Ezreal's pencil hovered above the paper, uncertain.
It was a beautiful day at the gazebo. The sun shone, the birds chirped and a cool breeze and the shade made even the stifling summer heat pleasant.
Still, he couldn't focus. There was a thought buzzing around in his head. Actually, it had been there for the last couple of days, constantly put aside but never fully going away.
It bugged him more than it should have. It wasn't like him to hover around something for so long. He was more the guy that always blurted out what he thought, well, almost always.
Ah, what the hell. He couldn't miss bullets he didn't shoot, right?
"How about we go on a trip?"
Hovering above the grass in front of the gazebo, Syndra was immersed in one of her mind-boggling feats of training. This time, it apparently consisted of filling the space around her with shadow-like apparitions that distorted light and colors and drew a dark pall all around herself.
He had barely spoke that the shadows stopped abruptly, like someone had pushed a button.
"What?"
Ezreal repressed the need to roll his eyes. She had heard him loud and clear.
"I said: how about we go on a trip?"
Silence. Syndra was a dark shadow at the center of what looked like a frozen vortex of darkness.
"Is this about that ridiculous notion of yours again?"
Ezreal did his best not to look like he had been caught right away.
"Mh, no? I was just thinking that it would have been a good idea. I mean, the Institute is closed, the weather is nice. All the other Champions are on vacation and thought that we could…"
Syndra opened her eyes, pinning him with a measured gaze. Ezreal immediately clamped his mouth shut. He knew that look: it was the one she put when someone pried where they shouldn't or when someone tried to make a fool of her. And boy, she didn't like that.
He fidgeted, but she just kept drilling a hole in his face with that hard look. In the end, he broke.
"Alright alright," he said. At unease, he drew a hand through his hair. "I just thought it could have done you well take some fresh air."
Syndra's glare was long and hard, enough to have him squirm a bit on his seat.
"And see people," she completed, closing her eyes. The shadows resumed their unsettling motions.
Ezreal winced. Caught!
Syndra scoffed. "How many times did i have to tell you? I don't need to see other people. I am fine as a i am."
Ezreal bit back a sarcastic retort. Yeah, no. She could fool everybody, with her aloof manners and snarky attitude, but not him, not anymore. She had noticed it, the longing for companionship that she constantly kept under wraps. It was subtle, and she was very careful not to show it, but from time to time even she slipped, and then her gaze would stray toward that small group of laughing friends, or would linger on the joined hands of that couple a moment longer.
Maybe she even believed that she didn't feel lonely, but not him. And, regretfully, he felt he knew the reason why.
He knew her story, or at least what was common knowledge of it. He knew of her stormy relationship with her master and their final, fateful clash. One didn't need to be a genius to realize that the experience had left her with a difficult to trust as thick as a blast wall. She could bluster that people were stupid and selfish and self-serving all she wanted, or that she was great and mighty and didn't need anybody to drag her down. All he heard was only a big fear of commitment and being betrayed again.
And that was why he thought that getting around could help her, scratch that, he was sure that it would help her.
Some time in a relaxed environment would show her that not all the world was out to get her and that being alone wasn't nearly as good as having good companionship. No need for words, she would watch it and feel it, and, hopefully, she would understand that there was no need to isolate herself so much.
It was kinda sneaky, something he disliked, but it was for her own good and, well, he hadn't the slightest doubt that breaching the subject bluntly would end up only with a very clammed up Sovereign and him being a smear on the floor.
"Right," he agreed. "But hey, who said that it's going to be with other people? It can be only you and me." He grinned. "And then, do you really want to waste all summer here? Let's go have fun!"
And there it was, his trump card.
He didn't know if it was out of reaction for the rules she had to follow during her stay in Ionia but of one thing he was sure: Syndra was all about having fun. She knew it, he knew it and she knew he knew.
The miffed glance she threw him told him just as much. He just grinned shamelessly, challenging her to refuse. Was she really going to pass on the chance to have a fun summer over months of more training? The temptation he saw budding in her violet eyes told him the answer.
For a long moment, she looked conflicted, probably thinking about the pros and cons. Ezreal mentally crossed his fingers.
"Alright," she acquiesced eventually, making a face like she was agreeing to eating children. "But i decide where."
"Yes!"
Ezreal enthusiastically pumped a fist in the air. He grinned broadly, happy to have reached her.
Syndra's expression softened, and she smiled.
The vortex of shadows disappeared and she floated down.
"So, where at?" She asked, stepping softly on the grass.
Ezreal's enthusiasm was dampened by uncertainty. "Uhm, didn't you say that you want to decide?"
"Of course. But since i don't know many places and you do, i need you to run me through some options, then i will decide." Her tone was one could use to explain a difficult thing to a baby.
Ezreal rolled his eyes. "Can't you go one second without making fun of me?"
"You're the one making it so easy," she replied vaguely, her pleased smile telling him all he needed to know.
Lifting herself, she took a seat on the gazebo's railing. She adjusted herself in a dignified position and crossed her legs.
"So, where to?" She demanded, fixing him with an expectant look.
Ezreal gave her a narrowed glance. This damn girl and her pretenses. She was… impossible!
Also, you just didn't decide to go on a trip like that on the fly. First you need to see your possibilities, then the routes, then the supplies, then… right, this wasn't an expedition into the desert.
He scratched his cheek. Alright, maybe she wasn't the only one to which some rest would do well. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a true break…
"Uhm, let's see…"
Ezreal mentally scanned the very long list of the places he had visited. Not any place would do though. He wanted relax, fun, and the chance to mingle with other people. Otherwise, it would have been all for nothing.
Uhm, what did that leave?
Ezreal snapped his fingers. Ah, but of course.
"What about Piltover?" He asked.
"Your hometown?"
"Yes!" Excited, Ezreal jumped at his feet. The more he thought about it, the better it looked. "The beaches are awesome this time of the year. We can eat at an amazing place that i know and then we hit the town in the evening! It's gonna be amazing!"
Syndra arched an eyebrow, somewhat off-put by his enthusiasm.
"Are you sure?" She asked with some skepticism. "I heard that place is incredibly polluted."
"Nah, that's true only about some zones and we aren't going to go there. The city is amazing," he reassured her. His grin took a teasing edge. "That's a big stereotype, you know. And i thought you were the inquisitive type."
Her fingers twitched, undoubtedly from the urge of pinching. Ezreal prudently shifted farther away.
"Smartass," she scoffed, probably deciding it wasn't worth it. He mentally sighed in relief. "I suppose your place is good enough," she admitted like she was offering him some great concession. "I am kinda surprised though." She put a hand on her cheek, assuming a concerned air. "I was pretty sure you'd be moron enough to suggest Ionia."
Ezreal stuck his tongue at her.
She chuckled. "So, when?"
Ezreal thought about it. "How about in three days?"
Syndra's eyes shimmered with mischief. "Two days it is."
Ezreal rolled his eyes, but didn't bother to protest. Not like it would change much anyway. When she set her head on something…
Still, despite all her posing, he could see she was quite excited about the trip. That made him happy.
The following two days passed in a rush for Ezreal, spent deciding what to bring and what to leave and informing friends and correspondents that he would be on vacation for some days. He didn't give an exact date about his return. Something told him that would happen as soon as Syndra got enough of the place.
As soon as the day came, they started their journey. Syndra wanted to go with her flying fortress, and Ezreal had to struggle to convince her not to. Telling her that the city had batteries of missiles aimed at anything looking out of place in the sky didn't particularly impress her. Still, she relented when Ezreal pointed out that they were supposed to relax and have fun, not, you know, look like they were invading. And then, traveling was fun on its own, right?
So they travelled normally, first by train and then by boat. Syndra was a bit peevish during most of it, first because she disliked not traveling with her fortress and then some more because it was actually comfortable and she didn't want to admit it.
Still, to Ezreal's surprise, it was a pleasant trip all in all. He had secretly feared Syndra would cause some scenes. Instead, the woman conducted herself in a fairly civilized way, if a bit a snotty. But what it mattered was that they reached Piltover without incidents.
Well, if you excluded that itty-bitsy moment at customs.
"Ma'am, we just need to make a quick control…"
"Touch my things and die."
"S-she doesn't mean that! She's a foreigner, you see!"
"It's okay, it happens often. But we still need to check."
"Sure! Go ahead! And… no, put him down! Syndra! Put the poor man down! Bad Syndra! Bad!"
Thankfully, being a Champion had its perks, in this case getting a free pass for causing a bit of a ruckus. Pilties could be somewhat egocentric but even they knew it wasn't the smartest move to get on the bad side of apocalyptic power-wielding mages.
Incidents aside, Ezreal was happy to be back in the city. The world could be his homeland but Piltover was his house. It was nice to return from time to time until the wanderlust picked up again.
This time, he had the added fun of Syndra frowning suspiciously at every bit of technology, from the mechs carrying baggage to the vending machines. Not surprising, considering that the most advanced piece of the technology Ionia had were bamboo spears. It was pretty entertaining to look at her try to overcome the cultural shock but he knew better than to show himself grin. Or at least, show too much of it.
Obviously, he got pinched a couple of times.
Next in the list was deciding about systematics. Ezreal had come with the assumption that she would stay at his house but Syndra would hear none of it. Rather than embarrassment, it was a question of pride, he suspected. The girl was just too used to rely on herself. It wasn't much of a problem thankfully: it was tourist season and Piltover was filled to the brim with hotels. The real problem came from the fact that Syndra wanted a five-star accommodation. It was a bit tricky to find one that still accepted guests but, to his relief, they eventually found it. Thankfully, the season wasn't advanced enough for full houses.
Standing in the luxurious lounge, Ezreal was a bit nervous about how exactly she meant to pay. His eyes, and the dude's at the desk, almost fell from their sockets when Syndra casually took out more money he could make in a year of work.
He wanted to ask where in God's good grace she had found that bounty but a sharp glance convinced him to keep his questions to himself. It wasn't like she could have stolen it anyway.
Right?
It was evening by the time everything was done and finished. She was a bit tired for the travel, even if she didn't show it, and he decided to let her at her rest.
"I can call the reception with this, right?" She asked as he was about to take his leave. She was frowning pensively at the room phone.
"Mh? Yes, of course," he replied distractedly, still trying to wrap his head around the luxury surrounding him. It was rare wood, rich leather, and delicate silk everywhere he looked. He doubted he would ever be able to afford to stay in a place like that.
"And they can order things for me?"
Ezreal blinked. Did she want to buy something?
"Well, not really. But they can give you the number of places where you can make ordinations. Then the stuff you ordered is brought at the hotel and an attendant carries it here to you."
Syndra seemed to weight those words in her mind.
"Nice system. I like it."
The satisfied smile she gave him put a bad feeling in his gut.
"Do you want to buy something? He asked warily.
"Maybe," was all the reply he got.
Sliding on the plush bed, she laid herself down with a contented sigh.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" She asked, violet eyes shimmering with amusement.
And that was his cue to leave. With a sigh, Ezreal rustled his hair.
"Wanna hang out tomorrow?" He asked.
Syndra mused about it, idly kicking her legs.
"No, not tomorrow," she said eventually. "There are things i want to do. Let's do it the day after tomorrow."
Ezreal felt a surge of dread at the idea of leaving her alone for an entire day. Also, he was kinda hurt. Did they come to hang out together or not?
When he voiced his doubts, Syndra threw him a pointed glance.
"Are you telling me how to pass my own vacation, Ezzy?"
And that was his warning: insisting would end with him being ejected from the room through magical force.
He tousled his hair, sighing with resignation.
"So, the day after tomorrow, eh?"
The smirk she regarded him was pleased.
They kept it simple, deciding to meet up at the hotel in the morning. No plan from there. They would just go with what hit their fancy.
"Can you please not make a mess of things when i am not here?" He asked somewhat pleadingly. He really didn't want to end in the middle of a diplomatic incident or see a smoking crater in the middle of his city.
She scoffed, roiling on the bed to give him an annoyed look, her soft curves molding with the silken sheets. Ezreal always marveled at how lovely she managed to look even when she wasn't trying.
"I am not some kind of barbarian."
"You almost strangled a custom officer," Ezreal pointed out flatly.
"He deserved it. Now shoo, i need to take a shower."
The invisible force suddenly taking hold of him wasn't really new but it still managed to get a surprised yelp from him.
"And don't forget to be on time!" He heard her singsong a moment before being unceremonially shoved out of the room, the door slamming right behind him.
He remained in the corridor for a few moments, fuming at the door.
That last phrase had been her way to tell him that she was happy and looked forward to their going out together. It was something that always put a smile on his face, and he was starting to wonder if she had realized it and was using it against him.
"Not even leaving me the chance to be angry…"
Grumbling against socially terrible apocalyptic mages, he stomped away.
"Impossible! So impossible!"
Ezreal passed the morning of the next day cleaning his house. It was months since his last visit, and the place needed a good scrubbing. Or at least that's what he firmly told himself when he woke up from a restless night. In truth, he could barely take a swipe with the broom before having anxiety gnaw at his gut. It wasn't like he was concerned for Syndra, the girl could probably level half of Piltover before lunch. It was her bad temper. What if a waiter didn't bring her fresh towels quickly enough? Or if some punk tried to grope her butt on the subway? Or if she decided a Piltie had looked at her the wrong way? He looked out of the window every minute, half expecting to see the city going up in flames.
By the time half of the morning was passed and gone, the place didn't look any different from when he had arrived and he had touched the hundred on the list of berating himself for leaving Syndra alone.
Going back to the hotel would mean risking being thrown against a wall, but did he feel like risking the city instead?
Ezreal decided to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
Throwing on a shirt and pants, he ran out of the house and under the blazing summer sun. Still, when he arrived at his destination, soaked in sweat from head to toe, he was informed to his chagrin that the miss wasn't in her suite. Did he want to leave her a message? No much of a point now.
Discouraged, Ezreal wandered along the city's crowded streets. Useless even trying to search for her. She could have been anywhere, and finding a single person in summer Piltover was, barring some incredible stroke of luck, as easy as the proverbial needle in the haystack.
By the time he realized where his steps were carrying him, he was before the police precinct of the district.
"Oh, right. Caitlyn and Vi are here as well."
Squinting at one of the clocktowers soaring above the city, he saw that it was time for lunch already. Damn, time flew. Still, he wasn't getting back home to get antsy all over again. What he needed was some company.
Picking his way from the station, he reached the bar where the Sheriff and her Enforcer used to spend their lunch break.
To his relief, the duo was there.
"Look who it is!" Vi greeted him with a broad smile. The tomboyish girl was elbow deep into mauling a hamburger the size of his head, cheeks smeared with sauce.
Ezreal slid in the booth they had taken with a tired sigh.
Sitting beside him, Caitlyn gave him a nod. The Sheriff was the exact opposite of her colleague, picking at her meal with aristocratic manners.
"Vi. Sheriff," he greeted them, flicking a stubborn strand of hair away from his eyes. Fuck, he was soaked.
Cheeks full, Vi frowned. "Hey, how come she gets her title and i don't?"
Immediately pelting him with a small rain of half-chewed food.
"You get the title when you go past the toddler phase," he half-joked, trying his best to shield himself with a hand.
Eyes closed, Caitlyn put a perfectly cut morsel in her mouth. "Close your mouth when you eat, Vi."
The Enforcer smiled broadly.
"So, what's up?"
Ezreal took his time to tell them, feeling more and more like he could breathe again. Thank god for the technological marvel that was air conditioning.
"So, it's true," Vi said once he was done. "You're with her." She took a nasty bite and chewed, exchanging a glance with her boss.
Caitlyn didn't answer or change expression but somehow the immediate atmosphere around her took a serious tone.
Ezreal tousled his hair. Yeah, the same reaction he had got when he had warned all his friends that he was coming with a friend and who that friend was. He felt saddened just the same.
"She's not too bad," he tried. Images of him being shoved there and then through telekinetic force flashed through his mind. Or the countless times when she called him a moron. Or that time when she barged in the male bathrooms of the Institute, pretending he follow her because she needed a book back asap. Who knew if Garen had got better from that one? Being smacked through a wall must not be pleasant, even if you're the Paragon of Demacia.
"If you get to know her," he added quickly.
"Right." Vi's skepticism was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife.
Ezreal grimaced. Syndra's reputation was what it was. It wasn't like he couldn't understand but it was saddening all the same. At heart, she wasn't the heartless monster everybody seemed to picture her as.
Caitlyn put down fork and knife, elegantly wiped at her mouth with a handkerchief, primly folded her hands on her lap, and turned to regard him with a coolly inquisitive gaze. All of a sudden, Ezreal felt stuck in a mix between interrogation and a meeting with his mom after telling her he had a girlfriend.
"Is she keeping you hostage?" She asks, all professional and business-like.
Ezreal arched an eyebrow. "Uhm, no?"
"Is she forcing you to hang out with her?"
Wasn't that the same that keeping hostage? "Uhm, no."
"Is she doing violence to you in any shape or form?"
Did being shunted out of hotel rooms count? Also, wasn't that domestic violence? What was he, a frustrated wive?
"…no."
"Then it's good enough for me." Caitlyn returned her attention to her meal.
Vi, that had been watching the exchange with interest, almost jumped.
"Aw, come on, cupcake!" She protested. "He's getting whipped into it and you know it!"
"There can't be intervention without proof of crime, Vi," the Sheriff calmly reminded her, picking at her plate once again.
Ezreal wiped at his splotched hand with a grimace.
"Can you girls not to talk like i am not here? You know that i am not a toddler, right?" Also, what's up with the detective jargon? This wasn't a crime story, right?
Like speaking to walls.
"Listen here, blondie." Vi leaned forward, fixing him with a serious look. "The moment that girl gives you any trouble you come to me and we will lock her up for good."
Ezreal pictured the Piltover's maximum-security prison disappearing in an implosion of darkness and void. Yeah, no.
"Really, though," she said. "What's up with these Ionians guys? Here in Piltover we'd already try to lock one like her. Like with that mink Jinx, ya know."
He sighed. He could see she was only half-joking.
Depressing.
The rest of the lunch passed with happier topics. Ezreal used the time to catch up with the duo and to ask about his other friends, something that they were all too happy to share. Like that he came to know that Heimer had been locked in his laboratory for a week. People expected him to come out with some marvelous new invention or for the building to explode, both at any moment. Jinx had slowed down her rampages because of the heat, - even loose cannons were vulnerable to the climate, it seemed-, and anyway, chainguns overheated too easily during summer. Orianna and Blitzcrank had disappeared somewhere to do robot things. Jayce was abroad on vacation, probably with a lady or three.
He wouldn't be able to get in touch but he wasn't too troubled by it. What it mattered was that they were all well.
Eventually, lunchtime ended and the duo left him to return to the station, not without Vi grabbing him by a shoulder and telling him in a gruff sister way that it was okay to be scared.
That aside, Ezreal plunged back in the city life in higher spirits compared to when he had arrived.
Seeing his friends had helped him to put some of his doubts aside. It was a bit of a paradox since they tried their best to picture Syndra as some kind of psychopath, and he still had some doubts about that, but hey, what the hell. He supposed that hearing exaggerations like those pushed him to see the bright side of things.
Whatever, he wasn't complaining.
Not wanting to return home yet, he braved the smoldering sun to drop by some other friends and say hi.
That kept him busy for most of the afternoon.
When he finally opened the door of his house, tired, with a small headache from too much wondering without a hat and soaked in sweat from head to toe, the sun was well in its way toward the horizon and the shadows were lengthening.
He didn't even try to take back cleaning. A quick shower, a change of clothes and, feeling once again as himself, he was by the fridge, taking out the coldest drink he had.
Orange juice. Not bad!
Bare-chested, he looked out on the darkening cityscape, stray thoughts flowing through his head.
It had felt nice to get back in touch with his friends, even more to sink once again in Piltover's busy city life. That city had a special energy, something that no matter where he traveled, it reminded him that his homeland was here.
Remembering it was… special.
He looked contentedly on the city for a few moments, enjoying the slight breeze coming from the sea.
A strange thought hit him.
Did Syndra give him that day to get back in touch with his city and friends on his own? It wasn't just for doing whatever she wanted to do, but also to give him time to catch up?
He shook his head. Alright, thinking too much now.
He drank his juice.
The rest of the evening he passed reading and chatting on the phone. Then, to bed.
As he laid in the gloom, the sound of the cooling fan in the ears, he wondered what Syndra was so intent on wanting to do alone. He was kinda curious, especially since the day had passed and the city seemed still unharmed.
The thought of earlier returned. That egocentric, blunt as a hammer girl, being so considerate? Nah, no way.
Still, it felt nice to believe.
Cradling that thought, he fell asleep.
The next day found him in the plaza in front of the hotel, right where they had decided to meet up.
It was a nice place, all fancy shops, and fancy cars and fancy people. Close by, a massive fountain filled the center of the square, drawing elaborate water arabesques on dazzling white marble. Fancy fancy fancy. Too much for him. In his normal, not-fancy clothes, he felt like a fish out of his tank.
"And of course, she's late," he grumbled, looking at his watch.
Go figure. And he even tried to get there beforehand. He should have…
"Ezreal!"
He looked up and, lo and behold!, here was Syndra. And in what attire. She wore a nice crop top that left her silken shoulders uncovered and denim shorts that showed off her toned legs. Her silky snow hair was draped in a ponytail and she wore a hat on her head. Were those horns on it?
She walked with royal confidence and, as she noticed him staring, her expression turned quizzical.
"What is it?"
"Just enjoying the view." Ezreal gave a low whistle. "Looking fine there, girl," he said. "And who exactly are you trying to impress?"
Her violet eyes shimmered with satisfaction and mischief.
"Mostly myself," she replied, a challenging lilt in her voice.
Ezreal shook his head, smiling. That sounded just like her. "I know many Ionians that would say that choice of clothing is unbecoming."
"Like if i care." Syndra made a dismissive gesture. "The country of prude and boring. So kind of you to remind me of it."
Ezreal chuckled. "Sorry."
Syndra scoffed. "Of course you are."
Walking past him, she elegantly sat on the fountain's edge. She patted the spot next to her, glancing inquisitively to him.
Ezreal obliged her, taking a comfortable seat.
"I thought about it, you know," he said, stretching his legs and leaning back, soaking on the cool air coming from the waters.
Syndra put a hand over her mouth, feigning admired surprise. "That's really impressive. Want me to pat you and tell you good job?"
"I know, right?" Ezreal took a heroic pose. "Jokes aside though, aren't you curious?"
"Alright, i'll bite. Shoot."
He grinned. "About this day alone of yours. I thought about it and i think i got why you wanted it."
"Go on…"
"You didn't want to pass as the country bumpkin, didn't you? You probably used the day to walk around and try to get a feel for the place, so that when we were together you didn't just gawk at everything." Ezreal dramatically pointed a finger against her. "Am i right, am i not?"
Syndra, that had been listening with an arched eyebrow, smirked in a mysterious way. "Who knows?"
Ezreal took that as a confirmation. "Oh my god, are you for real?" He laughed, then shook his head. "You have an ego the size of a planet, you know that, right?"
Syndra hummed, looking absolutely unrepentant.
"Hey, i travel a lot. I wouldn't judge your countrybumpkiness."
"Is that even a word?"
"Just invented it. Just for you. You're welcome by the way."
Syndra snorted softly. "Keep it. I'd prefer very much not get indicted for verbal murder."
Ezreal chuckled. "So? How did it go?" He asked. "Did you get past the cultural shock?"
"Mh." Syndra mused thoughtfully. She leaned back, looking up and kicking idly with her legs. "There has been a beginning, i suppose," she eventually said.
"That's not very helpful, you know."
She cocked her head to throw him a shimmering glance. "We're feeling very inquisitive today, don't we? How about you drop it?"
"Hey, i can't play my duties as a host if i don't know how much you picked up!"
A finger promptly jabbed him in the side.
"I said: drop it."
"Ouch! Hey, you better not start that here, you know. I have connections with the police!"
"Oh, i am so scared." Syndra wiggled the fingers of a hand, the filed nails catching the light. "But i'll take the risk. I have to keep up with your training after all."
Ezreal tried his best to shield his vulnerable points from the finger-nailed witch. "Hey, i am no dog!" He protested, half-laughing.
"Of course you are," Syndra corrected him patiently. "A golden little puppy making noise and jumping around. Bad doggy! Bad!" She jabbed him again, her finger unerringly finding weak spots in his defense.
Ezreal laughed, half from the situation and half from the ticklish sensation. "Alright alright, i am sorry. I won't pry in the secrets of the Sovereign ever again."
Syndra relented with a satisfied smirk. "Very good."
Ezreal kept up a mock humbled expression for a moment, then smiled slyly.
"Not!" He exclaimed and jumped away. He stopped at some distance, well out of the range of her fingers, and turned to smile at her. "I am right though, am i not? No need for answering, your actions spoke louder than words, miss Planet Ego."
Syndra scoffed but she was smiling.
"So, where to?" She asked, getting up.
"Nice diversion."
"Oh, hush you." She glided to him.
For a moment, Ezreal feared some other tickling was about to arrive but thankfully it didn't.
She gave him a smirk. "Do i look the part of the Piltie at least?"
An eyebrow arched critically, Ezreal gave her a look over, to which she twirled gracefully, allowing him a good look.
"Nicely done," he judged with a smile.
Syndra's violet eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Where to?" She asked, clinging to his arm.
Ezreal repressed the need to roll his eyes. Well, she was in high spirits, wasn't she? And that meant that he got treated like a puppy. He half-expected for her to actually start to pat him on the end and tell him "good boy!" with a coo. Maybe she thought it was cute, or maybe it was one of many twisted ways she expressed her affection.
He wouldn't ever fully understand that girl.
"No idea." He shrugged.
She scoffed. "You go to a date with a beautiful girl and you didn't think where to go? Terrible."
"Hey, this is a friendly date," he reminded her. "Casual is the word here."
"That's no excuse," she lectured him. "You'll never find a girlfriend if you don't think to these things. Girls like their men prepared."
"Says the least girly girl of the universe," he grumbled.
She tickled his side. "What was that?" He asked sweetly.
Ezreal was quick at putting up a grin. "I said that i am so lucky to have big sister Syndra to take care of me."
"Hell yeah you are."
Ezreal chuckled. "How about we go to the movies? There's a film i wanted to see for months."
"Oh god, no more giant robots, please." Syndra's expression was half disgust and half fear.
He laughed. "Nope, not this time. Ever heard of Indiana Bones and the crystal heart?"
"Oh, i know that one." Syndra's eyes widened in realization. "I wanted to see it as well."
"Great! So it's decided?"
"Permission granted. Lead the way."
"As you command, mistress!"
Syndra chuckled.
With that decided, Ezreal led the way out of the square and into Piltover's already crowded streets.
Syndra clung to his arm, making him feel happy and a bit self-conscious at the same time. The girl was all about those touches, like his poor pinched and jabbed skin could attest to, but as time progressed there were times she almost got cuddly, like at that moment. It kinda added to the treating him as puppy thing but it made him happy nonetheless. He knew that it was a great show of trust from her and a proof of how comfortable she felt around him; and, well, it was a very friend thing to do.
The self-conscious part came from the flurry of envious looks came his way as they made their way through the crowd. A ton of males and even females alternatively ate the girl with their eyes or tried to murder him through bad mojo. Yikes! Ezreal had to repress the need to tousle his hair and smile apologetically. Sorry, guys!
Syndra noticed and, obviously, pounced. "Keep your head up, you turtle," she rebuked him, giving his arm a small tug. "You have the Sovereign hanging from your arm. Look proud. Here, like this."
Holding up her chin, she put up a satisfied smirk, practically soaking on the attention.
Ezreal shook his head. "Sorry, not for me," he said. "I never got much kicks from being the center of attention."
That actually earned him a curious look from her. "How so? I thought that you were a bit famous here. Don't you like when they publish about your discoveries?"
"Well," Ezreal searched for the right words to put it. "I don't dislike it. I just don't care, i guess. I mean, the fun is all in the search for me, in the challenge. I get in that temple, i get out with the relic just in the nick of time. I am happy, you know? I won and all. I return to the guys of the museum and we'll throw a party or three, with the press and all the works. They'll even put something about it in page three of the papers. And damn, i'll be happy and all. But then i get antsy. I guess i don't get what all the fuss is about after a while. Even that relic i worked so hard to obtain has lost its charm. Don't get me wrong, it's still archeological treasure and all, but…"
"…but it's conquered," Syndra completed. She looked fairly skeptical. "You care more about the journey than the goal. You're one of those guys."
Ezreal wasn't sure how interpret the enigmatic lilt in her words.
He shrugged. "I guess so? But hey, at least i have a blast at doing my thing."
"And so you get all the pain and none of the spoils." She looked forward, turning almost wistful. "You're a moron, you know that, right?"
Ezreal was kinda surprised by the sudden change. What had gotten into her?
"You told me that enough times that i think i even dream it at night," he said with a grin.
Syndra snorted softly. "I wish."
Ezreal was relieved when the cinema appeared in sight. Syndra was turning a bit thoughtful, for whatever reason, and he wanted to keep that date as casual and relaxed as possible.
The two bought pop-corns, chips and drinks and got inside.
Ezreal was only happy to find their theater empty. Being honest, he was the worst kind of spectator: the one that provided live commentary on the action. In a crowded cinema, he would get kicked out as soon as the film started.
He said as much to Syndra, asking about her.
"It depends," the girl told him. "If the film is a good one, i like to follow. If it's bad…" She shrugged. "Also, a full theater. All that stuffy air." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"Aren't you quite the princess?" Ezreal joked.
She just held her chin higher and smiled confidently.
"Are you going to eat all that?" She asked as they took their places.
Ezreal looked at the bunch of packets and popcorn he had bought. "No? This is for you too."
Her skeptic look turned into a grimace.
"No way," she said. "Have you any idea of much calories there are in that?"
"Really?" After a moment of disbelief, Ezreal plopped down on the seat. "But butter popcorns are half of the reasons one comes to the theater." To Syndra's disgust, he popped some in his mouth to emphasize. "I didn't think you would be so particular about it."
She arched a fine eyebrow. "How do you think i keep my figure?"
"I dunno. Magic, i guess? I always see you doing impossible stuff. I thought you had some kind of slim-making thingmajig." Ezreal wiggled his fingers in the air.
Syndra sighed. "I wish, but nope. I have to do this the old fashion way and that means this." She took out a small packet and a little bottle.
Ezreal eyes both curiously. "Ionian stuff?"
"More or less." Slyness flashed in her violet eyes.
Ezreal felt the familiar prickle of curiosity but he knew better than to ask. She could get incredibly peevish when people peered where she didn't want them to.
"I don't get why you do it," he said, popping more popcorn in his mouth. "I mean, we are relaxing. Shouldn't you let down the diet now?"
Syndra took a sip from her small bottle before replying. "It's not something you can pick up and let out. The best require constant effort."
"And it's the best or bust?"
"Hell yeah it is." A flash of fierceness passed through her eyes.
He grinned. "I can't see the point of that. You can have a bombshell body but to me it's no worthy to give up on good food on. As long as you're healthy, that's good enough for me."
She rolled her eyes. "That's why you're the scrawniest of the Institute." She reached for his arm, giving his biceps a small squeeze. "You really should bulk up."
He shrugged. "I fill up my clothes. As long as the machine keeps top shape, it's fine enough for me. I couldn't ever take to stuff like diets. To me, eating is something to do on the fly. A burger and then back to business. Well, except when it comes to butter popcorn." He popped up some more then continued with his mouth half-full. "Also, i may not be as beefed up as the other guys back at the Institute, but i am the fastest. Nobody can keep up with me when i get serious."
"So, you're very good at running away?"
"Hey, it's more of a skill than you think. I can do a lot of stuff, like repositioning quickly for that alpha strike."
"Just admit that you're too lazy to put in the effort. Also, you said guys? Wasn't Leona that sent you flying into the river?"
"Hey, no. Come on. You tell me if you can classify Leona as your average girl. I have seen her ram straight through a fallen tree the size of a train like it was a toothpick. Have you seen her shield? Can Braum even carry that?"
Syndra shook her head. "So good at finding excuses. If you put half of the effort you put in it in bulking up a little you would double up in a week."
"But then i would lose all my cuddly factor!" Ezreal protested in mock outrage. "And then you would get sad because your cute little Ezreal became all beefy and not-cute!"
She chuckled, eyes softening. "Alright, that was a good one."
Ezreal put up a hopeful expression. "Does that mean that big sister finds me cute?"
"Shut up. And keep your mouth closed when you eat. It's disgusting."
He laughed and popped more popcorn in his mouth.
That was how they rolled. Discussing, bantering, and teasing each other. It constantly managed to put him in good humor and something told him that it was the same for her too.
The film began soon after. As the minutes passed, it became quite clear that, contrary to their expectations, it really wasn't what they hoped it to be.
"This film sucks!" Ezreal said after a while.
"Why the aliens?" Syndra muttered, thoughtful.
"This is so bad!" Ezreal laughed. "What were these guys smoking?" He went cross-eyed, putting up a goofy expression. "Eeeh, you know what would be a good idea, guys? Aliens!"
Syndra was drinking when he pulled off that joke. She immediately choked.
"Oh god!" She spluttered, laughing, and coughing. "You asshole! You made it come out of my nose!"
Ezreal laughed.
"Always keep your guard up!" He joked, reaching to pat her on the back.
The moment his fingers touched her, she stiffened for a moment. Ezreal hesitated, but then she relaxed and he went ahead.
He smiled.
When the risk of suffocation passed, Syndra got up.
"Where are you going?" Ezreal asked.
"To the restroom," she replied, throwing him a pointed glance. "Since some asshole made me spill my drink, i need to clean up."
"Want me to escort you?" He called after her, teasing. "Hold your door?"
"You wish."
Ezreal needed a couple of seconds to register the meaning of that.
He spluttered when he did, the sound of her argentine laugh reaching him.
No time for a witty reply though; she was already gone.
He sank back into his seat, shaking his head, smiling. He was glad. The only moments she seemed to be really loosening up was when she tongue-lashed someone or went full force with her powers. Having fun normally like that could only do her well.
Not caring about the film anymore, he reached for the food packets she had left. Curious and without a lick of guilt, she took a sniff at the liquid inside the bottle. He immediately felt lightheaded, a burning sensation rising up his nostrils. He drew back right away and shook his head to clear it. The experience left him with a tingling sensation inside his nose. What the hell was that stuff? Some kind of alcohol? If it was, it had to be dynamite! She wouldn't get drunk, would she?
He decided not to touch the food. Maybe it would explode if he brushed against it, or, worse, she would notice he had trafficked with it.
Wondering what strange stuff made for her diet, he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
At unease, he stood a little to look forward, where the restrooms were supposed to be. Had she fallen in the dark or something? Was she throttling someone?
He drummed his fingers on the armrest. Nah, calm down. No point to have concerns. They were in a theater in the good part of Piltover. No steam axe wilding barbarians hiding in the corners there. And the staff was well-mannered enough to avoid being throttled.
In theory.
"Ah, goddammit," he grumbled and got up.
Quickly, he walked to the end of the aisle. After a door, there were two more, one leading to the bathrooms. A quick look inside told him that Syndra wasn't there at all.
Concern rising, he looked at the other door. Where that led? The staff part of the theater, he supposed.
Muttering against wayward mages, he snuck inside.
And almost dashed against Syndra's back.
"What are you doing?" They said in unison, then watched each other.
"Shut up," Syndra said as soon as he opened his mouth.
He ignored her. "What are you doing here?"
She shrugged. "The door was open," she said, like that explained everything, and turned back to whatever she was looking before he arrived.
Curious despite the concern, Ezreal watched as well.
The room was large and gloomy. A big contraption, all gears, and steam valves, filled much of the space, with a jumble of cables connecting to a bigger shape that disappeared in the gloom.
Ezreal realized with a small start where they were. It was where they projected the film!
He looked around quickly, half-expecting to find someone watching from the gloom. Thankfully, it looked like the staff had taken a break or something.
"Hey, we need to get out," he whispered quickly. "This is staff only."
Syndra glanced at him, violet eyes shimmering gently in the gloom. There was a sort of amusement there that put a bad feeling in his gut.
"I just want to take a look," she murmured and turned back
Before Ezreal could protest, she was already gliding toward the machine.
"Syndra!" He hissed, but the girl ignored him.
"This technology is so fascinating," he heard her whisper in awe.
Not the moment, Syndra!
Ezreal uneasily passed a hand between his hair, trying to think of a way to get her out of there before someone found them.
He froze, hearing something. Were those steps coming closer? And they came from outside! They would be seen if they got out the way they entered!
Shit!
Frantically, he looked around, searching for… there! In the corner! A closet!
Throwing caution to the wind, he rushed to Syndra. He threw his arms around her body and, ignoring her surprised squeak, pulled her toward the closet. Vaguely, he thought that she was much more light than he thought. It was a moment. In the next, the closet's door slammed shut and they were crammed inside, the small space forcing them to press against each other.
He found himself staring at her violet eyes, glowing in the gloom. They were full with surprise but, as he watched, they hardened.
He put a finger to his lips, motioning her to keep silent.
The door outside opened and whoever was the owner of the steps stepped inside.
Realization lit on Syndra's face. She bit her lip and nodded.
Relieved, Ezreal strained to listen. He heard the man traffick around for some moments, then the scraping of a chair, the opening sound of a can, and a gulp followed by a relieved sigh.
Ezreal wanted to slap his forehead. The man had gone to buy himself a drink! Now, who knew how long they were going to be stuck in there?
Irritation surging, he looked down to administer Syndra the most reproachful glance of them all.
Just to find her already looking up at him, positively fuming.
Ezreal frowned. "Don't you get angry at me," he whispered. "I am the one angry here."
She just kept glaring at him, violet eyes glowing in the gloom.
"Hey, don't you watch me like that. If we're stuck here, it's your fault!"
Ezreal felt something was deeply wrong there. Why was he acting the defendant now? It should have been the opposite!
"Don't you ever grab me like that," she murmured and punched him straight in the side.
With surprising strength, enough to drive some of the breath out of his lungs.
"Oh, fuck!" He jumped. That stung! "Really?" He whispered quickly. He wanted to hold his side but she was plastered against him.
"Ever, got that?" She hissed and punched him again.
He winced. That fricking girl!
"What was i supposed to do? He would have found us!"
"You should have let him. Who cares if we get found?"
"I do. I live here, you know? I don't want to get banned from this theater!"
"Oh, shut up. They wouldn't ban just for this."
"They would! You don't know the director of this place. He is a monster!"
"I am too. I'll get a word with him."
"Don't you even dare. I don't want the theater to come crumbling down. Now we wait until the guy leaves and then sneak out."
"What? No way. I won't…"
The scraping of the chair outside had them both tense and shut up.
For some feverish moments, they listened. Had they been found out?
Nope. Nothing. The man had just shifted position.
That seemed to have taken the wind out of Syndra's sails. The girl didn't insist, just sneaking an annoyed glance toward his face from time to time.
Ezreal put a hand above her head, leaning against the other side of the closet. How the hell had they ended in that situation? The air felt stuffy already. They wouldn't suffocate, right? Bad line of thought, drop it. At worst, they could always burst out of there.
Always hoping he wouldn't die first from all the bad mojo Syndra was pummelling him with.
"A good adventure to tell back home?" he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"What's good about being stuck in a closet with you?" she whispered venomously.
"You kidding? It'd make for a great story. Just imagine. The Sovereign and the Closet." The ridiculousness of the situation was getting to him. He struggled not to laugh. "
"I swear to God, Ezreal. If you start laughing, i am not gonna be responsible for my actions." Syndra passed her nails threateningly over his chest, eyes flashing.
Too late. The hilarity train knew no brakes.
"They're gonna make films about it. After the adventure of the closet, the Sovereign wasn't the same no more, her eyes opened to the perils of wardrobes." He struggled not to laugh openly now.
"You asshole," she hissed but her lips were quivering. She was starting to get affected too.
"And then, she went to more adventures, her trusty sidekick at her side, to free humanity from the tyranny of closets once and for all."
Syndra hid her face against his chest, trembling, trying to smother the rising laughter.
"And then, and then," Ezreal struggled to speak. "She defeated the Closet King and the people rejoiced and made her Queen of the wardrobe-free people."
Syndra weakly punched him in the chest. "Shut up!" She stammered. "You'll have us discovered!"
Too late. Far too late.
"But then the people noticed that they had no closets and everybody had to hang their clothes on the Sovereign's dark balls."
That was too much.
They held each other, trembling and snickering like two children, holding hands over their mouths to stifle the laughter.
"You… idiot," she stammered, actually crying out of laughter.
He was just the same. He couldn't breathe!
They giggled and snickered and snorted furiously, trying and failing to stop the hilarity from building up to an unstoppable crescendo.
Suddenly, the doors of the closet gave way. With a surprised squeak, they fell into a heap on the floor.
Out of instinct, Ezreal looked where the man was supposed to be.
Nothing. The chair was empty. He had to get out when they weren't listening.
In disbelief, he looked at Syndra, the girl looking just as incredulous.
Her lips quivered, corners of the eyes crinkling. Ezreal felt his own doing just the same, hilarity bubbling up.
How say no to that? It was impossible!
They erupted into maniacal laughter, Ezreal holding his stomach and Syndra with a hand over her mouth.
They laughed until they were completely spent, both trembling and having to lean against each other for support.
Ezreal was trying his best to catch his breath when Syndra threw him a glance blazing with hilarity. She grabbed his hand, and he grinned.
Laughing, they ran out of the room. The people at the lobby looked absolutely stunned when the two, hand in hand and laughing like two school children, passed before them, but they both ignored them.
They stopped only when they were out of the theater, the air outside welcoming them with all the strength of summer heat.
"That was fucking crazy," Ezreal gasped, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"You're an asshole," Syndra said, breathless, still struggling with laughter.
"You are!" Ezreal protested with a broad grin. "It's your fault we ended up in that closet!"
"I just was curious!"
"That's no excuse!"
They faced each other for a moment, both serious.
Then, they erupted into laughter once again.
"Alright alright," Ezreal stammered as soon as he managed to gather enough breath. "Let's just say that we both put some effort in."
Syndra just shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes.
"I am not apologizing," she said, as firmly as she could under the circumstances.
Ezreal rolled his eyes. "Of course you aren't." He grinned. "Lunch?"
"Hell yeah, i am starving." With a breathless huff, she flicked bangs escaped from her bun away from her face. "God, i am gonna need another stop at the restroom."
"This time are you gonna infiltrate a restaurant or something?"
"Shut up." She gave him a pat on the shoulder, grinning.
Ezreal laughed.
Author's notes
Argh.
This was supposed to be 5000 words long at best. How has it come to this?
This couple just keeps pelting him with more and more things to say, and space is never enough.
At least i hope i am making them justice.
What do you guys think? It's getting too long? It's boring? Do you like the couple? Any review would be highly appreciated.
On a small side note: you probably noticed it already but I am using the old lore, both world and character-wise. I much prefer it over the grimdark take they have chosen. Especially Syndra new lore, with all the sleeping thing, I hate that. The old one was perfect for me, so I am rolling with that.
That's all. Thanks for reading, and see you soon!