A/N: So much has happened over the last couple months. I am here, I am still writing, it was slow but I'm alright.
Thank you for your patience, and thank you for the PMs regarding if I am okay.
Reviews always welcome with an open mind. I love to read what people have to say, both kind and critical.
Chapter 22: Confessions
Riven!
Her name echoed in her head. She could hear her lungs heaving in air over the white noise of the past. Why was she heaving? Cold sweat trickled down her face as she tried to catch her breath; a familiar weight occupying her right hand. Another roll of thunder rumbled as a crack of lightning flashed the room bright. The fear she felt in that instant was like nothing she had felt before. Beneath her laid Irelia, on her back, and Riven straddling the Captain's hips. Riven's left hand held a fistful of Irelia's silk collar as the shocked eyes of the Captain met Riven's.
The blades of the Ionian weapon shuddered intensely as they positioned themselves between Riven and Irelia.
Irelia's shaking hands were up defensively behind the blades, her eyes squeezed shut and face diverted from Riven's. "Please...Riven...lower your blade..." Her voice shaking.
A sickness rolled through the exile as her terrified eyes shifted to her right arm hoisting the broken blade up in a position that was ready to strike. Riven looked back down at the Captain. It was clear that Irelia was taken completely off guard. The exile lowered her sword, her eyes flicking their attention between Irelia and the rune blade. The rune sword made a loud thud as it slipped free of its master's grip and fell to the floor. Riven removed herself from straddling the Captain and pushed herself away. Riven looked scared as she looked down at her quaking palms. She lost control...and almost struck Irelia...Irelia who trusted her to stay this time around...Riven jumped as another roar of thunder shook her to her very core.
Irelia tried to find some composure as she sat up, "Riven...?"
Terrified crimson eyes darted to Irelia as the Captain tried to get closer.
"Riven, it's okay..."
"S-Stay back..." Riven stammered and held her arms out to signal Irelia not to come any closer and stood up to back away.
"Riven...it was just an accident. I'm not hurt, I swear...you didn't hurt me," Irelia got up and kept her hands where Riven could see them, trying to calm the shaking exile, "I was just taken off guard..."
"Don't come any closer!" Riven warned, her tone projecting her fear.
Irelia froze. She watched the exile with worried eyes as Riven looked back down at the rune sword resting on the floor.
Shaken, frightened and confused, Riven tried to keep her distance from the Captain, "I...I-I-I almost hurt you..." Riven stuttered.
"You didn't though, Riven, look," Irelia gestured to herself, "You stopped yourself, not a scratch on me. You regained control." The Captain's soft smile faded as Riven continued to look rattled. "Riven," Irelia took a step closer, "it's alright..." Her voice was calm and features displaying that of genuine worry, despite what occurred moments before.
The exile lowered her head, "it will never be alright," Riven mumbled and shoved passed the Captain, knocking Irelia down and running out of the room.
Irelia rolled over and got up from the floor, "Riven!" she shouted as she caught ear of the front door sliding open roughly. The Captain stumbled out into the hallway, half tripping over her own feet in her haste. "Not in the storm, Riven," she grumbled under her breath and ran after the exile into the pouring rain and thundering night. The rain was cold and stung as Irelia tried to see through the storm. Damn it, Riven! Irelia grit her teeth, trying to keep up as she pursued her Noxian guest through the streets of the Placidium; the city dead at this hour. She could feel herself fighting against the wind and the rain as it continued to pelt them both, but Irelia knew she'd catch the exile eventually. The dim lights of the streets rattled in the storm and the bright flashes of lightning was all Irelia had to keep Riven in her sights.
Riven stopped as she found herself cornered in an alleyway. Her crimson eyes looked up the high walls that trapped her there in disbelief and she pressed a hand against the cold wall of the building. What did she expect? Running blindly through a storm in a city she hadn't been through in years. The exile turned to see that Irelia was not there as she bent over her knees and tried to breath. Riven pushed her sopping starlight hair back from sticking to her face as she looked down to the puddles at her feet. Riven's head snapped back to the opening of the alley as she heard a charging shout she'd expect to hear on a battle field. Strong hands furiously grabbed at the clothing covering her shoulders and Riven grunted as she was shoved up against the wall of the building; cold and dripping steel digging into the wall. Crimson eyes shifted to the side of her head, watching water drip from the edge of one of the four blades of the Ionian weapon sticking into the wall next to her face. She looked down to the owner.
The ferocity in her emerald eyes blazed as another flash of lightning exposed her anger for the exile to see. The Captain's teeth were bared as she tried to calm herself, but she was struggling to. "You..." she growled.
Riven could feel Irelia's hands shaking, her grip tightening on the exile's clothing.
"YOU FOOL!" Irelia shouted at Riven and pulled Riven's shoulders forward only to shove the exile back into the wall; the Noxian wincing slightly from the impact. Irelia leaned up and forward to get into Riven's face, "Don't you see that running away does nothing, Riven!" Irelia yelled at her over the roaring rain. "Running away is a coward's game! Don't run from from this! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" Irelia sounded more and more distressed the more she said the word, pulling and pushing Riven from and against the wall each time.
Riven remained quiet and looked down at the shaking Ionian, who had her head pressed to the exile's chest. She could feel the ache in her shoulder blades; bruising was an inevitable result of this engagement. The rain started to lighten, but it did not stop; drizzling upon the now silent champions.
Irelia quietly released the fabric of Riven's drenched sweater and took a step back. The frown upon the Captain's face was firm and her body was tight as she stood there before the Noxian exile. "You," Irelia's voice was shaking in restraint, "you can't run from this...you cannot out run yourself...trust me..."
A crimson gaze flicked up to the Captain's face from the ground.
Irelia's eyes looked distant as they continued to look toward the exile's feet. The soaked black silk was clinging to the Captain's form and chunks of ebony hair stuck to the kissed cold skin of Irelia's face. "It pains me," Irelia began, eyes still hovering over Riven's feet, "to see people suffer. All I remember is people suffering..."
Riven's eyes shifted to the Ionian steel dislodging itself from the wall around where she stood. She watched the blades return to Irelia, keeping her back still pressed up against the wall.
"I'm sure you've heard the story of these blades," Irelia's tone sounded somber as the weapon quietly floated at her side.
"Only the Noxian whispers," Riven admitted.
"No one will ever understand the weight of a weapon you cannot hold," Irelia mumbled, "The day these blades rose from the ground, was the day of my rebirth, my life before, just a story," Irelia finally looked up at the exile.
"A story?"
"I knew nothing but murder and blood lust!" Irelia shouted, "not even my own name being screamed would stop me from wanting to drive these blades through every Noxian heart that set foot in my city! All I felt in that moment was rage... and anger...undisciplined pure hatred for you all! Noxus made me a monster! Noxian necromancy ravaged my body...tortured my soul...Noxain soldiers butchered my people... burned my home... stole my humanity...and yet...here I am...with you. A Noxian Commander...responsible for countless Ionian deaths...your hands and that cursed blade of yours dripped crimson with the blood of Ionian innocence!"
Riven felt her stomach roll uncomfortably as her eyes shifted down from the Captain's face. The guilt of her actions constricted around her throat as the muscles clenched in discomfort.
"Yet," Irelia began, turning her back to Riven, "I cannot stop being in your presence."
Riven slowly lifted her eyes back up from the ground to Irelia.
"You sparked curiosity in me," Irelia admitted, looking down at her palms, "an...emotion I only felt in the comforting presence of my closest supports. The more time I spend around you, the more I've come to realize you're not like the others. You're different."
"I am broken, Irelia," Riven frowned, "I am not like the others for that reason alone."
"That is a lie!" Irelia furiously turned back to face the exiled Noxian, "you don't know the definition of the word broken! This," Irelia gestured between herself and the floating blades, "this is broken..." The Captain's voice cracked.
"A sword mirrors its owner..." Riven frowned.
"A choice mirrors the heart," Irelia voice was as stern as her facial expression, "swift is the steel that strikes through the wind and strong is the will of a studious mind. Deeds reflect creeds and we service the needs of the people who cannot protect themselves. A sword mirrors its owner, no blood of innocence shall ever stain its edge. A choice mirrors the heart in this allegiance of service to my people I pledge." Irelia closed her eyes and shook her head, "you chose your path. Do not muddle the words of the Ionian samurai's pledge. They are respected and honored warriors."
"I was following orders," Riven frowned, "do they to stay true to those words when the master calls upon them to serve their command?"
"You made that choice!" Irelia shouted and pointed at the exile, "you could have stayed your blade, Riven! Look at the choices you've made! That you've admitted to making! Now look at you run from them like a coward!"
Riven tore herself from the wall and shouted, charging at the Ionain Captain and tackling Irelia. Both champions scrambled after landing onto ground but it was Riven soon gripping her own face as Irelia drove the base of her palm into the exile's nose.
Once Riven covered her nose with her hands, Irelia grabbed onto the cloth of Riven's shirt tightly and yanked the Noxian off to the side, rolling over and straddling Riven and holding her down. "You had a choice! I did not!"
The exile couldn't control the tears welling up in her eyes, effectively making everything blurry. The tears were not ones of pain or anger, but an involuntary result of how she was struck. Riven caught the crack in Irelia's voice this time as she tried to look at Irelia. Between the rain and her watering eyes, that task seemed impossible. Riven flinched under Irelia; she didn't need to see to know the chill of a blade's edge near her throat.
"I didn't choose this! Noxus took everything from me! My home! My brother! My life!" Irelia screamed at the Noxian she was pinning to the ground.
Riven turned her head away and squeezed her eyes shut. Fear crept into her mind and the sharp pain in her face was beginning to settle into an ache. Riven didn't know what to do, just how angry was Irelia? The long silent pause between them both did nothing but make Riven's nerves quake to her core.
"Why...why do I feel complete around you...?" Irelia's voice was nothing but a soft whimper. "Why do you do this to me...?"
Riven flinched again, feeling Irelia's hands gently turn her head so that she was facing the Captain. She still couldn't really open her eyes while they continued to water uncontrollably. Heat settled in Riven's cheeks as the slender fingers of the woman she had grown so attached to tenderly wiped away the tears so that she could see. Riven could not stand the sight. The hurt upon the Captain's face made her chest tighten to the point that the pressure felt unbearable.
"Why did you run from me...?" Irelia's hands held both sides of the exile's face gingerly, thumbs still softly pushing stray tears away from Riven's eyes, "when you know I've been here when I could be all this time...?"
Riven quietly tried to sit up, Irelia's hands never leaving her face. So many questions floated around the exile's mind, but her tongue could not find the words to speak; so she remained silent. Crimson orbs met the jade eyes of the Captain and the Ionian steel slid away from the tan flesh of Riven's throat. The blade returned to the other three floating behind Irelia while Riven continued to pay them no mind, only wishing to hold Irelia's gaze. Riven quietly brought her hands up and pushed the soaked strands of ebony hair sticking to the Captain's cheeks behind her ears.
Riven's calloused fingers felt softer than they ever had as they slid over her skin to push her hair back. It was at this time she leaned softly into the touch of the exile's hands and closed her eyes. Irelia quietly peeked at Riven through half lidded eyes and laid her cheek into the Noxian's palm while Riven's other hand softly caressed over her other cheek. A tender heat settled across her cheeks when Riven's hands cupped her face completely.
"I won't run from this any longer... from you any longer," Riven's voice was soft as a whisper. For so long she had hesitated. For so long she had been blind to Irelia's presence. No more. Riven did not care how Irelia would react to what she was ready to show the Captain, because to her, actions always screamed louder than words.
Before Riven had the chance to move, Irelia's arms wrapped around the exile's neck and shoulders and she hugged Riven close. The way Irelia held Riven was filled with compassion and Riven silently buried her face close to the Captain's throat as she managed to free her arms and tightly wrap them around Irelia's chest into an embrace. Riven took a deep breath through her nose, taking in the Captain's scent. The soft fragrance of jasmine and lily upon the Captain's skin brought about more than just delight within the exile. Oh how intoxicating it was and Riven couldn't get enough as she pressed a soft kiss against the tender skin of Irelia's neck.
A chill crept up Irelia's spine as Riven kissed her throat tenderly. The exile's lips where soft and warm against her skin and Irelia found herself involuntarily leaning her head to the side to expose her neck to Riven more.
Riven took the hint.
A soft gasp slipped free of Irelia's lips when she felt the exile's teeth nip at her skin. Her arms tightened around Riven as the exile teased her with soft kisses and nibbles. Heat burned hot within Irelia's cheeks as Riven drug her tongue over her neck, "R-Riven," she stammered.
"Hm?" Riven mumbled against the Captain's flesh while she continued to trail tender kisses along the marks that were starting to darken upon Irelia's throat.
"W-We need to go back," Irelia continued, trying not to make any other noises while Riven continued to tease her neck, "neither of us can afford to fall ill by staying out here in the cold and rain."
"You don't feel cold," Riven cooed, not heading Irelia's concerns.
It was true. Irelia was not cold. The Captain felt her heart pounding heat through her veins with every single beat it made. Why was she reacting like this? She felt like a slave to her body, not understanding why her heart raced, cheeks flushed and body shuddered beneath Riven's very touch. "Please..." she managed to speak, "I want to go home."
Riven didn't want to comply but deep down she to wanted to get out of the rain and cold. Even though Riven wanted to continue messing with Irelia, she eventually sighed and allowed Irelia to get up from her hips. It didn't take long for offered hands to float within the exile's vision and Riven promptly took the offer as Irelia helped her up from the ground. Riven stood before the smaller Ionian woman quietly before feeling the Captain's fingers lace into her right hand and she followed the gentle tug. Crimson eyes shifted down to the fingers intertwined with her own and Riven couldn't help but feel at ease because Irelia always knew which hand to hold. From the very beginning, it was always the hand that held the weight of her past. From the very beginning, Irelia never let it remain unoccupied when Riven needed the comfort.
The walk home was nothing more than a cold and slow trek back through the dim and quiet streets of the Placidium. The rumbling of the thunder could be heard in the distance signifying that the storm was passing, however, the rain never did stop. Both champions were sopping wet as they re-entered the Captain's home.
Riven fidgeted, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she stood in the now dry airspace once she realized just how clung tight her clothing was to her own body. It was far from comfortable, however, her attention toward herself would soon be lost as she caught sight of the Captain's state of presence. The cold Riven felt from the walk home disappeared in a matter of moments as her eyes scanned over the wet black and gold silk clinging to Irelia's body. When Irelia leaned down to wring out her drenched jet black hair in the cramped doorway in which they stood, her backside accidentally brushed across Riven's thigh from the action of bending over. Riven felt as if her heart was going to break out of her ribs. Riven clenched her jaw tightly in restraint as she stared down at Irelia with a lustful eye, all the pent up frustrations and needs raging in that moment; even if the contact was unintentional. The exile flinched quietly as Irelia flipped her long hair back when she was finished and Riven caught a face full of the Captain's wet hair.
"Oh! Oops," Irelia turned around slightly to see Riven's face contorted in a way that one would expect to see when taking an unexpected slap to the face with wet hair. "Sorry, Riven," the Captain chuckled softly when Riven opened one of her eyes to look at her. "Stay here," Irelia said, "I'll go fetch some towels."
Riven didn't protest and continued to stand there dripping in the doorway. They way the silk clung to the Captain's body as she walked down the hall held Riven's complete attention before Irelia turned out of sight.
Why...why do I feel complete around you...?
Irelia's words haunted her thoughts as she stood there waiting for the Captain to return with towels so she could dry off. Riven wanted to know what Irelia meant when she said that. Irelia didn't seem to be all that sad or disturbed of an individual, then again, discipline over one's self was so revered in her culture; but tonight was a crack in the Captain's guise.
This...this is broken...
The distinct crack in Irelia's voice was all Riven could hear within the recent memory. Just who was this renowned hero of Ionia and Captain of the Guard and why did she have such a particular interest in Riven? Riven was starting to feel the chill from her wet clothing as she stood there still waiting for Irelia to return. A devious plan began to form within the exile's mind the more she thought about Irelia and damn that silk for sticking to her body in such a way. Recalling the break in Irelia's defenses while out in the storm, Riven was going to get answers out of the Captain tonight. No more will she allow her questions to be deflected away by Irelia's "uninteresting" excuses. Riven wanted answers. No; not even just that at this point. Riven needed more than just answers. Riven wanted to know how Irelia really felt underneath all of that uptight professionalism. There was a fault exposed in Irelia tonight, and Riven would be a fool to let the opportunity slip through her fingers. After all, Irelia was a human being, and human beings had all kinds of needs. Perhaps, some satisfaction was in order to loosen the Captain up a bit. The sound of soft foot falls caught her ears and Riven smirked slightly seeing Irelia return with a stack of towels.
Irelia stood before Riven with the stack of towels so that Riven could take some off her hands. "Go ahead and dry off your hair so you don't catch a cold," Irelia suggested from behind the towering stack of towels occupying her arms. Why on earth did she own so many of them in the first place?
Riven quietly shook her head, a small smile taking her lips as she grabbed part of the stack from the top and pulled them free. Riven bent over in the doorway and roughly rubbed the towel over her head in an attempt to dry some of the excess water from her hair. A sigh of relief escaped Riven as she snapped back up straight and shook her head a bit, her starlight hair now tossed and damp. Riven ran her fingers through her hair to tame the messy locks and her eyes shifted to Irelia, whom was promptly still hiding behind the leaning tower of towels. Riven's attention moved down to the floor at the Captain's bare feet where puddles were beginning to form.
Irelia was still soaking wet.
Riven sighed softly and shook her head, "Irelia," her voice was tender, "you're making a mess."
The stack of towels shifted slightly, signifying Irelia probably looking down at her floor, "oh, shoot," Irelia sighed.
The exile chuckled deeply towards Irelia's reaction. Growing tired of how wet and heavy her cream colored sweater had become, Riven didn't hesitate to pull it off. The clump of clothing made a soft splat when it hit the doorway floor at her feet. Riven rolled her shoulders softly, feeling free of the heavy soaked clothing and looked down at the wet bandages wrapped tightly around her chest. Well, that's practically see through... Riven cocked a brow over her self examination. Crimson eyes quietly flicked to the floor where water continued to drip from the woman behind the towels. The exile quietly set her hands over the slender fingers at the base of the towel stack and gently pulled her forward, "careful, watch your step," Riven warned softly as she lead Irelia to stand back into the cramped doorway once again so she wouldn't drip onto the wood floor anymore. Riven rested her chin quietly atop the stack of towels that was now pressed against her chest, the stack being the only thing between her and Irelia. "Irelia..."
The Captain didn't respond, feeling the stack of dry cotton being taken from her keep.
Riven quietly set the stack of towels down onto the small bench off to the side of the cramped door space and plucked one from the top of the pile. Riven unfolded the soft cotton towel and draped it over the Captain's head like a hood. "You're the one that is going to get sick if you keep putting me before yourself." Riven couldn't see Irelia's face from beneath the towel but she took the silence as one of self gratification, after all, this wouldn't be the first time she stood before Irelia in nothing but her pants and wraps. Riven leaned down a bit, "like what you see?" She teased. The exile laughed softly as she raised her forearms to shield herself from the incoming flustered slap of Irelia's hand.
Irelia turned her back to Riven and grabbed down onto both sides of the towel to hide her face. Irelia froze stiff as a pair of strong hands cupped the sides of her head from behind. Her cheeks burned red hot as she felt the towel upon her head begin to rub in soft circular motions and gently began to dry her long and elegant hair. Irelia swallowed hard, feeling the warmth of the strong body standing only inches behind her. Regardless of this unfamiliar presence of heat swirling through her innards, she wasn't opposed to the attention. It took her back to the early days of her post-war life, when Soraka would run a brush through her hair. Soraka...she had sacrificed so much so that Irelia could live another sunrise. The starchild was one of the few that Irelia held close to her heart but...where did Riven fit into all of this? Riven was undoubtedly guilty of many horrible things, but, she had been nothing but a pawn of Noxus' games of war.
Even the finest sword plunged into saltwater will eventually rust, no matter how many times you wipe its edge clean, my daughter.
The words of her father, Master Lito, recalled to her.
Forgiveness with an open mind may clean the rust away but it will forever be tarnished and its luster never that of its origins. Keep these words in mind when consulting with those who know nothing but the pain of death and war, even if they were in the wrong or right, their rust will surely show.
"Their rust will show..." Irelia practically breathed the words without making much sound. She was much younger then, thinking her father's words silly that someone would clean their blades with salt water. It wasn't until she was much older when she had realized that the salt water was blood. Irelia tilted her head back while Riven continued to dry the length of her hair. The content look upon Riven's face as she softly stroked the Captain's hair with the towel was enough to make Irelia's lips curve into a soft smile. Riven looked like she was genuinely at peace in this moment, which was a rare sight considering what horrendous nightmare shook her earlier that night. Irelia straightened her head back forward as Riven finished drying the ends of her how damp locks. When the towel draped back over her head, Irelia pressed her back up against Riven's body. The four blades quietly floated before Irelia as the Captain tilted her head back, the towel once atop her head sliding off and draping around her shoulders.
There was a look of curious surprise upon Riven's face as she looked down at Irelia. Riven quietly grabbed another dry towel from the pile off to her side and held it out and open before Irelia from behind.
Irelia looked at the towel being held open before her and looked down at the dripping wet silk she was still adorning.
"Don't worry," Riven's voice was calm, "I won't look."
This was a test of trust as Irelia silently looked over her clothing. The Captain sighed deeply as she lifted her hands up and pulled open her top. Irelia silently freed her arms from the clinging silken sleeves and peeled it from her chest and shoulders. The silk top draped over the belt around her hips that had kept it secure to her. Irelia held her toned, bare, arms up to her sides and patiently waited.
Riven was true to her word as she kept her eyes diverted away while she tightly wrapped the towel around Irelia's body.
A soft shudder rolled through Irelia when she felt the rough knuckles of the exile's hand brush over her spine when Riven tucked the towel in to secure it. The Captain lowered her arms back to her sides and found herself once again leaning back against the exile. Irelia blinked as she felt the body behind her shift and Riven had another towel in her hands.
This one was for neither of them.
The Captain felt her heart skip a beat or two as Riven's chin came to rest upon her shoulder, their cheeks almost touching. Irelia watched intently as Riven gingerly plucked one of the floating blades from the others and quietly began to run the soft cloth over the weapon. A warmth remained settled in Irelia's face as she watched Riven dry the blades. Slowly, Riven was sure to drag the cloth over every detail of the ornate carvings to ensure the steel was completely dry.
"Well this is a nice change for once," Riven chuckled softly. "It seems they don't want to rip my guts out this time."
Irelia lowered her eyes while Riven continued to dry each of the blades with the same amount of attention as the one before it, feeling relieved that they did not want to impale her friend. "The blades are me as I to them..." Irelia mumbled.
"The past is me as I to it, Irelia," Riven replied in a tone that was lighthearted, "but every passing day I learn to live the next realizing that I cannot change it, only grow from it." The exile smiled softly as she finished drying the last of the four blades and released it to return with the others. "I know how it feels, to not understand yourself...and it truly makes me feel more lost knowing that. I mean...how could others ever understand me if I do not even understand myself?" Riven sighed, "it's awful to admit, I know, but it does not mean others do not have the ability to make me feel things. A lack of understanding does not warrant a lack of happiness...or sadness or emotions in general."
Irelia quietly listened to Riven while she watched her blades float calmly before her. "Do..." Irelia paused for a moment as she swallowed back the lump in her throat, "do I make you feel happy?" Irelia felt like her heart was going to sink into the pit of her stomach as Riven removed her chin from her shoulder and stood back up straight. The Captain blinked as strong hands grabbed her bare shoulders and turned her around the face the exile. She looked up at Riven.
"You know me well enough now to know I fumble words like a child struggling to read for the first time, Irelia, especially when it comes to expressing my own feelings," Riven looked Irelia in the eyes as she quietly brushed a stray strand of hair from Irelia's face, "will you allow me show you how I feel?"
After a few silent moments Irelia nodded towards the exile, signifying that she was ready for what Riven wanted to show her.
Or so she thought.
Riven wasted no time taking hold of the Captain's hands and quietly lead her back to the room they had shared earlier that night. There was no doubt in Riven's mind that this is what she wanted. She wanted Irelia Lito.
Irelia quietly fiddled with her fingers as she stood upon the bedding while Riven had turned her back to slide the door to the room closed. The Captain kept her eyes down to her hands until the glow of the rune blade caught her attention. She watched the single emerald rune glow softly until a hand grabbed hold of the hilt from behind and picked it up from the floor. Irelia blinked and turned to see Riven propping the blade up outside the door. "What are you doing...?" Irelia asked quietly. She watched Riven's shoulders drop slightly when she stood back up straight. Riven hadn't turned to face her yet as the door slowly slid shut.
"I know its presence makes you uneasy," Riven said, "it makes a lot of people uneasy...even myself sometimes."
"It doesn't bother me..." Irelia looked down when Riven sat down onto the bedding at her feet. The Captain sat down quietly in front of the larger warrior and rest her hands in her lap, her eyes remaining on her own hands.
"Hey..."
Irelia's heart jumped a bit when Riven's hands gently took hers. Emerald orbs shifted up to see Riven's face while she tried to keep her own face down in an attempt to hide the pink in her cheeks. Irelia's fingers delicately wrapped around and squeezed some of the exile's fingers as Riven lifted a hand to her chin.
Riven tilted Irelia's head up to see the light blush painted across the Captain's face, "It's okay to be nervous."
"Is your nose alright?" Irelia mumbled, changing the subject.
Oh no, you're not talking your way out this time. "It's a bit sore..." Riven pulled her hand from Irelia's chin and covered her nose with her fingers. The exile turned her face away slightly, still covering her nose, and let out an exaggerated sigh, "ugh, I take that back, it does hurt. You got me good this time." Riven smirked behind her fingers seeing Irelia sitting up and wanting to have a better look at the injury. This was so typical of the Captain's caring nature and Riven felt no shame fooling her. The more Irelia tried to get a look the more Riven tried to deny her.
"Come on, Riven, don't be this way...I just want to make sure you're alright," Irelia frowned. "I know you don't like being helped but come on!"
"Will you kiss it better?" Riven's smirk grew larger when the comment made the Captain's face flush completely bright red and the frown of determination turning into one of flustered surprise. Feeling completely satisfied with herself, Riven removed her hand from her nose and closed her eyes with a proud smile on her face, however, it would Riven that would be taken off guard this time. Riven's eyes shot open and she blinked in confusion as gentle hands cupped her face and turned her head back forward. The exile felt blood rush to her cheeks when soft and supple lips tenderly kissed the bridge of her nose. Riven's expression was frozen in flustered shock as she stared at Irelia when the Captain pulled back.
"Better?" Irelia questioned.
Riven couldn't even answer the question, completely tongue tied and shocked that Irelia actually played into her little game. The small nervous smile, the flushed face, the way her shoulders were raised and her eyes looking away innocently sparked a suppressed hunger dwelling deep within the exile. Noxians were notorious for their lust for conquering and power in all the aspects of their lives; over self, over peers, over superiors, inferiors, friends, family, even lovers. It wasn't long before the dominating personality became the ruler of the household, regardless of race or sex. Of course, this did not take away from the submissive in the slightest. With submission came protection, their stronger lover usually completely smitten over the fact that their heart had been conquered by someone weaker than they, to keep them safe from other lustful eyes, this fact especially so for women. Steal from a Noxian in the morning, expect a war by nightfall. Riven may have not been able to conquer Ionia like she had been sent to do, but she was ready to conquer one of its daughters.