It's been four months…wow. Since then I attended The Spring Split Final in Vegas and watched CLG beat TSM again! CLG! CLG! CLG! (sorry TSM fans, I'm all about CLG since Season 3). Being near the end of the school year my usual beta reader was busy with school (#1 priority rightfully so), so I edited this myself…hope I did a decent job. I've always considered myself a better writer than editor. Thank you all! Please leave a Review/Follow/Fav and check out my other story "Anything for you" I should have another chapter for that one updating here in less than a week.

Ahri and Pantheon returned to the ball, Pantheon noticed how most of the attendees had gathered into small social groups. Each of Valoran's cliques were quietly whispering as he and Ahri walked by. Having eavesdropped on Darius and Fiora earlier, he assumed he was being judged for neglecting his duty as Leona's body guard. He was also sure they assumed he abandonment of Leona for Ahri.

Dammit! She!Left, me!

He walked through the crowd, head held high and holding Ahri's hand tightly. He found an empty table just off to the side of the dance floor. After observing some of the other men in the room he did the same and pulled a seat out for Ahri and pushed her lightly back in.

He leaned down and whispered.

"Was that a bit much?"

"no, it was just perfect" she gave him a warm reassuring smile.

Pantheon's hand was on Ahri's shoulder, she rested her hand on his and squeezed it softly.

He scanned the room and made eye contact with whom ever had been watching them, as if to challenge their judgment of him and Ahri. Pantheon wasn't too worried about his image, but from the scuffle with Draven, and the conversation he overheard between Fiora's and Darius. He knew what people said and how they acted towards Ahri. He knew their sneers and whispers cut her deeper than she'd ever show. She acted carefree almost childlike around him, yet he could see how she would tense up and become stoic around others. She was constantly playing the role of an adulteress vixen as a front. Pantheon figured Ahri's mantra was "if I laugh with them, they can't laugh at me". Something distracted Pantheon, as he scanned the crowd. Pantheon, quickly caught a glimpse of a pair of golden honey eyes and a flash of auburn hair watching him. He knew Leona was in attendance but before he searched for her face again, it melted into the crowd.

An hour passed mostly people watching, small talk and showing small tokens of affection towards each other. Holding hands, kisses on the cheek and warm smiles with eye contact.

A light pat on the shoulder caught Pantheon's attention. He turned around and noticed it was Katarina. Katarina, timed her disruption to coincide with the start of a slow Valerian ballad.

"May, I have this dance?" She looked at Pantheon, then Ahri.

Ahri, gave her a fake smile and started to protest and but Katarina, quickly grabbed Pantheon by the hand. She used all the weight of her lithe body to pull him off his seat. Dragging him to the dance floor.

He heard gasps and whispers as people looked upon Katarina and Pantheon dancing. She grabbed his hands placing one on her hip and the other on the small of her back.

"Uhm, the hell are you doing!?" Pantheon hissed.

She rested her head on his chest and started filling him in on her plan.

"I need to make sure, that I have you and your girlfriend's discretion…"

"are you talking about what, we saw between you and that Demacian, earlier?"

She looked up with a sardonic grin. "maybe"

"you know my trade if you spill the beans, I'll spill your guts. You'll have to sleep with one eye open."

"First of all, don't threaten me. Secondly I care not for the politics between any of the feeble city states of Valoran. I'm sure you could have spoken with me in private and not bring me and Ahri, unwanted attention."

Katarina gave him a playful chuckle.

"Yeah, but people were wondering where I disappeared earlier and were questioning Garen's ware bouts. That dork, missed a toast on his behalf. So, figure you would make a good distraction from both he and I."

"So…I and Ahri's image have to be the sacrificial lamb?"

Katarina, looked Pantheon straight in the eyes and gave him a soft smile.

"It actually works in your benefit; jealousy can be a very powerful weapon."

With that she rose up on her tip toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and with that she pivoted and walked away.

Pantheon stood there dumbfounded. But he felt a familiar set of hands sliding along his back and swoop around to face him.

Ahri, gave him a jealous/angry smile.

"What was that about?"

He held her, like he had Katarina. Only tighter and with genuine affection.

"she was just being flirty" Not wanting to alert her to any of Katarina's threats.

….

Katarina started making her way out a side entrance removing her emerald earrings when a hand gripped her by the wrist.

In a deep angry growly voice, Darius questioned her.

"What the hell was that about?!"

"Just trying to woo, some of the other people of Valoran towards Noxu's cause."

She gave him a flippant flip of her hair and shimmied her wrist from his grasp.

"Have a good night, Hand of Noxus." A chaff tone in her voice.

Darius swallowed an insult before he regretted aiming it towards her. He gave her the best lost puppy eyes, he could make.

"Kat…let me walk you to your dorm."

"We've been over this, it's been years since…. move on please."

Without waiting for his reply she walked away. After the door closed behind her she started sprinting towards the Institute's dorms. Katarina, had a certain Demacian's window to picklock and sneak through. She wanted to make sure Garen made it home safely, and by that. She meant without inviting a swooning maiden into his room. She didn't want to have to castrate him. But deep down inside she knew he always slept alone.

The benefits of being a stalker.

She gave herself a guilty smile, then another one after that. When she finally made up her mind that he wouldn't be sleeping alone tonight, nor would she.

…..

Leona wasn't sure how she felt about Pantheon and Katarina dancing together. Part of her felt jealous while being relieved that at least it wasn't Ahri. She would just sit there biding her time and hopefully catch Pantheon alone and speak to him. Plead her case that she had made a mistake, beg him to take her back.

Darius walked up to her and Draven. Draven leaning up against the wall next to her while she sat on a chair nervously watching couples dance while others giving her looks of pity. She knew they thought Pantheon was rubbing Ahri's relationship in her face but that was not the case. It was truly her fault; she did this to herself…to him…them "them". Maybe they thought she was actually stupid enough to actually enjoy Draven's company and for that, they truly felt sorry for her.

Darius whispered in Draven did was nod and turned to Leona.

"The Draves, shall return, if one of those penguins (waiters) return grab me a drink."

…..

(In an isolated room close by.)

"I won't let her slip through my fingers and lose her to that skirt wearing freak! I want you to be the biggest creep to that date of yours. Rub it in his face, treat her like garbage. I don't care and tonight we strike! I'm going to break every bone in that little face of his! No, one steals my Kat from me!"

Darius usual composed deep voice was wrathful.

Draven, thought of Darius as being a bore. Being too worried with pride honor and keeping personal appearance. Always being the disciplinarian. Draven found himself feeding off Darius attitude and it excited him!

"Brother! Draven will make you proud! Draven is usually a smooth operator but I'll be a baaaad, baaad, boy, just for you!" Draven's tone was haughty as he twirled his mustache.

Darius, knew Draven was anything but smooth with the ladies. His ostentatious personality always got him dates and they quickly left when he started speaking. Darius had always used this as a sure fire way to swoop in play hero and steal his brother's dates. But tonight he was banking on that behavior putting Pantheon in a no win situation.