#writingroxy

Even Jinx notices the pain in his eyes, but knows she can’t do anything to help him or better his mood.

He barely sleeps on those nights, always turning and tossing from side to side - reliving the dreadful day that Vander disfigured his face and changed his life forever.

But there is hope in this darkness.

You.

You have been with him since he was a young man in the rebellion. You cared for him when he came home - soaked in blood and toxic river water. You gave him a home in your heart when he had nothing.

He was not a man of many words that time, but your presence soothed his heart and soul… back then… and still to this day. During his seasonal depression, he needed you near him to actually get to sleep peacefully and sometimes, when the door to his office is locked shut, he needed your affection and affirmations during the daytime. Sometimes, you had wild sex and others, you just quietly sat in his lap with his arms around you and his head resting on your scalp.

But now… now you’re gone… for a while now. Away from him in order to do important contracts for him in Piltover.

Everyday you’re not with him is like physical torture for him. He needs you in these times more than anything…

Lost in the dark abyss of his own great mind, he sits at his desk bent over papers in an attempt to find a way to get back to work and into a rhythm.

Suddenly, there's a commotion outside his office door and just a moment later Jinx bursts in - her whole face is a firework of emotions. “MOMMY’S BACK!!!! MOMMY'S BACK!!”

Then, a little female chuckle as his beautiful woman ascends the stairs to his office. His face lights up a bit and he rises from his chair to meet her halfway.

________

You immediately notice the dark circles on your longtime boyfriend's face and you know what pain he is in.

His arms wind around you - pressing your body against his and nuzzling his head against your neck. A relieved hum leaves his chest.

One of your hands crawls into his hair, massaging his scalp, while your other strokes his back up and down.

“It’s one of those years, huh…” you note and he nods in your embrace.

“This time without you… it was painful. I’m very glad you’re back - within my reach,” he says and you can feel how his body slowly slouches against you - the insomnia of the past two weeks catching up with him.

“Then get on the couch, dearest. I'll be back very soon. I’ll get something to get your mood steady." You start walking out the door. Your head is already buzzing with the things you want to prepare for Silco and Jinx when you feel a desperate grip on your arm.

“Don’t go again…” Silco's voice is gentle but firm in your ear. You feel the hurt in his voice and it breaks you.

Your other hand wanders over his and presses it softly. Your mind is racing now on what best to do. You know he hasn’t eaten in the days you were away, so you need to feed him somehow. Then you get the idea:

“Then come with me…” you smile over your shoulder “… I bet you and Jinx are starving - so let’s prepare ourselves some yummy food.”

You take Silco's hand and he follows you willingly into your personal kitchen. You let go off his hand and walk over to the fridge, eagerly searching your mind for a suitable recipe and the fridge for the ingredients. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Silco standing in the place you left him as he looks absently at the floor. You take all the ingredients out and unfortunately overload your arms.

“Could you… would you mind helping me, dearest?” you say in an attempt to get his attention.

He immediately looks up and sprints to you , getting most of the things off you and onto the table in the middle of the kitchen.

Once everything is on the table, you pull him close into a kiss, your arms winding around his neck. Both of you indulge in this kiss for a rather long time.

When both of you couldn’t breathe anymore, you keep your arms crossed around his neck and lean your head to him.

“Come on now, let’s get my two favorite Halloween monsters fed. I thought of pumpkin cream soup and some jack-o-lantern muffins - to fit the seasonal food schedule. Is that fine for you?” You smile and he spins you around till your back is bent over the table.

“Oh I’d love that - need a hand, my little bat?” He finally has his signature smile back.

“Oh - love to, my dear vampire.”

“Then maybe I suck you dry after this cooking session and after dinner…”

“Woe me… I might need to take my time with dinner then to make it extra tasty.”

“Like you could create something that’s not tasty.”

And so you start preparing the meal for all three of you with Silco's help. Together, you cut the vegetables into small pieces. Midway, Silco gets rid of his vest and rolls up his sleeves. When his hands are not occupied cutting or stirring - they are constantly on you instead. His lips would graze your neck and he’d make little hums of pleasure.

This continues until the meal is prepared. You call for Jinx and the three of you have a great dinner together. The little Jinx enjoys the Jack-O-Lantern muffins the most, making cheerful noises when she finishes one and asks for the next.

Silco enjoys the soup most, together with a nice glass of whiskey.

After that, Jinx storms off again to work on a new invention, which leaves the cleaning to Silco and you.

“It was lovely, dearest. Your cooking never disappoints,” Silco states while drying the last bowls.

You smile, satisfied with his answer.

“Feeling better now?”

“The only thing that would round this lovely evening up, would be you and me and the comfort of our bed, behind closed doors...” his hands are on your hips again and he nibbles on your neck.

“… after all I promised to suck you dry.”

Silent Visitor

Sevika left the Drop just as she arrived, no one daring to get in her way. Better for them to think she got chewed out; The Eye of Zaun never sleeps, and she won't Sevika stomps back to the Last Drop. A fitting name since the previous job nearly cost Servika her last NERVE. Finn - not only does he stand in between Silco and his plans, but also between her and the end of her shift, between her and her last fucking cigarette!!

Almost enraged, she stomped back to Last Drop, smoking the last cigarette in her pack. Her mood is as muddy as the Undercity roads.

She could hear Silco’s temper tantrum about the shipment and Finn's involvement already.

“How could this happen?” “How could this cretin have his fingers in this operation?” “Why weren’t you on top of this BEFORE IT HAPPENED??”

White smoke left her lips. It’s of no use… she would have to take the beating and move on… but it still stings in her back.

She enters the Last Drop, shortly nods to some employees, and stomps her way up to Silco’s office. She knocks shortly and enters without waiting for an answer. The room was rather dark and instinctively her eyes searched for the little orange glow of Silcos damaged eye.

Her gaze wandered from the door to his private bedroom to her right, over the glass window behind his desk, until they reached the couch to her left.

At first, she didn’t see him in the darkness of his office, but then she saw the small orange light to her left. There he was, slumped on his couch - whiskey glass in his hand. His cravat was lying to his right side, vest wide open, with the top of his shirt unbuttoned.

But another thing caught Servika’s attention: the contraption that was next to the cravat… the syringe-like injector for his shimmer injection.

Usually, Jinx helps Silco with his injection, but judging by how this whole scene looks, Silco had to do it alone. It was obvious to her by the way everything was distributed on the couch.

It's an often enough situation for her to recognize the signs of his struggle. From the half-empty liquor bottle to his crumpled nap on the couch. Always so put together, she hardly recognized the man sleeping on the couch. His vest was undone, cravat discarded; even the top of his shirt lay open.

Sevika had known Silco for a while now. He never said it to her, but she knew the injection has gotten harder and harder for him since the river toxins slowly but steadily destroy his nerves, and without the injection, he couldn’t even hold a pen without shaking like a leaf.

Contrary to popular belief Sevika pities him. Sure she lost an arm but her post-injury struggles aren’t getting worse, Silco now lived for years with them. Hard to imagine how this guy keeps going despite it all.

With a silent sigh, Sevika picks up his injector and the glass from his hand and puts both items on his desk. Then she pulls a blanket from a small storage container in the corner of the room and pulls it over Silco’s body. With a not very graceful maneuver she managed to lay one of the cushions behind Silco's neck and lay him back against the couch.

The last part is a necessity, not a kindness.

The better the man sleeps, the less of a pain in the ass he is to her and everyone around him."

Soon after he starts to snore - finally slipping into his deep sleep.

Sevika stayed for a little while to make sure everything was ok before exiting the room. Tomorrow morning she will pay Jinx an unpleasant visit…

Leaving Silco with the injection task... unbelievable.

——————-

——

I’ve seen your face around here

Come alone, tell me under the table

What do you seek?

Welcome to the playground,

follow me

- Bea Miller, Arcane, League of Legends - Playground -

——

___________

Silco carried you the way from the River-Side-Area to the Last Drop. Upon arrival at the Last Drop all eyes were on you - again - this time in shock and horror seeing the knife embedded in your shoulder. Silco sits you down in his booth.

“Sit down - Princess, I’ll get the first aid package.” His calm tone was indeed calm for yourself. But you couldn’t let that nickname slide.

“My name is not “princess“ either.”

As he was leaving, Silco smirked over his shoulder. “Suit yourself - PRINCESS.”

You give him a groan of displeasure and leave it at that. At least you don’t try to kill each other anymore. You sit back into the upholstered seating area, but moving still is a bad idea. The short way from sitting upright to sitting back is very hurtful - did the knife hit a nerve or what?

Silco comes back with a few items: bandages, some tapes, disinfectant (namely the worst vodka you have - the one that’s not drinkable because it’s disgusting) and whiskey - one of the best bottles you have on your shelf. Upon arrival, he places all the items on the nearby table.

“Undress” he says and turns away to fetch two tumblers. Your eyes grow big.

What did he say??

He turns back to you. “Must I repeat myself? Undress.”

“Uhm no? Are you a pervert or what?”

“Undress. I know you always wear a tank top underneath.”

You were gobsmacked. How did he know? He was not wrong to be honest.

Silco rolls his beautiful cerulean eyes. “To answer your next question: I know because I’m more observant than you think. Now: Undress!”

Without contradictions, you do as he tells you on one side while he helps you on the other side. Then he hands you a cooled tumbler with whiskey.

“Drink up and don’t stop till I can see the crystal clear bottom of this glass,” he says, holding the rest of your shirt with one hand while taking a sip of whiskey himself.

After you finished the glass in one go, you looked sideways at him. “Say, Silco, have you done this before? I mean getting a knife out of someone?”

He slips you a smile and puts some of the vodka on the wound.

“Fortunately for us - I have. Now hold still; this might sting a little.”

With that, he pulls the knife out in one go which has you screaming between clenched teeth. Silco immediately puts more vodka into the wound and presses a fresh towel onto the wound. The story of your injury must have reached Vander, because he comes running right at the both of you.

“Shit, Silco, what happened to her - why is she injured???” he asks out of breath.

Silco takes a moment to think.

“She… saved me. The knife was meant for me. I was a little careless.” he admitted. Then Silco applied a compress then a can of beer and binds it with extensive pressure. Vander leaves you both to it and goes back to the bar. You marvel at his work.

“Have you been a doctor in one of your former jobs?”

He chuckles. “No…” Suddenly he hesitates “… I have an acquaintance… who is medically trained. He taught me a few things.” He takes another sip of his whiskey.

“Oh… good to know who I can come to when I have to save your butt from incoming knives again.” You smirk and the whiskey you had drunk slowly fulfills its purpose - you begin to get sleepy and fall asleep in Silco’s corner.

A few days pass and your shoulder begins to get better. It still hurts, but at least you can work again as bar manager - you trained two more bartenders (and Vander) and kept the place clean for customers. Silco checks up on you sometimes and asks about your shoulder. Then one day - Vander suddenly calls all rebels to the Drop in the middle of the day. Many men and women come together for this occasion - even Silco, who called in sick at work today. He throws you his signature smile and you answer it by smiling back.

He comes up to the counter. “Hey there, bar girl…” another sly smile on his lips “… can I get some water? Seems like my throat is a little sore…”

Bar girl? His nicknames for you get more creative with each time you meet.

“Sure, little baby boy - I’ll get you something for your throat.” You smile at yourself and Silco huffs shortly.

You get a little glass and mix whiskey, lemon juice and some honey together. An old recipe from your mom… she told you to drink this when you’re older, but that it will heal any cold symptoms.

You put it before Silco and also get him a glass of water.

“Don’t you think it’s a little early for a drink?” He picks the up glass with the mixture and turns it a few times. “…what is that by the way, sweetness?”

First bar girl - now sweetness? … well can’t say you don’t like it…

“An old family recipe against a cold… drink up and you’ll be as good as new,” you say in an attempt to still make this professional.

“If you say so…” Silco winks at you and empties the glass. Then he turns around to face the others. Suddenly the room is quiet as Vander walks in with a big map of the Undercity.

“Listen folks as you all know: if we do nothing - we get nothing…” he makes a pregnant pause “… so Silco and I thought about a few things and came up with a plan. Silco and our fantastic bar manager over there…” he points at you “… figured out that the Enforcers were transporting something that they defended quite specifically. So… we did some more digging and in about two days another convoy will come by… taking this route.” Vander lines out the trail of the convoy.

“We planned to ambush them here - at the corner of the market alley and this little brothel. There are a lot of possibilities to hide and seek shelter from the enforcers in certain areas.”

The market alley - one of the places where they would most likely expect an ambush. It would be a good idea if it wasn’t so obvious. The enforcers WILL cover this weakness for sure - you know this… you were one of them once…

“Anyone against this plan? Details follow when most of us agree,” Vander added.

You should keep your mouth shut. You MUST keep your mouth shut or they will find out that you were one of them… once with the enemy.

But you can’t. You can’t let them walk straight into their demise. Straight into the arms of the grim reaper who will shoot them down with iron weapons.

“I’m against it.”

The whole room was silent as you raised your objection.

Shit… you hate this attention on yourself.

Vander quirks an eyebrow. “Ookaay? What's wrong with it? Silco said it’s literally bulletproof.”

“Well for one…” You feel very VERY uncomfortable… “… since we interrupted their routes last time, even though by accident, they will be more on the lookout for all of us. Second…” Your finger rounds the market alley on the map. “… if I were an enforcer - I’d look out for myself especially in this area. The criminal rate in the area is not secret to anyone - so if we’re them: I’d EXPECT an ambush right here and prepare myself with smoke bombs and short range weapons. Hence why… I think this area is not the very best spot to ambush them.”

Now you’re being stared at. BY EVERYONE!

Nicely done, idiot…

"Oh, really? You think they’d expect us especially there?” Silco’s face told you that he wanted to choke the life out of you right now, since you picked apart his nice and neat plan right in front of everyone.

You’re really an idiot….

Silco’s eyes narrowed you down. “How would you do this then?”

You took a short minute to look at the map. There was a really narrow road a few blocks down from the market. Only the convoy vehicle could fit there and if you could block their path somehow, then take care of the guards and THEN disable the tracking device… you should be able to make it.

Silco sucks air into his lungs, coughs a little and is about to tear you down, when you quickly begin to talk.

“Well… see this area?” You point at the narrow road. “I’d try the operation right here. This narrow road is perfectly suited to stop the convoy. We need to get the convoy to stop about here, then take out the guards - which should be easy, since they can’t walk beside the convoy to protect it. The last steps to disable the convoy’s tracking device and get the hell out of there… then it should work… I think. I don’t have any details yet, but give me some time and information about this little passage of the road and I can fix a plan, I think…”

The room is still silent and the only two people who are not staring open mouthed at you are Silco and Vander. They looked highly concentrated at the map to imagine what you plan would look like in detail. Finally, Vander speaks again.

“How long would you need to have the plan ready for execution?”

“Depends on how much time I have left till the convoy gets there..." you answer.

“About seven days,” Vander asks a little into his own thoughts.

“Hm…” you consider everything before you “… about four days and two to build any tools we need for our plan.”

“Good… then you’ll have the lead on that. But take care of that shoulder will you?”

You roll your eyes… Everybody has to keep reminding you about injuries… little did they know you already trained with a stiff neck and open cuts on your back….

”Yeah - gonna keep it in mind.”

Vander smirks, “Good. Meeting adjourned, everyone.”

The rebels leave in all directions but you can still feel Silco’s stare in your back, like a cube of ice slowly rolling down your spine.

A hand suddenly forcefully pats your shoulder blade and you can barely resist the urge to scream. You turn your head only to see Silco’s eyes staring down on you, but instead of being scared, his cerulean eyes lock you into their spell again. You both stare at each other for a while, Silco’s hand resting on your shoulder, his eyes searching for something in yours or trying to come to a decision about you and you… can’t keep your eyes off his.

From one moment to another, he lets go and only two words leave his mouth.

”Follow me.”

You follow him, out of The Drop and along some streets you’ve never walked. He stops at an old Underwater entrance to a maritime lookout - left behind by Piltover years ago.

”Come,” he says and holds the gate open for you. Your gaze goes from him to the gate, to the entrance and back to him before you enter.

‘What a lovely place to kill someone and get rid of his corpse… hopefully he didn’t mind the thing at the gathering too much,’ you think and doubts fill your mind.

You both walk through a dark underwater corridor, where a door is opened at the end and light shines through the gap of the open door.

A man sits in the middle of a small laboratory, seemingly unaware of your presence, researching something.

Silco is the first to talk: “Singed… I have someone who needs your nimble fingers.“

The man who Silco called ‘Singed‘ turns around and eyes you. He was just as slim as Silco, but less trained than the charismatic mine worker. He eyes you up and down with the schooled eye of a doctor, that much you could gather from Singed’s gaze.

“Next room,” Singed whispered and only now you see the sleeping child next to his lab-desk. She looks so calm and peaceful, you cannot help but stare at her and envy her calm sleep.

That little smile on your face sneaks in without you even noticing, until Silco whispers in a calm, rumbly voice: “It’s rude to stare at sleeping people - at least that much your parents should have taught you.”

You snap out of your little trance.

“Yeah… right… sorry…”

Together with Silco and Singed, you walk into the next room. There, Singed indicates for you to sit on a chair.

“Silco… you bring someone here… a rarity for you. I assume that this is a stab wound?” Singed's surprisingly soft voice surprises you and you look at Silco, waiting for his answer. Singed was right - it was uncharacteristic for Silco to help someone so much.

Silco turns his head away and mutters, “None of your business… just get it done please.”

He walks back to the lab and closes the door behind him.

“Free your shoulder… it shouldn’t take long. The stab is a bit deeper, but will heal in no time once treated,” Singed stated and prepared a little operating procedure. In the matter of 20 minutes the wound sealed.

You can barely lift your shoulder, but you couldn’t do that before either.

You put on most of your clothes again, except for your jacket and extend your non-injured hand towards him.

“Thanks, Singed."

Singed shakes your hand in return, “A young lady with manners… a rare sight down here.”

“I wouldn’t have brought her here if she didn’t know how to behave…”, Silco states, suddenly leaning against the doorframe in the open door. He pushes himself off the doorframe and signals you to come along, “…no need to bother the good doctor more than you already have, Lucky Loser.”

“Hey, knock it off, Silly.”

“Don’t push your luck… or I give you a nice pat on this bandaged shoulder of yours.”

“Just for the record: you started this.”