HI All,

It seems like of the people who reviewed, romance seems the majority voice.

Vox populi vox dei, right?

Please let me know what you think.

-Stormy

Yasuo looked at his hand and frowned. The bruises were fading, and he was no closer to mending the rift between him and Sona. Not that he didn't want to - he'd been trying, imagining what he'd say and how he would apologize, but she remained elusive although he doubted she was purposefully avoiding him. Every time he saw her, or went looking for her, she was in the company of someone different; Champions, Summoners, Staff or others - they were all interchangeable. He had never really paid attention to it before; nor had he, on previous occasions, cared to notice, but people seemed to want to be in her presence. Just as he now sought hers.

He found slim opportunities to catch her alone now that he wanted to repair the distance between them and apologize. Waiting for the revolving door of company to leave her side meant he spent far more time than he would like out of his quarters or the training room. The first few times, he felt every stare like it permeated his skin and scalded like acid. Although still uncomfortable, Yasuo learned to keep his head up and his senses sharp. Clenching his fist around his sword also helped.

Nothing worthwhile is easy, he reminded himself as he made his way from the training room towards the summoning chambers. She had been summoned for a match not an hour earlier and perhaps he could catch her at the tail end of the match. Before she was monopolized by Summoner whomever and Champion this or that.

It was the sound of her instrument that alerted him that her match had already concluded. Following the trinkling notes, Yasuo he found the blue-haired musician: sitting on a table in the summoning chamber, resting her feet on the seat of the chair. The view was marred with with Lee Sin's hand in her lap.

He felt something like a stab of ice in his stomach.

"Can't you be gentler?" Lee Sin rumbled, whining, wincing as she dug into his palm with the needle sharp end of a hair pin.

Don't be a baby, she replied ruthlessly, running the fingers of one hand absently over her instrument while she held his hand still.

"When did you get so heartless?" Lee Sin complained, hissing in pain as she dug her pin deeper to remove the splinter.

Yasuo felt a sharp surge of satisfaction at the monk's discomfort, although he couldn't put his finger on why. Instead, he focused on the blue-haired one, studying her from his position near the door. With her head bowed, he could just make out the soft curve of her cheek, the long fringe of her eyelashes and her lips, parted as she concentrated.

"I blame your friends, Sona," Lee Sin muttered churlishly. "Hanging out with that band of undead terrors has made you hard."

She hadn't bothered replying to the squirming Lee Sin, optioning to holding his pained hand still against her knee while she delicately picked at the piece of wood.

Got it, Sona conveyed, finally pulling the offending piece of wood from his hand. You whiner. Her teasing notes caused Lee Sin to smile warmly at her even as he pulled his hand from her possession and flexed cautiously.

"That does feel better, thank you."

You big baby, Sona teased, a smile curling around her lips as she gave him a small shove.

"Careful, I bruise easily," Lee Sin mocked with a grin before tilting his head in the direction of the door.

She strummed her fingers over the strings of her instrument to send a small wave of healing energy to clean and seal the cut in his palm. There, Sona conveyed, all done.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Yasuo forced himself to say with a light knock at the door that caused both Champions to turn towards him. Lee Sin lost his friendly and playful aura and regarded him with suspicion while Sona had a puzzled expression on her delicate features. "I was hoping to speak with Sona,"

"Sona doesn't speak," Lee Sin cut in, his voice hard as he edged closer to Yasuo, hovering over Sona protectively.

Yasuo clenched his fist, tensing as his pulse rose in response to Lee Sin's unspoken challenge.

Sona placed a restraining hand on Lee Sin's arm, causing another stab of ice in Yasuo. He shook off the feeling as her free hand danced over her strings. Perhaps I can find you later? After the last match of the day, perhaps?

Yasuo nodded to her, "North courtyard?"

I'll see you then, Sona confirmed even as Lee Sin sputtered.

Not terribly interested in hearing his name slandered, Yasuo gave her the closest he could muster as a smile before nodding swiftly and departing.

"Sona, " Lee Sin started after Yasuo left, turning from the door to 'regard' her.

Don't start, she trilled with a tired hand over her eyes. You've already denied Olaf his humanity and apparently he's not really alive too. I'm sure that will be a surprise for him. Don't start on this now please.

Lee Sin shook his head at her ruefully, "I just want you to promise me you'll be safe." He said with a lighter tone.

I promise not to go jumping off cliffs or swimming with sharks, Sona promised solemnly with a grin playing upon her lips.

Yasuo expelled the breath he wasn't aware he was holding and ran his hand over his face. Breathing deeply, he mentally forced himself to release the tension he was holding in his neck, shoulders, back and legs.

Tall, reasonably handsome, built, and caught in a moment of openness, with a delicious sense of honor and determination - golden eyes widened in glee.

"Hello there," a purring voice interrupted and intruded, "are you new? Are you lost?" A wicked smile graced sultry red lips. "Are you in need of help?" The last question was asked with a challenging note and the overwhelming essence of sensuous danger.

Yasuo's breath caught in his throat as a slim hand ran its way up his side. Out of reflex, he jerked him arm back and held his sheathed sword to where he assumed the assailant's throat would be.

"Oooh, kinky," Ahri grinned, tapping the tip of his weapon as it rested above the swell of her breasts. With a smirk, she lightly ran her fingers over the point. "Big too," she tasted her lips. "I like big."

"Do I know you?" Yasuo questioned, yanking his sword from her teasing grasp with a flush and repositioned it by his waist.

Ahri tossed her hair over her shoulders, glossy sable locks bouncing around her face. "No," she smiled, "but that shouldn't stop you," she invited with a wink.

"What's your name?" Yasuo tried again, trying to ignore the the sensual playfulness from the woman before her.

"What do you want it to be?"

Yasuo wasn't sure where to look - her golden eyes had a predatory gleam in them that made him uncomfortable, and her near state of undress was just as risky. She had ears and faint whisker marks and fluffy tails that wafted around her figure as if she walked among clouds. He didn't know where to rest his eyes that wouldn't be rude or, in some sense, that she would take as an advance.

After a moment of silence, Ahri leaned in towards him, eliciting a step back from Yasuo. She grinned at his reflex. "I'm Ahri," she said with a smile. "Would you like to see more of me?" She asked with a laugh, rolling her head back to expose the pale column of her neck and her shoulders.

Yasuo's mouth went dry as his mind whirled for an answer.

Ahri laughed again, and less than a heartbeat later, was curled around his arm, tails wrapping around his figure like additional hands. "Strong," she murmured to herself as she rested her head against his shoulder and the crook of his neck.

Yasuo stiffened, his arms dropping to his sides, controlling himself not to immediately shove the woman off of him. After what felt like forever, where Ahri spent her time breathing in his scent, drawing designs on his arm and reeling in the glee of throwing the man off balance, Yasuo's hands found leverage on her shoulders, detaching her from his side and holding her at arms length.

"Can I help you?" He asked stiffly, off balance from her aggressively familiar behavior.

"Well you're not now," she pouted, her lips pursed out enticingly while her tails swayed behind her. Bright yellow eyes raked him over and then skewered into his. "But that doesn't mean you can't."

Yasuo could have kicked himself for his careless words. "I.. uh… I have training. . . I have to go." He managed to find the words.

Ahri smiled brightly. "Great idea! 'Training'," she winked at him. "I like it. Not that I need it myself personally, but I'd be happy to train you." She shuddered in a way that Yasuo didn't think was account of the cold and tossed another naughty to him. "Eager, really." she stated candidly.

The Ionian warrior flushed again, keeping his grip on the woman's shoulders in case she makes another instantaneous move to rub up against him. "What I mean is," he started.

"I know what you mean," she purred, "but my way is much . . . funner."

Yasuo opened his mouth and then closed it. He stared at the nine tailed fox, a vixen, and shook his head. "I need to go." He said again.

Ahri pouted again before laughing delightedly. She disappeared in her instantaneous fashion and traced a finger down his spine, causing him to jump with a muffled swear. "I'm sure I'll see you later" She blew him a kiss before sauntering away, a pleased expression upon her face and and a delighted tune on her lips.

"Just what are you playing at?" Lee Sin asked roughly to Yasuo. The Ionain swordsman was leaning against the pillars of a stone folly set in the courtyard.

Lee Sin had predicted that the unforgiven would be early, and finding him alone for the moment gave him a chance to have a word before Sona arrived.

Yasuo turned to look at Lee Sin, keeping his hands from reaching instinctively to the sword he kept by his side. The Ionian monk almost smiled at the restraint.

"My, Sona, how different you look right now." Yasuo answered sarcastically.

Lee Sin scowled. "Just what do you want with her?"

Yasuo turned to study the monk. "Talk, perhaps." He answered truthfully instead of the sarcastic response that came immediately to mind.

"I don't know what you could possibly say to her that would erase the truth of your past betrayal." The Blind Monk tilted his head, before promptly snapping his mouth shut.

This again? Sona conveyed through tinkling notes set to a minor tone. The soft grass had muffled her steps and she joined the scene with a sense of foreboding.

"Sona, how nice it is to see you." Lee Sin tried to joke. She played a discordant series of sounds, indicating her disinterest in his playfulness.

"Would you accompany me for a walk?" Yasuo asked casually, stepping down from the folly and stepping to the diminutive musician.

"Sona," Lee Sin started, before her notes interrupted.

That would be very nice, thank you.

HI All,

I'd like to point out first and foremost that I'm not really good at romance, so please be patient with me.

Also, now I'm confused about the ratings. Can this remain T? Did Ahri's little performance edge it closer to the upgrade line?

Please let me know what you think.

-Stormy