#yasven

Can't bid if 't be true thou art the loveth 'r the foe.

-Illusory

I have been shipping YasVen since Wind Hobo™ came out on December 2013 and just—I've been sitting on an idea for a week now.

So Yasuo is going to Bilgewater, right? And judging by Awaken and the Sisterhood of War, Riven is captured and drafted back to Noxus.

What if, Riven escapes, and tries to find a ship back to Ionia? Or be on the run all over Valoran? Cool, right?

BUT WHAT IF—

THEY MEET. When seeking a ship, where does one go in Valoran? Bilgewater. They could meet there. Or perhaps they could meet on the road as Yasuo travels more inward into the mainland. But however they cross paths, they become unlikely allies that have adventures all over Valoran, fighting Noxians, bandits, mercenaries and more.

Then IDK, he drops her back to Asa at Ionia and goes back to being a hobo bc he has talent in being one?

Or the

"Where are you going now?"

"Anywhere. I've no home to belong to."

"You belong with us now Yasuo."

Trope. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Either way I need my Yasuo/Riven adventures goddammit

Here's a small part that should get u in the mood, BTW Caitlyn feels so real in this particular scene, hope u enjoy.

-x-

Gentle shaking was what awoke Yasuo. His eyes fluttered open as the gentle motion rocked him. As he shifted, the hand left his shoulder, evidently satisfied that he was awake.

"Yasuo. Get up," said a very familiar voice. Dimly, he realized that whoever it was, they must have been calling his name for some time.

He straightened, sitting up on the bench with a groan, pressing palms to his temples as the world tilted dangerously before him. Already, he could feel the beginnings of his inevitable hangover as an uncomfortable prickling set in behind his eyes. Once the feeling of nausea had passed, he looked up at who had woken him and squinted against the bright light of the hallway lanterns.

Though he could only see their silhouette, the shadow of the large hat made it obvious who it was. After all, there was only one person in the League who wore such a ridiculous hat. Not that he would ever tell her it was ridiculous.

Caitlyn.

As his vision adjusted to the light, he thought he could see the smug smile on her face.

"Have a nice nap, love?" she asked sardonically as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and crossed her arms. She had traded her Sheriff's outfit for a simple purple top and frilly purple skirt that only just covered her thighs. For an officer of the law, Yasuo often thought she had a less than scrupulous taste in clothing. He let his eyes wander up past her ankle-high boots and up her smooth legs before they came to rest on her face. Yasuo looked at her for a moment more, meeting her amused gray eyes before groaning again and covering his eyes with his right hand; the light from behind her was still painful.

"Why is it you?" he asked as he lowered his hand at last. "Of all the people in the Institute…"

Caitlyn's smile grew. "Don't think yourself lucky, love. When we're all cooped up here, the chances of running into one another are higher than you'd think."

Yasuo waved a hand dismissively and Caitlyn chuckled. He took several steadying breaths before he spoke again.

"Where are Jayce and Vi?" he asked as he realized that the Piltover triumvirate was not complete. To his surprise, Caitlyn stiffened and her expression hardened as she tightened her arms around one another.

"They're not here," she said tightly. Yasuo raised an eyebrow – both at the obvious statement and at her tone.

"It doesn't take a Sheriff to see that," he said carefully. "I just thought they'd be with you."

"They were. Not anymore."

"Where'd they go?" he asked casually.

"Back to Jayce's room. Or Vi's. Or maybe somewhere else. I don't know; I left before I could hear much else."

Yasuo straightened, interested. "Together? They left together?"

Caitlyn nodded curtly, and she uncrossed her arms, placing her hands on her hips and looking away from Yasuo. "Maybe my wishes will come true and they'll finally sleep together," she said with a faintly bitter tone. "Then I won't have to deal with them flirting anymore. Heavens knows it's such a bother."

"You don't sound all that happy about it," muttered Yasuo without meeting her eyes. Though he was obviously interested in her reaction, he was approaching the subject as carefully as he could. The last thing he wanted was a red dot on his forehead and a bullet in his brain. Death was not so… temporary off of the Rift.

Caitlyn smiled thinly. "I'm not. If I have trouble dealing with them now when they're not sleeping together, I can only imagine how it'll be if they start." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I can already see the paperwork… oh, my poor fingers," she said as she cracked her knuckles for emphasis.

Yasuo chuckled uneasily and Caitlyn shot him a glare that was only half-serious. She had a valid point about having to deal with them as their friend if they became a couple, but he could not shake the feeling…

He cleared his throat. "So you're not jealous?" he asked meekly. Caitlyn stared at him.

"Jealous? Why on earth would I be jealous?" she asked, sounding very genuinely surprised. "What are you on about?"

"Oh. I thought maybe…" His voice trailed off timidly, and after another moment of staring incredulously at him, Caitlyn let out a loud laugh. Her laughter rang out through the halls as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. Yasuo felt his face redden. There's no need to laugh that much…

Her laughter continued even as he squirmed uncomfortably on the bench, looking around the hallway to make sure no one saw him being laughed at by Caitlyn. To his relief, there was no one in sight.

"Oh, you wanker!" she gasped once she could finally breath again. Still laughing, her speech was halting and broken. "You thought- You thought I had feelings for one of them, didn't you?"

"No."

"You bugger," she said with a grin. "You're lying, I can tell. Tell me the truth, Yasuo."

"Well, not anymore," he corrected himself stiffly. Caitlyn wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes, shoulders still shaking.

"Oh, I'm sorry for my rudeness, love," she said quickly and still unsteadily. "It's just… that's so bloody ridiculous!"

"I can see that now."

Caitlyn, still giggling, sat down on the bench beside him. The edges of her hat brushed his hair as she leaned back. "I didn't mean to laugh at you, love. But I'm being quite serious: I don't have feelings for either of them."

Yasuo glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes as she said it; her tone had changed drastically. Her eyes and her face were filled with a bitter sadness, and though how she said it was with complete conviction, her expression lacked that same conviction. The laughter had fled her face, leaving it sorrowful and morose. She was silent, staying ahead of her at the opposite wall of the corridor with blank eyes as Yasuo watched her. Just when he was about to ask her if she was fine, she spoke again.

"And besides," she started briskly as if realizing how she looked. "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter: do you know how mad it is to date a friend, love?" She shook her head vigorously, sending her hat trembling. "Absolutely barmy. Honestly, I wouldn't want the trouble." She sighed. "Unfortunately, if this goes on like I think it's going to, it's going to be even worse for me than either of them, I wager. I'd still have to deal with the both of them if they start to ignore each other."

"That doesn't sound fun."

Caitlyn cracked another small smile. "It won't be."

Yasuo sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back on the wall behind him. "Well, Caitlyn," he muttered. "I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks, love." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What happened to you?" she asked finally.

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled without opening his eyes; the light was still painful.

"You took a while to wake up, love. You must been drinking quite a lot. Trying to forget something… or someone?" she added slyly.

"I've just got a lot of things on my mind," he said, ignoring the second part of her question.

"A woman?"

Yasuo opened his eyes to glare at her. "No, not a woman. Not everything men think about is about women, Caitlyn."

The Sheriff's shoulders brushed against his as she shrugged. "But much of it is," she said idly. She narrowed her eyes at him in scrutiny. "Come on, love. I'm not Valoran's Greatest Detective for no reason."

"Is that you?" said Yasuo nonchalantly. "And here I was under the impression that it was Vayne. Silly me."

That struck a nerve; even though he had known both women for a short time, he knew that Vayne and Caitlyn had an almost friendly rivalry over who was the better investigator. He knew that although the Night Hunter and the Sheriff of Piltover were close, at many times they would butt heads over their differing methods, and their normally warm relationship would ice over. But the two women always maintained a professional respect for one another, even if their friendship would occasionally turn icy. He had seen them many times at a table together, heads together as they conversed quietly on what he could only imagine were cases. He knew that they consulted each other, and at times they would work together and ask favors of one another.

Caitlyn's eyes flashed in anger at the sound of her friend's name, and she stiffened, hands clenching at her sides. "Yes, well, unlike my colleague the Night Hunter," she said shortly. "I operate within legal parameters." She held the hard expression for a moment longer before a sly smile twitched her lips and softened it. "Besides, I consider it a handicap for her. It's only fair, the poor girl."

Yasuo let a grin of his own cross his face. "Don't let her hear you say that. And you can't tell me you haven't ever… stretched the law a bit. Not once asked Vi to rough a criminal up a little or Jayce to investigate a suspect's home on his free time?"

"Not once." She had answered it smoothly and without a hint of a lie, but the grin on her face gave it away.

Chuckling, Yasuo shook his head. "You and Vayne are worse than Vi and Jayce."

"We are not!" exclaimed Caitlyn, scandalized. Yasuo shrugged, and Caitlyn scoffed. "You're just saying that to get me off topic, aren't you?" she asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Maybe," said Yasuo as he inspected his fingernails. He did not have his sword with him, so there was little else to pretend to be interested in.

"I knew it," said Caitlyn as she shifted on the bench to face Yasuo. "Were you thinking about her?"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Caitlyn looked at him with eyebrows raised in skepticism. "Come on, love," she said with a sigh. "I know who she is. Don't make me say her name – for your sake."

Yasuo pressed his lips tightly together and looked away pointedly.

"That bad, huh?" said Caitlyn quietly. "Maybe you should try to talk to her, Yasuo."

"Again, I still don't know what you're talking about."

Caitlyn growled in exasperation, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands in the air. "Fine. If you're going to be difficult, so can I. Riven, Yasuo. Talk to Riven."

Yasuo's eyes flashed to her, and he quelled the surprise in his chest. "How'd you know?" he asked finally, his voice low.

Caitlyn tapped the rim of her hat. "Valoran's Greatest Detective, remember? Don't worry, love, other than me and maybe Vayne, I don't think a lot of people suspect it." She scrunched her nose, her brow furrowing. "And I don't think Shauna gives much of a damn, either. Relationships aren't really her cup of tea, so to speak."

"If you know about… her, then you know the feelings I have for her aren't romantic in the slightest," he said, his voice still low and dangerous. "She killed my master, Caitlyn. She's the reason I've suffered these past years."

"The rest of Ionia doesn't seem to believe you, love," she said softly. "And I can't but feel like you're lying to yourself about your own feelings."

"That's their problem," he said coldly, once again ignoring the second part of her comment. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you think, Caitlyn? Do you believe me, or do you think I'm a liar, just like all the other Ionians do?"

Caitlyn kept his gaze for a silent minute, her gray eyes searching his intently before she looked away. Sighing wearily, she lifted her hat as she brushed her hair back. "I believe you, love," she said at last once she had placed her hat back on her head. "I don't think you did it." She smiled humorlessly. "But even I have to admit… the evidence is compelling. An Elder killed at the temple you were tasked to guard. Killed by a wind technique when the only known user of those techniques was you. Once you were confronted, you chose instead to run rather than turn yourself in. You have to admit, it seems like an open-and-shut case."

"The evidence is compelling and the case is open-and-shut only for those who had already made up their minds. They didn't so much as give me a chance to explain myself. They were going to execute me right there without a trial or anything."

"Whatever the case may be…" she muttered. "If you're not going to talk to Riven, why not talk to one of her friends? Maybe you can understand her better that way. If you want to understand her better at all."

"All of her friends are Ionians," he said simply. "I doubt they're in much of a mood to talk to me." But even as he said it, he thought of Lee Sin. The Blind Monk had always been more receptive of him, and silently, he made a promise to speak to him some time later. Caitlyn was watching his facial expression, her eyes flickering back and forth across his face.

"You've thought of something," she noted.

"Maybe."

Yasuo stood, and Caitlyn watched him as he placed a hand to the wall beside him to steady himself. With his conversation with Caitlyn, he had almost forgotten that he was still drunk. He closed his eyes to help abate the nausea as he caught his breath. Once he found he could stand without his legs shaking, he opened his eyes once more. Caitlyn kept her eyes trained onto him, the amused expression returning as she watched him stumble.

"I'd almost forgotten you were completely sloshed, love," she said in barely contained delight.

"So did I," he said with a groan. It's going to be a long night… Damn you, Gragas.

"You're a very cogent drunk, you know that, Yasuo?" she added as she stood as well. "You were very articulate this whole time."

Yasuo chuckled. "I've been drunk a lot, Caitlyn. You get used to it after a while. Soon enough, people don't even know you're drunk." He closed his eyes as another wave of vertigo washed over him. "Sometimes you can even fool yourself," he added with a wince.

Caitlyn looked at him, this time her eyebrows raised in more derisive amusement. "Whatever the reason, I hope this teaches you a lesson or two."

"I doubt it; I'm not a very good listener."

"I'd imagine not, love." The Sheriff gave a friendly tip of the hat as she also turned to leave. "Well, until next time, Yasuo."

"What are you going to do tonight?" he asked suddenly as she began to walk away.

Caitlyn paused, and when she turned, there was another, more unreadable smile on her face. "Me? Why do you want to know, Yasuo? You want to ask me on a date?"

Yasuo shrugged. "No, I'm just curious."

Caitlyn sighed, and Yasuo could not tell if it was from disappointment or something else. "I'm going to go to my apartment, take a nice long bath – preferably with candles, bubbles and slow music and most definitely alone – then I'm going to go to sleep. I'm going to need my rest for whatever disaster happens tomorrow between Vi and Jayce. And you?"

"Lie down and wait until this hangover goes away," he said with a groan. "Hopefully I won't succumb to the temptation to kill myself to end it sooner."

Caitlyn laughed. "Maybe you should drink less."

Yasuo scoffed. "Drink less? What kind of a suggestion is that?"

"A reasonable one."

"Reasonable?" he repeated, aghast. "You must be even drunker than I am to be thinking such crazy things."

Caitlyn laughed again, turning away and waving farewell over her shoulder. "Good night, Yasuo."

As Yasuo watched her go, his eyes were far lower than he would normally cast them if she were facing him. He watched her slender legs stride away confidently, enjoying the view despite himself. For once, he found he rather enjoyed the Sheriff's choice in barely-there skirts. A small smile lifted the right corner of his mouth as he shook his head.

Consider us even now, Caitlyn, he thought to himself as her form disappeared completely from view; he was thinking back to the time when he had been shirtless in the League cafeteria and he had felt her gaze linger on his own body as he walked away. With a quiet chuckle and with more concentration than he would have liked for it to take, he forced the image of a Caitlyn… alone… in a bath… with bubbles… and candles… and slow music… from his mind's eye.

Now, now, Yasuo, he chided himself as he began to make his way slowly in the direction of his apartment. We can't have that. You heard her: relationships with friends are nothing but trouble. Even if she does have a nice as- nope, don't even think it, Yasuo.

But he let the image of a bathing Caitlyn linger in his mind as he walked back to his apartment. It was all in good fun, after all; he had no romantic feelings for the Sheriff, and liked her perfectly well as nothing more than a friend, though he still considered her very attractive. Especially when her flavor for clothing was a little on the risqué side. Besides, whenever he fell asleep, there was only one woman who invaded his dreams. Someone who he would much rather not have there.