It takes Lux a few moments to submit her story to the major newspapers in Piltover, Zaun, and Noxus. Not in Demacia, that kind of story isn't published at home. A reporter calls her on the comm Lux is forced to carry with her per Institute of Justice law. The reporter, an eager young lady with hazel eyes and frizzy, unkempt hair, asks for an interview before the story goes live. Lux scans for a reporter badge, find it on the end of a Star Guardian Lanyard and spots the name 'Liz'.
"I would love to answer some questions, Liz," Lux replies with a smile and slight tilt of her head in the direction of the comm resting on her palm. The reporter gapes a little and stares at Lux with a wide-eyed look. Lux makes a slight dismissive motion with her left hand and her smile grows larger. "Ask away."
"Why were you on a date with Ezreal?" Liz fires the question off as her fingers are already typing on a tablet in one hand.
"It's a long story, but the short version is men are troublesome when rejected. I've been flooded with guys hitting on me to prove a point since I turned Draven down. Ezreal is the latest in a long stream of blind dates to prove Draven wrong." Lux replies with an indifferent tone and slight shrug of her shoulders. As Liz types more on the tablet, Lux feels her mind putting on her best Lady of Luminosity act. It's like she slips on an old pair of boots that fit perfectly and the persona of her political person in Demacia rises up like the sun at dawn. Her shoulders straighten, her spine is upright, and she graces Liz with a bright smile, blue eyes vibrant and attentive. A bright smile goes a long way and Lux weaponizes every tool she owns, including her appearance.
"Ugh, men are the worst sometimes!" Liz groans, both eyes rolling upwards before she nods her head sharply. They both share a moment of solidarity. Both of her eyes snap back to Lux, the hazel in them shifting to a dangerous shade of green, and her smile turns sharp with a conspiring side look. "So, the rumors about Draven being cursed into being pink by you are true?"
"I can't confirm or deny any rumors, Liz," Lux says before letting out a short, high pitched giggle. Liz winces at the sound but doesn't stop typing. "But I can say that I don't tolerate bullshit from anyone. I'm tired of being treated like an object."
The exchange goes on for several more minutes. Liz tries a few more times to get a straight answer from Lux but is deflected away. Finally, the young reporter sighs and ends the interview. Now to wait. Every five minutes Lux refreshes her social media feed, face still and emotionless.
Blue eyes note when it goes live, and she clicks on the first article. Quickly she reads over the entire thing and her face breaks into a huge smile. Liz puts a very positive spin on it for Lux, and Ezreal is not spared. Her comm is slipped into her pocket and she walks over to the teleportation pad and heads home.
Garen isn't home to greet her at the door. Lux steps off the teleport pad and comes face to face with her parents. Illia is a few steps behind her husband, one of her hands resting lightly on his shoulder. Her father crosses his arms across his chest when she fully materializes. One of his feet is tapping against the floor, his armored boot going thud, thud, thud! A cold lump settles in her throat at the sight of her parents. Not good, this is not good at all. As she opens her mouth to explain, Illia snaps her free hand. A silence spell wraps around her throat and Lux wants to scream. Her voice chokes and doesn't come out.
"Luxanna, what are you thinking attacking a respectable member of Piltover!" Her father cold voice washes over like ice. "Ezreal is an upstanding member of society who has done a lot to advance the progress of Runeterra with his explorations. He might be a little free-spirited at times, but he is not a bad man. How dare you treat him like that! Demacia needs to be on good terms with Piltover. Our family is the shining example of Demacia, we can't lower ourselves to petty revenge against others. You're a disgrace to the family, to…"
Lux can't hear her father over the roaring in her ears. Her whole body hurts from the force of his words. She spins on her heel and slams her hands against the teleport pad, and when the light of teleportation fades she runs off. She looks around to see where she went. The Institute of War. Power builds on her and a pressure crushes her throat.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Lux yells her hands balling into tight fists against her sides. The spell her mother placed on her shatters with a painful burst of magic.
One of her feet steps forward, then her other foot moves. Lux's whole body is shaking. Her teeth press tight together and her face and neck are wet. Another step, then another happens as she walks down the empty hallway. Before long, she finds herself running. Her feet stall to a stop when she reaches the small room she reads in. One hextech lamp is providing light. She stomps over to her favorite couch. Lux sits down. Her legs pull up and she hugs her knees to her chest. She buries her face in her arms and sobs. Sleep claims Lux long after her body runs out of tears.
"Lux? Lux!"
Lux startles as a hand touches her shoulder. Her mind snaps into awareness and she releases her body from a tight ball shape. Stiff muscles scream in protest but she doesn't stop moving. Any hesitation will be her last! One of her hand's balls into a fist and she swings a right hook in the direction of the person touching her without permission. Blue eyes focused on the very large hand that stops her punch from landing. The hand belongs to Darius. Darius is sitting next to her. Those green eyes look at her with a softness she doesn't recognize. His eyebrows are furrowed deep, and he smiles when she met his gaze.
"Are you okay?" Darius inquires his voice low and gentle. His hand pulls away from her shoulder and the other releases her fist. "You're injured. I didn't see any reports of Ezreal hurting you in the news."
Lux opens her mouth to speak and all that comes out is a painful croak. Her throat hurts and itches. A hand reaches for it but Darius grabs her wrist. Carefully he pulls her hand away. He shakes his head slightly.
"Your throat looks like you've been choked, burned and cut. I have a first aid kit in a pocket." Darius speaks soft and low like he's afraid she's going to bolt if he talks loudly. He lets go of her wrist and reaches into one of the pockets in his cloak. From his cloak comes a small box full of potion jars, bandages, and some other odds and ends. He pulls out a canteen and pours some water on a piece of cloth from the first aid kit. Lux tries not to swallow as he starts to clean her throat. "I know you did a real number to Ezreal, but I'm going to kill him for hurting you."
As Lux hears that she gulps down a lump of emotion. His hands are gentle on her skin. Her face feels hot. Darius tenderly tends to her wound. His fingers lightly brush green mixture against her skin. As the cool green gel touches her wounds the pain eases away. Her eyebrows march towards her hairline. Whatever that stuff is, it's some of the best she's been treated with! Finally, he wraps a clean linen bandage around the area.
"T-thank you Darius," Lux whispers. Her voice works, rusty and sore, and that lump in her stomach eases up.
"No problem Lux. I'm glad he didn't hurt you worse. When you're safely home, I'm going to hunt Ezreal down and kill him for doing this to you." Darius talks gently but his voice hardens into a razor edge by the end.
Tears fill her eyes at hearing Darius. Her own parents didn't care about how Ezreal treated her. They're the ones who hurt her. Demacian nobility cared less for her than a Noxian. A hiccup escaped her and tears start falling. The sobbing comes back in force.
"You're safe, it's okay now. I won't let him hurt you again. I promise." Darius murmurs reassuring and he takes off his cloak and drapes it over her shoulders. Those green eyes, full of compassion and concern, gaze at her. The smile drops from his lips and he reaches for her but stops halfway. "Can I hold you?"
A slight nod jerks her head. Darius is the first person to ever ask permission. His arms, large and comforting, move around her. Soon she's wrapped in a tender hug. She buries her head against the soft part of his arm where there's no armor and sobs. Garen, her parents, her servants, they just provide touch and comfort without asking first. After Ezreal and all that's happened, his asking is unexpected. However, it's something she always wants and right now is what she needs. Lux doesn't understand. Why? Why is Darius being so kind to her? He's a Noxian! Her whole body shakes from her sobbing. One of his hands moves up her back and rests lightly on her head as he makes soft, reassuring noises. That hand softly strokes her hair. Lux likes the feeling a lot and she feels her ears burn.
As Lux empties the pain of everything from her heart with each tear she feels more unfamiliar emotions replace the void left behind by the pain, hurt, and betrayal. Darius smells like pine soap, clean leather, and oiled metal. She is reminded strongly of home, of feeling safe, of her family's armory. He's warm, firm, gentle, and real. Lux slowly pulls away from his embrace as her tears slow to a stop, but she doesn't move his hands off her. Something about being with Darius is comforting and she doesn't want to lose that. She gives Darius a small smile then turns a bright red as he gives her a soft kiss on the forehead. Her blush only deepens as he laughs softly.
"That was nice. Thank you, Darius," Lux whispers her voice still not up to working at full volume. Her face doesn't stop being red. Maybe I should turn invisible! I can't seem to stop blushing!
"I'm glad you're not seriously injured. I read the newspaper article about your interactions with Ezreal yesterday. I wanted to compliment you on being," Darius pauses for a moment and his lips pursed tightly together for a brief moment. "On being delightfully cunning. When you didn't appear in the main lobby like normal I got worried." Darius replies with a half smile, half concerned look.
"After several hours of waiting, I decided something else must have happened to you. I went looking for you," Darius explained and he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I found you here in our usual reading spot. After I made sure no one would bother us," Darius spoke but glanced briefly at the doors before looking at her. "I waited for you to wake up but… you didn't move for several hours. I risked waking you up to make sure you weren't hurt. You have a great right hook. I want to compliment your technique. If I wasn't expecting you to respond like that I would have gotten a black eye. I'm curious what happened, but… if you're not ready to talk about things, I won't push. I will hunt down and kill Ezreal so it will never happen again."
Lux's eyes widen. She looks up at the skylight to see the night sky, then her eyes glance at the doors, before going back to look at Darius. Both doors, composed of interlocking oak and cherry wood boards, are closed. Memories of those doors being open rise up, and she appraises them like she does while spying. They're at least four inches thick, huge panels of solid wood. It's possible that the doors weigh more than Garen, all his armor, plus his sword combined. Before becoming the Institute of War, the building had been a highly contested fortress, a source of tension between Noxus and Demacia. As a sign of peace, the fortress was declared public property and belonged to no one. There's a familiar battle ax wedged between the handles acting like an impromptu lock. I thought the doors at the Institute of War couldn't be closed after the peace treaty was signed! She mentally whistles at how much brute strength it would take to open or close those doors. Garen could do it, but not easily or without good reason. If she tells anyone the full truth, she knows she can tell Darius.
"It's not a compliment to a Demacian to be called cunning, or to have a solid right hook as a response to being woken up Darius," Lux says softly, her eyes soften as he freezes and his ears turn slightly pink. He's adorable when he tries to compliment me! That pause from before had been his attempt to think of a Demancian compliment it seems! Warm fuzzy feelings fill her gut.
Darius tries to give a good compliment, but Noxians think different attributes are worthy. Unlike Demacia who thinks that appearances are more important than self-worth sometimes. Shame takes over, shoving out the warm fuzzy feelings and curling around her insides hot and heavy.
"Demacian compliments are hard." Darius sighs but doesn't say anything else, his eyes staying on her with a look she thinks might be full of longing. A hopeful gaze that rises up in the green depths before going back under the mask of professional, indifferent soldier. That look summons a lump of emotion in her throat that she swallows before speaking.
"Ezreal didn't hurt me. It was my parents. They don't approve of how I've been acting towards the men giving me grief. The final straw was my petty revenge against an important citizen of Piltover. My mother placed a silence spell on my throat when I got home. Apparently, as a Demacian noble, my duty to my country is important than my sense of self-worth and respect." Lux spits out the last sentence like she would spoiled meat. "After I couldn't stomach their self-righteous lecture about letting a bad man do bad things because Demacia needs the alliance with Piltover, I ran here. I shattered the spell, which is when my throat became injured."
"I can get away with killing Ezreal. I can't get away with murdering two Demacians nobles." Darius sighs his head shaking slightly. "What is it with Demacians thinking true strength is worthless." His eyes lose their focus for a moment, his eyebrows forming a deep, sharp point before going smooth. Not long after, his gaze snaps back to her. He faces turns a very interesting shade of red, an even deeper shade than when he complimented her. " Do you want to go back home? If you don't want to… that is… I… Ugh! I have a spare room you can stay in while you find a new home."
Lux finds the world around her slow to a complete stop. Her mind scrambles to piece together the information she's hearing from Darius. Yes! I want to stay with you! Her mouth drops open but her thoughts stay stuck inside. Nothing comes out of her mouth. Pieces of the puzzle fall into place and her lungs are struggling to work. Surely Darius doesn't like her like that! Ask! Now! Ask Darius why he's seeking out a Demacian's company!
"Darius, why are you seeking me out my company? As I understand the Noxian culture, you wouldn't want to spend time with me. It's a sign of weakness in Noxus to treat an enemies wounds. There's a peace treaty, but Noxus and Demacia aren't on friendly terms." As she asks, her face settles into her careful mask of professional cool. She needs to know why, she needs to be certain before she acts on her emotions like she wants.
"Ah… well… Noxians value strength in all its forms. I was surprised to find it in you. When I sought you out to foil Draven's plan, I was not expecting you to express the three pillars of strength. I wasn't raised to find women attractive based on physical appearances. Noxians find beauty and attractiveness in how strong a person is." Darius drops his gaze and his arms from her. His hands clasped together and his thumbs fiddle against each other. "You're very pretty and strong and… I… like spending time with you. I enjoy being with you. You're strong and I want to be a part of your life." Darius doesn't look up at her and his thumbs move faster. "It's why I've been trying to flirt with you."
"Oh!" Lux's mouth forms into a small circle. Her hands move up to her face to cover her cheeks and hide the blush that refuses to go away. Her heart beats faster and the shame is driven out by the warm fuzzy feeling. She drops her hands from her face and rests them lightly over Darius's hands. "It is a Demacian compliment to call someone pretty. Most Demacian flirting is convoluted and takes ages. Noxian flirting is refreshingly blunt even if I'm not used to it. Yet."
Darius snaps his gaze to hers and his hands grasp hers. His eyes hold a hope so strong it hurts her soul with an equally powerfully want. She gives him a smile.
"Ugh, how do Demacians propose marriage?" Darius asks his voice rising a bit of the last word. His thumbs rub over her hands softly.
"You don't want to know. It's a long, drawn-out process I think is awful. I was not looking forward it." Lux whispers and her lips break her cool mask with a warm smile that takes over her entire face. "How do Noxians propose?"
"After we find someone worthy, we offer compliments to express our affection, then we offer a place in our homes to the person we wish to marry," Darius explains his voice dropping low and he keeps his eyes on her. "If both people find living together agreeable after a year, the marriage is deemed strong enough to be made official. There's a ceremony, paperwork is signed, there's a party with lots of food, the guests bring gifts, and the newly married couple exchange vows and a token of their bond."
"I see," Lux exclaims. I wish I had known sooner! It also explains a lot of odd things I witnessed while spying. Her eyes stare at Darius, she needs to know one more thing. "What happens if the people don't find living together agreeable?"
"Ah! Then they go separate ways while any shared belongings are split evenly. Often the Noxian with a higher rank gives part of their income to the other for a year. That's customary but not required. I wouldn't leave you without anywhere to go if we didn't work out." Darius gulps the last word and he gives her another look full of hope and longing.
"I would be happy to live with you. I accept your marriage proposal. I enjoy your company a lot." Lux speaks the last sentence without whispering.
"I'm glad. Let's go home," Darius almost shouts as he leaps off the couch and offers her a hand up. "Together."
"Yes," Lux says with a smile as she takes his hand. When she gets to her feet she freezes slightly. "What about Draven? I don't want to deal with more of his bullshit."
"He won't bother you. I promise I'll keep him from bothering you. He looks in pretty in pink. I think he can stay that way for how he treated you," Darius mutters darkly. He doesn't let go of her hand as they walk towards the door side by side.
"Haha. That's part of the cure. Pffft, hahaha." Lux has a hard muffling her laughter. She trusts Darius to keep Draven away from her. Draven will have a hard enough time with the cure as is. "He needs to look in a mirror, say 'I look pretty in pink' and mean it. Then he has to kiss his reflection like he would his one true love."
"That's the cure? Hahahahaha! That cure is like a curse to Draven. You're brilliant! Your guile is beyond measure. Hahaha. Can I tell him? Haha. I want to see the horror in his expression. Please?" Darius has a hard speaking he's laughing so hard. It takes him several tries to free his battle ax from the door handles as his body shakes with mirth.
Lux gasps from lack air as she laughs with him. Tears run down her cheeks and she leans against Darius for support. She wraps one arm around around the least armored part of Darius and her other arm wraps around her own side as her laughter shakes her body. The two of them support each other as they laugh at Draven's plight.
"Yes. Haha. You can tell him. Pffft, hahaha. Consider it an engagement gift," Lux speaks, one of her hands wiping tears from her face as a happiness fills her.