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LUXANNA

Lux nearly jumped out of her skin at the loud thump that echoed through the hallway. The metal locker beside her rattled violently, courtesy of a very enthusiastic, very chaotic blond boy who had just thrown himself against it like a cartoon character defying the laws of physics.

"Lux! Lux! Guess what!"

Ezreal was practically vibrating, his electric blue eyes shining like he’d just discovered a hidden treasure. He bounced on his heels, waving a crumpled pamphlet so close to her face that she had to tilt her head back to avoid getting paper-cut.

Lux sighed. She was used to this level of energy from him—Ezreal had two modes: full-speed-ahead or asleep, and even the second one was questionable. He was one of the only people in this school she genuinely liked. Not that she despised her classmates, but it was difficult to get along with people whose greatest ambition in life was to be richer, snobbier, and somehow even more insufferable than their parents.

Ezreal, at least, was refreshingly different. Mostly because he had no filter, no fear, and absolutely no sense of self-preservation. A proud Piltovan, he came from a long line of genius inventors whose innovations had practically dragged Runeterra into the modern age. Despite his prestigious background, Ezreal had none of the reserved, polished mannerisms of Demacians. If anything, he seemed determined to be the opposite—chaotic, expressive, and always one step away from detention.

"Ez, can this wait?" Lux grunted, adjusting the precarious stack of books in her arms. She was supposed to deliver them to the Book Club before class, but at this rate, they were more likely to collapse and bury her alive. "I’m kind of—"

"Absolutely not!" he cut her off dramatically, shoving the pamphlet even closer to her face. "This is groundbreaking, history-making, life-changing—"

Lux squinted at the paper, struggling to read the upside-down text while balancing a small library in her arms. After several frustrating seconds, she gave up and snatched the pamphlet from his hands with a huff.

“What is this?” she asked, unimpressed.

Ezreal gasped, clutching his chest as if she’d just wounded him. “Wow. That’s the enthusiasm I get? After all we’ve been through?”

“We’ve been through you setting off a fire alarm because you ‘wanted to see if the sprinklers worked,’” she deadpanned. “So yeah, I think I’m allowed a little skepticism.”

He waved off the accusation like it was ancient history. “First of all, that was a scientific experiment. Second—just read it!”

Lux rolled her eyes and focused on the pamphlet, unaware that whatever was written on it was about to turn her already complicated life upside down.

Ezreal smirked. A classic, trouble-making smirk. Lux knew it well—the signature expression he wore whenever he had an idea that would, without a doubt, get them into trouble.

Lux sighed, already bracing herself for whatever nonsense was about to come out of his mouth. “Ez, no.”

Ezreal ignored her completely, grinning as he scooped up a few of the books she was struggling with—probably the closest thing to an apology she was going to get. “So! You know how Rakan and I are absolutely, hopelessly addicted to that online game I keep trying to get you into? The one you refuse to play because you’re too busy being, y’know, a model citizen?”

“I remember,” Lux said flatly.

“Well—” he practically vibrated with excitement, holding up the crumpled pamphlet like it was the Holy Grail. “Guess what! A minor league championship is happening. Right here. In Demacia. We have to go. It’s a matter of life and death. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! This could change the course of history!”

Lux blinked at him. Then at the pamphlet. Then back at him. “You say that about everything, Ez.”

“Okay, but this time I mean it.”

As Lux read the details on the flyer, her mind drifted to someone else entirely—Bombarda. Her mysterious, incredibly entertaining, and slightly chaotic online friend. They had been talking every single day for the past two months, texting about everything and nothing. Somehow, Lux felt safer confiding in her than she did with most people she saw in person. And, as fate would have it, Bombarda was just as obsessed with this game as Ezreal and Rakan.

It was all the boys talked about lately. Even Xayah, Rakan’s ever-patient girlfriend, had finally caved after weeks of relentless badgering and joined in.

Lux would have loved to do the same. But there was a small—okay, massive—problem.

Her father.

The President of Runeterra.

The man who had single-handedly launched a government plan designed to limit young people’s access to video games because, apparently, they were a ‘dangerous distraction from productivity.’ Attending an event dedicated to a video game competition? Yeah. That would go over well.

“I don’t know, Ez,” she muttered, shifting uncomfortably. “You do realize my parents are completely against video games, right? Like, aggressively, publicly against them. They’re trying to cut off access entirely. What do you think would happen if I got caught at something like this?”

Ezreal scoffed, waving off her concerns as if they were minor inconveniences rather than potential national scandals. “Pfft. Lux, come on. Live a little! The press doesn’t have that many eyes on you.”

She gave him a deadpan stare.

“…Okay, fine. They do. But that’s even more reason to go in disguise! I have a hat. It'll be genius.”

Lux groaned, already regretting this conversation.

Ezreal opened his mouth, no doubt ready to deliver some wildly overconfident reassurance, but before he could get a word out, another voice chimed in—cool, composed, and full of mischief.

“And who said the press has to know you were there?”

Lux turned toward the source of the voice, already expecting trouble.

Xayah.

With her long, deep-red hair, sharp fox-like eyes, and an expression that constantly teetered between boredom and amusement, Xayah was one of the few people Lux actually trusted. She was the type of person who could commit a crime in broad daylight and still make it look like someone else’s fault. A useful skill, all things considered.

And, as always, right beside her, fingers casually laced with hers, was Rakan.

Lux didn’t even know when or how they started dating. It felt like they had just always been a thing—like Demacia had been built around them instead of the other way around. The two of them were nearly inseparable, strutting through the school hallways as if they owned the place. Rakan, with his signature lazy grin and effortless charm, was somehow both deeply unserious and devastatingly effective at getting what he wanted.

Trailing just a few steps behind them, another familiar figure waved as she approached.

Janna.

Pale-skinned, big-eyed, and with platinum hair that always seemed to move like it was caught in a breeze only she could feel, Janna was as sweet as they came. A great friend, a kind soul—an absolute disaster when it came to math.

“I mean,” Janna said as she joined the conversation, completely oblivious to the way both Ezreal and Rakan stiffened at her next words, “gamers are weird. It’s totally possible you could wear a face mask the entire event and no one would find it suspicious.”

Rakan and Ezreal gasped in unison, clutching their chests like she had just personally insulted their ancestors.

“Janna,” Rakan muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. “You wound me.”

“You can’t just say things like that,” Ezreal whispered, as if speaking too loudly would summon an angry mob of League players out of thin air.

Janna, entirely unaffected by their theatrics, just shrugged. “And anyway, it’s your parents who hate video games, not you. What’s wrong with going out with your friends to a gaming event?”

Rakan, to his credit, at least understood Lux’s dilemma. His parents were also politicians, so he knew what it was like having his every move scrutinized. But that didn’t stop him from being just as excited about the event as Ezreal.

“We’ll keep an eye out for you the whole time,” he promised, holding up his pinky finger. “No one will ever know you were there, scout’s honor.”

Lux arched an eyebrow.

"You were never a scout, Rakan."

He gasped, placing a hand over his heart as if she had gravely insulted his honor. “I’m a Teemo main! It’s basically the same thing.”

Ezreal and Xayah burst out laughing like that was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. Lux, meanwhile, just sighed, long past the point of trying to understand their ridiculous League of Legends references. Janna didn’t seem to care, either.

“Fine,” Lux said, shaking her head. “I’ll think about it, okay? But for now, if you all want me to even consider going, you can start by helping me carry these books to the library.”

She didn’t wait for a response, instead shoving the enormous tomes into their arms with no room for negotiation.

“God, I hate being on the class council,” she muttered.

“I told you to quit while you still had the chance,” Janna teased, effortlessly balancing her own stack of books.

And yet, for the rest of the day, Lux’s mind wasn’t on the class council.

It was on the tournament.

More importantly—on Bombarda.

Did she know about it? Was there even a chance she’d be playing?

Bombarda had mentioned competing in tournaments before. So maybe… just maybe…

Lux shook her head.

This was ridiculous.

…Right?

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

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LUXANNA

The grand ballroom of The Great City of Demacia was a cathedral of wealth and excess, a shining monument to everything Luxanna Crownguard was supposed to aspire to. The chandeliers overhead, each a glittering constellation of cut crystal, cast golden light upon the sea of tailored suits and flowing gowns below. Classical music swelled from a quartet in the corner, their bows gliding over strings with the precision of a well-rehearsed lie. The scent of expensive perfume, aged wine, and political ambition thickened the air, making Lux feel as though she were suffocating in velvet.

She sat alone at one of the countless pristine white-clothed tables, the black long-sleeved dress hugging her frame with a precision that spoke of tailors who measured self-worth in inches and silhouettes. The rounded white collar pressed neatly against her throat, a leash disguised as refinement. Her feet, clad in black medium-heeled shoes, rested perfectly aligned under the table—not because she found the posture comfortable, but because years of training had turned elegance into second nature.

But despite her picture-perfect appearance, Lux’s fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh, her other hand clutching her phone like a lifeline. Her blue eyes darted over the screen, scanning for a response that refused to come. Bombarda.

Around her, the ballroom thrummed with life. Politicians prowled like well-fed lions, trading smiles sharp enough to cut glass. Their wives, shimmering in silks and jewels, clutched crystal glasses filled with sparkling conversation, each word a well-calculated move in a game Lux had long grown tired of. Deals were brokered with laughter, alliances whispered behind lace-gloved hands, and somewhere in the midst of it all, the future of the nation was being decided between bites of hors d'oeuvres.

And yet, none of it held Lux’s attention.

Instead, she stared at the messages she had sent hours ago. To Bombarda. She had always known she enjoyed their conversations, but tonight, the absence of a reply gnawed at her more than it should have. Maybe because they had spoken that morning, and now the silence stretched like torture. Maybe because, despite all the power, wealth, and influence in this room, the one thing she wanted more than anything else was a message from a girl she had never met in person.

She sighed, setting her phone down—face-up, of course, because hope was a terrible thing to let go of.

Her gaze drifted across the opulence before her, and a familiar irritation simmered in her chest. The wine, the crystal, the thousand-thread-count tablecloths—none of it meant anything. Not when she had spent the last several months learning about places where people didn’t even have clean water. Places where children worked in Chemtech factories, breathing in poison for a few measly coins. Places where “home” was just another word for survival. And yet, here she was, trapped in a palace of indulgence, surrounded by people who had the power to change things but chose, instead, to sip champagne and pretend everything was fine.

When had she started feeling like this? It wasn’t as though she resented being rich—who would? But knowing what she knew now, how could she ever be content with it?

Ezreal had cracked the firewalls for her, let her see beyond the carefully curated newsfeeds and polished reports. And what she had found had shaken her to her core. The conditions in Zaun weren’t just bad; they were a dystopian nightmare disguised as industry. The Shadow Isles weren’t just a mysterious, isolated region; they were a graveyard where children were forced into labor because there was no one left to take care of them. She had learned so much, and now—now she couldn’t unlearn it. She couldn’t forget the images, the stories, the sheer wrongness of it all.

Her parents, on the other hand, lived in a state of willful ignorance. Or worse—acceptance. It was just how things were. A necessary evil. The price of progress.

Lux wanted to scream.

But instead, she picked up her phone again.

Still nothing.

Bombarda. The one person who made all of this feel less isolating. Lux had built an image of her in her mind—a ghostly pale girl, her hair an unknown but certainly dyed shade, hunched over her screen with the kind of dedication that came from having something to prove in a world that rarely gave second chances. Maybe she had breathing problems from Zaun’s pollution. Maybe she was thin from a life of struggling, or maybe she had rounded cheeks from late-night snack binges. Maybe she had dark, intense eyes that hid stories Lux could never understand, or maybe—just maybe—they were blue, like hers.

She didn’t know. And she wanted to.

“Hey, can I sit here?”

The voice jolted Lux from her thoughts. She turned her head to find Xin Zhao standing beside her, his towering frame and burgundy suit cutting a striking figure against the gold-lit ballroom. He smelled expensive—woody cologne with just a hint of something sweet. It was the kind of scent her brother wore. The kind of scent that made her want to hold her breath until it passed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, offering a polite smile.

Lux forced a pleasant expression. The last thing she wanted was company, least of all from the son of the Prime Minister—especially when she knew exactly what their parents were scheming.

“Of course,” she said, gesturing to the seat beside her.

Xin Zhao adjusted his cufflinks as he sat, exhaling as though he had just finished a long, arduous task. “It’s so crowded today, isn’t it?”

Lux quirked an eyebrow. “It’s a political gala,” she deadpanned. “Crowds tend to happen.”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right. That was a stupid observation.”

A beat of silence stretched between them before he cleared his throat. “I don’t really like these things. My parents keep trying to push me into politics, but honestly? I don’t want any part of it.”

Lux studied him, surprised by the admission. Maybe she had misjudged him. Just a little. “You and me both.”

“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” he asked.

“Big conflicts would be avoided if people learned to listen instead of talk.” She shrugged. “But politicians are known for talking too much.”

A muffled laugh came from beside her. Lux turned her head just in time to catch Xin Zhao grinning like he had just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Maybe you should run in the next election, then," he said, clearly amused.

Lux blinked at him, completely appalled. Was he serious? Did he really think—?

"I am not running in the next election," she shot back, her tone dripping with offense. "I’m not even old enough for that! I’d be under twenty-one. Do I look like I want to spend my early twenties making speeches and shaking hands with strangers?"

Xin Zhao raised both hands in surrender, his smirk faltering slightly.

"Okay, okay, just a joke," he said, offering an awkward smile. "Didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers. But, you know… you made a good point. If my parents actually listened to me for once, they’d realize the best thing for me is staying as far away from politics as possible."

Lux let out a small, understanding sigh. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

For a few moments, they simply sat there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lux eventually exhaled and turned back to her phone. Still nothing. No messages. Where the hell had Bombarda disappeared to?! This was unacceptable. What kind of person abandoned a conversation in the middle of a crisis—her crisis?!

"I… uh… I was thinking of asking you to dance," Xin Zhao muttered, almost as if regretting the words as they left his mouth. "But you seem to be waiting for something. A message from a friend?”

Lux lifted her gaze, staring at him with the enthusiasm of a cat being forced into a bath. Oh, she would hate to dance with him. Not because she had anything against him, necessarily. But because if she refused, her parents would make her life hell for days. And if she accepted, she’d have to endure an entire song of polite small talk and carefully measured footsteps—like some kind of tragic puppet.

"A friend," she answered vaguely, hoping that would be the end of it.

Xin Zhao, unfortunately, did not take the hint. "Someone from your school?" he pressed, tilting his head slightly.

Lux resisted the urge to sigh. "No, not from school," she said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. She wasn’t about to start explaining her entire life to him. "Just… someone I talk to a lot."

Xin Zhao hummed thoughtfully, tilting his head as he stared at the ceiling. "Must be a pretty important friend. I mean, I’ve been watching you since we got here, and you haven’t taken your eyes off your phone."

Lux's brain short-circuited for a second.

He had been watching her? For four hours? Oh, that was it. If he was actually interested in her—romantically—she was doomed. She needed an escape plan, a distraction, an emergency exit. Maybe a conveniently timed fire alarm.

"Uh… not exactly," she said, voice a little too high-pitched. "She’s just… really close to me. And she’s been ignoring my texts for hours now."

Lux huffed in frustration, trying to swallow her anxiety. If Bombarda were here, this whole event would at least be less unbearable. She had a way of turning suffocating situations into something unexpectedly entertaining—sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a way that made Lux question her life choices. But right now, even that kind of unpredictability would be welcome.

"I just… I don’t know," she continued. "She’s probably the only person in the world I feel like I can be completely honest with. The only one I can tell things to without worrying about how it’ll sound or what it’ll mean. And in our world, having someone like that? Pretty rare, don’t you think?"

Xin Zhao’s expression softened. He leaned back slightly, nodding.

"Yeah, I get that," he admitted. "Not being able to talk about where I go, what I do, what my parents are planning—it’s frustrating as hell. And we never stay in one place for long, so… yeah. Trust isn't exactly something I have in abundance."

Lux gave him a brief, almost reluctant look of sympathy. Maybe she had misjudged him a little.

"Well… she sounds important," Xin Zhao said after a pause. "But if she’s not from your school, then where—?"

Lux stiffened.

"She lives… uh… far away," she said, gesturing at her phone, her cheeks heating up slightly. Almost got caught there. "We mostly just text. And when she disappears like this, well, there’s not much I can do."

Xin Zhao smiled, a warm, knowing kind of smile. His brown eyes crinkled slightly, like he was actually listening.

"You must miss her, huh?" he mused. "Since she’s far away."

Lux opened her mouth, then closed it again. She wasn’t sure if she liked the way he said that. It sounded… too insightful. Too perceptive. She suddenly felt weirdly exposed.

"Maybe you should tell her that," he added. "Like you said, we don’t get a lot of quality friendships in this mess. Gotta hold onto the good ones when we find them, right?"

Lux stared at him, momentarily thrown off. Then, to her own surprise, she nodded.

Xin Zhao clapped his hands together and stood up. "Alright, I’ll get out of your hair now. Sorry if I annoyed you or forced you to talk to me. But hey, like you said, it’s hard to make friends in our world." He took a deep breath, then smiled again—this time with something almost… apologetic in his expression. "And look, I know our parents have been trying to set us up. I hate it as much as you do. But maybe we could at least be allies. You know, team up? That way, our parents back off, and we don’t have to suffer through these events alone. Think about it."

He gave her a casual salute and walked off toward the drinks area.

Lux blinked after him, still trying to process what just happened.

Huh. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought.

However, one thing was certain. Maybe she really should appreciate Bombarda's presence in her life more. And it was with that push, she sent one more message before going in the ballroom to look for her brother:

I miss you.
Sent 11:42 P.M.

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

LUXANNA

Lux perched on the hard red plastic chair, her hands gripping the edges as her wide-eyed gaze roamed the arena in undisguised amazement. So, this was what Riot Games, in all their wisdom, called an "arena."

Truthfully, it was more of a glorified studio, though an impressive one. A sleek stage loomed at the front, illuminated by rows of LED panels pulsing in rhythmic waves of crimson and sapphire. At its center, two long, futuristic-looking tables stood side by side, each supporting five high-tech gaming setups—monitors with razor-thin bezels, mechanical keyboards with an almost aggressive RGB, and mice so advanced they looked like they could launch a space shuttle if given the chance.

The audience seating, however, was considerably less glamorous. Sturdy, yes, but still just rows upon rows of industrial-grade plastic chairs. And the color scheme? Predictable. Everything—literally everything—was either red or blue, as if the decorators had taken the game’s two-team system as gospel. Even the stage curtains, the commentator desk, and the banners overhead were drenched in the same aggressive palette.

"Let me guess," Lux murmured, shifting slightly in her seat. "The game has two teams? One red, one blue?"

Beside her, Ezreal shot her a grin, casually adjusting the strap of his obnoxiously expensive watch. "Look at you, already a pro."

"Natural talent," Xayah chimed in with a smirk, leaning back in her seat. Her sharp eyes flicked over the crowd, more out of habit than anything, but her tone was far more amused than dry. "At this rate, you'll be coaching us in no time."

Lux let out a laugh, rolling her eyes as she nudged Xayah lightly with her elbow.

On stage, two announcers stood with practiced confidence, microphones in hand, their voices carrying through the arena’s sound system with an energy level that bordered on supernatural. The camera panned to them, broadcasting their every movement onto the massive screen hanging overhead. They spoke animatedly about the tournament—how this was a golden opportunity for young players to prove themselves, to attract the eyes of professional teams not just in Runeterra, but possibly even in international leagues.

Lux swung her legs absentmindedly, the rhythmic motion failing to soothe the knot of tension coiled in her stomach. Xayah, ever the observant one, cast her a sideways glance. She assumed Lux’s nerves stemmed from the possibility of being caught on camera—after all, even with a mask covering most of her face, there was always the risk that her parents might recognize her.

Without a word, the redhead reached over, squeezing Lux’s hand in a quiet gesture of reassurance. The blonde blinked, then smiled behind her mask, her eyes crinkling slightly. If only Xayah knew. Lux wasn’t worried about being recognized. She was worried about something—or rather, someone—entirely different.

Bombarda.

And it was almost time.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” one of the announcers bellowed, voice booming with theatrical flair, “LET THE GAMES BEGIN!”

The response was immediate and deafening. The crowd erupted, a sea of bodies jumping to their feet, voices rising in a chaotic symphony of cheers and whistles.

Lux, startled by the sheer intensity, instinctively shot up as well, hands gripping the back of the chair in front of her. Ezreal let out a piercing whistle, shouting something incomprehensible but no doubt filled with unnecessary bravado. Rakan, normally the epitome of effortless cool, had completely abandoned any semblance of composure. He was decked out in a Demacia amateur team jersey, fist pumping the air as he screamed at a volume that could probably shatter glass.

“With you now... THE RED TEAM, ‘WINNING IS LIKE BREATHING!’” The announcer’s dramatic flourish sent the crowd into another frenzy. “A round of applause for our players!”

Xayah, her earlier composed demeanor cracking, let out an excited whoop. Janna, who had been following along with mild amusement, exchanged a look with Lux before shaking her head, laughing. “Oh, this is going to be months of material,” she whispered gleefully.

“Years,” Lux corrected, unable to suppress a smirk as she watched Ezreal and Rakan behaving like their very existence depended on the success of this team.

Her amusement, however, was fleeting—especially when she noticed Janna, with the precision of a seasoned mischief-maker, subtly angling her phone toward Xayah, recording her excitement with a barely concealed grin.

“Janna…” Lux whispered, watching in both horror and admiration.

“Shhh,” Janna hushed, eyes glinting with mischief. “She’s going to deny ever being this invested. We need evidence.”

Xayah, oblivious to the betrayal happening right beside her, was still hyping herself up, completely immersed in the moment.

“You’re evil,” Lux muttered.

Janna shrugged, still recording. “I prefer ‘dedicated historian.’ Future generations must know.”

As the players began making their way onto the stage, Lux craned her neck, straining to catch sight of them through the sea of waving arms and bobbing heads.

One boy with dark hair, stepping onto the stage with practiced ease.

Another, his hair dyed a vibrant green, cracking his knuckles as he took his seat.

A third—glasses perched precariously on his nose; expression unreadable.

A fourth, noticeably shorter than the rest, adjusting his headset.

And then—

Lux’s breath caught in her throat.

A girl.

Wait a second—a girl!?

Luxanna immediately widened her eyes, her breath hitching as she leaned forward instinctively, trying to get a clearer look at the girl now stepping onto the stage. The arena lights cast a soft glow on her, catching in the delicate strands of her baby pink hair, which cascaded in loose waves over her shoulders, framing her face like an artist’s careful brushstrokes. The color was striking—not artificial in the garish way many dyed shades could be, but soft, warm, almost ethereal, as if it had simply always been that way, as natural as the dawn breaking over the Demacian skyline.

She moved with a lazy sort of grace, her long, slender frame clad in a gold jersey with deep green accents, the fabric catching the light as she walked. Beneath it, a fitted black long-sleeve undershirt hugged her arms, the contrast sharpening the edges of her presence—polished yet unmistakably fierce. The jersey bore the subtle insignia of her team, a mark of both prestige and defiance. Her skin carried the faintest sun-kissed warmth, just enough to glow under the lights, smooth in a way that kept Lux’s gaze returning—lingering a second too long.

Oh. Oh no.

Her heart pounded violently against her ribcage, an unfamiliar heat creeping up the back of her neck.

…Pink?

Her stomach flipped uncomfortably, and Lux found herself clutching the hem of her coat with white-knuckled fingers. Bombarda had laughed at her once for even suggesting she dye her hair pink, claiming it was ‘too cutesy’ for her. But what if…?

Ezreal’s voice shattered her trance like a bolt of electricity.

“Lux, Lux!” He was practically bouncing in his seat, his electric blue eyes stretched wide with excitement. “She waved at us. Did you see? She waved. WAVED!”

Rakan let out something between a whoop and a howl, already clambering onto his chair for a better look. Lux turned back to the stage just in time to see the pink-haired girl flash a brilliant grin, laughing as she sent another casual wave in their direction.

“Oh my god, oh my god—HEY YOU. WE LOVE YOU!!!” Ezreal all but screamed, waving frantically. He clearly had no clue who she was. He was just delighted to have been acknowledged. “I hope she plays well; I have no idea who she is.”

Rakan, still waving a tiny flag with the League of Legends symbol, tilted his head. “I think she played in last year’s tournament. What was her nickname again? BladeQueen? DancerOfBlades?”

Ezreal snapped his fingers. “Blade Dancer! That’s her! I remember watching her online. She was insane—almost made it into one of the pro teams here in Demacia.”

Lux finally managed to peel her gaze away from the girl long enough to glance at Ezreal. “And do you happen to know her real name?”

He shrugged. “Nope. They usually just go by their nicknames. Why?”

Lux could feel the blush creeping up beneath her mask. She quickly shook her head. “Just curious.”

Just curious. Right. Because that was why her pulse was racing and her stomach felt like it had twisted itself into a complicated nautical knot.

She needed to know if this was really Bombarda. But she had no way of finding out unless she actually talked to her.

And she had been ignoring Bombarda’s texts ever since she arrived.

She wasn’t sure how she’d react if they ended up face-to-face. The idea sent her mind into a tailspin, her thoughts tripping over themselves as she tried to prepare for something that might not even happen.

The second announcer didn’t give the audience much time to breathe. Soon, he was already calling the opposing team—the ‘Poros of Sewage.’

Lux blinked, her trance shattered once more. She turned her attention toward the new players entering the stage, immediately wrinkling her nose in mild distaste.

“…Sewage Poros? Are they actual rats?”

To be fair, their logo was surprisingly cute. A little white creature, fluffy and wide-eyed, trudged determinedly through what was unmistakably a sewer—albeit a weirdly alien, almost glowing purple one. It was both disgusting and oddly charming.

“Man, what a name,” Ezreal said appreciatively, pointing at the logo as it lit up on the giant screen. “Poros are, like, the pets of League of Legends champions, Lux. I think these guys are called the Sewer Poros because they’re supposed to be from the sewers of the Void.”

Lux frowned, trying to make sense of that information. “The… Void has sewers?”

Ezreal opened his mouth, then closed it, before deciding, “It’s probably best if you don’t ask too many questions.”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. It was a lot to take in at once. And yet, despite the bizarre team names, the bright lights, and the electric atmosphere, her attention kept flickering back to one thing.

The girl with pink hair, now sitting at the red team’s table, adjusting her headset with nimble fingers, exuding an air of unshakable confidence. Lux, despite her best efforts, found her gaze irresistibly drawn back to her—again and again, as if caught in some invisible orbit. Yet, for a brief moment, she managed to tear her focus away, forcing herself to take in the blue team’s entrance, watching as they stepped onto the stage with practiced ease.

Like the previous team, from a distance, Lux could see four boys of varying heights, skin tones, and styles, each unique in their own way. But this time, the one leading them—the one walking ahead with an easy, unbothered stride—was a girl.

Lux’s breath hitched.

The girl wasn’t just leading them. She was owning the stage.

She was about Lux’s height, maybe a little shorter, though it was hard to tell from this angle. Her skin was pale—so pale that the veins beneath it stood out like faint blue rivers on a porcelain landscape. A black long-sleeved blouse covered most of her arms, but one hand remained uncovered, revealing tattoos that ran across the back of her fingers. Lux squinted at the screen displaying her close-up. Were those... clouds? And bullets? The contrast between something as soft as drifting clouds and something as violent as ammunition sent a peculiar shiver down Lux’s spine.

She wore ripped black jeans, sneakers that had clearly seen better days, and a black shirt with deep purple accents bearing the unmistakable crest of her team: “Poros of Sewage.” An unfortunate name choice, really, but Lux barely registered it. Because none of that—not the tattoos, not the outfit, not the way she walked like she had all the time in the world—was the most striking thing about her.

It was her hair.

Long, heavy braids draped over her shoulders, the color of a neon sign flickering against the backdrop of a dark alley. Blue. An untamed blue that refused to be ignored. It clashed spectacularly against her pale complexion, against the grim blacks and purples of her outfit, and yet it suited her in a way Lux couldn’t quite put into words.

The camera panned closer, giving the audience a clearer view of her face. Dark brown eyes, framed by sharp, almost mischievous brows, glinted under the bright arena lights. Even from afar, Lux could sense something wild in them—a barely contained energy, the kind Ezreal sometimes had when he was about to do something incredibly stupid.

Was that just a common trait among League of Legends players?

The thought made her huff out a quiet laugh, though she barely noticed she was smiling.

The arena erupted in cheers now that both teams were on stage, and for the first time, Lux became aware of the group a few rows ahead of her. A quartet of fans waving a green flag with the Zaunite crest were practically vibrating with excitement. One had short red hair and an arm slung lazily over the back of her seat, while another—taller, with dark skin and platinum curls—was grinning as he shouted something unintelligible over the noise. Next to them, a woman in a striking Miss Fortune cosplay whistled loudly, and finally, a girl with long blue hair was clapping her hands with the kind of enthusiasm that suggested this was the most exciting moment of her day.

Lux blinked, her mind catching up to a realization. These weren’t just any fans. They were the women she, Ezreal, and Janna had seen outside just minutes ago—the ones chatting animatedly, radiating the same energy they were now bringing into the arena. That only made her stomach twist even tighter. Because if they were here, then there was no doubt about it—one of the girls on that stage had to be Bombarda.

Lux’s stomach twisted.

Could it be?

The red-haired girl… Was she really Vi? And the boy next to the cosplayer—Ekko? Bombarda’s best friend?

That meant one of the two girls on stage—the pink-haired one adjusting her keyboard with meticulous precision or the blue-haired one flashing grins at the crowd—was Bombarda.

But which one?

The pink-haired girl had a poised, methodical air about her, moving with the kind of controlled grace Lux associated with seasoned professionals. Every gesture was refined, every interaction with her teammates polite and polished. If Lux had to guess, she’d say this was someone used to keeping their emotions in check, to measuring their words and actions carefully.

And yet…

Her eyes kept drifting back to the blue-haired girl.

Unlike her rival, she didn’t seem particularly interested in keeping up appearances. She wasn’t talking much to her teammates, but she looked at ease on that stage—so at ease, in fact, that she looked like she belonged there more than anyone else. Whenever the camera landed on her, she smirked, as if letting the entire world in on a joke only she understood. And when she waved at the crowd, Lux noticed for the first time that her nails were painted in alternating shades of purple, blue, and black.

She matched her uniform.

It was a stupid detail to fixate on, but Lux did anyway, warmth creeping up her neck before she could stop it.

“Ohhhh, this is gonna be good,” Ezreal muttered beside her, practically vibrating in his seat. “You feel that? The energy? This is the kind of match that makes history.”

“Yeah…” Lux’s voice was distant, almost an afterthought. She didn’t feel like she was about to witness history. She felt like she had just been struck by lightning.

The announcers took to the stage, their voices booming through the speakers. “And now, let’s meet the players! Over on the red side, we have…”

The pink-haired girl’s face appeared on the screen, followed by her in-game name.

“Our war veteran—or better yet, our game veteran! The one, the only… Blade Dancer! Our iconic sword-fighting, minion-surfing MID LANER! And she’ll be up against—”

The camera shifted.

A chorus of voices rang out in unison, the audience screaming in delight before the announcer could even finish.

“GUNPOWDER!!!”

Lux barely heard the rest. Her ears were ringing, her heart hammering against her chest as she watched the blue-haired girl—Gunpowder—grin at the crowd, basking in the chaos as if she thrived in it.

She was well-known.

Beloved, even.

Ezreal and Rakan were shouting too, but Lux barely registered it.

Because in that moment, as Gunpowder laughed, tossing her braids over her shoulder like she had all the time in the world, Lux realized something with startling clarity.

She had never, in her entire life, been this captivated by someone before.

"That's right, folks! Agreed, agreed!" The announcer chuckled, adjusting his headset before turning to his co-host. "Facing off against the veteran Blade Dancer, we have none other than the rising star of Runeterra’s competitive League of Legends scene—Gunpowder! A player who’s here to shake up the shortest lane in the game. And let me tell you, this is no ordinary rookie. She’s the youngest player to reach the pinnacle of our national rankings, boasting an eye-watering one thousand eight hundred LP in solo queue. Can you believe it, Graves?!"

His co-host, a grizzled man with a neatly trimmed beard and a mischievous glint in his eye, let out a low whistle. He scratched his chin, feigning deep contemplation.

"Look, I’m a retired player," he said, shaking his head in mock defeat. "I poured years into this game, gave it my heart and soul, and the highest I ever hit was eleven hundred. And this kid? Barely old enough to buy a beer, and she's already leaving us in the dust." He turned back to the audience, throwing up his hands. "That’s just unfair, Twisted Fate."

The first announcer grinned. "What can I say, my dear Graves? Some people are just built differently."

The crowd erupted into laughter and cheers, their energy spilling over like a tidal wave of excitement.

"But!" Graves held up a hand for silence, a dramatic pause settling over the stadium. "Talk is cheap. I say we let the game do the talking. Shall we, ladies and gentlemen?"

The audience roared back in one voice:

"YESSSSS!!!"

The announcers exchanged one last knowing glance before their voices boomed in unison:

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

As the screen cycled through the players, their in-game names flashed in bold letters, accompanied by quick snippets of their achievements. The casters gave each one a brief but enthusiastic introduction—the top laners, known for their aggressive duels; the bot lane duo, a synergy honed over countless matches; the junglers, masters of map control. Each player received their moment in the spotlight, their faces appearing in turn to thunderous applause.

But Lux barely registered any of it.

On the massive screens above the stage, the two mid laners’ faces were displayed in sharp, high-definition clarity. The pink-haired girl, once the picture of quiet confidence, now had her brows furrowed, her fingers tapping anxiously against the desk. Her gaze flickered toward the blue-haired girl sitting across from her—a gaze filled with wary calculation, the kind a fencer might have before the first lunge.

Gunpowder, in contrast, was grinning. Wide, unabashed, electric. Her posture loose, almost lazy, as if she had all the time in the world. But Lux saw it now—the way her smirk sharpened at the edges, the slight narrowing of her eyes. A predator’s amusement. She wasn’t just confident.

She was daring her opponent to make the first move.

Lux swallowed hard.

Her stomach flipped again, an unsettling, unfamiliar sensation. It wasn’t just the excitement of the match—no, that would be too simple. Too normal.

Because why was she suddenly so hyper-aware of how the stage lights reflected in Gunpowder’s brown eyes? Why did she feel like her brain had short-circuited the moment she noticed how casually attractive the girl looked with her messily styled braids, her absurdly well-coordinated outfit, her ridiculously expressive hands?

Lux exhaled sharply, willing her thoughts back on track.

They were just two players.

Two exceptionally talented, well-known, highly skilled players.

Who just so happened to be, well... a little too attractive for people who were supposed to spend most of their time behind a computer screen.

She shook her head, forcing her attention back to the match. Whatever that feeling was, she had no time to unpack it. Not now.

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

LUXANNA

Lux quickly realized that keeping up with a League of Legends match wasn’t as hard as she had feared—at least, not when two highly animated commentators were practically screaming every major event as it unfolded. The same two men who had previously hyped up the teams and the tournament were now locked in a verbal duel of their own, their voices rising and falling with the intensity of the game.

“The hook lands ! That’s a massive engage for the blue side—AND THEY’RE GOING IN!”

“Ohhh, that’s gonna hurt— shutdown for the red team’s jungler! Can they turn this around?! Wait, wait—NOPE! Instantly collapsed on! Disaster!”

Lux, however, wasn’t entirely convinced that she was following along. Sure, she could tell that something important was happening whenever the crowd erupted into cheers or groans, but the finer details? Completely lost on her. Sometimes, the audience would break into frantic screaming over moments that didn’t seem exciting at all —like when the teams were just picking their champions.

She had no idea why that part mattered so much, but judging by the murmurs around her, the red team (the one with the pink-haired girl) had apparently gone for an aggressive, high-risk composition. Meanwhile, the blue team (which, of course, had the blue-haired player) had opted for a safer strategy, packing their lineup with beefy, hard-to-kill champions— “tanks,” as Ezreal had so helpfully explained.

“That means they can take a lot of damage,” he had added, as if that clarified everything.

Lux had nodded like she understood, because that’s what you do when someone explains something you really don’t understand but don’t want to seem completely lost. In reality, the only part she truly got was when a player managed to score a kill—because that’s when the entire arena exploded in noise.

And to be fair, the arena was exploding in noise constantly .

This was supposed to be a tight, evenly-matched showdown between two Tier III League teams—essentially, high-level competitive squads that weren’t quite in the official pro league but still serious business. What was unfolding on Summoner’s Rift, however, was something else entirely.

Fifteen minutes in, and the blue team was absolutely crushing their opponents.

The scoreboard wasn’t pretty: eleven kills for the blue side, while the red team had managed only four. Two of those were courtesy of the pink-haired player, who had pulled off a daring invade on the enemy bot lane, throwing their ADC and support into total disarray. Unfortunately, her own lane was already a complete disaster zone.

“She’s trying to carry the game by herself,” Ezreal murmured beside Lux, watching the screen intently. “That’s... ambitious.”

Lux glanced at the scoreboard again, then back at the stage, where the pink-haired girl’s character was currently being chased by four people at once .

"Ambitious is a nice way to put it," she muttered.

Ezreal smirked. "You'll see. Either she pulls off something insane … or she tilts so hard she speedruns into mental collapse."

Lux still wasn’t entirely sure what tilting meant in this context, but judging by the absolute disaster unfolding on screen… she had a feeling she was about to get a front-row lesson.

And the likely cause of that impending tilt?

A blue-haired menace who screamed with every single kill her team secured.

Gunpowder had already racked up seven of her team’s eleven kills. And six of those? Straight out of the hide of the one player who was supposed to have the experience and skill to shut her down. Instead, the supposed veteran was getting completely dismantled. The rookie was styling on BladeDancer, making her look like she had accidentally queued into the wrong rank. They weren’t even playing the same game—while the pink-haired player struggled to keep up, Gunpowder was everywhere , her presence turning any skirmish into an execution.

The reactions in the audience were a spectacle in themselves.

Rakan looked like he had been tranquilized , staring blankly at the screen as if processing deep existential dread. Ezreal, for once, had nothing witty to say—his jaw was hanging slightly open, his usual stream of commentary completely short-circuited. That alone was impressive. Meanwhile, Xayah had seemingly given up on words entirely, opting instead to wave her phone in the air like a flickering vigil for the doomed red team.

At this point, the game wasn’t just leaning toward a result—it was practically over.

And twenty-two minutes in, the inevitable happened.

The crowd erupted as the casters made it official:

“This is a dominant victory! The blue team, guided by the rookie Gunpowder, obliterates their opponents! And—I think she has something to say about it…?”

She absolutely did.

Gunpowder’s in-game champion was still wailing on the enemy Nexus, but the girl herself? She was already on her feet, fists clenched, practically vibrating with adrenaline. And then—oh, oh , she yelled .

Something loud. Something aggressive. Something that—judging by the wide eyes and hesitant chuckles from the casters—was definitely some form of trash-talk.

" Oh my god, she’s toxic ," Rakan exhaled, half-laughing, half-horrified.

Xayah, arms crossed, sighed dramatically, still sulking over the loss of the team she had apparently been rooting for. “Eh. It’s not against the rules. Trash-talk’s part of the game at this level, so technically… she can.”

Lux barely registered the conversation. She was too busy trying to see the blue-haired girl properly as she threw herself into her teammates’ arms, celebrating like she had just won an actual championship.

Lux swallowed, eyes narrowing slightly. “Is it over? Will there be more games?”

Ezreal nodded. “Yeah, but we only got tickets for this first one.” Then his lips curled into a knowing smirk, sensing what he thought was interest in the game itself. “Did you like it? I can teach you how to play if you want.”

Lux barely heard him.

She wasn’t thinking about League of Legends. She wasn’t thinking about compositions, or kills, or how terrifying Gunpowder had been in the game.

She was thinking about the way this girl screamed with victory.

The way she played like she had something to prove .

The way she radiated a reckless, chaotic confidence that felt so familiar.

The pink-haired player was incredible, no doubt about it—but she was too composed. Every movement was precise, every decision calculated, a level of control that didn’t match the sheer, chaotic energy Lux had come to associate with Bombarda. And besides, her family was in the audience, their faces beaming with pride instead of twisted in frustration over a loss. They weren’t mourning defeat—they were celebrating .

Which meant she wasn’t BladeDancer.

Which left only one possibility.

Lux’s heart skipped.

This has to be Bombarda.

"Well, that was actually kinda fun," Ezreal said, stretching his arms over his head. "We should go grab something to eat or—I don’t know— do literally anything else before Janna starts a riot over the lack of snacks."

"I will riot," Janna confirmed, dead serious. "I'm running on vibes and spite at this point."

Lux barely heard them. Her pulse was loud in her ears, her gaze still fixed on the blue team as they disappeared backstage. She needed to get closer. Now.

"Actually…" she blurted out, her voice softer than she intended, but firm enough to cut through the conversation. "I kind of wanted to take a picture with the players . Can we do that? "

Janna gave her a look. One of those looks. The kind that could cut through nonsense with surgical precision.

"I thought you were terrified of being caught on camera," she said, crossing her arms. "Why would you want a picture with the team? Wouldn't that be, you know, risky ?"

Before Lux could scramble for an excuse, Xayah jumped in with a casual shrug.

“There’s nothing wrong with taking a picture,” she pointed out. “She can just keep the mask on, right?”

Lux nodded quickly—yes, obviously , the mask was staying on.

Satisfied, Xayah leaned in conspiratorially. “Besides, I wanna try and get an autograph from Gunpowder. Mark my words, when she makes it to the big leagues, that signature’s gonna be worth stupid money."

Lux blinked, her stomach doing a little flip.

"You think she has a chance?"

That was all Rakan needed to cackle in delight.

“Ohhh, you are interested in the game, huh, Luxie?” He wiggled his eyebrows before waving off his own teasing with a smirk. “But yeah—after that performance? If no team picks her up, it’d be a crime . At the very least, an academy team would snatch her so fast .”

Janna, who had reached her limit on all things League-related approximately ten minutes ago , rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Alright, please , can we cut the nerd talk? Let’s just take a picture with Miss Unhinged Trash-Talker and get the hell out of here. I need a milkshake, and this entire event doesn’t even have a snack machine. Like, seriously, I thought nerds lived off vending machine junk?”

Xayah shot her a deadpan look. “Why the hell would you assume that?”

Ezreal, meanwhile, was already taking charge, practically dragging the group toward the backstage entrance.

"Less talking, more moving ! If we take too long, the place’ll be packed— everyone wants a picture with the winners!"

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The moment they stepped into the backstage area, it became painfully obvious that Ezreal was right—the place was packed . Spectators crowded around the entrance, forming a chaotic semi-circle of eager voices and flashing phone cameras, all angling for a chance to get closer to the blue team.

Some wanted pictures, others autographs, and a few just seemed happy to exist within the same breathing space as the players.

Lux, meanwhile, was crammed far too close between Xayah and a massive guy who was screaming his lungs out, alternating between declaring his undying love for Gunpowder and begging her to sign his forehead.

She tried to inch away from him without making it obvious. Impossible.

Her eyes, however, never left the reason she was still standing there in the first place.

The blue-haired girl grinned at every fan who approached, her energy electric, her presence magnetic. She was, as expected, the center of attention— the name on everyone's lips. After all, she’d just been responsible for the most dominant victory of the day.

And now, more than ever, Lux found that she couldn’t stop watching her.

Under the studio’s colorful lights, Gunpowder’s hair shimmered with shifting hues, every strand catching the glow in a different way. Her eyes—sharp, vibrant, alive —sparkled whenever a fan excitedly spoke to her. She looked at home in this moment, basking in it, thriving in it.

Lux smiled under her mask. She really did it.

Bombarda had said she could— had promised she would—and here she was, proving herself right.

But before she could get lost in that thought for too long, a firm hand clamped onto her shoulder.

Lux jolted, spinning around, only to come face-to-face with the dark-blue-haired woman who had been with Vi earlier.

The stranger tilted her head slightly, studying Lux with a curious smirk.

"Hey, you're the girl who ran into us earlier, right?" Her tone was casual, friendly—but there was something unreadable behind her eyes. "I think you're the friend Ji—"

Before she could finish, a skinny guy with messy, white-dyed hair bodied his way into the conversation, lightly shoving her aside.

“She told you not to say that,” he muttered, exasperated.

Then, turning his gaze to Lux, he crossed his arms and spoke in a much more pointed tone.

"I'm Ekko. And I’m pretty sure you've already figured out that we know who you are, right?"

Lux’s stomach dropped.

That simple phrase carried too many implications.

Did he know she was Lumus, Bombarda’s friend?

Did he know she was Luxanna Crownguard, the president’s daughter?

Did he know—

“Lumus?”

The voice came from behind her.

A husky, familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

Lux felt every muscle in her body freeze . Her ears burned, her cheeks burned—hell, her entire soul burned.

Because both strangers in front of her had turned to look back now, and she had a very strong feeling about who that voice belonged to.

Even if she’d never heard it before.

Lux wanted to turn around. Really, she did.

But her body wasn’t cooperating.

Her stomach felt like it had been overtaken by a swarm of particularly aggressive butterflies, and her nerves were doing somersaults that would’ve impressed even a professional acrobat.

 So she just… stood there. Frozen.

Luckily—or unluckily—the long-haired woman wasn’t nearly as hesitant. She turned to Lux first, tilting her head with an all-too-knowing smirk.

 “You’re Lumus, aren’t you?”

Her voice was smooth, casual—yet something about it made Lux feel completely exposed, like this woman could read every anxious thought running through her head.

It was unfair. No one should be that perceptive.

Meanwhile, Ekko was now caught in a very different battle.

A tall, impatient guy kept shoving him, trying to muscle his way forward toward the fence that separated the fans from the winning team. The two were in the middle of an increasingly dramatic (and increasingly shove-heavy) argument about personal space and waiting in line like a decent human being.

Lux barely registered it.

Because she was still locked in place, unable to react, unable to do anything, when—

“Lux?”

Xayah’s voice cut through the moment, her sharp gaze flicking toward the unfamiliar woman beside Lux.

“Oh—sorry, were you trying to get through? We’re already leaving,” Xayah said, automatically assuming the woman was just another eager fan trying to squeeze forward. “You can take our spots.”

She sounded completely unbothered. Probably because she’d already secured autographs from half the blue team—not including the blue-haired one, but she seemed willing to let that go.

The woman, however, raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

 “Actually, I was talking to your friend here.” She glanced back at Lux, her smirk widening ever so slightly. “She just won a private meet-and-greet with the winning team. Isn’t that amazing?”

Lux blinked.

“...Yes?” she said automatically, her brain too overwhelmed to form an actual response.

Xayah’s eyes narrowed.

“But why her specifically?” she asked, suspicious.

Thankfully, the woman had an answer locked and loaded.

 “Her seat was drawn,” she said smoothly. “Great day, huh?”

Xayah considered that for a long, skeptical second. But then she shrugged, accepting it with only mild suspicion.

“Well, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” she reminded Lux. “I know you didn’t even want to come to this thing in the first place because of your parents...”

Lux did remember that.

 But she also really, really wanted to meet Bombarda. And judging by the way this woman was nudging her toward the opportunity, she was being given a chance to.

“It’s fine,” Lux said quickly, latching onto the best excuse she could think of. “I won’t have to take off my mask. I’ll get a picture with the winning team and rub it in Ezreal’s face for the rest of my life.”

She smiled, tilting her head. “Win-win, huh?”

Xayah chuckled, looking smug.

“Alright, alright. Meet you by the exit in thirty minutes?”

Lux nodded so fast she probably looked suspicious.

And with that, she hurriedly said her goodbyes as the long-haired woman guided her toward one of the backstage entrances.

Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to look in the direction of the players.

Because she knew—just knew—that Bombarda was watching her now.

The moment Lux stepped into the room, her eyes immediately landed on the striking red hair of the woman standing near the center.

She recognized her instantly. Bombarda’s sister.

Or at least, that’s what she assumed. The resemblance was there, sure, but something about the way the woman carried herself—arms crossed, sharp eyes scanning the room like she was assessing whether she could take someone in a fight just for fun—made Lux think this was someone who could, and would , punch through a brick wall if the situation called for it.

Standing beside her, looking equally unimpressed with life, was a tall man in a slightly wrinkled purple shirt with COACH stamped across the chest. He had the slumped posture of someone who had long since stopped resisting the chaos surrounding him. His dark circles were Olympic-level impressive. His hair was... well, let’s just say it looked like it had never been properly acquainted with a brush.

And then there was Vi.

The moment she spotted Lux being ushered in, a knowing grin spread across her face.

“So,” she said, arms folding as she leaned casually against the wall. “It really was you.”

She sounded way too pleased with herself.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Vi continued, tilting her head in amusement. “Pleasure to finally meet you… Lumus , right?”

Lux barely managed a nod, suddenly very aware of the fact that everyone in the room was looking at her.

She was definitely not giving them her real name.

For all she knew, these people followed politics. Maybe they’d heard of the president’s daughter. Maybe they even had opinions about her father’s stance on video games.

And Lux wasn’t about to find out the hard way whether those opinions involved throwing her out the nearest window.

“She’s not much of a talker,” the long-haired woman who had guided her inside added with a casual shrug. She gave Lux a light pat on the back, as if encouraging her to step further in. “Which makes perfect sense. Jinx talks enough for three or four people.”

Lux blinked.

Jinx?

Was that Bombarda’s real name?

Vi let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “Well, there goes my little sister’s whole ‘mysterious and cool’ act.”

Wait.

“They don’t actually know each other’s names yet,” Vi went on, smirking. “Not that it really matters. Jinx isn’t her real name, so—”

Up until now, the man in the purple shirt had been completely silent. But at that, he finally sighed and spoke up. His voice was slow, almost painfully resigned. He spoke with the kind of exhaustion that only came from years of dealing with one specific person’s nonsense .

"If she hears you talking like that, she's going to go home sulking for the rest of the trip."

Lux turned her head slightly, taking a proper look at him now.

Tall. Gaunt. Hair that looked like it had never been on speaking terms with a bottle of shampoo.

The dark circles under his eyes suggested a sleep schedule that had been declared legally dead years ago.

And yet, despite his skeletal, sleep-deprived appearance, there was something sharp about him—like he was always thinking, always calculating, even while sounding like a man who had personally been at war with chaos itself.

“Viktor, she doesn’t need to know this,” Jinx’s sister—Vi, grumbled, rolling her eyes. Then she turned back to Lux, giving her a pointed look. “I highly doubt the blonde here is gonna turn us in. Right, Lumus?”

Lux straightened a little, nodding quickly, because absolutely not . She wouldn’t say a word about what was happening here.

Not that she even knew what was happening here.

One second, she was just some girl texting a weird but charming League player. The next? She was here .

And now that she was, the weight of it all settled over her shoulders.

Bombarda was real.

A real, living, breathing, incredibly gorgeous person.

Lux had not been prepared for that.

She hadn’t been prepared for any of it, really. The skill, the confidence, the way she carried herself . And now that she was in the same room as her, Lux’s brain was working overtime to process things it definitely shouldn’t be focusing on.

Would Bombarda treat her the same way in person as she did online?

Would she flirt with her like she always did?

Would she find Lux attractive?

…Wait.

Why was that the part her brain kept circling back to?

Lux felt her stomach twist, heat creeping up her neck.

I’m not gay.

So why does her opinion of my appearance suddenly matter so much?

She didn’t have time to complete that thought.

Because at that exact moment, the doors swung open and the entire team came flooding in—laughing, talking, buzzing from the energy of the match and their meet-and-greet outside.

Lux barely had time to breathe before her gaze locked onto her .

The girl in the purple team shirt.

The one with blue-dyed hair.

And when she smiled—wide, confident, just a little mischievous—Lux swore her brain short-circuited.

Her heart did something weird.

Then Jinx lifted a hand and brushed a stray lock of blue hair from her face.

That was it.

That was the moment Lux lost any and all control over her mouth.

“… Holy shit… ” she muttered under her breath, so low it was almost a whisper.

But it wasn’t low enough.

Because Jinx’s smile widened as she started walking toward her, and Lux was definitely staring.

Her brain was screaming at her to say something normal , look normal , breathe normally , but instead—

“Holy fu—”

She clamped her mask-covered mouth shut.

Too late.

Jinx was already smirking.

This moment was real.

It was really happening.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

"How long are they gonna stare at each other like that?" Vi grumbled, leaning closer to Caitlyn with a look of absolute suffering. It had been at least ten seconds since the two teenagers locked eyes—completely frozen, barely even breathing . “Why aren’t they talking ? Are they trying to communicate telepathically? Is this some Gen Z thing?”

Caitlyn, ever the composed one, simply chuckled and pulled Vi closer, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder. "Leave them alone. You know how nerve-wracking it is to meet your crush for the first time."

Vi snorted. “I never acted like that.”

Caitlyn’s smirk widened. "Mmm, really? You couldn't even form a full sentence on our first date. It was adorable, actually. You just sat there, staring at me, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water—”

"Cupcake!" Vi gasped, scandalized. "That is not true! And even if it was —"

Caitlyn put a finger to Vi’s lips. “Shhhh. I want to watch this. Be quiet, darling.”

Vi scowled but obeyed, crossing her arms dramatically.

And just like that, four pairs of eyes went right back to silently judging the painfully awkward yet strangely endearing interaction happening before them.

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

JINX

Jinx never expected her first interaction with Lumus to be normal .

In fact, she didn’t even know what she was expecting.

Her mysterious online friend had made it painfully clear that personal details were off-limits, to the point where Jinx had started to believe she might just be a very sophisticated AI program designed to respond in annoyingly vague messages.

But this ?

Not even in her wildest, most dramatic, over-the-top fantasies had she prepared herself for this .

Because the moment her eyes locked onto those ridiculously blue ones from across the room, she was gone. Done for.

If she wasn’t in love before, she definitely was now.

Because standing there, looking like she had just walked straight out of a fairytale, was Lumus .

And Jinx wasn’t even exaggerating.

Even with the cloth mask covering her nose and mouth, everything about this girl screamed elite .

Her hair was long, golden blonde, and looked annoyingly soft. Her skin was fair but had a warmth to it—nothing like Jinx’s own ghostly complexion. And those eyes ? That deep, ocean-blue color framed by long lashes that only made her look even more doll-like? Yeah. Not fair.

And of course she was wearing something like that .

A crochet sweater.

To a gaming event.

Because of course she was.

Jinx could already picture her carefully selecting it, thinking oh, how casual and rebellious of me , without even considering what everyone else would be wearing. And honestly? She was probably the only person in the room who could make something like that work .

The best part?

Lumus looked just as shocked to see Jinx.

For a split second, she swore she saw the blonde’s eyes widen, her breath hitch—

And then Jinx smiled.

And just like that, she saw it.

That tiny flicker of something in Lumus’ expression, like the spark of a match catching flame.

That was her cue.

Jinx moved .

One second, she was standing on the other side of the room. The next? She was charging .

“LUMUUUUUSSSSS!”

Lumus barely had time to process what was happening before Jinx launched herself at her, wrapping her arms around her in a full-speed tackle.

Thud.

The impact sent the blonde straight into the nearest wall, her head making an audible bonk against it.

"Ouch," came the muffled groan, barely audible through the mask. " Holy fuck. ”

Jinx blinked.

Then?

She burst out laughing .

Because holy shit .

Lumus swore .

“Oh my God, you cuss?” Jinx practically cackled, tightening her arms around the girl’s waist like she never planned on letting go . “I can’t believe you’re actually here!”

Lumus, who had instinctively wrapped her arms around Jinx’s very pale neck (and wow, she really was pale), tilted her head in mild confusion. “I said I was coming.”

Jinx pouted dramatically, finally loosening her grip just enough to step back and grill the blonde with a squint.

“Well, yeah, eventually —” she sighed, throwing her hands in the air, “—but you totally ignored all my texts!”

Lumus rolled her eyes, adjusting her mask like she was trying to recover some dignity.

“I don’t think it would be possible for me to run away from you.”

Jinx gasped, placing a hand over her chest like she had just been personally offended .

“How dare you.”

Lumus just stared.

Jinx grinned.

Oh yeah.

This was gonna be fun .

The blonde squinted at her, the corners of her eyes crinkling in a way that made it obvious she was grinning under that mask.

“You would definitely find me,” she countered. “I saw your level of insanity on stage today. There’s no way you’d let me escape.”

Jinx gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. “ You didn’t see anything! Just wait ‘til I actually start doing crazy stuff with you.”

She expected a shy reaction—maybe some nervous stammering, a little bit of fidgeting, anything resembling the easily flustered girl she knew from their chats.

Instead, Lumus just raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, tilting her head. “I highly doubt you can actually do half the things you brag about.”

Jinx blinked .

Wait.

Wait just a damn second .

Was she… was she flirting back ?

Jinx short-circuited.

“I—you— what ?” She pointed a dramatic, accusatory finger at Lumus like she had just witnessed a crime . “Are you sure you’re my Lumus?”

“The one and only.” The blonde shrugged, effortlessly cool. “This time in the flesh and bones, I guess.”

Jinx squinted suspiciously, but her lips twitched into a grin.

There she was. Real . Right in front of her.

For months , Lumus had been this cryptic little puzzle piece in her life—a username on a screen, a voice in her headset, a laugh through bad connection. And yet, somehow, she’d become important .

And now, standing there, Jinx realized something.

She was really glad Lumus had come.

“Hey,” she said, this time with no teasing, no playful smirk—just pure sincerity. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

It almost felt embarrassing to say it out loud, but whatever. Jinx didn’t care.

It wasn’t easy for her to keep people around. She lived in a part of Zaun that was practically falling apart, her school was hell , and if she was being completely honest, she spent more time locked in her room grinding League of Legends than socializing.

But Lumus was here.

Not just as some faraway internet friend.

She was here . With her.

And that? That meant something .

Lumus, still close enough that Jinx could feel the warmth radiating from her, finally uncurled her fingers from where they had been resting lightly against the back of Jinx’s neck.

“…Me too,” she admitted, and for the first time, her voice was a little quieter, a little softer. She stepped back slightly, suddenly very aware that they weren’t alone. Jinx’s family, her teammates, staff—yeah, the room was still very much full of people.

“But, uh… if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure I was coming until a few hours ago.”

Jinx nodded. She got it.

It wasn’t like it was easy for Lumus to be here. There were so many reasons this meeting shouldn’t have happened. If her parents ever found out? She’d be grounded for life . Maybe even worse .

But she’d come anyway.

That tiny flicker of hope that had been buried deep inside Jinx’s chest suddenly burned just a little brighter.

“Well,” Jinx grinned, reaching down to take Lumus’ hand. It was smaller than hers, her skin soft and warm. Jinx’s eyes flickered down, noticing the delicate white nail polish dusted with tiny little sparkles.

Of course her nails were perfect.

Everything about her screamed put-together princess , and Jinx? Well. She was the exact opposite of that.

And yet—

It worked .

They worked .

“The important thing,” Jinx continued, giving Lumus’ hand a tiny squeeze, “is that you’re here with me now.”

Lumus blinked, tilting her head slightly like she was about to say something, when—

Jinx gasped dramatically.

“Wait a second,” she blurted, eyes narrowing. “What about your friends?”

Lumus made a face, then immediately smacked her own forehead like she had just remembered they existed .

“Shit.”

Jinx snorted. “ Oh , so you do cuss now.”

Lumus ignored her. “I, uh… I kind of told them I was just going to take a picture with you guys.” She sighed, clearly stressed. “They’re probably waiting for me.”

Jinx raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a mischievous smirk.

“ Ohhhhhh , I see .” She tilted her head, voice dropping into something teasing. “You mean you didn’t tell them about us , baby?”

Lumus froze.

Jinx grinned wider.

“Am I a shameful secret ?”

Lumus shut her eyes, took a slow, deep breath, and then, without missing a beat —

She crossed her arms .

Jinx’s grin faltered.

Wait.

Oh no.

Was she about to die ?

Lumus shook her head, exhaling like she was already regretting all her life choices. “You’re quite the character, aren’t you?”

Jinx’s grin widened. “I could be your character.” She stuck her tongue out, eyes twinkling with mischief.

The effect was instantaneous .

“ Bombarda! ” Lumus practically squeaked , her voice shooting up an octave.

From across the room, Jinx’s sister let out a loud, shameless cackle , clearly loving whatever the hell was unfolding in front of her.

And Lumus?

Lumus turned so red it was a miracle she didn’t burst into flames.

Jinx had seen tomatoes with less color.

She groaned, ducking her head slightly as she muttered through gritted teeth, “People are listening to our conversation, you bighead .”

Jinx just shrugged , completely unfazed. “And what’s wrong with that?” She gestured vaguely around the room. “They should know you’re mine.”

Lumus froze .

Jinx, still not quite registering what she had just casually dropped into the conversation, started patting herself down, looking for her phone. “Besides,” she continued, “you wouldn’t want some random League player hitting on you , would you?”

Lumus blinked .

Once.

Twice.

And then—

“ No , I wouldn’t—” She stopped. Realization dawned on her face like a delayed explosion .

Her eyes widened.

Her jaw dropped .

“Wait a minute —I’m yours ?! Bombarda! ”

Jinx snorted. Finally, finally , she located her phone in one of her many oversized pockets. “Oh, cool. Found it.” She glanced up, entirely unfazed by Lumus’ ongoing existential crisis . “Where’s yours?”

Lumus, still looking mildly like she wanted to combust , huffed before pulling out her phone and handing it over.

Jinx accepted it, but the second she got a good look at the case, she paused .

White and gold.

Tiny, delicate little crown design.

It was so ridiculously perfect that Jinx had to laugh.

“Oh my God ,” she wheezed, turning the phone over in her hands. “You have a crown phone case. That is so you.” She glanced up at Lumus, eyes full of mock admiration. “You’re like a tiny princess.”

Lumus, already done with this conversation, rolled her eyes. “Shut up, please.”

Jinx grinned wider. “Make me.”

Lumus took a slow, deep breath, looking very much like she was counting to ten in her head.

“I swear I will punch you if you keep this up.”

Jinx gasped dramatically. “The violence ! What happened to your royal elegance?”

Lumus pinched the bridge of her nose. “Can we just take the picture?”

“A picture,” Jinx repeated solemnly.

“A picture.”

Still grinning, Jinx threw an arm around Lumus’ shoulders and pulled her in close, lifting the phone with the camera already open.

Lumus, despite all her complaints, didn’t pull away.

Click.

The photo turned out adorably perfect .

It would be one hell of a memory.

"Wait, I want one too!" Jinx’s grip tightened just as Lumus tried to wiggle free. No chance. The Zaunite had a vice grip when she wanted to. “One more. Just one more.”

Lumus sighed but didn’t protest, adjusting her posture again. She was still wearing her mask, but her bright blue eyes peeked out, filled with a mix of amusement and exasperation. She barely had time to pose before—

Click!

Jinx struck.

Instead of a normal, harmless selfie, she ambushed Lumus with a quick kiss on the cheek right as she pressed the shutter.

The blonde’s reaction was immediate .

Her whole body froze . Her eyes went huge , her brain seemingly short-circuiting behind the mask. It was the kind of expression that made Jinx wish she had filmed it instead.

Damn it, that would have made an amazing clip.

Jinx pulled back with a triumphant smirk, already giggling as she checked the photo. "That! Looks great." She turned the screen toward Lumus, positively gleeful . “You look really cute when you’re embarrassed, you know that?”

Lumus, whose face was now definitely red under that mask, groaned and turned away. “Leave me alone.” She muttered, voice an octave lower. “Seriously now, I need to go find my friends before they think your friend kidnapped me.”

Jinx let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Ugh, fine .” She pouted like she was physically in pain letting Lumus go. “But promise me you’ll answer all my messages later.”

Lumus nodded, already taking a step back. “I will.”

Jinx raised a finger. “And more! Promise me you’ll see me again when we get back to Demacia.”

Lumus hesitated, but then, with a soft chuckle, she nodded again. “I promise.”

Jinx narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Swear?”

“I swear.” The blonde lifted her pinky, a small but playful smile behind her mask.

Jinx sealed the pinky promise with her own, grinning. But just as Lumus was about to leave, something tugged at her mind—something she’d been wanting to ask all night .

“Wait—one last thing before you go.”

Lumus turned back, curious.

Jinx tilted her head. “What’s your name?”

Lumus blinked. “Huh?”

“Your real name.” Jinx scratched the back of her neck. “Not that I don’t love all the fancy spell nicknames, but, y’know… I kinda wanna know you .”

There was a pause. And then—

“Lux.”

The blonde spoke softly, but her voice carried something bright, something almost electric . Her eyes, vivid and shining, locked onto Jinx’s with an intensity she wasn’t expecting. “My name is Lux.”

Jinx nodded, rolling the name around in her mind like a new, shiny discovery. “Lux.”

“Yeah. And yours?”

Jinx smirked. “Jinx.”

Lux folded her arms, arching a brow. “Your sister said that wasn’t your real name.”

Jinx’s expression instantly soured. She whipped her head around, glaring daggers at Vi across the room. “She did what ?!”

Vi, sitting with an innocent look on her face, gave a thumbs-up. “Just helping, Sis.”

Jinx groaned. “Ugh, traitor .”

Lux, now fully enjoying herself, gave Jinx’s shoulder a little push. “Come on, I wanna know your real name too.”

Jinx sighed heavily , like she was about to reveal the most painful secret in existence. “Fine. My birth name is Powder.”

Lux’s eyes twinkled. “Powder?”

Jinx winced. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But everyone calls me Jinx, I swear.”

Lux tilted her head, smiling. “I’m not everyone .”

Jinx stilled.

Her heart did a stupid little flip , and she had no idea why .

Lux took a step back, giving a small wave. “So… see you later, Powder?”

Jinx stuffed her hands in her pockets, smirking. “Yeah, Lux. See you later.”

And neither of them had any idea that this was just the very first step in a much longer story.

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Jinx (Powder)

Today 8:17 P.M.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE DISCORD CALL
LUMUS
LUX
LUXIE
ANSWER MEEEEEEE
My brother got in my room without knocking.
And the anime you chose was definitely not something I'd want him to see?
aww :(
but we were just getting to the good part
Lady Claire was about to kiss Rae 😭
Should I even bother to comment on your amazing choice of series?
ik you're pretending you didn't like it because you're still trying to be straight BUT
I KNOW YOU LOVED IT
it's so gay and cute!!!!!!!
just like us ❤️
No?!
I'm not gay!
that's what you keep telling urself
and yet you flirted back when we met
or are you just going to pretend that never happened?
I don't know what you're talking about, Powder.
don't call me by my name 👺
and don't denyy itttt
idk why you're so uncomfy abt the gay shit
it's normal to like girls too ok?
I'm not saying it isn't normal.
But I'm not one.
I was just being nice and maybe you got the wrong idea?
Lux
what's actually stopping you? are you afraid abt your parents? friends?
. . .
Why are you being so insistent?
we met, and i felt something
and i know it wasnt just me
i was so fucking anxious to meet you
i know you're a little shy but you felt nothing?
you're SURE you were just being nice?
I don't know, Jinx.
I really like you as a friend... And meeting you in real life was different.
I was anxious too.
i don't wanna push you
cuz ik you're so fucking used to ghosting people when they press you
but i actually like you
like a lot
Jinx...
you dont have to like me back ok?
i'm not trying to force you
i just want to let you know that i care about you
I care about you too.
You're a good friend even though you insist on flirting with me all the time.
do i bother you that much by doing so?
be honest now
You're being so serious, it's actually scary.
answer the question 👿
No, I'm not bothered.
I actually laugh about it sometimes...
am i a joke to you? 🥺
No?
Could you please stop acting so serious and ughhhh.
It's frustrating.
It was supposed to be just an anime movie night?
How did we come to this.
you denied your gayness
im trying to prove you wrong
You can't just say I'm gay and expect me to agree.
BUT YOU ARE
I'm not!
Maybe I'm not 100% straight like I said before.
I do find some girls attractive? But I never dated so I can't tell.
"some girls"
are you cheating on me, lumus?
For the 1000th time: WE ARE NOT DATING.
damn right we're not dating
we're MARRIED
You're delusional.
and yet you love me!
Are you over the "trying to make you gay" thing?
no
so ok, you find some girls (me) attractive
go and act on it?
It is not that simple.
yes it is
just go and ask the girl out?
I can't do that!
Even if I *DID* like a girl, I would never act on it.
why?
Because I can't.
why can't you?
i'm not joking anymore, please explain
My parents would probably kill me if they found out about it.
It wouldn't just hurt our relationship, it is way deeper than that.
It is not easy to live on someone else's rules all the time, and yet
I have no choice but to agree with it all.
i mean, relationships can be fixed. ik your parents are strict but maybe if you guys talked
you could find a way?
Not really, no.
It isn't just their choices that matter in this.
My brother didn't comply with the rules and he got into big trouble...
I'm not trying to go onto that way too.
you sound like a princess or something
people wouldn't beat you up on the streets just because you went on a date with a girl
tbh i bet people wouldn't even know?
You don't get it.
People would know.
how?
you're not the president, not the fucking queen
why would they care?
Please stop.
I can't tell you. At least not yet.
fine
i'll stop being pushy
but we have to finish this convo later, ok?
i won't let it go until you tell me the whole thing
You're really annoying sometimes, you know?
I do. But you find me ATTRACTIVE, so its okay
and u said you caredddddd
luxie loves meeeeeeeee
You're impossible.
I'm going to leave now. Text you later.
Don't die on your way back to Zaun.
no promisesssss
TTYL baby <3

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

LUXANNA

Lux stared at the path on her computer screen for what must have been the hundredth time that night. Her fingers drummed on the laptop keyboard with a mix of tension and anxiety, while her mind seemed to be thundering with thoughts that kept flowing back and forth. What should she do? Make up an excuse for her parents and leave the house at nine o'clock at night?! Luxanna wasn't that kind of person. She didn't usually lie to her parents – or to anyone, for that matter – in fact, she didn't usually lie. In the past tense.

That's because in the last two weeks, half of what Lux said were lies.

It's not that she wanted to lie. Not really. But she couldn't explain to her friends, her brother, or even her mother why she had been so down lately. Even classmates from the book club she was part of at school had noticed how downcast and distant she had been lately. Terrible thoughts were running through the girl's head. And most of them weren’t about herself. If before meeting Jinx at the League of Legends event, every third thought she had was about the girl, now there had been an “upgrade”. Every three thoughts Lux had, all would be about the girl with blue hair, braids and absurd confidence that would make anyone angry.

In the first few days, Lux thought it would be easy. She would ignore Jinx for three, four days, and then the girl would finally forget about her. After a week, it would be as if they were distant friends, and two weeks later, as if nothing had happened. The Crownguard was wrong.

She missed Jinx. A lot.

When they talked, Luxanna was unaware of how much Jinx's presence was something that – even superficially – made a difference in her day to day life. It was thanks to the text messages they exchanged that Lux spent so much time laughing alone in her room, between her algebra homework and the constant pressure from her parents. It was thanks to Jinx that Lux had become obsessed with anime for days, watching Naruto, Haikyuu and One Piece as a “way to cope with the lack of Jinx”. I don’t miss her. The blonde kept repeating this to herself as if somehow lying to herself would make something come true.

However, as much as Lux really wanted to get back in touch with her friend, she knew she couldn’t. Not because she was angry, upset or irritated with Jinx, who constantly flirted with her and made it seem like they were a couple. To tell the truth, Luxanna was already kind of used to it, the way Powder showed her feelings was so natural (so casual), that it had become something common between them. Lux wanted to be able to do the same, even though she only considered Jinx a friend, she never had an easy time showing what she felt, not even to her family.

Family.

The reason Lux distanced herself from Jinx could be summed up in one word. Of course, the story was much bigger than just Luxanna's conservative family. Not only did she have to hide her friendship with Jinx from her parents, and not because they would probably be upset, but also because it would affect the way people saw Lux. And she fought for seventeen long years to maintain that image. It wasn't easy to allow herself to change the way she was conceived by the world.

Lux had always tried to be the perfect daughter. A quiet, shy girl, who always seemed to be in the right places, talking to the right people. To her friends, she was a kind, warm girl who never did anything wrong - and if she did, it was because of their insistence, living in isolation in her studies. To her distant classmates, she was the perfect president's daughter, envied by many, she was beautiful, rich and intelligent, Luxanna Crownguard was the girl who never made mistakes. To her parents? That’s where the pressure truly suffocated her. To Jarvan, her father, Lux wasn’t just his daughter—she was a symbol. A carefully curated image of the nation's ideal youth. Her grades weren’t just expected to be good; they had to outshine everyone else's. Her hair wasn’t just blonde; it had to gleam like a beacon of Demacia’s prosperity, golden and immaculate. Her wardrobe wasn’t a matter of style; it was a statement, stitched together by the finest designers. And her personality? A performance. Flawless. Tailored to fit whatever narrative best upheld their family’s spotless reputation.

Up until now, Lux had never felt the urge to challenge the rules or the image the world had crafted for her. Why would she? Her life was a symphony of privilege. She was rich, had everything she could ever need, and her parents—while far from perfect—were undeniably present. Her school was the most prestigious in all of Demacia, her home a sprawling mansion that exuded wealth and status. Lux understood her role clearly: to be flawless, to embody perfection itself. Her job was to don the mask, play her part, and move in rhythm with the melody others composed for her. But now... now, that melody felt out of tune. She no longer recognized herself in the role she had been assigned.

Not after meeting Powder. After spending countless hours—sleepless nights and sunlit days—immersed in the company of someone who lived entirely on her own terms. Someone who had grown up navigating a world shaped by her own rules, unshackled by expectations or fear. Powder defied everything and everyone, carving out her own path with unrelenting determination. She never wavered, never looked back, moving forward with a bold confidence that made it seem like nothing was beyond her reach.

The text message she had received earlier confirmed it: Jinx was well on her way to realizing her dream of becoming a professional League of Legends player. She was bold, unshakably confident—bordering on arrogant—but her relentless determination had paid off, placing her exactly where she always wanted to be. 

What about Lux? So why couldn’t Lux find that same fire to go after what she wanted?

Well, that was hard when Lux didn't even know what she wanted for herself. She never had the chance to think about a path she wanted to follow. Her own dreams that she wanted to chase. In reality, all she knew was a world in which everything she did was dictated by someone else. Whether it was her parents, politics, friends, or even reality itself. Lux let herself be guided by that, without questioning it. And now, she lived in a constant dilemma with herself.

She hadn’t been eating right these past few days. Barely drank any water. Couldn’t focus on her studies, and even talking to her friends felt like a chore—gone was that whole “cheerful and helpful” vibe she usually had.

She missed Jinx. The girl from Zaun was always on her mind, but more than that, Lux kept spiraling into thoughts about her own life—how she was stuck in this picture-perfect reality that left no room for anyone with their own will, live.

Was that what Lux lacked? Her own will to fight for what she believed in? And did she know what she believed in?

Her computer screen stared at her again.

This was straight-up torture. Lux had already searched the address Jinx sent her at least ten times, across three different map sites. It was for some diner—a classic American-style spot, tucked away in a part of town far from the city center where Lux lived. She’d never been there. Not surprising, really. Lux rarely ventured outside her rich-girl bubble. A place like that? No chance she'd ever step foot in it on a normal day. And no one in her social circle would, either.

But here she was, totally torn. She really wanted to see Powder. She wanted to apologize for ghosting her, for being so damn bad at showing even basic feelings (even if those were of friendship). She wanted to yell at her for being so annoyingly persistent—and then hug her for never giving up on her, no matter how many times Lux had pushed her away.

“Luxie?” Garen’s deep voice boomed in the girl’s ears, who looked away from the laptop screen that was comfortably held in front of her legs. Lux was sitting on her bed, while her older brother looked at her with a suspicious look, still in the doorway. “I’ve been calling you for about ten seconds and you haven’t taken your eyes off that computer. Watching porn, are you?”

Luxanna’s eyes widened, staring at her brother in disbelief. Typical Garen. He would always make the worst uncomfortable jokes in the universe.

“How disgusting!” she threw one of the stuffed animals that surrounded her on the bed, aiming at her brother and missing miserably. The poor stuffed penguin ended up at the feet of the tall, older boy. “I’m busy. What is it?”

Despite his family's controlling nature, Garen wasn't like their parents. He and Lux shared a more understanding and close-knit relationship. Unlike Lux, who was shy and often gave in to their father’s strict politics, Garen was anything but submissive. He thrived at big parties, used the family’s wealth and influence to his advantage, and rarely missed an opportunity to enjoy the privileges that came with the Crownguard name.

Though often reckless and irresponsible, Garen fit perfectly into the world of politicians and wealthy heirs that surrounded their family. He loved the spotlight, something Lux always avoided. Yet, despite their differences, Garen deeply cared for his little sister. Even with his frequent absences—busy with endless parties and excessive drinking—he could see how much Lux behavior had changed in just a few days. And that change worried him too.

"Mom’s asking if you're coming down for dinner," he said, glancing at her sideways. "Are you sure you’re okay? I’m not going to find anything compromising on that computer, am I?"

Lux snorted.

"If by compromising you mean four pages of texts for my literature class tomorrow, then yes," she muttered irritably. "Why didn’t you knock before coming in?"

Garen raised an eyebrow.

"I did knock. Three times," he retorted, pretending to be offended. "But you were too busy in your own little world to hear me.”

Lux rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin.

"I just want to study in peace. Can you please leave me alone?"

He shrugged casually. "Normally, you wouldn't turn down dinner with Mom and me. That's all. If something's wrong, you know you can talk to me, right?"

Lux nodded without looking up from the computer. "Yeah, I know."

"Okay. Good." Garen seemed satisfied with her answer. "I'll go have dinner with Mom and—"

"Garen. Wait."

He stopped at the door, his brow furrowing in confusion as he turned to face her. "What?"

Lux hesitated for a moment, as if weighing her words carefully. Her gaze flickered to the screen for a second, then back to him.

"I need a ride," she said, her voice almost too casual. "Can you take me somewhere?"

There was a brief pause. Garen studied her for a beat, his expression unreadable.

"Where?" he asked, still unsure.

Lux didn’t answer right away, the silence hanging between them. Finally, she shrugged, offering no explanation.

"Just... somewhere. It won’t take long."

Chapter Text

LUXANNA

The car engine hummed softly as Garen broke the silence.

“Are you sure this is the place?” his deep voice asked.

Lux looked out at the diner.

It stood in a middle-class neighborhood of Demacia, like something out of a 60s postcard. The bright red facade caught the eye from a distance. The shiny walls, as if freshly painted, were lined with large, spotless glass windows glowing under white interior lights. The entrance had a glass door with chrome handles that gleamed in the streetlamp’s glow. But the real standout was the neon sign above, its blue cursive letters proudly spelling “Sevika’s Diner.”

This definitely wasn’t the kind of place Lux would normally visit on a random Wednesday night. And certainly not for “studying,” as she’d told her mother. Garen hadn’t looked convinced by the excuse, and his questioning gaze now made it clear he was still puzzled about why she wanted to be here.

“Yes, I’m sure. This is the place,” Lux said, unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her backpack—the prop for her cover story. “Thanks for the ride.”

Garen nodded. “Do you want me to come in with you, or–”

“No.” Lux cut him off quickly. “No need. And don’t worry about picking me up; I’ll get an Uber home.”

Garen raised an eyebrow. “Okay, this is weird. You’re acting weird.” He glanced back at the diner and sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay, Luxie? I’m not going to tell Mom or anything. You can trust me, no matter what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Lux exhaled sharply, eager to escape the conversation. She was already at least fifteen minutes late, and through the diner’s windows, she could barely make out Jinx’s blue hair. If she took much longer, Jinx might think she wasn’t coming.

“I’m fine, I promise. I’m just here to meet a friend,” Lux said, her eyes dropping to her hands. “Please don’t tell Mom, okay?”

Garen nodded and gave her shoulder a couple of reassuring pats. “Alright. If you say it’s just that, I’ll believe you. But I’ll have my phone on me. If anything happens, call me. I’ll come get you.”

“Okay,” Lux agreed quickly, her gaze flickering back to the diner as she searched for Jinx.

“Promise me you’ll call if something goes wrong,” Garen insisted, his tone cautious.

“Garen.” Lux gripped her brother’s arm, her voice firm. “Nothing is going to go wrong. You don’t have to worry.”

He snorted, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as his eyes remained fixed on the diner.

“Why the hell did you have to meet your friend here? And since when do your friends hang out in places like this?”

By places like this, Lux assumed he meant anywhere outside the bubble of privilege they lived in. The Crownguards existed in such an alternate reality when it came to money, that even a diner, popular with Demacia’s middle and upper classes, felt out of bounds. It wasn’t entirely unreasonable, considering they’d been heirs to generational wealth long before the family entered politics.

Still, any regular person would find nothing unusual about the diner. However, the Crownguard siblings weren’t regular kids. They were the children of the president of Runeterra, one of the nation’s most powerful men.

“Do I really have to answer that? It’s no big deal.” Lux snorted, grabbing the car door handle. “And for the record, the diner is cute.”

She wasn’t lying. The diner was cute. With its bright red walls, wide windows, and the soft glow of retro lights spilling out, it had a cozy charm. Lux could totally see why Jinx picked it—out of all the spots in the city.

“Which friend is it? That girl from Ionia... Rayah? Yayah?” Garen asked, squinting like the name might suddenly appear in front of him.

“Xayah,” Lux corrected with a dramatic eye roll. “And no, it’s not her. Can I go now?”

Garen sighed, defeated. “Fine. But be careful, okay?”

Lux gave him a small, tight-lipped smile, then leaned in to give him a quick hug before hopping out of the car. “Yes, sir. I solemnly swear I’ll be careful. Now please drive away.”

Garen raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Am I being kicked out? Can’t I at least watch you go inside?”

Lux crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin. Anxiety was already bubbling up inside her from the delay.

“What’s that going to prove? Don’t tell me you’re checking to see if I’m actually meeting a friend or not.”

He threw his hands up in mock surrender. “You look shady! How can I not be suspicious? Honestly, you could be meeting a boyfriend for all I know. And if that’s the case, please —for the love of God—use protection.”

“GAREN!” Lux squealed, her cheeks turning bright red. Why did he always have to take it there? Everything, in Garen’s mind, circled back to sex. Pervert. “Oh my God, just go!”

Garen bursted into laughter, clearly enjoying her embarrassment, before starting the car. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Lux watched him drive off, muttering under her breath as she turned toward the diner. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. As if Garen wasn’t the worst example in her entire existence. Knowing him, he’d already done every single “don’t” she could possibly think of.

“Can I help you, dear?” a scratchy, broken voice called out, snapping Lux's attention to the counter just as the little bell above her head jingled, announcing her arrival.

“Oh! Hello, Ma’am...” Lux hesitated, suddenly feeling out of place. “I’m here to meet a friend.” She gestured awkwardly toward the dining area. “I think she’s already here.”

The woman behind the counter nodded, her presence even more imposing up close. She had broad shoulders, short-cropped hair, and scars crisscrossing her face—like a retired warrior running a diner. Her red apron was slightly wrinkled, and she was in the middle of drying a tall glass when she offered Lux a friendly smile.

“Alright then,” the woman said, her voice rough but warm. “Just holler if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Mrs...?” Lux trailed off, unsure of how to address her.

“Sevika,” the woman replied, her lips curving into a smirk. “And drop the ‘ma’am,’ will you? These Demacian formalities are such a pain in the ass, aren’t they?”

With a raspy laugh that sounded like it belonged to a lifelong smoker, Sevika turned back to scrubbing glasses at the counter. And Lux took it as her cue to start weaving through the diner’s tables, scanning for a glimpse of Jinx’s unmistakable blue hair.

The smell of fried food and sizzling burgers filled the air, and Lux’s stomach growled louder with each step. Table after table, her search came up empty. Where was Jinx? She was sure she’d checked nearly every booth. But there wasn’t a single trace of Powder’s vibrant, shimmering blue hair.

Luxanna felt a wave of panic rising with each table she passed. Her heart pounded harder as her eyes darted around, and a lump formed in her throat. She must think I didn’t show up, Lux thought, her mind racing.

She hurried past the second-to-last table, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. At the last booth, she almost gave up. A girl sat there, her pale, skinny frame leaning against the corner, flipping through a book with no particular enthusiasm. Her tattooed fingers moved slowly as she turned the pages, and Lux was already reaching for her phone to call her brother when she hesitated.

Wait. Skinny. Pale. Hand tattoos.

Her gaze locked onto the girl’s hands as realization struck like a bolt of lightning. Lux blinked, her breath catching. Her hair was different—brown now, tied into a messy bun—but those hands were unmistakable. It was her.

Lux stared, frozen, at the girl hunched over the blue-covered book. Gone was the playful, electric energy from the League of Legends event. Jinx —or Powder— looked subdued. Her black cropped top revealed her tattooed arms and midriff, paired with ripped jeans and scuffed sneakers, and Lux couldn’t help but linger on the smooth skin, a flush creeping up her neck before she quickly averted her eyes, a strange tightness forming in her chest for a brief moment before fading away. The bold blue hair Lux remembered so vividly had been replaced by a muted brown. And it wasn’t just the color that threw her off; it was how it seemed to soften the wild energy Jinx usually carried like a badge.

A wave of relief washed over Lux, but it was accompanied by an unexpected fluttering in her stomach. She wasn’t sure why, but something about seeing Jinx like this felt different—still unmistakably her, but in a way that was hard to place.

Taking a deep breath, Lux glanced down at herself. She’d dressed carefully for tonight—jeans, a white short-sleeved button-down, a simple sweater, and high-tops. She wanted to blend in, to look like a regular girl who belonged in a diner like this. It wasn’t her usual style, but it felt right. She wanted to be part of Jinx’s world, even if just for a little while.

And somehow, despite the nerves twisting in her stomach, she realized she felt more comfortable than she expected.

Okay, let's go. Lux thought before sitting down in front of Jinx, her hands resting in her lap.

She’d rehearsed this moment a hundred times on the way there, but now, sitting face-to-face with Powder, her mind went blank. She wanted to say so many things, but no words came.

Luckily, Jinx broke the silence.

"You came." Her voice, husky yet soft, made Lux focus on her brown eyes, now fixed on her with quiet intensity. Powder’s eyes still held the same warmth as when they first met, but the dark circles and her withdrawn posture were a far cry from the confident girl Lux had come to know through messages.

“I… Came,” Lux said quietly, unable to tear her eyes away from Jinx.

Even with her hair dyed brown, Powder was still beautiful. Her pale skin, the tattoos of clouds and bullets on her hands, the warmth in her eyes, all of it made Jinx unmistakably Jinx. Lux had always thought she was beautiful, and that made her feel... strange. She didn’t feel this way about her friends, not about Janna, not about Xayah. So why was it so different with Jinx? What was it about her that made Lux feel like this? Was it the way her eyes held her attention, or the way she seemed so... different from everyone else?

"Why?" Jinx’s voice was soft, almost a whisper, drawing Lux in. "Why did you come?"

Lux swallowed, feeling the weight of her gaze. "You said I should come at nine o'clock. I came."

Jinx’s brown eyes, heavy with fatigue, closed for a moment. She sighed, her voice soft but firm. "Yes. But that's not what I asked."

The Crownguard watched her closely. Jinx’s hands were small and delicate, still holding the book with a familiar blue cover that Lux would recognize anywhere. "Since when do you read? I thought you hated books."

Jinx’s eyes remained closed, but a small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I still do. But someone I care about loves this crap, so I started reading it too."

Luxanna's chest tightened. She knew exactly what Jinx meant. Powder had always made it clear how much she hated anything that wasn’t related to games—how studying, reading, all of it bored her. Yet there she was, the girl from Zaun, holding a book from the Harry Potter series.

"Powder."

"Hm?" Jinx opened her eyes slowly, meeting Lux’s gaze, her expression as unreadable as ever. "What is it?"

Luxanna Crownguard was never the type to open up easily. She was shy, always careful with her words, and avoided situations that made her feel exposed. The idea of leaving the house at nine o'clock on a Wednesday night, lying to her parents, and getting her brother to cover for her—it was all so out of character. Six months ago, the thought of meeting someone she’d met online, of all things, would’ve been laughable to her. Yet there she was, sitting in a small diner in a quiet corner of Demacia, knowing deep down that everything had changed. She wasn’t the same girl anymore, the one who would’ve turned away from anything that made her uneasy. Now, she was just someone doing something unexpected, for a reason she couldn’t quite explain.

"I care about you," Luxanna said softly, her gaze dropping from Jinx’s eyes, which seemed to pierce through her. "I know I’ve been an idiot, ignoring you again . I know how much you hate that, but I keep doing it. I know you worked so hard for the tryouts, and I wasn't there to support you... That was rude of me." She exhaled sharply, rushing through words, stumbling over them awkwardly but with a new, uncharacteristic courage. "But I really care about you. I do. You’re... a good friend."

Friend. That’s what Jinx was. A good friend.

Jinx stared at Lux for a long moment, clearly taken aback by the sudden outpouring of words, the weight of them sinking in.

"I’m sorry," Lux said finally, meeting Powder’s gaze again, her face flushed with embarrassment. "For, you know, everything."

But Powder shook her head, stifling a laugh. “You're really cute, you know that?”

Lux blushed. “What?”

“It’s true, you’ve been a real bitch to me these last few days,” Powder remarked, sipping from the ridiculously colorful milkshake next to her book. “And I was really pissed when you ghosted me again. But whatever. What matters is that you’re here now.”

The Crownguard shot her a sideways glance as the girl with—now brown hair ( seriously, why did it feel so weird seeing her with brown hair?)— continued sipping from her cup.

“Hmmm… is something wrong with my mouth?” Jinx asked, looking confused, running her thumb over her lips.

Lux snapped out of her trance, her brain scrambling. “Uh, no. Why?”

Jinx smirked, glancing back at her cup. “You seem oddly fascinated with my lips. There are more subtle ways to check them out, you know?”

The Crownguard’s face flushed bright red. Her stomach churned with embarrassment, and she quickly turned her head, not wanting to look at Powder anymore. She hadn’t realized she’d been staring at Jinx’s lips for that long. And no, she didn’t mean to. Damn it!

“No need to get all embarrassed. I’m just messing with you,” Jinx said with a laugh, finally putting her glass down. “It’s not your fault your ‘ good friend’ has such ridiculously beautiful lips, right?”

Lux shot her a judgmental look. “Still as arrogant as ever, huh?”

Jinx chuckled, shrugging casually. “It’s part of my charm, darling.”

Lux rolled her eyes, laughing too. But then something that had been nagging at her since she first walked into the diner popped back into her mind, and she couldn’t hold it in. “Hey, Powder. Since when did you have brown hair?”

Jinx shrugged casually. “Since I moved here, I guess.”

Luxanna wasn’t convinced. She kept her gaze on Jinx, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

“The team’s marketing department thought it’d be better for my image,” Jinx said flatly, her voice lacking enthusiasm. “Since it’s a Demacian team and all... and I’m just a rookie. Gotta please the fans, right?” She didn’t seem happy about it. “I didn’t really have much of a say. But why do you ask? Don’t I look pretty like this?”

Lux blurted out, “No!” Then quickly added, “ I mean, yes . You look beautiful this way.” She smacked her forehead lightly, mortified at how awkward she was being today. Her words definitely weren’t matching her thoughts. “I mean—wait, no, that’s not what I meant. You ARE beautiful. I mean, you LOOK beautiful, but... I didn’t mean it like that, not like you aren’t always beautiful.”

Jinx chuckled, clearly enjoying the sight of Lux stumbling over her words. “I’m just messing with you, Luxie. You don’t need to get all flustered.”

Lux stared at her, trying to recover, but her face was turning even redder. “I’m not flustered! I just... you know what I mean.” She tried to brush it off, but she was still embarrassed.

Jinx raised an eyebrow, teasing. “Uh-huh. Sure you’re not.” She leaned back in her chair, clearly amused. “You’re cute when you’re flustered, by the way.”

Lux let out a breath, trying to gather her thoughts, but at that moment, she knew it was better to just let it go. “Whatever,” she muttered, trying to hide her smile. “But seriously, blue really is your color.”

Jinx smiled, clearly pleased with the response. “Yeah, I know. Blue’s my thing. But…”

The blonde nodded in agreement.

“You didn’t have much of a choice,” Lux finished for her.

“No.” Powder agreed, a sour expression crossing her face. “I guess that’s part of it, living in Demacia, following Demacian rules… You guys are kind of...”

“Conservative?” Lux offered, raising an eyebrow.

“I was going to say square,” Jinx replied, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. “But that works too.”

“Rude,” Lux huffed, crossing her arms. “I’m not square.”

“Lumus, you’re literally wearing a sweater in the middle of a diner full of grease, oil, and fried food,” Jinx pointed out, holding back a laugh. “Do I really need to say more?”

Lux snorted, glancing down at her clothes. What was wrong with a sweater? It was cold, and it actually went well with her outfit. Sweaters were cool, not square.

“But, you know,” Jinx continued with a smile, her brown eyes following Lux, “I think it’s kind of cool that you’re like this—square and all proper. You’re still yourself even when you’re not in your element. Shows you’re unique. And that you don’t care what other people think.”

Lux bit her lip, her gaze softening as she looked at Jinx. It wasn’t exactly true—Lux cared way too much about what people thought of her. She always had. But she wasn’t ready to get into that with Jinx, not now.

“I don’t know,” Lux replied, trying to shift the focus. “I don’t think wearing sweaters is that unique.”

Jinx leaned back in her chair, a smirk on her face. “In a diner?”

“Oh my God, what is so wrong with wearing sweaters in a diner?” Lux asked, exasperated.

But the girl from Zaun couldn’t hold back her laugh. “See? Cute.”

“Stop,” Lux groaned, shaking her head in denial. “You’re just trying to judge me.”

“I’m not judging you. I already told you, I think you’re cute. You really are.” Jinx grinned, shrugging as if it were no big deal. “And speaking of which, there’s something I wanna tell you.”

Lux took a deep breath, looking at Jinx again. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

“I know I was pretty pushy in our last conversation,” Jinx started, her voice taking on a rougher edge as she spoke. “And you disappeared for days. Honestly, I didn’t even expect you to come here today, especially after everything that happened. But…Thank you, for showing up.”

Jinx’s voice got softer with each word, like she was choosing her words carefully, trying not to say too much all at once. Lux wished she could have that kind of self-control. When she was nervous, all that came out of her mouth were tangled, embarrassing blurts.

“And… you know how I feel, right?” Jinx continued, her gaze flicking down to her hands. “I’ve said it way too many times, and I know it makes you uncomfortable. I don’t want to keep pushing you. So... I won’t. I won’t do that anymore.”

Lux blinked, confused. “Huh?”

“I won’t keep hitting on you,” Jinx muttered, her usual confidence evaporating. She looked down at her hands, her playful smirk gone, replaced by a rare vulnerability. “You only see me as a friend, and I need to respect that. I will respect that. I promise.”

Lux stared at her. She definitely hadn’t expected this. She was prepared for something else—her mind had run through countless scenarios, but this wasn’t one of them. She thought she knew what was coming, but this was something she never saw coming. And now, she couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of relief and… something else. Something she couldn’t quite identify. Why did she feel so weird about this? Wasn’t this what she had always wanted? Hadn’t she always kept her distance because Jinx’s persistence was too much? So why did it feel like something had shifted, and she was the one left hanging?

“You won’t hit on me anymore?” Lux repeated, still processing the words.

“Yeah.” Jinx nodded, looking up with a faint, sad smile. She squeezed Lux’s hand across the table. “I don’t want you to ignore me or disappear again.”

The gentle touch made Lux’s heart flutter unexpectedly. Why did Jinx have to be so... so... Argh!

Lux couldn’t help but glance at her hand, the one that Jinx had touched. Her skin still felt warm from the contact, and for a moment, everything seemed to quiet around her. What was she supposed to be feeling right now? She should feel relieved, right? This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? To have things go back to how they were before—nice, easy, safe. She was the one who had kept rejecting Jinx, telling her she wasn’t interested in anything beyond friendship. But now that Jinx was giving her exactly that... Why did it feel so... off?

Lux’s heart clenched a little. Was this the outcome she had wanted all along? She’d spent so much time building walls between them, convincing herself she couldn’t let Jinx get too close. But now that she was backing off, was it wrong to feel like... like she missed something? Like a door had closed, and she hadn’t even realized she was hoping for it to stay open just a little longer?

No, she couldn’t be feeling like this. She couldn’t feel guilty for not responding the way she should have. She should’ve been calm, collected. She should’ve said something to assure Jinx that she was okay with the friendship, that she wasn’t pushing her away, not when Jinx had been so brave to give her space, to try to respect her boundaries. But she didn’t. Instead, she was a mess of confusion, caught between what she wanted and what she had convinced herself was right. She’d spent so much time being careful, so careful about not leading Jinx on, about not letting things go too far. But now that the chance had slipped away, was this really what she wanted?

She should have said something... anything. She should have said that she didn’t want things to change. That she cared about Jinx, that the idea of her giving up felt like losing something important. But now, Lux was left with nothing but the uncomfortable silence, the gentle touch still lingering on her skin as a reminder of how much she had been avoiding.

“And from now on, I’m just going to leave you alone. We’ll just be good friends,” Jinx said, repeating herself. “But... you’re forbidden from disappearing on me again, okay?”

Lux, still caught up in her thoughts, simply nodded. “Yeah... Yes. Yes, I won’t disappear again.”

“Promise ?” Jinx extended her pinky, looking at her with a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

Lux’s heart did a little flip. She hadn’t expected this, but somehow it felt important. She smiled, extending her own pinky to close the promise. “I promise.”

Jinx’s face lit up as she clapped her hands together. “Great. Well. That’s great.”

Her excitement was so infectious that Lux couldn’t help but smile broadly. She was even more adorable in person than Lux had realized. She hadn’t had the chance to notice that last time they met—too caught up in her own anxiety and confusion. Now, watching Jinx’s carefree energy, Lux couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

Jinx was so free-spirited, bold, and utterly unrestrained. There was something raw and real about her, like she didn’t care what anyone thought. It felt so refreshing, so genuine, and Lux found herself oddly comforted by it. There was something warm stirring inside her, a sense of quiet joy she hadn’t expected. Being around Jinx made her feel more alive, as though she was stepping into a world of possibility, something different from the tightly controlled life she knew. And for the first time, Lux wondered what it would be like to let go, just a little, like Jinx did without hesitation.

“Are you hungry?” Powder asked, changing the subject in an instant, her gaze flicking to Lux with concern. “Have you had dinner yet?”

“Oh, no,” Lux admitted, feeling a little sheepish. “I kind of sneaked out of the house before dinner.”

“Wow, so you made up a lie to be here?” Jinx raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

“Exactly,” Lux replied, a little too easily.

“Wonderful!” Jinx cheered, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I’m already leading you down the wrong path.”

“No way.” Lux shook her head, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. “That was just a one-time thing.”

Jinx flashed her a sly grin, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “If you say so. Now, let’s get to the point. How much do you know about American fast food?”

Lux looked at her, a little unsure. Would it be too embarrassing to admit that she’d never actually had fast food before?

“Hm... Not much?” she said with a sheepish shrug.

“GREAT!” Jinx practically jumped out of her seat, laughing as she threw her arms in the air. “That means I get to introduce you to a whole new world of deep fried, unhealthy foods! Leave it to me.”

Lux smiled, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through her chest. The way Jinx was so full of life, so eager to share something with her, was infectious. She looked at the pale girl with a mix of admiration and fondness. Despite being in a place Lux would never normally find herself—a loud, greasy diner, of all places—she felt at peace. The kind of peace she hadn’t realized she was missing. It wasn’t the peace of conformity, or the peace that others might expect her to feel. It was real. It was her choice to feel this way.

And that, Luxanna realized with a quiet sense of contentment, was exactly how she wanted to feel.

Chapter revised by  Little Toothless  (@NyctophiliaChimerical)

Chapter Text

LUXANNA

“So? What’s the verdict?” Jinx leaned in dramatically, her eyes narrowing like a judge who was about to deliver a life-altering sentence. She watched as Lux set down her cutlery on the now spotless plate. “Approved or what?”

Lux, too full to form coherent thoughts, simply gave a double thumbs-up, her expression somewhere between blissful and slightly overwhelmed. “Approved! But... Oh my God, I think I ate way too much.”

Jinx threw her head back in laughter, punching the air like she’d just won a championship. “Nice! Another victory for fried food.”

Her uncontainable excitement made something twist pleasantly in Lux’s chest, a warmth she wasn’t ready to name.

As Jinx leaned back, her grin softened just slightly. “Y’know, I’m glad you’re feeling better. Last time I saw you, at the League event, you were all bundled up and wearing that mask. I thought you were hiding from me or something.” She laughed lightly, clearly joking, though there was a flicker of sincerity in her eyes. “But hey, now we can actually see each other’s faces properly. Feels like progress, huh?”

Lux forced a small laugh in response, her stomach doing a flip—not from the food this time. She had been hiding, though not from Jinx exactly. That mask wasn’t just because of the “cold” she’d claimed to have; it was her shield, one more layer between her and the truth she wasn’t ready to face. Now, sitting across from Jinx with nothing but the open air between them, she felt exposed, but free in a way she hadn’t expected.

Still, the two of them had somehow slipped into a completely different vibe from their earlier awkwardness at the diner. Jinx, now sitting next to Lux instead of across from her, had claimed the space with her usual effortless confidence—arms stretched lazily across the table, her empty milkshake glass tilted like a trophy.

Lux wasn’t sure what had changed, but whatever it was, it was working. The tension from before had melted away, replaced by an easy rhythm that left her grinning more than she probably should have. Not that Jinx seemed to notice—she always looked like she belonged, no matter the moment. But tonight, Lux felt like she might belong too, and she wasn’t sure she wanted it to end.

Jinx had proudly taken charge of ordering their dinner, promising Lux an authentic crash course in American fast food. She wasn’t kidding. The table was soon a greasy feast of epic proportions: a towering burger, a mountain of fries and even colorful milkshakes crowned with whipped cream.

Lux, doing her best to look like she belonged in this culinary landscape, thought she’d handled herself admirably. The food was amazing, unlike anything she’d ever had. Somewhere, she was sure a presidential chef was fainting dramatically at the thought of her consuming this much grease in a single sitting—at a diner, no less.

“I still can’t believe you ate a burger with a knife and fork,” Jinx said, snickering as she lazily slung an arm around Lux’s shoulders. Her grin was positively wicked. “Seriously? Who does that?”

Lux blushed furiously, shrugging under Jinx’s arm. “It wouldn’t be polite to eat with my hands...” she muttered, staring at her empty plate like it might defend her.

Jinx stared at her in mock disbelief before doubling over in laughter. “A spoiled princess through and through! My God, you’re unreal.”

Lux narrowed her eyes, sticking her tongue out at Jinx and crossing her arms in mock offense. “It’s not my fault you have no manners.”

That only made Jinx laugh harder. “Manners? In Sevika’s diner? Lux, that’s like ordering lobster on a drive-thru. Very absurd.”

Lux opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, a gravelly voice cut through the air.

“And just what’s that supposed to mean, young lady?”

Both girls froze. Standing at the counter, glaring at Jinx like a storm about to roll in, was Sevika herself.

Jinx shrank slightly, pressing closer to Lux as if the blonde might shield her. “Oh, no, no, no—uh, totally not badmouthing your place, Sev! It’s... uh... super charming?”

The older woman crossed her arms, her glare intensifying. “Careful, Jinx. I’ve got a spatula, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Lux bit her lip, trying and failing not to laugh as Jinx cowered further. Sevika, with her apron and death glare, could probably take on an army—and Lux was enjoying this a little too much.

Jinx’s eyes widened to the size of nickels as she shook her head frantically. “Of course not! I love your food. Seriously, Sevika. Best burger I’ve ever had!”

“Uh-huh,” Sevika grumbled, unimpressed as she walked up to them and grabbed Lux’s empty plate. Her gruff voice carried just enough menace to make Jinx shrink further into her seat. “You’re lucky I don’t take you to Vander for a little chat about your behavior. Bringing your little girlfriends here and badmouthing my food. Tsk. Kids these days …”

Girlfriends? Lux blinked. Wait. Plural?

Her thoughts screeched to a halt. Girlfriends ? As in... more than one?

A peculiar mix of confusion and indignation bubbled up inside her. Had Powder—sorry, Jinx —been bringing other girls here? Lux had thought she was special, the first, the only one Jinx had invited to this little greasy spoon adventure. But if Sevika was throwing around “girlfriends” like it was some kind of casual routine…

Lux’s brain quickly filled in the blanks. Jinx was excited about moving to Demacia, sure, but she was also going to be a rising star now—a professional player. It made total sense she’d have fans. Maybe even admirers. And Lux, well… she had rejected Jinx’s advances more times than she cared to count. Who in their right mind would keep pining after someone who repeatedly said no?

Besides, Jinx had said it herself. No more romantic overtures. Just friends. Everything checks out, Lux, she told herself, even as something unnameable twisted in her chest. This was fine. Totally fine.

Jinx must be dating other people.

“…she and my father always did everything together.” Jinx finished, her tone soft but earnest. She looked at Lux expectantly, only to be met with a distant, unfocused gaze. The president’s daughter blinked, suddenly realizing just how far she had wandered into her own thoughts. She hadn’t caught half of what Jinx had said—too busy battling the chaotic swirl of theories about Jinx’s so-called ‘girlfriends.’

“Are you okay?” Jinx tilted her head, her brows knitting together in confusion as she studied Lux’s uncharacteristic silence.

“Uh… sorry,” Lux murmured, her cheeks flushing slightly as she scolded herself internally. “I got distracted. Could you, um, repeat that, please?”

Jinx rolled her eyes, though her smirk betrayed her amusement. “Only because you asked so sweetly, blondie.”

Lux gave her a playful shove, her embarrassment bubbling into a weak protest. “You’re such a goof.”

“Hey! I am not a goof,” Powder replied, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Anyway, I was saying that Sevika’s an old family friend. She’s from Zaun too, and she and my adoptive dad are super tight.”

“Really?” Lux asked, her curiosity piqued as she glanced back toward the counter, where Sevika was currently scrubbing dishes with an air of practiced efficiency.

Sevika looked every bit the image Lux had constructed of someone from Zaun: tattoos covering her arms, a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through steel, and broad shoulders that could probably carry the entire diner if needed. She looked like a war machine come to life. Lux bit her lip to stifle a chuckle at the stark contrast between Sevika and Jinx—who, by comparison, looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.

Not that it mattered. Somehow, Jinx pulled off the whole “anemic skeleton” aesthetic with an almost unfair level of charm. A very attractive skeleton, Lux thought before her brain hit the brakes. She blinked quickly, trying to focus back on the conversation before her lingering gaze gave her away.

“Yes! They worked together for a long time. And not just the two of them—my biological parents too,” Jinx said, nodding toward Sevika, who was still scrubbing plates like her life depended on it. “Most adults in Zaun worked in the factories. It was pretty much the only way to make money back then... unless you had a knack for the mines and a death wish.”

Luxanna nodded, her full attention on Jinx. She loved listening to her talk about Zaun—her family, her friends, even the gritty details of her day-to-day life. Lux wasn’t used to stepping out of her own bubble, and before Jinx, she hadn’t even cared much about other parts of the country. But now? Every tiny fragment of Jinx’s world felt vital, like a puzzle piece to a bigger picture she was desperate to understand.

“Did your adoptive father also work in the factories?” Lux asked, her curiosity bubbling up.

“Exactly. Both him and my uncle. I mean, who didn’t?” Jinx shrugged, her fingers idly tracing the outline of the cloud tattoo on her hand. “It wasn’t exactly glamorous. I’ve already told you about my parents, right?”

Lux nodded, her expression softening. Jinx had mentioned her parents before—how they’d gotten sick from the factory air. Lux could barely wrap her mind around the weight of that loss, so she stayed quiet, letting Jinx take the lead. She wasn’t about to poke at a wound that clearly hadn’t healed.

“Well… yeah. That’s basically it. My parents met Vander in the factories, and they all became friends. Tight-knit, ride-or-die kind of stuff,” Jinx said, her lips curling into a small smile as her eyes stayed fixed on her fingers. “When my parents got sick, Vander stepped up and adopted me. Me and Vi, actually. And not long after, he quit the factories entirely. Too many people were getting sick, and I guess he decided one round of orphanhood was more than enough for us.”

Lux smiled faintly but couldn’t help noticing how Jinx’s humor seemed to soften something heavier underneath. She wasn’t trying to draw attention to it—that much was clear. It was just her way of keeping things light, of brushing off the weight of everything she’d been through. And yet, it made Lux see her in a different light—a girl who had learned to turn her struggles into punchlines, even if the cracks in her armor were still there.

Still, Lux listened in silence, letting Jinx speak freely, her focus entirely on creating a space where Powder could feel at ease. She didn’t pretend to understand what it was like to grow up the way Jinx had, but she wanted to be someone Jinx could rely on, whether for the hard stuff or the good. By now, Lux knew there was no going back to the life she’d had before Powder. Jinx was a part of her world, and Lux wanted to know it all—every story, every layer.

“He sounds like a good man,” Lux said softly, her hand moving to cover Jinx’s with a gentle squeeze. The gesture was unusual for her; she wasn’t one to initiate physical contact, too shy, too guarded. But with Jinx, it was different. “And I think your parents would rest easier knowing you and your sister have someone who cares for you so much.”

Jinx’s lips curved into a small, almost bashful smile as she returned the squeeze. “Thanks, Lumus. That… That was really sweet of you to say.”

Lux nodded, smiling back in her quiet way. “It’s true. You’re an amazing person. I think your dad must have had a lot to do with that.”

Jinx raised her eyebrows, the teasing glint returning to her eyes. “An amazing person, huh? You really think so?”

Lux groaned, looking away as if the moment had been snatched from her grasp. “And there goes our moment.”

“What?!” Jinx gasped, clutching Lux’s hand dramatically. “We were having a moment?! Like, a real moment?!?”

Lux shook her head, biting back a laugh. “Oh, my God. You are impossible .”

Jinx grinned, leaning back in triumph as she stretched her arms lazily over her head. “Yeah, but you like me anyway. Admit it.”

Lux opened her mouth, likely to protest, but Jinx was already sliding out of the booth with a dramatic gesture. “So, now that we’ve had our ‘real moment’ or whatever, what do you say we take this show on the road, Luxie?”

Lux tilted her head, blinking in mild confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Jinx said, gesturing toward the diner’s door, “we’ve been cooped up in here long enough. Let’s go for a walk. There’s a park down the street that’s kinda nice at night—well, ‘nice’ in the ‘nobody’s there to bother us’ sense, not the ‘Demacian garden with fancy hedges’ sense.”

Lux hesitated, glancing out the diner window. The streetlights outside flickered faintly, casting uneven patches of light on the sidewalk. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

Jinx snorted, grabbing her phone from the table. “Safe? Pfft. Luxie, it’s me. If anyone even thinks about messing with us, I’ll hit ‘em with my best ‘scary Zaun girl’ glare.” She widened her eyes dramatically and scrunched her face into a mock-snarl that made Lux laugh despite herself.

“Wow,” Lux said, standing up to join her. Her gaze lingered a moment longer than she intended on Jinx’s exposed abdomen. Quietly, her mind noted how much she admired the delicate curve of Powder’s skin, and how the crop top effortlessly revealed just the right amount.

Lux quickly shook her head, her heart picking up a little speed.

“Terrifying. Truly. I’m quaking in my boots.”

Lux forced a smile, but her mind felt like it was wandering. Again .

“As you should be,” Jinx shot back, sliding out of the booth and holding her phone in one hand. She glanced toward the counter where Sevika was cleaning up. “Hey, Sev! I’ll settle up later, alright?”

The woman barely looked up, waving her hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make it a habit, Jinx.”

“Thanks, you’re the best!” Jinx grinned, spinning on her heel to head for the door.

Lux, however, stopped in her tracks. “Wait a second.” She turned to Jinx with a raised eyebrow. “You can’t just leave without paying! I should pay—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jinx spun back around, hands raised as if to physically block Lux. “Hold up, Blondie. I invited you, remember? That makes me the host, and hosts don’t let guests pay.”

“But it’s not fair! I ate just as much as you did—maybe more.” Lux crossed her arms, looking uncharacteristically stubborn.

“Exactly! Which means I get the moral victory of feeding my very classy, knife-and-fork burger-eating guest.” Jinx smirked, clearly pleased with herself.

Lux sighed, her resolve faltering. “I don’t know... It doesn’t feel right.”

“Too late!” Jinx chirped, darting toward the door and holding it open for her. “Debate is over. Let’s go before Sev changes her mind.”

Lux chuckled despite herself as she stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against her skin. “Fine, but next time, I’m paying.”

“Good luck with that,” Jinx teased. “But seriously, it’ll be fun. Fresh air, stars—if the smog isn’t too bad—and maybe even some stray cats. You like cats, right?”

“Cats are fine,” Lux replied, shaking her head at Jinx’s antics. “But I think I like the idea of stars more.”

“Well, don’t get your hopes up too much,” Jinx teased, falling into step beside her. “But hey, even if there’s no stars, you’ve got me. And I’m basically a constellation in human form. Very rare. Highly coveted.”

Lux rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, shaking her head as they strolled down the street. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet, here you are,” Jinx said with a smug grin. “Walking with me to a semi-shady park. Must mean you’re enjoying my company, right?”

“Don’t push it.” Lux muttered, though her cheeks betrayed her, turning pink despite herself.

Fortunately, the park Jinx was talking about wasn’t too far away. After just a short walk, the two girls stepped into the small, unassuming space. Like most of Demacia, the park was blanketed in neatly trimmed green grass, its surface broken only by clusters of trees and a scattering of picnic tables. The dim yellow glow from old streetlights lent the area a calm, almost nostalgic feel. The trees, though still tall and imposing, were shedding their leaves little by little, signaling the quiet approach of winter. Despite its simplicity, the park had a charm that Lux couldn’t deny.

She glanced at Jinx, who walked beside her with an easy confidence, her shoes crunching softly against the grass. The way Jinx seemed so at ease made Lux wonder if she had visited that place before.

“Have you been here before?” the blonde asked, her voice light with curiosity. She remembered that Jinx had only recently passed her League of Legends team test, but the idea of her living in Demacia still felt so new. “It doesn’t seem like this is your first time.”

I wonder if she’s been here with her girlfriends before. Girlfriends. Lux frowned slightly at the thought, a little prickle of discomfort stirring in her chest.

“Yeah,” Jinx said with a casual shrug. She closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a deep breath of the cool night air. “I’ve been in Demacia for a few days.”

“Right.” Lux replied, her voice quieter now.

Her gaze drifted back to the trees, though her thoughts were anything but serene. Sevika’s offhand comment at the diner—about Jinx and her girlfriends—was still stuck in her mind, and she hated how much it bothered her.

Why am I even thinking about this? she scolded herself silently.

They were friends. That was all. She and Jinx had talked almost every day until that awkward stretch when she’d ignored her messages. But it wasn’t like there had been enough time for Jinx to move to Demacia, settle in, and start dating someone without mentioning it… right?

Lux bit her lower lip, the irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. It wasn’t like she cared. Except she kind of did , and that realization made her even more annoyed—with herself most of all.

“Lux! Look!” Jinx pointed toward a clearing at the end of the park, where the dense trees opened up to reveal a patch of grass bathed in pale moonlight. The light from the streetlamps didn’t quite reach there, but the soft glow from the sky above made the space feel almost magical. “Let’s go. We’ll be able to see the stars better from there.”

Lux followed Jinx’s gaze, her lips curving into a hesitant smile. “You’re sure it’s… safe?”

“Lumus, it’s a patch of grass, not a monster’s lair,” Jinx teased, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. The blonde stumbled slightly as she was led to the clearing, her heart thudding—not from the uneven ground, but from the way Jinx’s fingers felt clasped around hers.

When they reached the center, Jinx let go, flopping onto the grass without a care in the world. “Ah, perfect. Moonlight, fresh air, and the best view in Demacia,” she said, spreading her arms dramatically as she stared up at the sky and then back at the still-standing Lux.

Luxanna was glancing uneasily at the ground.

“I don’t know… What if there are ants? Or worse, spiders?”

Jinx sat up, cocking her head with an exaggerated look of disbelief. “ Seriously, Princess? You’re scared of a couple of bugs?”

“I’m not scared,” Lux huffed, crossing her arms. “I just don’t want to risk them crawling all over me, thank you very much.”

Jinx grinned, the kind of grin that always made Lux feel simultaneously annoyed and amused. “C’mon, Princess. Live a little. I promise, no bug dares to mess with the Jinx.” She patted the ground next to her. “Besides, I’ve got your back. If a scary ant shows up, I’ll glare it into submission.”

Lux let out a reluctant laugh, rolling her eyes. “You’re a goof.”

“And yet you’re still here,” Jinx said smugly, leaning back on her elbows. “Now sit. I saved you the best spot.”

Sighing, Lux finally lowered herself to the ground, though she kept her knees hugged to her chest. Jinx gave her an approving nod before lying back again, gazing up at the stars.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence filled only by the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional distant chirp of a cricket. Lux tilted her head back, following Jinx’s gaze to the stars above.

“They’re beautiful,” she said softly, almost to herself.

“Yeah,” Jinx agreed, her voice unusually quiet. Lux glanced down and saw her smiling, but not her usual mischievous grin—something softer, almost serene. “Makes you feel kinda small, huh? Like no matter how much crazy stuff happens, there’s always this huge sky just… doing its thing.”

Lux nodded, her heart stirring at the sincerity in Jinx’s tone. “I never really stopped to look at them like this. It’s… peaceful.”

Jinx turned her head slightly, her brown eyes catching the moonlight as she looked at Lux. “You should, y’know. Stop more often.”

Lux’s cheeks warmed under Jinx’s gaze, and she quickly turned back to the sky. “Maybe I will,” she murmured, though her mind wasn’t on the stars anymore. Instead, she found herself wondering why her heart felt so unsteady—like the world had shifted in some inexplicable way.

Jinx sighed dramatically, breaking the moment. “See? Told you this was better than sitting in that diner!”

Lux laughed, shaking her head. “You were right. Happy?”

“Always.” Jinx replied, her grin returning. But as Lux glanced back at her, she caught that softness in her expression again, and it made her chest tighten in a way she didn’t quite enjoy.

Lux laid back against the grass, her eyes fixed on the stars scattered across the night sky. The air was cool, crisp, but she barely noticed. Her thoughts were far too loud, colliding and tangling in ways she couldn’t quite sort out. The ache in her chest hadn’t subsided. If anything, it had grown sharper, twisting each time Jinx laughed or threw one of her effortless smiles her way.

What was this feeling?

She wasn’t naive. She knew what it could mean. But no—it didn’t make sense. They were friends, and Lux was happy for Jinx. Thrilled, even. And yet, every time she thought about Jinx, about her stepping into this bright, uncertain future, it felt like something fragile was slipping from her grasp.

Jinx nudged her side, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. “Hey, you alive over there? Or did the stars hypnotize you?”

Lux blinked, startled. “What? No, I’m… I’m fine.” She fixed her posture, brushing off imaginary specks of grass from her sleeves. “I was just thinking.”

“Dangerous.” Jinx teased, her grin wide.

Lux rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling back. “Seriously, though,” she said, her tone softening. “What’s it going to be like? You know, with your team. Living with them, training, all of it. Are you ready for that?”

Jinx tilted her head, considering the question. “I mean, it’s gonna be weird, right? New people, new rules. But I’m not worried. I’ve always been good at making stuff work.”

Lux hummed in response, her gaze drifting back to the sky. “Do you think you’ll like it? Being part of a team, I mean.”

Jinx shrugged, the movement casual, but her voice carried a faint trace of something deeper. “I think I will. I mean, it’s what I’ve been working toward, you know? Finally getting here feels… right.”

Lux nodded, her lips curving into a small smile. “You’ll be great. I know you will.”

They sat there in silence, the night around them filled with the faint rustling of leaves.

And then, before she even realized it, Lux’s voice slipped out, almost too quiet to be heard. “What about your girlfriends?”

Jinx blinked, turning her head toward her. “Huh?”

Lux’s heart stopped. Her cheeks burned as she realized what she’d just said. “I mean… Sevika mentioned… something about that earlier,” she stammered, her words tripping over themselves. She quickly looked away, feigning an interest in a distant patch of trees. “Not that it’s any of my business or anything. I just—never mind.”

Her fingers fidgeted nervously with the hem of her sweater, her chest tightening even more. Why had she said that? Why couldn’t she just let it go?

The silence stretched between them, heavy and charged, as Lux braced herself for whatever Jinx might say next.

“Girlfriends…? Wait. You’re talking about what Sevika said at the diner?” Jinx’s eyes widened in confusion. “There’s no girlfriend.”

“Huh?” Lux blinked, feeling more awkward by the second. She’d barely meant to bring it up, let alone dive into it, but now she was too curious. “Really?”

“Really.” Jinx shrugged, scratching the back of her neck, clearly a little embarrassed. “Unless you count the League’s marketing people, or that other rookie who made it onto one of the teams, as girlfriends.”

Lux nodded, still a bit confused about this other rookie. But Jinx, noticing her confused look, quickly added:

“It’s just that another girl passed the tryouts for the new season. Maybe you remember her? She competed in that championship where we met, here in Demacia.” Lux vaguely remembered the pink-haired girl, but the name still escaped her. “Yeah, well, the League thought it’d be fun to film an introduction video for both of us since we’re on rival teams… And we’re the only women playing at the highest level. But if there’s one thing she’s not, it’s my friend. Or even my girlfriend. Eww .”

Lux mentally cursed herself for even bringing it up, but at the same time, she laughed in relief, glad the awkwardness in her chest was easing.

“You two don’t get along very well, I assume?” Lux asked, glancing at Jinx with a hint of curiosity.

“Not at all.” Jinx shrugged dramatically, lying back down on the grass again. “She’s a pain in the ass. Just like you, she grew up in Demacia, but you two are completely different. She’s insufferable.”

“I don’t know if I’m happy or sad about that information. Not all people from Demacia are like that, you know?” Lux chuckled softly, lying down next to Jinx. She was still a little reluctant, her eyes scanning the ground to make sure no ants were planning an ambush on her hair. “I think you’d get along well with my friends.”

Jinx propped herself up, clearly interested, and lightly bumped Lux’s shoulder with a mischievous grin. “Really? It’s been a while since you mentioned them. How’s my bud Janna?”

Lux rolled her eyes, her gaze turning upward to the dark sky. The stars seemed to be putting on a slow, quiet show, their soft glow beckoning anyone willing to stop and admire them. Jinx was right. Maybe she should take a moment to pause, to just sit back and let herself be caught up in the simple beauty of it all.

“Janna is fine, thank you,” the Crownguard replied. 

“No stolen math homework, though?”

“No stolen math homework,” Lux replied, still chuckling. “Unbelievably so. Since she got caught up with her trigonometry teacher, she’s been working hard. But to tell you the truth, I think it’s because her parents confiscated her credit card because of her grades.”

Jinx raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk creeping onto her face. “Credit card, huh? You really do live in an alternate reality. My father would kill me before he’d hand his precious card over to me.”

Lux couldn’t help but laugh. “For some reason, you don’t strike me as the most responsible person in the world with a credit card.”

“I’m pretty responsible, okay? You only say that because I’m from Zaun.” Jinx turned to face her, her expression suddenly more serious, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. “And for the record, that’s kinda racist.”

Lux stared at her, wide-eyed. “Racist? You…”

Before she could protest, Jinx burst into laughter, her whole body shaking with amusement.

“You’re an idiot.” Lux muttered, pouting, though she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips.

As she watched Jinx laugh, Lux found herself captivated by the girl next to her. The way Jinx’s laughter lit up her face, the way her eyes glowed in the moonlight—it was impossible not to notice. Jinx was undeniably beautiful, and Lux couldn’t help but feel a little caught in her presence. Her heart did a funny little flip in her chest. She quickly shoved that thought aside, though, as if it were some distraction she wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

She kept her gaze away from Jinx’s lips this time, focusing on the stars instead. But as the seconds passed, Lux realized that every time she tried to stop thinking about Jinx, the girl’s smile, her playful tone, and that spark in her eyes only made her thoughts circle back.

Throughout the night, her thoughts kept drifting back to Jinx, and that couldn’t be a good sign. She could deny it all she wanted, but she already had an inkling of what was happening to her. And she knew how much it threatened the reality she had meticulously planned, down to the smallest detail. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. This time, it was almost as if she was giving in to it all.

Lux’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shift in the air. Before she could even process it, Jinx was suddenly hovering over her, fingers wiggling dangerously close to her ribs.

“Noooo!” Lux gasped, trying to squirm away, but Jinx was already relentless, her fingers digging in with playful precision. “St-stop it!” Lux laughed, her voice breathless as she tried to twist out of Jinx's reach, but it was no use. Jinx was fast, and soon she had her trapped.

“Who’s the idiot now?” Jinx teased, her grin wide and mischievous as she continued her ticklish assault. “You think you can call me ‘idiot’ and get away with it? Not a chance!”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Lux squealed, her voice shaking with laughter. “I was just... just... messing with you!”

“Messing with me? You were practically calling me a goof the entire time,” Jinx giggled, making another pass at her ribs, pushing Lux into a fit of laughter that she couldn’t control.

“I did not!” Lux protested, breathless from laughter, but it was no use—she couldn’t help but laugh even harder. “I just... I just don’t like when you make fun of me, okay?”

“ Uh-huh , sure, ‘don’t like it’,” Jinx retorted with a grin, leaning in closer, trapping Lux beneath her. “Is that why you kept calling me a ‘goof’ all night?”

Lux tried to retaliate, her hands reaching for Jinx’s sides in an attempt to stop the tickling, but the moment she touched her, she was suddenly pulled into the chaos. They were both tumbling, laughing, trying to tickle each other while avoiding getting caught themselves. Before either of them realized it, they had rolled into a tangled mess, Lux now lying half on top of Jinx.

They paused, breathless from laughing so hard, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. Lux found herself looking down at Jinx, her face mere inches away. The way Jinx’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight, the way her hair fell messily around her face—it was impossible to ignore how close they were. Lux’s heart fluttered in her chest, her thoughts scattering as she tried to steady her breathing.

Jinx’s smile softened, and Lux’s gaze dropped to her lips—soft, inviting, just within reach. The air around them seemed to thicken, the space between them growing smaller with every passing second. Lux couldn’t look away, the pull between them undeniable, like gravity itself was drawing her in.

Suddenly, Jinx reached up with one hand, brushing a strand of hair away from Lux’s face, her fingers lingering just for a moment longer than necessary. Lux’s breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening as she felt the warmth of Jinx’s touch on her skin.

They were so close now, their faces only inches apart, and Lux could feel Jinx’s breath against her lips. The world seemed to disappear around them, and all Lux could focus on was Jinx’s eyes, her lips, the feeling of her body beneath her, and the quiet tension that had built up between them.

Just as their faces tilted closer, as if drawn by some invisible force, the soft sound of a rustling in the grass interrupted them.

A small kitten appeared out of nowhere, bounding into the clearing with a loud meow. The sudden intrusion sent both girls leaping apart in surprise.

“Wha—?!” Lux gasped, her heart racing, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She quickly sat up, her hands fumbling as she tried to get her bearings.

Jinx let out a small, startled laugh, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Lux, still breathless, could barely bring herself to look at Jinx.

“Seriously? A cat? Of all things?” Lux said with a soft laugh, trying to shake off the strange tension that lingered in the air.

The kitten, oblivious to their flustered state, jumped up to Lux’s feet and started playfully batting at her shoes.

Jinx chuckled, a carefree smile on her face as she reached down to pet the kitten. “Well, looks like you made a new friend.”

Lux smiled, feeling the last remnants of awkwardness start to dissipate as she watched the kitten play. “I guess I did,” she replied softly, her heart still racing a little from the moments that had almost unfolded between them.

They both laughed quietly, their focus shifting entirely to the kitten. The little creature was a perfect distraction, and for a few moments, the tension in the air seemed to dissolve entirely, replaced by the simple joy of the moment.

After a while, Lux glanced up at the stars, realizing just how fast the time had passed. “I think it’s getting late…”

Jinx followed her gaze and then glanced at her phone. “It’s past midnight. Guess we should probably head back.”

Lux stood slowly, brushing the grass off her clothes, but she lingered, watching the kitten one last time before she turned back to Jinx. “Yeah, you’re right. We should get going.”

Jinx stood as well, stretching her arms above her head. “Promise me something?”

Lux paused, looking at her with a gentle smile. “Another promise? What’s that?”

Jinx gave her a wide grin. “Promise you’ll keep in touch. I want to hear from you every day. Text me. We’ll talk, okay?”

Lux smiled, her heart swelling just a little at the sincerity in Jinx’s voice. “Of course, I promise.”

They both held out their pinky fingers, sealing the second promise of the day with a pinky swear.

“Every day?” Lux teased, her eyes soft and affectionate.

“Every day.” Jinx confirmed, her grin never fading.

The two of them stood there for a moment, eyes meeting in a quiet understanding. Then, without thinking, Lux stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jinx in a gentle hug.

As she hugged Jinx, Lux felt the warmth of the moment flood her chest. Her heart was still racing, the memory of the "almost kiss" fresh in her mind, but there was something deeper in the hug too. It wasn’t just the tension of what could’ve been—it was a feeling of safety, of closeness, and of something more that she wasn’t yet ready to define.

She stayed there for a few seconds, allowing herself to feel the comfort of having Jinx there, feeling the unexpected gratitude of her presence. Lux realized, almost with a start, how much she wanted this moment to last. How much she wanted Jinx in her life, even if she wasn’t sure what that meant just yet.

When she pulled back, she looked into Jinx’s eyes, her voice softer than before. “You know what?” she smiled “I’m really glad I came here today, Bombarda.”

Jinx smiled at her, a mischievous glint still in her eyes. “I’m glad you did, Lumus.”

They petted the kitten one last time and then walked together back to the street, the cool night air brushing against their skin as they strolled side by side. The moment felt timeless, even as the world around them began to stir again. When they reached the street corner, the sounds of the city slowly crept back into the night.

Lux turned to face Jinx, a soft smile on her lips. “I really will text you,” she said, her voice sincere.

Jinx’s eyes twinkled as she leaned against the streetlight, looking up at her with that signature grin. “You better, or I’ll come find you,” she teased, making Lux laugh.

With one last lingering look, Lux waved and turned to head down the street. She could still feel the warmth of Jinx’s presence beside her, and even though she wasn’t sure exactly where this connection was heading, it was something she didn’t want to lose.

And as she took a few steps away, she heard Jinx’s voice call out one last time: “Don’t forget, alright?”

Lux smiled to herself, a promise hanging in the air. “I won’t.”

With that, she continued on her way, pulling her phone out to call an Uber. The cool night air brushed against her face as she walked, the sound of her footsteps blending with the soft rustle of the trees. Her mind wandered back to everything that had happened, the laughter, the closeness, and the feeling of Jinx's presence still lingering like a warmth in her chest. It was strange, almost impossible to ignore, how something so simple had left her so tangled up in her thoughts.

She glanced back over her shoulder, half-expecting to see Jinx still standing there, but she was already gone, fading into the night like a fleeting dream. A small smile tugged at her lips. No matter what came next, she was glad she had come.

As the Uber pulled up, Lux slid into the car, her phone already buzzing with a new message. She couldn't help but smile again when she saw it was from Jinx. 

text me when u get home? just so ik ure ok

Lux's thumb hovered over the reply, and without hesitation, she typed back:

Will do!
Sent 00:37 A.M.

She settled back into the seat, the world outside blurring as she stared at the screen, feeling the lingering warmth of the evening with her. It wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

Chapter revised by   @NyctophiliaChimerical

Chapter Text

*:・ﾟ✧ Zap! Pow! Boom! Zap! Pow! Boom! ✧*: ・ﾟ
why the hell are u listening to my fucking playlist? get off!
JINX
# saves • #wlw #favorites

Limbo
Keshi

2 soon
Keshi

Into It
Chase Atlantic

Nobody Gets Me
SZA

Remember Me
Arcane

The Only Exception
Paramore

Complicated
Olivia O'Brien

Diet Pepsi
Addison Era

Good Luck, Babe!
Chappell Roan

Girls Girls Girls
FLETCHER

I Wanna Be Yours
Arctic Monkeys

Loyal
Young Bombs, Gigi Grombacher

Lie Lie Lie
MICO

Claim
drumaq, Olivia O'Brien

Doubt
Twenty One Pilots

Champion
Bishop Briggs

Blood // Water
Grandson

My House
PVRIS

Boss Bitch
Doja Cat

Still Into You
Paramore

Going Under
Evanescence

Decode
Paramore

Thanks fr th Mmrs
Fall Out Boy

In The End
Linkin Park

American Idiot
Green Day

Chapter Text

Powder

Today 1:11 A.M.
I'm home!

good good

sleep well lumus
tysm for today <3

Sweet dreams, Powder. 💛
Today 11:01 a.M.

GOOD MORNINGGGGGG
I HAVE NEWS
WAKE UP LUXIEEEE
HELLO????? WHY R U IGNORING ME
Sent 11:03 A.M.
ok this is ridiculous it's been 20 mins
Sent 11:25 A.M.

It's Thursday morning. Some of us have school, you know?

oh yeah

kinda forgot abt that, my bad
cant relate tho hehehe
the perks of being a pro 😎

So you’re not finishing high school anymore?

bro i WISH
my sister would end me before i got away with that
im just gonna finish online, no big deal
we’re almost graduating anyway

That’s true. But I do wish you could, you know, attend a regular school.

hmmmm
like YOUR school?

Not necessarily, but I suppose it would be nice to have you around.

OWWWNT
i knew i was growing on you
look at you getting all soft :,)
Don’t push it.
alright alright
i hate school but imagine me in ur fancy school lol
would be fun
plus i could annoy u 24/7 <3333
but lucky u thats not an option
my schedule is gonna be insane, like 8-12 hrs of practice daily
no way id pass school like that
ESPECIALLY ur school, miss perfect
Do not call me Miss Perfect. 💢
And of course you would pass. I would help you.
u fr rn???
Of course.
so u would study with me
for HOURS
help me w hw n stuff
and we’d hang out all the time at school
thats what ur saying????
...Yes?
😭😭😭😭😭😭
NOOOOO
NOW I REALLY WANNA GO TO SCHOOL
We can still do that even if you're not at my school.
You’ll still need help, considering you’ll be spending 12 hours in front of a computer.
We could study together if you want.
YOOOOO
I WANT IT
PROMISE ME
I promise.
why r u so nice today
u sure ur my lumus?
3 weeks ago u’d rather eat glass than do anything w me
You made me watch anime with you three weeks ago and I accepted it.
and u HATED it
which proves my point
I don’t hate anime.
but u kept whining abt not wanting to watch yuri 😠
Yet we still watched it for hours.
And I actually binge-watched One Piece and Naruto. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
HOLD UP
YOU WATCHED ONE PIECE??
WHEN
WITH WHO
Alone?
I started them while we weren’t talking.
🧐
hmmmm
u know what?
i think u missed me
Maybe I did.
this is
idk how to react
ur so soft today :(
I am soft all the time.
says the girl who called me a goof all night yesterday
You deserved it.
IF U SAY SO 😔
So why did you text me?
wow
cant a girl text her best friend just because??
Am I your best friend?
well duh
you and ekko, i guess
but focus up
What is it?
so after we said bye yesterday
i kinda went back to the park
and uhh
i took this little guy home
ISNT HE ADORABLE??
Powder.
You took the kitten from the park to your dorm?
Your SHARED dorm??
this is
not the reaction i was hoping for
but uh. yes
(pls dont yell at me)
ARE YOU INSANE?
What if he has some kind of disease?
He’s a stray, Jinx.
And what if he destroys the dorm?
Did you even ASK your teammates first?
OKAY
I ADMIT I DIDNT THINK THIS THRU
BUT
LOOK AT HIM
HES SO SMALL AND CUTE
Jinx.
ok ok ill tell the guys
YOU DIDN’T TELL THEM FIRST?
POWDER!
OKAY SORRY!!!!!
:( pls dont be mad
i'll take care of him like my own child
actually
OUR child
Absolutely not.
You got yourself into this, don’t drag me into it.
wow. you're already trying to avoid paying child support?! *sigh*

Chapter revised by   @NyctophiliaChimerical