The night had been hellish for Quinn. Her wound had trouble healing itself, despite all the care Talon had deployed to mend it. The wet environment kept it from healing naturally, and the constant raining outside forbid her to rest. She had finally found sleep in the last hours of the night after a long and silent suffering.
When she awakened, she was alone. Talon had disappeared. Had he abandonned her? No, thought Quinn, his cloak was still on her thighs to keep her from the cold. After Talon's strange opening last evening, Quinn felt beholden. Even though she liked to persuade herself that she always acted righteously, Talon was maybe more honorable than her, while being a cold-blooded killer. Outside of his homeland, he seemed to have left the Noxian behind.
But for Quinn, this simple task seemed harder. Deep inside, she knew why. When she was a child, her dream was to be a knight of Demacia. A dream shared by her twin brother. But when her brother died in an atrocious way, she swore to him that she would live their dream, for him. Honor had become her law, almost her religion. But deep inside, she craved what she had lost. A loyal partner, who she would dedicate her heart to.
Valor had almost completely filled this hole inside. The great eagle had given her the will to live again. But the loss of her brother always haunted Quinn. Everything she did was for him.
Abandoning her identity as a Demacian ranger was like abandoning her brother's dream. Quinn was so scared to do so.
She lifted herself up a little, wincing. It was terribly cold, and the rain hadn't stopped at all. Quinn had been warned of the bad weather of this region of Ixtal before her mission, but she didn't expect it to be so bad. She thought of her winged companion, Valor, and desperately hoped he had found a place to hide from the storm. Quinn's heart ached from being seperated from her only friend.
Quinn waited during almost the whole day for Talon to come back. She was beginning to deeply worry, and the cold had hurt more that she could admit. When the Noxian came back, her skin was paler than before, and her lips had turned more blue than red.
"Shit." muttered Talon, dropping the small package of leaves he was holding.
He hastily kneeled next to Quinn. He gently touched her face, lightly brushing it with the tip of his fingers. Quinn barely opened her eyes, and a small smile escaped her lips.
"Sorry for... Being so weak..." she mumbled.
"Shut up." said Talon.
He seemed to hesitate a few seconds. Then, he took off his leather jacket, and unbuttoned his shirt. He also opened Quinn's undershirt. She didn't have enough strength to protest, but Talon didn't go further. He slowly crept under his own cloak, and gently pulled Quinn against his warm body.
Despite her current state, Quinn was burning from the inside. No, she definitely never had so much proximity with anyone... Talon's toned body was tightly touching hers, his skin spreading all of its warmth to help her survive. This sudden closeness made her want to jerk away, but she had to admit that finally being warm was the most pleasant feeling.
Quinn relaxed into his embrace, closing her eyes again. Talon didn't move much, and tried his best not to put pressure on her side wound. The rain outside was neverending. The woman didn't count how much time they've stayed like this. The position had grown comfortable to her, and when Talon stood up, she regretted his presence.
He crushed a few leaves in his palm, and Quinn was reassured when she recognised the plant. It was not the strongest medecine out there, but it would help her heal a bit. Talon came to her side again, and uncovered her. He always made sure to keep her chest hidden, and Quinn appreciated that greatly. She was already uncomfortable enough.
Talon began to delicately rub the plants on Quinn's wound. Her skin, exposed to the cold again, reminded her what it was to suffer. She gritted her teeth and remained as silent as she could. Talon didn't seem moved by her pain, and kept on accomplishing his task.
"I'll tell Demacia what you did for me..." tiredly began Quinn. "I want you to be rewarded."
Talon snickered.
"Can you stop with that Demacia of yours? I'm sick of it. I bet you are too."
Quinn felt slightly wounded again, because she knew it was true.
"It's the first time I'm helping someone, and not slitting their throat." he noted to himself.
Quinn understood the completely egoistic need that had occurred to Talon: saving her, because she reminded him of himself. She admitted the more he spoke, the more she saw bits of herself inside of him.
"And it's the first time I see a Noxian showing honor." Quinn joked.
This time, Talon truly laughed.
"Do you know how much people I have killed? Would you still say that?" he teased.
"I... I've had my share too." confessed Quinn.
"Oh, so you're giving moral lessons while being an asasssin yourself? Interesting." answered Talon with a predatory smile.
This time, it was Quinn's time to laugh. It was a sweet, deep laugh. Talon's taunting expression softened at the sound of it. It was the first time he heard the woman laugh, and he liked it. She quickly stopped, since it was hurting her. But the man quietly engraved it in his memory.
Quinn was slowly letting herself forget about where she came from. The feeling was... relieving.
Talon crept under the cover again. Quinn had to admit she had craved him to come back. The warmth was all she needed, and she had to admit, she liked the feeling of his skin. She imperceptibly inhaled its smell. Right now, even though she was suffering, it was the place she wanted to be. Between Talon's arms.