Can you predict a storm?

The Piltovian was a strange one. Such an elusive spirit, yet she seemed as idealistic as Ashe was. In fact Ashe loved hearing the passion with which Janna spoke about her causes, about what she wished. It was something the archer could relate to, something that made her feel closer to Janna than she probably should.

And yet even after that passion, hearing the sudden request from the other woman was enough to steal the breath from Ashe’s words. It seemed so flippant, so airy, and yet for some reason Ashe still felt gravity with the request.

Cheeks turned pink, then a harsh, burning red, and she averted her gaze, turning her head away for a moment to try and hide it. She was far too proud to be a flustered girl! But, truthfully, that was what she was. Ashe was still so young, and the idea, the meaning behind such a simple act still held so much weight.

Yet she was still a naive, young woman. “He is my king in title only,” she said, barely a whisper, and her words cut short as Janna pressed their lips together anyway. Ashe inhaled sharply, a gasp of surprise that it had actually happened, that they were indeed kissing. It was only a moment of shock before Ashe melted into the kiss, arms falling around Janna with instinct.

It was far too short, however, and as Janna parted their lips after what felt like only a second, Ashe let out an unconscious whimper, a barely audible plea for it not to end. Her cheeks were on fire, however, and her breath was quivering at that point, unsure what to do with herself as she came to the sudden realization that they were so close together.

But she couldn’t find it in her to unwrap her arms, to let go of Janna. Eyes fell to those lips she had tasted just a second before and there was an overwhelming desire to taste them once more, but she held back, resisted. It was unbecoming to lose control of oneself, and she had already made such a fool of herself in this brief encounter that she refused to let it continue.

It was almost gratifying to her how much the queen wanted her. Mischievous sky blue orbs hovered over the woman before her. Janna was no fool, body language came easy to her, the same way she read men who chased after her, yearning for her attention and the touch of her supple skin.

Oh yes, Ashe was almost no different.

Yet, she was ever so different. Delicate like a single flower in an icy, barren land of winter. Her gaze held more than just want. There was a hint of ferocity in there somewhere. Perhaps even... desperation.

Janna was never one to chase, never one to give in. Yes, truly she enjoyed the queen’s company, truly she enjoyed the queen’s touch. However, she could easily withstand her desires. She very much enjoyed the game of cat and mouse.

She gently, she shook off the woman’s embrace, slowly rising, making a point to show off her figure as she did so, her curves moving like the waves of the ocean.

Janna was ethereal. Janna was beautiful. Janna was desirable.

Perhaps the queen may have her, perhaps she may not. Let her see what cards the queen would play to have her. She was tired of the woman who was too uptight, too scared to lose face.

Janna had always been an all in or nothing person.

“I will be in my chambers now, my queen.”

So she left, leaving the queen in the scent of lilies, desire and gentle breezes.

The Piltovian was a strange one. Such an elusive spirit, yet she seemed as idealistic as Ashe was. In fact Ashe loved hearing the passion with which Janna spoke about her causes, about what she wished. It was something the archer could relate to, something that made her feel closer to Janna than she probably should.

And yet even after that passion, hearing the sudden request from the other woman was enough to steal the breath from Ashe’s words. It seemed so flippant, so airy, and yet for some reason Ashe still felt gravity with the request.

Cheeks turned pink, then a harsh, burning red, and she averted her gaze, turning her head away for a moment to try and hide it. She was far too proud to be a flustered girl! But, truthfully, that was what she was. Ashe was still so young, and the idea, the meaning behind such a simple act still held so much weight.

It was a foolish, youthful whimsy at best.

But before she could try to save some face, to recover from her own naivete, Janna was upon her. Ashe’s eyes opened wide, then settled into half-lids as she realized the proximity between them, felt the breath of the other woman dancing across her lips. She couldn’t help but nuzzle her head gently into the hand that fell upon her jawline.

And yet just as quickly as the moment had begun, it was taken away, Janna retreating with a laugh. Ashe blinked a few times, almost unaware immediately at what had happened. When she did realize she parted her lips, inhaling as if ready to say something but stopping herself.

The Piltovian was a strange one. Such an elusive spirit, yet she seemed as idealistic as Ashe was. In fact Ashe loved hearing the passion with which Janna spoke about her causes, about what she wished. It was something the archer could relate to, something that made her feel closer to Janna than she probably should.

And yet even after that passion, hearing the sudden request from the other woman was enough to steal the breath from Ashe’s words. It seemed so flippant, so airy, and yet for some reason Ashe still felt gravity with the request.

Cheeks turned pink, then a harsh, burning red, and she averted her gaze, turning her head away for a moment to try and hide it. She was far too proud to be a flustered girl! But, truthfully, that was what she was. Ashe was still so young, and the idea, the meaning behind such a simple act still held so much weight.

Her answer, however, startled the mage so. Wide blue eyes stared back in mild surprise, the golden hoard that crowned her head rippling gently in the Frejlord breeze. Her body shifted ever so slightly, chin tilting, eyes flirting, pink lips, as pink as a simple rose slowly pulled into a sly smile.

They were face to face now, a leather gloved finger tracing the perfect jaw, perfect for a queen, that is. Janna’s breath gently danced upon the queen’s own pale lips before her own lips parted.

And a laugh, a laugh that chimed like glass ensued.

“Oh, my queen, is that so much your wish from me?” Janna replied, pulling away slightly from her majesty. Her gloved hand fell to her side as the grin that had taken up her features lit up her face with amusement and somewhat pride.

After all, who could have made the queen request such a thing... other than her own husband perhaps.

[[Jayce is now married to Janna for three days!]]

“And hey, that’s not really fair. If I remember correctly, you’ve asked me to surprise you about three times in a row now, when you haven’t given me a huge surprise in a few weeks.” An exaggerated melancholic tone. “I want some of the fun every now and then, you know… and frankly, you’re a lot better at this stuff than I am.”

A glance at the clock. An internal groan.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, a playful pout forming upon her lips, her voice laced with overwhelming innocence. “You seem a little… stressed.”

In an attempt to cheer her husband up, and also to avoid getting into trouble, she hopped off her stool, gently moving behind behind him, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. Gently, her head rested upon the broad shoulders, tiny giggles as merry as dancing wind chimes grazing the Hero’s ear.

“Me? Not surprising you?” she spoke in mock surprise. Gently, she squeezed him once before withdrawing her arms and leaving the kitchen, silently moving into the living room where her bag was. She returned to the kitchen a few moments later, two boxes stacked upon one another.

“Surprise!” she spoke, the dimples upon her cheeks showing as a grin crossed her features, “Please tell me you’re surprised! I planned this for ages. Look.”

One of the boxes was made of dark brown leather. Gently, her fingers pried open the box, revealing a silk inlay with a cushion resting inside. Upon the cushion, barely making a dent was a single pin in the shape of a dove perched upon a cog.

“I know its a little… feminine,” she started, looking almost nervous that her husband would not like her gift, “But you’ve been away a lot lately and I… I just wanted you to have something to remember me by.”

Her fingers nimbly pressed the pin onto his shirt, the gold shining brightly under the lights.

Sky blue hues widened slightly in surprise. Truly she was not expecting any visitors that day. A sign had been hung at the slightly rusted metal workshop of her’s which clearly stated “Do not disturb”. Bent over upon a large worktable was an engine of sorts, nuts, bolts, tools and a variety of hextech gadgets were sprawled messily upon the space as the engine roared. Her figure was almost hidden behind the large item, her golden hair pulled into a bun atop her head, eyes obscured by a pair of rather large goggles. In one hand was a welder, the flame still light as the rested upon the metal she had been working on.

“Didn’t you read–” Janna was about speak, her body turning, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. However, her words were cut short when she noticed the visitor. The familiar man she had tried to kill on one occasion, still looking similar as ever, an expression of somewhat happiness easily seen upon his visage.

“I… Yes, I returned not too long ago,” she spoke, the flame of the welder disappearing in an instant, the item gently placed upon her worktable. How the man knew of her return, she did not know. She had come back quietly, not a single soul in Piltover knowing of her whereabouts. Despite her plan to complete her new engine for Tailwind that day, Janna slowly rolled up the blueprints that lay upon the workspace, gracing the man with a smile.

“The usual does sound nice.”

As he did this however a feeling of slight panic came over him, actually feeling as if he had crossed a line with the display of physical affection. Such things from him were almost unheard of, as such he broke off the bond and took a step back.

His withdrawal was sudden, almost as though he was as surprised as she at the hug. A chuckle came from the blonde, eye sparkling in amusement as she turned away to her workbench once more, picking up the bits and pieces, carelessly placing the metal into a heavy container.

“Me?” she replied as she turned, leaning against the workbench, looking a thoughtful expression etched across her features, wondering what to begin. Slowly, she pushed herself off the metallic surface, moving past Astran toward the hangar exit, holding the metal door open for the man.

“That, itself is a story of its own. Perhaps today I shall be the one to grace you with a story.”

They left her workshop, walking under the bright sunshine and the cloudless blue sky. Birds chirped above them as a warm breeze passed through her golden locks. Piltover almost looked like a pretty painting come to life.

Summer was fast approaching.

On the outside, there was calm. 

It was not the calm of a still lake, but of an open ocean, bearing the same terrible sense of waiting. 

Then, all at once, the sea gave way to sky, the air thinned back to a breathable level within the ninja’s lungs, and the room seemed to be more brightly lit. The touch came as a surprise to him; so focussed had he been on her eyes, a spear may have pierced his heart without him knowing. At first it made him twitch, as he still bore uncertainty how she planned to finally respond. 

She plans on sadly rebuking me… feigning sorrow to empathize me… 

The next moment, his paranoia was banished from his mind, and the soft lips pressed against his own spread a coolness in to his soul. As though an earthquake had just ceased, Zed’s mind stilled. When they parted, it remained, and he slowly let go of the breath which had unwittingly been stayed in his chest. 

He tried to think of what to say. Was there anything to say? An expression of thanks? To repeat his statement? Even in his confusion, he smiled. His head hung a bit, with eyes closed, until he looked at her once more.

Not in a million years. 

Resting her head against his broad chest, she listened to the steady thumps of his heart, feeling content and... surprisingly happy. This man who angered her, who drove her up the wall with her stubbornness, who she thought was a merciless killer at meeting, was in love with her. A strange turn of events. Pleasant, nonetheless. 

“We should get back to work soon,” she whispered, a single finger tracing patterns upon the front of his top. It was almost disappointing to leave where she right then, finally understanding why she enjoyed the warmth of his skin a little too much. And she wished she never had to leave his embrace. 

“Underestimating opponents more often than always lead you to your fall. In this case, this was my mistake. And now I shall pay the price for it.”

No, this is the time, I must take my opportunity.

“Janna, I wish to be…” 

With every word that his mind cycled through, his frustration grew. There was a tremor to the hand that faced away from her, tapping on his own thigh silently, as if trying to torture the information from his fingers by drumming them against his leg. Instead of letting his anxiety trickle in to his voice, the common answer was to breathe out through his nose, before picking back up with an inhale. 

The common phrase, as crass as it was, kept wheeling around in his mind, and the terrified stance of the wind mage made him all the more desperate not to have to say such a frontal statement. The margin dividing suspense and boredom fast approached, though, and with a hard swallow to ensure his voice would not crack, he faced her fully.

However, for the first time in her life, the words held meaning, they held sincerity. For the first time in her life, she did not doubt the words, the man had, after all, saved her life countless of times, threw his safety away simply for her sake. She would not be here if it were not for him, she would most likely be scared, hidden away in Piltover or worse...

I could be dead. Zed saved me.

Despite that, she knew, whatever feelings she had for him ran deeper than just simply thankfulness and owing someone else a life. It ran deeper than just knowing the man would throw his life away for her, it ran deeper than just him being a safe place for her.

He was protector. He was rock and now...

Janna swallowed, reminding herself to breathe once more, her breath somewhat constricted. She wasn’t sure how long she had been standing there, simply gazing up at the towering ninja before her, her expression blank, as his crimson eyes stared on, never once blinking, desperately awaiting a response from her.

“You love me?” she asked, her voice somewhat cracked, feeling almost as though she wanted to cry. Her fingers wrapped around a lock of golden hair, gently tugging on it with uncertainty, trying to wrap her head around the entire situation. 

Zed is in love with me.

Gently, her fingers moved, carefully tracing his perfect jaw, her skin feeling the stubble and scars before slowly pushing herself up onto the tips of her toes, her lips reaching for his, brushing against his skin tenderly, planting a small kiss, as gentle as a spring breeze.