was again cut off by yet another kiss, one that was able to elicit a moan from the Demacian. She squirmed beneath him, catching her breath as he took her bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it gently.

"You're the worst," she huffed.

"But you love me."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, quickly glancing away as he shot her a smug grin. Now he was going to hold this over her head, relentlessly tease her about it. But that was alright, she thought as she looked back at him and his stupid, beautiful face. She knew his teasing was well intended and all in good fun. It was one of his many ways of showing that he cared, maybe almost as much as she cared for him.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I do."

The last day was always the hardest.

They'd been nearly inseparable, never apart for more than a few hours. Talon didn't seem as concerned about being noticed as much as he had before, allowing them to stay at their usual tavern instead of constantly hopping from place to place. It was nice to have such a familiar routine and for a brief moment, Quinn thought it could stay like that. But of course, it never could.

It wasn't fair how fast the time had gone. She could've sworn she'd just left Demacia yesterday, but here she was, gathering her belongings in their shared room before returning back to her kingdom.

Talon had left a while ago, but assured that he'd be back to bid her farewell.

It was raining, as usual in Noxus, the pattering on the window a familiar and comforting sound. She hoped that Talon was staying dry in this weather. He hadn't said what he'd left for, but it made Quinn more than a little anxious.

He still hadn't said those three words she'd been wanting to hear, though she definitely didn't hold it against him. Talon wasn't a particularly emotional man so it would take some time for him to come to term with his feelings, let alone tell them to someone else. Still, she kept hoping.

The door opened suddenly and Quinn whirled around to see Talon who had been unable to completely escape the rain. She beamed and began to run to him when he brought up his arm, signaling her to stop. His face was hidden beneath his hood and Quinn began to worry that something had happened.

"Talon –"

"Close your eyes."

His voice was different, not angry or upset as she had expected. It was almost… nervous. Quinn didn't understand.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Just do it."

Still unsure, Quinn allowed her eyes to close, wondering what had gotten into him. There was the sound of the door closing and then his footsteps, heavier than normal. He'd stepped behind her and her heart began to race. What was he doing? Was he finally going to kill her after all this time?

Something cold touched her neck, but it wasn't a blade. It was much smaller, like a thin chain around her throat.

"Alright, open."

Quinn obeyed and glanced down. She was right in that it'd been a chain, thin and dark against the paleness of her skin. But it was what hung on the chain that caused her heart to stop. It was a simple ring, made of a dark stone with a small red gem in the center.

She nearly fainted on the spot.

"Do you like it?"

Talon's voice brought her back to the real world and she spun around immediately, feeling the tears well in her eyes.

"It's not much," he said, "But I realized that I never returned the favor when you got that scarf for me."

A tear managed to roll down her cheek and Talon began to panic, taking her face in his hands and wiping the tear away with his thumb.

"Did I upset you?" he asked, "I didn't mean –"

"Talon, it's beautiful."

She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before looking back down at the ring, taking it carefully between her fingers. It was slightly heavier than she expected, despite its fragile appearance. Talon relaxed upon realizing she wasn't upset, sighing with relief.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it… I love you."

She kissed him again, more eagerly this time. This was not what she'd expected from him, but little else could've made her happier.

When she pulled away from the kiss Talon's face lingered, his breath warm on her flushed skin.

"Quinn…"

His voice shook ever so slightly despite his best attempts to keep calm. Before continuing he took a deep breath, determined not to waver again.

"How soon can you return to Noxus?" he asked.

Quinn furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "Most likely two weeks or so…"

He nodded in understanding, pausing a moment before he continued.

"Next time you come, I have… something important I want to discuss with you."

Quinn swore she felt her heart somersault. This was it. It had to be. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't stop her heart from pounding.

"Not now?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head.

"Not yet… I need some time to think everything through. Two weeks should be enough time though."

"Then I'll be back in two weeks."

"Promise?"

Quinn blinked in surprise. She couldn't think of the last time he'd promised her something or asked for one in return. It made sense, as he didn't exactly seem like the kind of a man to keep promises. But this was different, special. He was opening his heart to her, slowly but surely and she wanted to assure him that it would be safe in her hands.

"Promise."

Time had never dragged by slower for Quinn. Every day seemed longer than the last to the point where she felt as though months had gone by. It was the longest two weeks of her life.

All she wanted was to go back to Talon, to see his face again. He'd said he had something important to talk about and she could only pray that it would involve him returning her love. She daydreamed constantly of the moment, of how he'd take her somewhere special and do something horribly romantic. At first, she hadn't considered him much of a romantic, but after he'd given her that ring she had no idea what was up his sleeve.

With the time moving by so slowly, Quinn found herself lethargic and fatigued. She wasn't as sharp during her training, of which Garen made sure to inform her. She knew that it would pass the moment she saw Talon again, but it was still annoying as it only made the situation even more unbearable.

Lux noticed this and asked her if she was alright, but Quinn assured her she was fine. The younger girl then began to tease her about being lovesick and Quinn didn't have the heart to argue since Lux was technically right. All she could think about was Talon and the necklace she never took off.

When the day for her departure finally came, Quinn's elation was overshadowed by dread. Jarvan had called for the Vanguard to train together for the first half of the day, saying that they needed to bond more. She tried to get out of it, telling Jarvan that she had to get to her mission as soon as possible, but he dismissed her, assuring her that Noxus could wait a few hours.

Noxus could wait, but Quinn couldn't.

The training was boring as usual, most of the members (aside from Lux) avoiding her. But she pushed through, telling herself that the sooner she got this over with the sooner she could see Talon. The fatigue from before seemed to evaporate as she sped through each exercise to Jarvan's delight, though Garen couldn't begin to fathom what had come over her.

Finally, it came to an end, the last exercise simply to run a few laps around the training grounds. Quinn had always been as fast as she was tenacious, but today she pushed herself farther than she ever had. Once this was done she could see Talon, be with Talon, hear him say her name and maybe finally hear him say he loved her as much as she loved him.

She was the first to finish after Garen, who looked at her wide-eyed as she ran up behind him, panting for air.

"What's the matter, Quinn?" he asked, "In a hurry to get somewhere?"

Still gasping, she leant over to place her hands on her knees, forcing out a laugh at his attempt at a joke. If only he knew.

And then suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Her throat seemed to close in on itself as her lungs desperately sought more oxygen.

"Quinn?"

Garen's voice was distant despite him being only a few feet in front of her. Why did he seem so fuzzy?

Her knees shook violently, no longer able to support her weight. Talon, she thought. She had to get to Talon.

"Quinn!"

It was Jarvan this time. His voice was so quiet, she thought. Why was he whispering? It didn't matter, she had to leave now. She had to get to Talon.

Then she collapsed to the ground with a thud, her consciousness pried from her body.

"Quinn!"

Author's Note: Hey long time no see! This chapter took me forever to write, mainly because I'm desperately trying to move things along here. But important stuff definitely did happen and things are gonna get crazy next chapter. Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger, but I'll do my best to get the next chapter out ASAP. I'm super excited for the next chapter and where this fic is going from here on out and I hope you guys like it!