Inspiration: I’m fucking feral at this splash art oh my fucking god. I love formal attire on people. (Oh my god those are thigh high boots on him.) Also damn, Jarro Darkfeather confirmed? Lmaooo. (I cannot think of a title for this my brain is mush I’m so sorry.)
Champion: Ezreal (tying this into my FWB!Ezreal fic general universe because I can. But like it can be read on its own.)
Genre: One-shot
Type: Mostly fluff. A teeny bit of angst to start things off but it gets fluffier. And a little suggestive at the end.
Gender: Gender Neutral reader.
TW: SPOILERS for ARCANE S2 plot points (you have been warned!!!!). Slight angst (in form of worry for the well-being of a partner). Slightly suggestive at the end. Swearing.
“Ezreal, you what??” Your voice peaked with shock and you gaped at your now sheepish-looking boyfriend.
“Shhhh! Baby! Baby, I promise I was fine. I’m here now, right? Nothing to worry about!” He gestured to himself with his hands to emphasize his point.
You breath left you in a incredulous laugh. “Ezreal Lymere, what do you mean ‘nothing to worry about?’ You were dealing with the fucking Black Rose of Noxus?? You went to a Black Rose Masquerade?! They know about you? They know you’re Jarro Lightfeather?” You couldn’t help as a touch of panic entered your voice.
Ezreal realized he needed to shift things. He gave you a small pout. “Hey…come on…you know me…Are my talents not worth the recognition?”
You hummed and pouted back, but Ezreal could see you relax a little. “You know that’s not what I meant, baby. You do deserve recognition. But the Black Rose…” You stepped closer to him and hugged him tightly. “I know you can take care of yourself. As you said, you’re here now. But Ez, the Black Rose is so dangerous. You heard how easily they were able to infiltrate Piltovan society during Ambessa Medarda’s attempted takeover. And they weren’t even on her side. What do they want with you?”
Ez wrapped his arms around you and kissed your forehead softly, reassuring you he truly was there. “They didn’t say anything specific. So I guess it really was just an introduction to each other. I don’t mean to worry you, Angel, I promise that’s not my goal. They just made their interest in me clear throughout my time in Noxus, and it didn’t seem like the smartest move to ignore them when I got the invite to the Silken Danse. I do know they’re dangerous. That’s why I didn’t want to blow them off.”
You sighed and nodded, resting your head on his shoulder. “I suppose that makes sense. But the Silken Danse,” you murmured. “What an interesting name for a party. Did you at least have fun?” You looked up at him curiously.
Ez grinned down at you. “We thought the Piltovan society parties were stuffy…oh man you havn’t seen anything like a Noxian masquerade.”
“So is that a no?” You giggled.
“Well I for sure would have enjoyed it more if you were there. You make any event a million more times fun and enjoyable.” His grin morphed into a playful smirk.
You gently pushed his chest and laughed. “You’re such a charmer, oh Prodigal explorer. Now answer my question.”
“It was…interesting, I’ll give it that. Thank fuck for the cotillion lessons we had as kids. The dance floor in Noxus is just as much of a battlefield as a gladiator arena. Knowing how to navigate around society types at least allowed for some interesting people watching.” His voice grew thoughtful as he mused.
“Anyone I’d know? Wait that might be a silly question considering it was a masquerade.”
Ezreal chuckled. “Actually there was a familiar face. You know of Renata Glasc, yes?”
You stared at him with wide eyes. “Miss Glasc was there? Oh that’s interesting…and a little alarming but…I suppose it’s fine.”
He nodded. “Those were my thoughts as well.”
“Any interesting dance partners?” You can’t help as a little tiny twinge of jealousy slipped into your tone.
He immediately shook his head and pecked your lips softly. “Nope. None of them were you.” His voice and expression were sincere.
Your cheeks blushed the slightest pink as you grinned. “Good answer, Lymere.” You said, making his smirk return to his face.
“Thank fuck I wore reinforced shoes though, otherwise my feet would have been in a lot of pain. Turns out Noxians are very hit-or-miss when it comes to dancing abilities.” He let out on a chuckle.
“Oh really? Are you sure it was them and not you?” You gently teased, even though you knew from personal experience that Ez was a surprisingly divine dancer.
You continued. “Speaking of your shoes, what else did you wear? Will you describe it for me?” You loved when Ezreal wore more formal attire, and he definitely knew this.
One of his eyebrows arched. “Now how did I know you’d ask that? I can actually do you better than just telling you. I brought the entire outfit home with me, mask included. Would you like to see it?”
You can’t help but let out a happy little gasp. “Wait really? Of course I would!”
You helped Ezreal unpack the clothes, admiring them. “Oh wow…I’ve seen you in formal wear, but never something this…intricate! The vest especially is beautiful.” You picked up the gold mask and held it up to his face. “Oh! It seems like this wouldn’t work with your hair in front, Ez. Did you push your bangs back?”
He nodded and pecked your lips quickly. “I did. Give me a second in the bathroom while I change, and I can also show you how that worked. You’ll have to tell me what you think.”
You waited on his bed as he went into the bathroom to change. After what felt like a half hour, (but was really only 10 minutes) he walked out of the bathroom. “So? What do you think?”
You could only blink at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks, rendered speechless as you take in the site of your usually handsome boyfriend looking downright dashing in this new outfit.
It was tailored to perfection on him. While Ezreal wasn’t buff, he was certainly in shape, and this outfit showed that off. The coloring on the outfit also fit his coloring very well. The gold mask covering the top half of his face was striking. And his hair! His normally slightly messy hair was brushed up and neatly slicked back away from his forehead. You felt your heart flutter and race as you studied him, and you took a deep breath to try and steady yourself.
Your reaction brought a smirk to his lips as he slowly walked closer to you. “Well well…normally I have to work a lot harder to render you speechless.” His smirk widened as his words flustered you further and you let out a soft squeak.
Ezreal stopped directly in front of you and gave a practiced bow. “Now, may I please have this dance?”
Despite your brain currently short-circuiting, you managed to whisper, “Y-yes…fuck yes,” in response, taking his hand and allowing him to pull you to your feet.
Once you were on your feet, you seemed to snap back to reality. Almost without thinking, you gripped the collar of his jacket and eagerly kissed him, the gold of his mask surprisingly warm against your face as it absorbed his body heat.
Ezreal chuckled softly once you pulled back for air, beginning to sway with you. “So your reaction tells me I should wear this again. Is that correct?”
You allowed him to lead you, grinning widely and smoothing out his collar. You ran your hands down his chest to feel the luxurious material of the vest beneath your fingertips. “I certainly have no qualms if you break this outfit, or any elements of this outfit, out the next time we’re required to get a little fancy. I should commission an outfit to match.”
Ezreal pecked the tip of your nose softly. “Two steps ahead of you. It’s already paid for, you just need to go get measured and tell the tailors what you want.”
You laughed. “I should have known. I’m sure you knew exactly what my reaction to this outfit would be, hrm?”
Ez smirked and kissed your neck softly, causing you to gently shiver in his arms. “I had an idea. But now I have an even better idea.”
Your voice became breathier as he continued to nibble along your jaw. “Oh? And what might that be?”
Ezreal’s voice was like silk as he whispered in your ear. “Now I want to see your reaction as I take it off~…”
AHHHH. I haven’t felt so inspired to write like this in a while lmao. I wrote this same day (apologies for any typos). Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!! 💙
Inspiration: "Houdini" and “Break My Heart” - Dua Lipa and “Got Me Started” - Troye Sivan
Champion: Ezreal (Pilty/Explorer/FWB!Ez)
Summary: Your best friend (with benefits) has finally returned from his two months abroad, and the two of you pick up like nothing has changed. Or have they? (Gaaaah I’m no good at summaries, either creative or academic lmao.)
Genre: Song-inspired fic
Category: Fluff and SMUT-ish (18+ ONLY. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT)
Gender: Reader is ok with traditionally “fem” clothing like lingerie. Future parts (since I’ll be honest I’ve written like the whole story already) lean more towards reader comfortable with using she/her pronouns/are afab.
TW: Adult themes and suggestive stuff. Again, this is friends with benefits here, y’all. Swearing (no shock).
IMPORTANT CONTEXT: If you haven’t already, pause and go read my FWB!EZ headcanon (HERE). This story is set in the same “universe” as that and the headcanon provides important background info and context. It is easier to link that post than explain everything again in this story. Also, it’s likely that I’m taller than Ez, but you know what, sometimes I want to feel tiny so character is shorter than Ez in this one.
^ His smirk/nod to Kai’Sa was literally what got the wheels turning on this whole headcanon/AU in the first place. Look at him. Look at this cocky fucker. I love him lmao.
Key:
“Houdini” lyrics in blue
“Break My Heart” lyrics in orange
“Got Me Started” lyrics in purple
-“Center of attention, you know you can get whatever you want from me; whenever you want it baby.”
You sigh as you look down at the note in your hands, hating how your body has an almost Pavlovian response to this specific penmanship. Your heart speeds up and cheeks heat as you read through the words. The note on top of the three clothing boxes is unsigned, but that doesn't matter. You could recognize the slightly messy handwriting half-asleep.
"Come over later? Have the place to myself the next few days since the professor is away for a conference. Missed you. Here are some gifts to make up for my absence. Wear the green and bring the others."
"Looks like he's back...I wonder for how long this time," you muse to yourself as you contemplate the strange change in routine. It isn’t even the gifts. The appearance of a note and luxury clothing boxes are familiar, arriving like a calling card every time your best friend Ezreal returns from an expedition across the continent. The surprise is the change in location. Usually Ez just comes over to your apartment the moment he drops his things off at home, showers, and changes. He very rarely invites anyone over to the home he shares with his uncle when he is in town.
You quickly scribble off a response and send it off to be delivered to him.
"Of course, but next time, give me some more advanced notice, will you? Believe it or not, I can't just hop into the shower and be ready to go like you can. So, I hope you’re prepared to appreciate the effort. You're buying food, especially if you expect me to deal with your stamina for more than the weekend, Indiana Jones. Thank you for the beautiful gifts. I missed you too, E. See you at 7."
After sending off the note, you quickly flip through the carefully stacked clothing boxes, giggling softly and shaking your head as you confirm he, once again, sent you three expensive, beautiful, and lacy sets of lingerie, one in rich purple, one in black, and one in emerald green. You can't help but reminisce on the now-funny moment when he asked for your permission to buy things like this for you when you two first started your arrangement a year and a half ago. You smile as you remember his laugh at your confused expression. You had initially refused, saying you didn't expect gifts like that from him. It wasn't until he explained the upsides for himself that you finally realized it was beneficial to both parties. Hey…the man had good taste, that could not be denied. You stand lost in thought for a while as you finger the expensive green lace of the set he referenced in his note.
The sound of your mail flap draws you back to reality and signals the delivery of Ez's reply. Quickly, you go over and open the note, unable to hold back a laugh and an eyeroll at his response.
"But that would take away your surprise of being graced with my incredible presence again! As for food, I figured that would be a stipulation. It's on me. Also, when have I not properly appreciated your efforts? I take offense at the insinuation considering I actively contribute to your efforts through said gifts. Don't keep me waiting too long, princess..."
That fucking nickname...he knows damn well what it does to you. It started when you both were much younger, just innocent and teasing banter between childhood friends and he decided that was your nickname. Of course now, many years later, the teasing connotation still exists, but the innocence is largely gone. Between that and the other pet name he calls you when you’re alone together, “baby,” he knows exactly what to say to get what he wants. Then again you can’t really complain since you also want the same thing.
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur as you pack and prepare for your time away, putting on just a little makeup and dressing in a skirt and a white blouse that is very barely see through, enough for the green lace underneath to peek through, but easy enough to cover with your nice coat. Once you slip a pair of flats on, you make the shortish walk to the house in the lovely fall weather Piltover is currently having.
-"He’s got the personality, not even gravity could ever hold him down."
Soon enough you find yourself approaching the back door of the grand home. You're early, but you can't imagine Ez would mind much, especially if he’s alone. Curiously, you look up to his bedroom window, which also faces the alley. Sure enough, there he is, watching you with a massive grin. He even blows you an exaggerated kiss. Rolling your eyes, you flip him off, unable to keep from beaming as his loud laughter filters down to you through the window. It is a sound you’d missed desperately these past two months while he was gone. Knocking your familiar pattern, you wait patiently for him to get the door.
It doesn’t take long for him to answer. As soon as the door opens, his smug voice sounds near your ear as he leans forward. “That eager to see me, princess? You’re an hour early…”
Your heart speeds up but you just smirk and turn your head so your lips are very barely separated from his. “I could ask the same of you, Ezreal…seems like you’ve been waiting at your window for quite a while, and I wasn’t even supposed to arrive for another hour…not to mention the speed with which you opened the door. Miss me that much, Indiana Jones?” you murmur. You can’t help the satisfaction you feel as you see his pupils dilate a little bit as he’s affected by your words and how close you are.
The moment extends for a second longer with you two just smirking at each other before he takes your duffel bag, drops it to the ground, and throws his arms around you, burying his face against your neck.
“You know I did,” he says, his words muffled against you as he holds onto you tightly.
“I missed you too, Ez. Welcome home. I’m really glad you’re back,” you murmur as you wrap your arms tightly around his torso and bury your face against his shoulder. Eventually after a minute of just hugging, the two of you finally step back and smile at each other.
“I want to hear about your adventures, but maybe not all the ways you nearly died,” you muse, then laugh at how utterly ridiculous that sounds.
His grin just widens. “Well fortunately or unfortunately for you, I was invited to a dinner thrown by one of the council tomorrow night and since you’re my go-to plus-one, you’ll get to hear all about it, but that also include the not-so-pretty details. You know that’s all the society vultures want to hear about,” he says, grabbing your bag, leading you inside the beautiful home, and allowing you time to remove your shoes and hang up your coat.
-“I come and I go. Prove you got the right to please me.”
“So that’s why you invited me here instead of coming over,” you tease. “You didn’t want to carry a garment bag with a dress and shoes. Tsk tsk Ezreal you’re getting laz-eep!” Your teasing is cut short as he easily sweeps you into a bridal carry and moves up the stairs with you to get to his room.
His smirk is playful as he glances down at you and murmurs, his voice getting a little husky, “Careful, princess…you sure you want to finish that sentence? That’s a strong accusation. You of all people should know I’m not lazy. What did you call my stamina the night I got back last time? “Legendary,” was it? I seem to remember you throwing out that particular word after our events of that evening.”
You grin for a moment as he takes the bait of your trap to tease him, reaching up to play with his soft golden hair. That night had been absolutely mind-blowing, and he wasn’t wrong. You had used “legendary” to describe his stamina because that’s what it was. But, you’re not done riling him up yet, knowing you’re playing a deliciously dangerous game. “That night? Ez that was three months ago! How do I know the wait was worth it since you left? A lot might have changed in the two months you’ve been gone,” you remark with mock sincerity, internally cheering and grinning as he lets out a soft growl and moves a little faster down the hall to get to his room.
Once he’s inside and the door is closed, he immediately sets your duffle bag down before turning his focus to you. The second your feet touch the plush carpet he has you backed up against the door, his arms around your waist pulling you roughly against him, his nose brushing against your nose, and his lips frustratingly close to yours. He’s so close you can see just how many beautiful shades of blue the irises of his eyes have as they surround his slightly blown out pupils. He leans forward and ever-so-lightly brushes his lips against yours, barely making any contact at all before pulling back. As you let out a soft whine and chase his lips, he smirks widely and murmurs, “What’s wrong, (Y/N)? I thought you said a lot might have changed in two months, but it seems to me you’re just as impatient as ever. Not only that, but it seems like you still want me just as much. Am I correct?”
This clever man. He’s managed to completely flip the situation, instead winding you up like a damn toy. You can’t help but let out an exasperated giggle and a breathless “Fuck you, Ez,” before tangling your arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily. You playfully nibble his lower lip as he chuckles against yours, his hands going on a journey to reacquaint themselves with your body. Just like his initial kiss though, his touch is purposefully light in order to work you up even more.
“Ezreal, I swear to fucking God if you don’t touch me like you mean it I’ll never forgive you,” you threaten as your lips move down and nip his neck. You try to imbue your threat with at least a little sharpness, but there’s a thread of neediness that really undermines your intent so you decide to switch tactics. “Especially after I went through all this effort to look so pretty for you.” You give him a mock pout as your arms leave his neck and your hands start working on your blouse buttons, immediately drawing his eyes downward.
You only undo a couple buttons, enough for him to see just a little emerald green lace peek out before your lips move back to his neck. “Good choice with the green, by the way. You remember my favorite color after all this time,” you teasingly purr against him, knowing damn well he has one of the best memories of anyone you’ve ever met. “Finish ‘unwrapping me,’” you throw his own words from previous encounters back at him, “then I can thank you for the beautiful presents and you can show me how much you missed me, what do you think?”
You immediately feel immense satisfaction as he lets out a whisper soft “Holy fuck (y/n)…” under his breath as a reaction to your words, almost like he just can’t help it. As playful as he is, your best friend prides himself on his ability to remain level-headed at almost all times. As he says often, he’d have died many times without it. Being one of the few who can cause Ezreal’s control to slip, especially for this reason, is a point of major pride for you. Even the man himself gives you credit for your abilities to bring him to his knees, literally and figuratively, an honor considering his ego.
He kisses you deeply again before murmuring against your lips, “Legs up around me, baby. Got it? We’re going on a field trip across the room.” He presses himself even closer against you as he cups his hands under your ass to keep you stable.
You instantly obey him, giggling softly in delight as his hands squeeze you. You keep your arms wrapped around his neck as you wrap your legs around his hips, trusting him to support you.
You feel and hear his soft and affectionate chuckle close to your ear as you happily nuzzle his cheek while he carries you. “That’s it, princess…look at you, so good for me…I missed you so much, baby.”
You let out a noise of pleasure as his hands continue to squeeze and knead you. “F-fuck I missed this…I missed you so much, Ez,” you murmur.
Ezreal sits on the edge of his massive bed, keeping you in his lap as he gently makes you look at him so he can kiss you again. His lips are hungry, his hands tangle in your hair, and you swear you lose all sense of time when he kisses you like that.
Eventually he pulls away slightly and rests his forehead against yours, his heavy breathing mixing with your own. “Stand between my legs, princess. Let me undress you,” he very gently commands.
You eagerly scramble off his lap and do as he asks, moving your hands back up to your shirt to help him unbutton it.
“Baby no….I want to do it,” Ezreal murmurs softly, gently grabbing your hands and giving them a squeeze as he looks up at you with a soft smile. “You may touch me, but let me undress you,” his order is tender, his voice filled with affection, but it is still an order nonetheless.
“S-sorry,” you softy respond and blush as you quickly put your hands together behind your back, wanting to be good for him.
“It’s alright, baby…I appreciate how eager you are. It shows me how much you missed me,” he soothes as he reaches up and gently cups your cheek, allowing you time to close your eyes and lean happily into his warm touch. After a moment or two, he gently removes his hand and starts on your shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of your skirt and beginning to work on the buttons. It doesn’t take him long to have your shirt open in front, revealing more of the beautiful and intricate emerald green lace that was hiding underneath.
You love how dark his eyes turn as he takes you in. “As I said, Indiana Jones, excellent choice with the green. I adore it,” you remark teasingly as he lets out a soft growl of appreciation.
“Damn, I think I’ve really outdone myself,” Ezreal murmurs, almost more to himself than to you. He looks up at you as he gently starts to work on your skirt. “You look absolutely incredible, princess. I know you like the color, but do you like the style? Is it comfortable? Do you feel as gorgeous as you look, baby?” He asks, his questions filled with a genuine curiosity that makes you smile.
You nod, setting a hand on his shoulder to stabilize yourself as you kick your skirt away once he has it down your legs. “It’s very comfortable and I feel so beautiful in this, Ez. You know my style very well at this point, so trust me when I say I’m never concerned I won’t like something you get me,” you confirm, moving your hand on his shoulder to gently play with his hair. You love the happy little sigh he lets out as you gently massage his scalp with your nails.
“Good,” he replies. “I just want you to see yourself as I see you. Sexy, brilliant, witty, strong, and irreplaceable.”
“Y-you think I’m all that, Ez?” Surprise creeps into your tone as you blush deeply. His words are unexpectedly sweet and you can tell he’s being serious. It’s quite a change of character from a man who is usually so playful and teasing when it comes to your intimate moments together.
He gently wraps his arms around you and pulls you deeper in between his legs, leaning forward and laying soft kisses on the bare skin under your bra. He stuns you even more as he says, “Of course I do. And if I’ve ever failed to show you that through my actions, then I hope you will please forgive me.”
You very gently tug on his hair, making him look up at you before you lean down and kiss him softly but passionately. You just kiss him for a moment before murmuring, “Ezreal, there’s nothing to forgive. You’ve always believed in me and defended me for who I am since our friendship started almost two decades ago. Between your actions and words, you’ve repeatedly made it clear you believe what you’ve said. Sometimes it’s just a bit unbelievable to know I have someone as great as you in my corner to hype me up and make me feel so amazing and…well…desired. Self-love is just something I’m still working on.” You straighten yourself back up and hum happily as he returns his attentions back to your torso.
He murmurs against your skin, “Always happy to help you there, princess. Happy to tell you as many times, tell you as many things, and show you as many times as I need to for you to believe it.” His lips are now getting more and more passionate, including little sucks and nibbles.
You can’t help but lean your head back and close your eyes. “Let me guess,” you sigh with mock disappointment, “I’m going to get a lot of marks that I’ll have to deal with during the next few days.”
He grins against your skin before looking up at you, his chin resting on your tummy. “You know me so well, princess. I’ll try to make sure they’re not obvious,” he teases, completely returning to the playful lover you’ve gotten used to.
You look back down at him. “See that you do please. I’d like to avoid a repeat of last time. During one of the rare times both of my brother and I could make it to my parents’ house, he pulled me aside during dinner and asked me what the hell I’d been doing to get hickies on my neck and jaw. Hickies I didn’t realize were there, Ezreal. I saved your sexy ass, you know. He tried to get a name out of me. When he guessed you as a potential “suspect” I’m pretty sure I felt my entire soul leave my body. I had to lie and play everything off. Not an easy feat since I spend quite a bit of time with you when you’re home, and that’s something my brother is well aware of. Do you know how difficult it is to lie to your own twin brother?! He was ready to go on the warpath. I’m still not totally convinced he believes me that it wasn’t you, but you’re alive so he must believe me enough. Or he’s smart enough to know I’d kill him with my bare hands if he did anything to you. Oh, and also, disappearing for a few minutes at dinner only to come back downstairs with a scarf on wasn’t exactly subtle and my parents realized what was up. They didn’t ask me anything directly, but I’m pretty sure my mother said your name when I overheard them discussing it later on. My own parents talked about it, you fuck. You should have told me they were there,” you playfully complain and mock pout.
His grin turns more and more into a smirk and his hands continue to wander throughout your mini tangent. “My sexy ass and I appreciate your assistance in making sure I lived to see another day, princess,” he comments. “I’ll make sure to learn from my…mistakes, though you certainly enjoyed the process of getting those marks, if my memory serves me correctly. It usually does.” He winks at you.
This earns an eye roll and a sigh from you, even though he’s very right. “If you want to keep your mouth running, Ez, might I suggest you use it in a different manner on a different location? At least make it even more useful to me…” You let out breathlessly as your impatience starts to get the better of you.
“Tsk tsk, so impatient. I thought you were thanking me for the gifts first, princess,” he responds smugly as he undresses you the rest of the way.
You quickly undress him before gently pushing him to lay back on his bed, straddling him and leaning down so your lips are barely separated. “You drive me fucking crazy sometimes, you know that, Indiana Jones?” You whisper before nipping his bottom lip.
“The feeling is quite mutual, princess,” he whispers back with a wicked smirk. “Now come on…show me how much you really missed me…”
So you do. And he shows you how very VERY much he missed you in return.
(A/N: I’m so sorry, I tried to write this out as a full smut scene but it was just no good so fade to black it is for now. 🙃)
“I need something that will make me believe. If you got it, baby, give it to me.”
An hour and a half later, you lay completely satisfied with your head on Ezreal’s shoulder and hand on his chest, feeling his slowing heart rate thump against your palm. As you do, Ez is happily playing with your hair and gently tracing shapes into your bare hip with his free hand as your breathing and heart rate return to normal. You’re both just enjoying the feeling of being together again and savoring the comfortable and companionable silence you two have felt with each other for a long time. Well…silence until your stomach decides to make its displeasure at being empty loudly known. You feel Ez’s shoulder shift a little as he turns his head to look down at you as best he can.
“Hungry?” he murmurs softly, amusement evident in his voice. As he gives you the chance to respond, he gently kisses your temple, making you blush at the sweet little gesture.
You nod and shyly respond, “I thought we’d have dinner before we got to our…main events for the evening. We’ve been doing this for long enough though that I really should have known better. I’m just as impatient as you are.” You gently smirk up at him, enjoying the playful flicker of delight in his eyes.
A grin appears on his handsome face. “Come on now, princess. I know you’re smarter than that,” he teases gently as he carefully sits up with you. “What do you feel like having? We have leftovers, or we can order something to be delivered. Whatever you prefer.”
You think for a moment, biting your bottom lip. “I know this is probably a stretch, but do you happen to have any soup? It’s starting to get colder outside now that fall finally arrived,” you muse as you glance out the window on the far side of the room where the sun has already gone down. “I was thinking on the way over that it’s soup weather.”
Ezreal nods and murmurs, “Chef had the same thought. She told me she made some turkey and rice soup yesterday. She and the rest of the staff have the next few days off while my uncle is away, but she showed me where the leftovers were. I’ll go heat some and bring it up, along with some water. Knowing you, you probably haven’t had much today…have you?” He gets up before leaning back over you, bracketing you in with his arms, nearly nose-to-nose with you, a knowing expression in his eyes and a small smile gracing his lips. As close as he is, your body is already begging for him to come closer again, despite your currently exhausted and sated state.
You shake your head and temporarily hide your face in the soft blankets covering the bed and sigh. “God damnit we’ve been friends for far too long. You know me too well, Ez. Yes, water is definitely needed…” You peek back out at him over the blankets and giggle as you watch the smile on his face grow wider and wider.
He laughs and leans down, pulling down the blankets before giving you a surprisingly slow, tender, and deep kiss before haphazardly throwing on his pants and shirt and going out the door. He leaves you staring after him in surprise, heart fluttering, breathing a little shallow, and cheeks even more flushed after the intensity of that kiss. He’s been super…affectionate today. While Ezreal has never been an asshole after your moments together, neither has he gone way out of his way to….well to act so sweet either. Certainly he’s never heated up leftovers for you.
You shake your head, shaking away all those strange thoughts. I’m sure it’s just because he’s hosting me for a few days. And besides, wasn’t he talking about making sure his actions show me how he sees me? I’m thinking way too much into it! You happily sigh and get up, walking around to stretch your legs while you wait. After pulling on the bottoms of the emerald green set that Ez so carelessly tossed to the side earlier, you end up throwing on a shirt you pull out of his dresser as you check yourself out in the mirror on top of it. Usually he offers you his shirt when he’s at your place, but since he’s currently wearing it, this will have to do.
You shyly bring the collar of the shirt to your nose and inhale. A whisper soft noise of pleasure slips out from your lips, along with a smile as you confirm that yes, even after two months of him being away, the fabric still smells just like him. He’s always smelled nice. You don’t know what it is or what exact product is responsible for this fucking sorcery, but his “smell” has always been comforting for you. Probably because we’ve been friends forever, you think. It’s just one of those parts of him that has grown to be so familiar to me. You continue to ponder the matter as you hold the collar of the T-shirt up.
“It’s you in my reflection, I’m afraid of all the things it could do to me.”
As you look up to the mirror again, you jump a little in surprise as you meet Ezreal’s gaze in the reflection. He’s leaning against the doorway, just watching you with an amused smile as he holds a tray with two steaming bowls of soup and glasses of water. You let out a soft complaint as your cheeks heat and your hands immediately straighten out the shirt. “Damnit, Ezreal! How long have you been there?”
He just shakes his head a little and chuckles. “Just got here. And I wasn’t even trying to surprise you this time. You were just lost in thought,” he observes. “What had you thinking so much?” He waits until you’re settled back on his bed with the covers over your lap before passing the tray to you so he can also climb back in. He also pulls another tray from his night stand, carefully transferring one of the bowls and glasses to it so both of you have your own trays to eat from.
You watch him, waiting until he’s done before you start speaking. “There’s no point in lying. You already practically read me like an open book. You, actually. Specifically how surprisingly good you smell. Granted I haven’t been on a two-month-long excursion with you where there are limited bathing options. Trust me, I’m extremely grateful you shower and change before you come to my place/invite me over once you get home. But, anyway, whenever I see you, at least, you and your clothes smell very nice. I was also thinking about how familiar and…comforting? your “smell” has become to me. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve been best friends with someone for nearly two decades. It’s just one of those small things that becomes a part of you knowing the person.”
He nods, his expression thoughtful. “You’re right,” he observes. “I’ve never thought about it like that, but you also have what I would consider to be a “comforting smell.” Though, what’s interesting is how it doesn’t have to be static. It can be dynamic but still be definitely yours. Like today. You’re trying a new perfume out, yeah? Or at least one I haven’t noticed you use before.”
You’d been eating the delicious soup while he was talking. When that question left his lips, your spoon froze halfway to your mouth in surprise. “You’re right, actually, I am! Granted it’s in the same collection as the couple others I have so it’s not crazy different from the others I wear. Honestly that’s impressive, Ez,” you note before finally finishing the soup spoon’s journey to your mouth.
He gives you a victorious smile. “I knew it! I think a lot of it is the fact that we’ve known each other so long. I can just tell when something is different. By the way, the perfume, it smells good. I like it,” he remarks casually, causing you to laugh in between sips of water.
“Duly noted,” you acknowledge. “I brought the sample size with me so I’ll wear it tomorrow for the event. Speaking of tomorrow’s event, I’m imagining you also have a dress and shoes ready for me somewhere? Usually you send them with whatever “special” presents you’ve ordered for me, but I suppose since I was already coming over here there was no need.”
He nods and tilts his head to gesture towards his closet, a sly smile on his lips. “All good. It's in there with my suit, sugar baby,” he jokes. His unexpected tease causes you to lean your head back and laugh loudly, a genuine belly laugh that only a couple people, mostly him, manage to draw out of you.
“You’re a fucker sometimes, you know that, Ez?” you manage to get out as you suppress even more laughter.
He just grins widely at you before unabashedly stating, “Oh I’m well aware. But guess what? I’m your fucker, princess.”
Thank you for reading! Oh my GOD chapter 1 has been so much fun to write. I will say, this has hung out in my drafts for a little bit, mainly due to nerves, but I finally realized I just need to let it go and post it before I psych myself out completely. Chapter 2 is essentially written already, I’m just editing it a bit more.
Inspiration: "Trouble" - EXO, "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" - Shawn Mendes, "On My Love" - Zara Larsson & David Guetta
Champion: Ezreal (Pilty!Ez)
Summary: After the many revelations of last night/early this morning, it's time to face the day, face yourself, and have a very important conversation with Ezreal.
Genre: Song-Inspired Fic
Type: A bit angsty (pining), but happy ending. Smuttish (18+ ONLY. Minors DNI.) Fluffy, especially towards the end. (What can I say? I like a happy ending.)
Gender: Comfortable with she/her pronouns? Past parts have been more implied AFAB, but this part not as much? Slight mention of potential future family plans but eh not specific how that could happen.
TW: Mention of nightmare/illusion of reader being harmed. Pining that is resolved. Suggestive stuff.
"Trouble" lyrics in red
"There's Nothing Holding Me Back" lyrics in green
"On My Love" lyrics in pink.
“I’m in trouble.”
As light filters through the linen curtain liners, you slowly start to wake up, getting your bearings straight. You and Ez are tangled together, him sleeping soundly and nuzzling your neck. You can’t help but gently turn your head and kiss his temple before freezing, your startled thoughts quickly waking you completely. No wait I shouldn’t do that…that’s too intimate…I don’t like him like that.
Eventually you gently untangle yourself, smiling softly at his small sleepy protest, and just watch him, thinking about how peaceful he looks. I’m one of the few people who ever sees him this way. I’m one of the few people who can help make him feel like this. God that makes me so happy…wait...wait wait. Wait why does that make me so happy?
It seems like the time has finally come to have a reckoning with yourself. You’re essentially alone with your thoughts and the messages from the emotional part of your mind are loud this morning. You know why it makes you so happy, (Y/N). It’s because you’re in love with him. Stop lying to yourself. You love him as more than just your best friend. You have for a while. You’re in love with Ezreal and you’ve gone and broken your own rule. Admit it.
You realize you’re becoming increasingly tense because of your thoughts. Not wanting to disturb Ez you decide to make a trip to your second favorite place in this large and beautiful home. The library. Reading will help me clear my thoughts and think about this logically, you silently decide. Because fucking hell I think I am in love with him and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose his friendship.
You very carefully slide out of bed, away from Ez’s warmth, already missing him, which just adds to the logic of your decision to go to the library. You quickly scribble a note for him on a spare piece of paper and stick it on his nightstand. Then you’re silently off into the slowly brightening house.
You make your way downstairs and quickly follow the well-memorized path to the library and quietly open the door. You’ve been coming to this particular room since you were a kid. It’s a magnificent space, filled from floor to ceiling with books. There’s even multiple floors with fun little ladders and staircases to use to get to the upper ones. It’s a book-lovers dream.
You find a pile of books on the center of the table, all covering the area of Shurima Ez was in, and many of them specifically covering tombs, both discovered and legend. You realize this must be the pile of manuscripts he used as research for his last expedition. You can’t help but wonder if there’s anything in there that explains why Ez specifically saw you in that one trap. You’re alone with these texts, so you might as well look.
You bring the pile of books with you to place on a side table situated next to a plush arm chair. You curl up in the chair with your knees drawn up for you to rest your book on. You select the first book from the top of the pile. It’s an old leather bound journal, a predecessor to the type of journal you know Ezreal takes his notes in. You slowly start flipping through the pages, but it isn’t long before your thoughts completely distract you from your intended task.
Am I sure I want to know the answer? What if it’s nothing? What if the curse just shows a random friend the person entering is close to? I’m going to emotionally hurt myself. And for what? I know what will happen if I tell him. He doesn’t feel the same way. I remember what he said a year and a half ago. He didn’t want any further feelings involved than what our friendship is. Not to mention I told him dating him would drive me absolutely insane. It’s one of the reasons he suggested this arrangement in the first place. If I tell him? All of this will be finished. Certainly no more physical things with him, which is probably for the best at this point because emotions are involved. But now? This friendship has crossed a line that can’t be undone. Fuck, can we even save it? Have I doomed myself to lose my best friend?
As your mind keep racing, everything eventually becomes too much, especially the thought of losing Ezreal as even a friend. That is just unbearable to ponder. You never wanted to push your best friend away, but even with these fears racing through your mind, you know you have to tell him. You've never lied to him before and you won't start now about something so important.
I’ll tell him today, you decide. I just need to go pack up my things so I can leave and save my dignity after what is sure to be a horrifically awkward conversation. You set the book down and put your head in your hands as the worst case scenarios keep flashing through your mind.
Before you can stop yourself, you feel tears start rolling down your cheeks. You try to control your breathing as a lump forms in your throat but your efforts are futile. Eventually a soft sob makes its way out, followed by a louder one and then another until you’re just having a full break down. You sob brokenheartedly into your hands as you realize what a terrible, terrible mistake you’ve made. You’re sobbing so much that you don’t even hear the library door eventually quietly open behind you.
A warm hand lands on your shoulder and a sleepy voice filled with alarm sounds softly next to you, “(Y/N)?? (Y/N) holy fuck, what happened? Tell me what’s going on, princess. Are you hurt? (Y/N), look at me. Angel, please look at me. What’s going on?? Why are you crying?”
You look to the side where the voice is coming from, meeting the extremely sleepy and very concerned gaze of Ezreal who is kneeling next to your chair. He looks so genuinely worried, which is so uncharacteristic for him, and he’s so gentle as he hugs you close to him. It just makes you cry harder as you cling to his t-shirt. This is what you’re going to lose because your own emotions betrayed your logic.
Ezreal just hugs you tightly and rubs your back until you’ve calmed down significantly. Then he moves another arm chair so it’s next to yours, angles it towards yours, and takes your hand once he sits. “(Y/N)…please tell me what’s going on…” he says as his thumb rubs soothingly over your knuckles.
You sniff and wipe your eyes with a handkerchief he manages to find and give to you. “Ezreal we need to talk. Something’s happened…” you trail off as more tears start streaming down your cheeks and another sob escapes.
He gently squeezes your hand. “(Y/N) please tell me what’s happened. Whatever it is. I want to help, princess, always. Have I done something wrong? You seemed to cry harder when you saw me..if I did something please, please tell me. I’ve never seen you like this before, and that’s saying something because I’ve seen you cry about many things over the time we’ve known each other,” his voice is practically a soft beg as he frets over you. “Are you hurt? Are you sick??” His face pales and he momentarily pauses as it’s clear a thought crosses his mind. “(Y/N), y-you’re not p-pregnant, right? I hope you w-wouldn’t be afraid to tell me if you were, even though t-that would…uh c-certainly be a b-big thing.”
His reaction to the idea brings a wry little smile to your face as you watch him. “No, I’m definitely not pregnant, Ezreal. First of all, you and I are both incredibly careful, and secondly, if I somehow was, I’d never hide that from you. That would be a terrible thing for me to do,” you reassure him softly.
You notice him relax a bit. “Ok, so you’re not pregnant. Then what is it? What has you so upset?” He asks curiously.
“Maybe I should stop and start confessing.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this and I don’t know what to do, Ez,” you let out on a sigh. “You know the eight rules we laid out when we started sleeping together a year and a half ago? Your four and my four?”
He confirms with a nod and a soft “yes I remember.”
“Well…I promised you when we were kids that I’d never lie to you, right? So I should just go ahead and tell you. So…I realized very recently…like extremely recently, that…that I’ve gone and broken my own rule number four…” you admit, your voice getting quieter and quieter as your anxiety grows. You look up at him and bite your lower lip as you wait for him to realize that particular rule is, “No falling in love with each other.”
“Your rule number four,” he whispers more so to himself than to you as he thinks. You can pinpoint his exact moment of realization. He suddenly freezes, his eyes going wide as he looks at you. Besides his wide eyes, you really can’t tell what he’s thinking and it frightens you.
“(Y/N)…your rule number four…” he murmurs slowly, as if making sure he’s not mistaken.
You flinch a little and look down into your lap. “Yup. Somewhere along the line, it seems I’ve fallen in love with you.” You look back up at him and give him a sad little smile. “It’s ok Ez. You don’t have to say anything. I know you don’t feel the same. Why would you? You very clearly said you didn’t want deeper feelings involved than our friendship. I’ve already accepted that. I understand your reasons and I respect them. I think if we end our physical relationship now, I can move on and not lose you completely. My own silly emotions are putting my most treasured friendship at risk and I’ll be completely honest, I’m terrified. I can’t lose having you in my life, Ez. I just can’t. That would kill me,” you know you’re rambling at this point but you can’t help it. Your anxiety over all this is just causing you to word vomit.
Ez comes over and hugs you tightly. “You won’t lose me, (Y/N). First of all, you’ve been my best friend, my partner-in-crime, hell, my person, for almost 20 years. I’m certainly not about to just throw two decades out the window. Secondly, why do you think you know what I’ll say, princess? I’m a different man than I was a year and a half ago. Hell, I’m a far different man than I was two months ago.” He steps back and looks down at you.
You look up at him as your eyes fill with tears again, softly begging, “Ez, please don’t. Don’t do this to me. Don’t give me false hope. I know you’re not cruel. Just tell me no. Tell me no so I can move on. Don’t let me make a fucking fool of myself, Ezreal.”
His voice is gentle, but firm, “(Y/N). Stop. Please stop so I can say what I need to say. You told me what you needed to tell me. Well funny enough, there’s something I need to tell you, too.” He grabs one of the books you were reading and flips to a pre-marked page, quickly scanning it.
Once he finds what he’s looking for, he lays the book on the side table next to you and points to a specific section. “(Y/N) read this page. Please. Especially the third paragraph down. It’s about the curse. It explains why I saw you specifically and not someone else,” he says as he sits back down in the chair next to you.
As you read that page, out of the corner of your eye you see him continue to open other sources to the pages you assume correspond to the Tomb of the Fallen Lovers. You turn your focus on what he wants you to read. The delicate and well-worn page of the ancient journal discusses the different known traps of that specific tomb.
The section he pointed out specifically covers the illusion trap. You focus on the words intently as your curiosity spikes. “Those who enter the tomb will see the one they romantically love most tortured, just as the king saw happen to his beloved queen. Believed to do so in order to most effectively break the will of the person who enters by making it seem like they failed to keep the person in their heart safe.”
You quickly look up at Ezreal. “Ez?” You ask quietly.
Ezreal just nods and pushes the other books in front of you. “Read these too. I’ve marked relevant passages. I know you. You do research. You like sources. You want proof. Here is your academic proof from first and second-hand historical accounts, princess. Read,” he says, using a voice you know very well. It’s a voice he uses in the bedroom often with you. It’s affectionate and gentle, but it’s still undoubtably commanding.
You find yourself almost scrambling to obey him, just as you have the other lovely times in your life he’s used that voice on you. You pull each of the books closer and read where he’s marked. They also say the same thing. You see the person you love the most romantically in the illusion. After finally finishing the last page he marked, you look back up at him with wide eyes, almost trembling a little bit as you still struggle to fully believe what you’ve just read.
You murmur, “You said at Hoskel’s party that it was just a general loved one that people saw. You didn’t mention romantic love. Ez? Is this true?”
He pauses for a moment and then nods. “It is. When I went in, I didn’t think I’d see anyone. A year and a half ago, I told you that I didn’t need deeper feelings in my life beyond what already existed in our friendship. I didn’t think the trap would work on me because I didn’t think I “loved” anyone like that. Then I saw you in that trap and it felt like my heart stopped beating,” he says, pausing to take a breath as if steeling himself to remember what came next.
After a moment, he continues, “The absolute terror that went through me the moment I heard your voice and saw you in that illusion. The fury I felt towards those I saw hurting you in the illusion. The pure anguish I felt when I couldn’t save you…it was as if the world went dark in my eyes. When I told you last night a life without you wasn’t living to me, I meant every single word. I had a glimpse of what that would be and feel like. I was in hell thinking I didn’t have you in my life anymore. I was in the deepest parts of hell until I finally remembered you were still here in Piltover, perfectly safe. I’m not sure I can properly express how fucking relieved I was to realize it was just an illusion. It was like taking a first breath of air after thinking you’re drowning.”
He sighs and runs his hands through his hair before looking into your eyes as he talks, “That’s when I realized I’d been completely lying to myself. Turns out I also broke your rule number four. I’m so in love with you, (Y/N). I’ve just been trying to work up the courage to tell you. Believe it or not, I also didn’t want to fuck up our friendship. Having you in my life means everything to me. I didn’t think you felt the same way. Why would you? A year and a half ago you said dating me would be a one way express ticket to driving yourself insane. The last thing I ever wanted to do was cause you unhappiness. So I just….tried to hide my feelings. Or I suppose I just loved you silently, in the small ways, by doing small things. Taking care of you and trying to make you happy because doing so makes me happy.”
You can’t help but melt at how sincere he looks. Your voice is soft, “Oh Ez…so that’s why you’ve been so sweet lately. Well you do make me very happy. Seeing your sweet side also made me very happy, but it was just all so confusing once I realized I didn’t see you as just a friend anymore.” You reach over and gently cup his cheek, smiling softly at how he eagerly leans into your touch, turning his head and kissing your palm softly.
Your thumb rubs his cheekbone as you muse, “I had my realization at Hoskel’s party last night. It’s why I got so distracted and tensed up while we were dancing. My feet were actually starting to hurt, so I didn’t lie about that, but it was the other realization that made me so physically anxious. I realized I’ve been falling in love with you for a while and that I was well and truly sunk. I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t believe there was any way you felt the same. The very last thing I wanted to do was push you away, but I knew I couldn’t lie to you or not tell you.”
Ez stands and opens his arms for a hug. You gladly jump up from your chair and walk directly into his waiting embrace. As he wraps his arms around you and pulls you close, you nuzzle his neck and let out a happy sniff, a few more tears trickling out.
“I hope those are happy tears I feel, Angel,” he murmurs. He then chuckles softly as he feels you nod. Both of you just stand there, holding each other tightly for a minute as these new revelations sink in for both of you.
Eventually, you have a thought that breaks the idyllic joy of the moment, and you have to voice it. “Ezreal…there’s still stuff we need to talk about,” you murmur quietly. “What are we going to do? We love each other, yes, and that makes me so damn happy. However, your career…you’re gone so often a-and for so l-long. It s-sucks when you’re gone. I miss you so t-terribly, but I’d never ask you to stop exploring and adventuring. It’s your passion. Your drive. You’re so damn good at it. If I asked you to give it up, I fear you’d come to regret me. That’s something I couldn’t bear…”
“I'll pay the price, I'll sacrifice; That's on my love, yeah”
He nods and kisses your cheek. “You’re right baby, this is something we must talk about,” he replies, thinking for just a moment. “How about some compromising? Love is compromise and communication, right? Occasionally you should take some time off and come with me. It’s fun! I won’t make you go into any cursed or trap-filled places. In fact I definitely would rather you didn’t. I want you safe. This way though, you’d at least be there, and it wouldn’t be as terrible for either of us since we’re together. I’m researching some potential smaller expeditions closer by that would be perfect.”
You think for a moment before smiling and nodding, liking the idea. “You know I love history, especially ancient history. I’ve always been jealous you get to see these incredible sites, so it would be amazing if I got the chance to see some myself,” you reply.
He smiles and kisses your forehead before murmuring, “I do know and I’ve always wanted to show them to you and see your face light up as you see the history in front of you. As for my compromise, when I do come home, I’ll stay home longer in between expeditions. Either I’ll stay enough time to match the length of the expedition, or at least 3 months, whichever is longer. I say at least 3 months because believe it or not, it’s really hard to leave you, you know. I hate leaving you. So I may not even want to leave here after 3 months to go travel,” he concedes.
You tighten your arms around him and smile a little. “I’ll certainly do my best to make you not want to go. I hate it when you leave me, even though I know you’re doing incredible things and I’m wildly proud of you. You’re amazing, truly,” you say.
Ez leans forward and kisses your forehead, murmuring against your skin, “This way I’ll have more time with you between expeditions. It’ll also give me more time to better research the locations I’m going. I sometimes wing it more often than I probably should.” You can feel him flinch a little as he admits this to you.
You just let out a teary laugh and nuzzle his cheek. “Fucking hell, Ezreal! Don’t tell me that. That will just make me worry more. I do like these compromises, though. I think traveling together might be fun! Or we’ll kill each other, but hey that’s part of the excitement,” you let out on a giggle. You take a breath before continuing, “and knowing I get more time with you here at home makes me very very happy.”
He smiles. “It makes me very happy too. I’ll also give you a key to the house and tell my uncle you’re welcome to it while I’m here or away. I know you enjoy wearing my clothes because they smell like me, yeah? I might as well give you the chance to steal some whenever you want.” He gently smirks at you.
You blush deeply and hide against his shoulder again as you nod. “Y-yes please. It’s extremely comforting to have something of yours when you’re gone. Are you sure your uncle would be alright with me having a key? I wouldn’t want to be a bother” You look back up and meet his gaze.
“I truly don’t think he’ll have an issue with that. He knows we’re close. He’s always been fond of you since you manage to keep me mostly in line. He likes to say you’ve done ‘a hell of a job protecting this family’s name and reputation.’” Ez’s smirk widens.
You can’t help but giggle. “I certainly try my best to keep you respectable, that’s for sure. But, that sounds good. As long as he doesn’t have an issue with it.” You smile softly at him. “And hey, maybe I could have dinner with him every now and then while you’re away. Or we could have dinner with him when you’re here. As much as the two of you don’t see eye-to-eye, he is your family, Ez, and I do want to get to know him better.”
His eyes soften. “I’ll talk to him about it. I know how important family is to you.”
You nod and softly murmur, “It means so much to me. And it will continue to mean so much to me as I continue into the future.”
Ez smiles and turns ever so slightly pink. “Speaking of the future..this is a long way away, but if, somewhere in the future, we…” his voice trails off and he blushes more, his voice shy as he continues, “..well, i-if our relationship goes to the next step and we e-eventually want to start a f-family of our o-own, I’m h-happy to adjust my e-expedition timelines even more.” He kisses your forehead.
Your eyes widen and you turn bright pink as you process what he says.
He murmurs against your forehead. “I love my parents, and I know they love me. Every day I hope they’ll come home, now more than ever so they can see you, see how you’ve grown up since we were little, and see how much I absolutely adore you. Both of them always liked you, you know, especially my mother. She’d be absolutely thrilled with this development,” he says, grinning.
You kiss his cheek and smile. “All my memories of your parents are fond ones, Ez. They were always so lovely to me.”
He lets out a sigh as he holds you closer. “My one regret, though, is how often and how long they were both gone. How much of my childhood it seems like they missed. I-I want to do things differently when I have a family of my own,” he admits to you. He seems to realize even more what he’s saying and he blushes even more, smiling at you shyly. “I apologize, I’m getting way far ahead of myself. Do you even want kids? It’s alright if you don’t. They’re not a necessity for me. Pets are fine too,” he rushes to add.
You giggle softly and gently peck his lips. “I have been thinking about getting a cat lately. I wouldn’t mind having kids, though, but only if they’re yours, Indiana Jones. I want to see you with a daughter, actually. Especially one with your eyes. I think that would be very cute,” you muse, picturing the adorable scene of future him playing with a little girl who has his golden hair and blue eyes. “But that’s not something we need to rush into. I’m happy to wait a while on that. We have time.”
He nods, his face lit up, before he rests his forehead against yours. “I agree, though I hope any kids we do have get your eyes, not mine. But you’re right. We’re young and we have plenty of time to make that decision if and when we’re ready for it. God I’m just so happy…” he murmurs, and you can hear the genuine joy in his voice. “(Y/N), I’m going to kiss you now. Like really kiss you. Is that alright?
You beam as you already start to pull him closer. “Of course, Ez…please do,” you murmur back happily.
You thread your hands in his hair as he wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you against him. Before you know it, he’s kissing you completely breathless. His lips are fervent and his kiss is filled with so much emotion that once again, he has your legs going a little weak. He’s quite talented at making them do that at this point. You kiss him back in kind. Your lips move slowly against one another’s and it’s not until a few long moment later that you pull away slightly in order to catch your breath and slow your racing heart.
He rests his forehead against yours and looks you in the eyes as one of his hands moves to lace with one of yours. The love you see in his expression nearly undoes you. His gentle gaze travels over every bit of your face, as if memorizing how you look in this very moment. “God you’re perfect…and I love you so damn much,” he murmurs, his soft voice full of emotion.
You smile, blush, and cup his jaw with your free hand, murmuring back, “And I love you, Ezreal. So very much. So what do you say? Let’s officially end our best friends with benefits arrangement and start an actual relationship? With dates and cheesy shit?”
He grins and nods. “Absolutely, princess. Although let’s be honest with each other, we were sort of already doing dates and cheesy shit, both of us were just in wild denial about it,” he says, a touch of humor coloring his voice.
You smile as you blush even more. “Now that I think about it, you’re right. We were basically a couple in every way but name.” You giggle.
His expression softens as he continues, “Let’s make one thing very clear though,” he gently kisses your forehead. “You’ll always be my very best friend. I just also happen to be very in love with you.”
You smile and murmur, “I couldn’t have worded it better myself.” You sigh and close your eyes. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone in bed this morning…I just…I got overwhelmed and needed to try and sort all of this out in my head.”
Ez kisses you softly. “It’s alright baby, I understand. This is an excellent spot to think in. But now that we’ve figured it all out….please come back to bed with me?”
“You take all my inhibitions. Baby, there’s nothing holding me back.”
You sigh again, this time happily, and let out a breathless giggle as his lips move to start traversing along your jaw and throat. As he does so, his hands grip your hips to keep you close to him.
“You and your ability to turn me into god damn putty. How could I refuse such a lovely and polite request. I’m in love with such a gentleman,” you playfully say. You smirk as you feel his fingers dig into your hips a little bit more.
Before you can even register what’s happening, you’re looking down at Ezreal’s returning smirk as he carries you out of the library.
You let out a gasp and instinctively wraps your legs around his waist, causing his smirk to widen. “Ezreal!” You exclaim on a delighted laugh.
He just chuckles in return. “Do you think anyone will be surprised we’ve gotten together?”
You can’t help but blush. “I don’t think my family will be very surprised, considering their suspicions regarding the hickeys you left on me. What about your uncle? Will he be shocked?”
He grins and shakes his head. “Probably not, to be honest. As I said, he knows we’re close. I’m sure he’s had his own suspicions over the years.”
“I’m curious if other people outside of our families suspect something. Based on Hoskel’s words last night as we were leaving…well it seems like everyone but us knew,” you giggle as you play with his hair.
“They don’t know for sure though. We could have some fun with them,” he says as his expression turns mischievous.
Your eyebrows go up at the suggestion. “You really think we could control the narrative for a while? As soon as there’s a whiff of a rumor, you know they’ll jump on it,” you murmur.
He leans up and nips your jaw before pulling back and grinning at your soft whine. “I know you hate being the center of society’s attention. Why not keep our happiness to ourselves for a little longer? Though I’m not going to deny our relationship if someone asks us directly, of course. I’ll be quite happy to be known as yours.”
You blush happily and kiss his cheek. “So considerate. And I’m very happy being publicly known as yours too. But I do like the idea of keeping things low-key for now. Let’s do it. Let’s cause some eventual chaos for the vultures.”
Ez sets you down on the bed so you’re sitting at the edge, while he’s still standing between your legs. You take the chance to lower your arms and slide your hands back up under his shirt. His head tilts back in a happy sigh.
“‘Cause chaos?’ You weren’t kidding earlier this morning, Angel. I really have corrupted you a little bit,” he chuckles.
You smirk and gently pull his shirt collar down so his face is level with yours. “Only you know how much though.” You wink at him. “After so many years with you, I suppose ‘lady in the streets, freak in the sheets,’ is the energy I’ve been going for. Since you’re the only one who has seen me and will see me in both settings, have I been successful at it?” Your smirk widens as your question causes his eyes to darken.
He lays you back and crawls over you, leaving a trail of kisses random places on the way up. He pauses so his lips are right above yours as he murmurs, “My love, you’ve succeeded at that goal just as you’ve done everything else you’ve set out to do. With excellence.”
Your face lights up as he calls you “my love.”
Ez smiles gently and pecks your lips. “What is it, princess?”
You blush happily as you look up at him. “Say it again. Call me your love again.”
His grin grows. “Do you like pet names, my love? I had no idea.” His voice is dripping with playful sarcasm as he winks back at you.
You laugh and gently swat his shoulder. “Bullshit, Ezreal. You might have started calling me “princess” when we were kids, but you certainly don’t mean it innocently anymore. And you know I know that.”
His grin shifts to a smirk as you talk. “I will neither confirm nor deny I had this knowledge. Do I have permission to call you pet names?”
You lean up and kiss him, murmuring, “Permission enthusiastically granted as long as I may call you more pet names in return.”
He nips your bottom lip before his lips travel to your right ear. His voice is like a low purr as he murmurs, “Absolutely, princess. Call me whatever you want. I just want to be yours.”
You sigh happily and turn your head so you can kiss him, your hands starting to tug his shirt up his back. “When you said come back to bed, handsome, I figured we’d be going to sleep again,” you tease.
“Didn’t you say earlier this morning that I’m your favorite sleep aid? That my methods make you feel the best? What sort of partner would I be if I didn’t make myself useful for you? As I’ve said before, happy to be of service, my princess. Thrilled you could even say. Shall I figure out the proper dosage to help you fall asleep?” he teases back smugly. His calmer voice is very much at odds with his actions as he practically tears his shirt off in his eagerness.
You grin widely at him. “Sounds great to me. Thank goodness I have such a caring boyfriend who is so concerned about me getting the rest I need.” Your voice is very playful as your hands rest on his now-bare chest.
His face lights up brightly as you call him your boyfriend. He leans down again and kisses you hungrily for a moment before pushing back up and grinning down at you.
“Now, Ez, you know I’m a person of science. So tell me, what method are you trying first?” Your eyebrows go up and you bite your lip as you gently start to move a hand down his chest.
Ez leans down and nibbles along your collarbone, causing you to gasp softly. “You know, it is breakfast time…and oh! Looks like I have my favorite meal under me. What a coincidence, hrm?” He murmurs against your skin before looking up at you while one of his hands travels to your thigh and gently traces shapes into the soft skin. He winks, causing your cheeks to go bright red.
It’s amazing how easily he can fluster you. “Well how convenient for you! I believe it’s always nice to really take your time and savor your favorite meal…after you quickly start enjoying it, that is,” you whisper breathlessly.
“Great minds think alike, Angel,” he murmur. He pushes up the shirt of his you’re wearing to expose your stomach so he can lean down and start leaving marks. “So you’re amenable to me having ‘breakfast’ then?”
“Yes, Ezreal. Now, please.” You can definitely hear the impatience in your voice as you gently use your nails to scratch lightly along his scalp. “A preemptive ‘thank you for making me see stars,’ Indiana Jones.”
He leans back up and kisses you deeply again for a moment before smirking and whispering against your lips, “And a preemptive ‘sweet dreams’ for you, my princess.”
Then he starts kissing back down your body and well, let's be honest, it really doesn’t take too long for you to get to enjoy your sweet dreams of him.
EPILOGUE
“If you were by my side and we stumbled in the dark; I know we’d be alright, I know we would be alright.”
(Five months later)
“Are you ready, princess? We’re almost there,” Ezreal’s soft voice fills the small carriage the two of you are traveling in. Though, unlike the last time you traveled to Councilor Hoskel’s mansion, where you were sat next to him on the bench of the carriage, this time you’re happily settled in a much more preferable position. You’re on Ez’s lap, nuzzling his cheek. He’d just returned from another 2-month-long expedition a couple days ago and both of you just couldn’t get enough of being in each other’s arms again. You're sure everyone is sick of the two of you, but you really can't find two fucks to give. Your favorite person is finally home again.
You gently pull back and smile at him, nodding. “I suppose so,” you say. "Though I'd much rather be a little selfish and have you to myself tonight, if I'm being honest."
Ez tilts his head and smirks widely at you before pecking your lips. "I assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual, baby, but my uncle and your family are coming this time and we promised them we'd attend. I'd rather not have them hunt us down to make sure everything is alright," he murmurs affectionately.
You smile as you think about your family and his uncle. You both told them about your new relationship status first. As predicted, none of them were shocked in the very slightest. The nerve-wracking part was over. Then it was time to have a little fun with everyone else.
The fun part came at the next society event Ez was invited to, a couple weeks after the original event at Hoskel’s. You and him coordinated outfits to match colors, your dress to the vest he wore under his suit jacket. This was just cute, classic, and easy thing to do but boy did tongues wag. You’d been his plus one for years, but the two of you never coordinated colors so precisely before now. The fact you did had rumors flying from the moment you and him stepped into the event space.
A month after that, there was also the much less subtle incident involving a lipstick print on the side of his jaw neither of you realized was there. It obviously matched your lipstick color of choice for the evening. The gossip reporters and photographers had an absolute field day with that one. You’d never felt so mortified, but Ez reassured you, through the power of many cuddles and kisses, that it was completely fine. He reasoned that it just ripped the band aid off letting everyone else know. Besides, he was ecstatic to be widely known as yours.
Thankfully, now you can look back on it and laugh. It was pretty funny in hindsight, and it definitely confirmed everyone’s pretty strong suspicions at that point that the two of you were together. If anything it made things easier since you didn’t have to hide your small moments of public affection with him anymore.
“You know I’ll always be proud to be by your side, right, Indiana Jones? Because I am incredibly proud of you and I love you very much,” you say.
“I know that and I’m very honored to be worthy of your love, (Y/N). I love you too.” Ezreal says, pecking your lips as the carriage slows. “Ready to face your adoring public again, princess?”
You giggle and take his hand, squeezing gently as you wink at him. “Absolutely! With you, Ez, I’m ready to face anything.”
And there we go! The end! I was finally able to sit and finish my edits. Thank you long weekend! And thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! As I mentioned at the end of chapter 2, this probably won't be the end of works in this universe. I'm in Ezreal brainrot at the moment (I blame the heavenscale skin splash arts. Obsessed with how Ez looks for both his regular and prestige skins).😅
Inspiration: "Houdini" and “Break My Heart” - Dua Lipa, “Got Me Started” - Troye Sivan, “Tattoo” - Loreen (that’s right we’re adding another one lmao).
Champion: Ezreal (Like Pilty!Ez.)
Summary: You once again fill the role as Ezreal’s plus-one, but things don’t always go according to plan and you have a startling realization.
Genre: Song-inspired fic
Type: Fluff, Angst (but happy ending to chapter), Smut-ish (18+ ONLY. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT)
Gender: Reader who is comfortable with she/her pronouns and with being referred to as a daughter. There are also typically fem presenting clothes and stuff mentioned (but obviously clothes and stuff are not limited to the gender binary).
TW: Swearing, suggestive content (NSFW). Some emotional distress/angst. Mention of torture/violence/death (Jesus that makes it sound so bad) mainly in a nightmare-ish setting. Mention of alcohol (drink responsibly).
Important context: I’m involving Jayce/early HexTech as an example because it’s my story lmao. This is like over double the length of Chapter 1, but you know what, a lot happens plot-wise, so 🤷♀️.
Also: Please take this as my humble holiday gift. Happy Christmas Eve to those who celebrate, and to those who don’t, Happy Holidays! I hope your winter season is filled with love and joy.
Key:
“Break My Heart” lyrics in orange
“Houdini” lyrics in blue
“Got Me Started” lyrics in purple
“Tattoo” lyrics in green
“Everything you say is soundin’ so sweet.”
As you slowly drift back to consciousness, your first thought is how lovely and warm you are. My bedroom isn’t normally this warm! Not without a pile of blankets on top of me. But now all you feel is a sheet and one blanket covering you and it’s perfect.
The next couple things your mind registers are arms around you and a pair of soft lips slowly and gently kissing up and down your neck. The feeling is heavenly and you can’t help but let out a soft unintelligible moan as your brain finally manages to register where you are and who the lips belong to. You’re at Ezreal’s house, in his bed, and those are his lips currently nibbling the junction of your neck and shoulder.
“E-Ez,” you murmur sleepily. You try to tilt your head a little to give him more space, try being the operative word. Your brain isn’t exactly connected to your muscles in its current sleepy state. You let out a happy whine as he chuckles and nips your jaw.
“Good morning, princess. Does that feel good?” he murmurs softly into your ear, his voice husky and a bit deeper from sleep.
You softly moan and lace your fingers with the hand he’s anchored on your stomach. “Ez, please…I’m not…dreaming…right?” Your question is just a little more coherent as you start to actually wake, though your words are definitely still sleep-slurred.
You can feel him chuckle against your neck. “Not a dream, baby. I’ve missed waking you up like this…” He punctuates his point by gently nipping your ear.
You can’t help but let out a soft whimper. As you try to shift in his embrace, you squeeze his hand, trying to use any leverage you can to face him, even with your eyes still closed. “Kiss me…please,” you sleepily beg as you’re unsuccessful in your mission of turning yourself in his arms.
“Easy….I’ve got you…easy, princess…let me take care of you,” Ezreal coos softly, gently adjusting you so you’re laying on your back before one of his hands returns to lace with yours. His other hand gently strokes along your side for a moment. “Can you open your eyes for me?" His lips gently kiss and nibble along your jawline.
You finally manage to flutter your eyes open, turning your head to the side his voice is coming from. There you’re greeted with a delightfully heart-stopping sight. Ez is smirking gently down at you as he rests on his side, head propped up on his palm, with the blanket slid down to his waist, showing off his bare chest and abs. You stretch your arms a little before reaching over and resting your hand on his chest, gently trailing your fingertips down, and giving him a sleepy little smile. “Good morning,” you murmur, your voice still a little husky as well, though he’s the main cause of that, not sleep.
All of his features light up as he smiles. “That’s it, princess,” he says quietly. He moves his head down towards yours. “Very good,” his voice ends in a whisper as he takes your lips in a kiss that can only be described as…drugging. It’s deep, slow, addictive, heart-racing, and breathtaking. It’s everything you wanted.
A happy noise slips from your throat and you tangle your hands in his hair as you kiss him back. After a few long moments, you pull away, a content smile on your lips. “You certainly know my favorite way to wake up” you sigh out, biting your bottom lip as you look up at him.
He gently uses his thumb to tug your bottom lip free of your teeth. The unexpected gesture causes your cheeks to heat and your heart to skip a few more beats. He leans down and kisses you deeply again, making you sigh again in even more delight as your hands move to rest against his chest.
“Sleep well?” He inquires in a murmur against your lips.
You slowly nod and stretch some more with a little smirk once he pulls back. “You made sure I would.”
After you and Ezreal cuddled for a while after finishing dinner last night, the two of you ended up going another round before you both fell asleep, him spooning you. It was truly exquisite, how easily you fell asleep. You never fall asleep as quickly as when you’re with him.
You gently flop back on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling as you’re transported into your mind. You can’t help but focus on the past. You think about how young you never would have imagined this situation being in the future of your friendship with the troublemaker son/nephew of your father’s colleagues. Her jaw would be on the floor.
“Princess, you just woke up! What’s got you thinking so much already?” Ez asks on a chuckle, poking your stomach gently.
You turn your head and shoot him a sleepy grin. “Just how shocked younger me would be that this is where our friendship has gone. She wouldn’t believe it at all. Remember? The first time we met I was so shy, I barely said a few sentences to you. Now look at us,” you remark. “Did you ever think things would be like this? With the history professor’s daughter?”
Ez looks down at you. He responds thoughtfully, “Honestly, no. Younger me didn’t see this being part of our future friendship/relationship to each other. But, I’ve never been so glad to be wrong in my life. I feel very lucky to have been wrong.” He leans down and kisses your forehead softly, his hand once again lacing with one of yours. The actions make your heart flutter and your eyes widen slightly.
You reach up with your free hand and gently cup his cheek, making him look at you. “Who are you and what have you done with Ezreal? You’ve been exceptionally affectionate and sweet since you’ve been home, Ez. Though I’m not complaining. I really like this sweet side of you, but it is different from how things have been in the past,” you observe softly. You let your curiosity linger for a moment before finally asking the questions that are stuck on your mind. “Ezreal, is…is everything alright? Is there anything you want to talk about? Did something happen on your expedition?”
You instantly notice how he stiffens as you mention his expedition and also how he hesitates as if thinking what to say.
You gently trace his bottom lip. “It’s alright, Ez. I won’t push you to tell me anything. I know I can’t comprehend everything you’ve seen in the field, especially when it comes to dangers you’ve faced,” you comment, moving to gently trace his jaw with your thumb.
He stiffens again slightly when you mention dangers. You know his body language well enough at this point to understand that he faced something that he’s hesitant to tell you about.
“As long as you know you can tell me anything without judgement, that’s all I care about,” you soothe, giving him a soft smile.
He leans down and kisses you softly, murmuring, “I do know that, and I’m very grateful. I will tell you. I’m just not ready to relive it quite yet.”
You nod and brush his hair out of his eyes. “Understood. I’m very sorry you went through that, then. When you are ready to talk about it it, I’m here to listen,” you promise him softly. “Always.”
“We’ve got that hot chemistry, you and me won’t make it out this house.”
It was a very slow and easy day for the two of you. Once both of you initially left bed, you shared a lovely and long shower, followed by a delicious, but simple, breakfast back in bed. Then the two of you just cuddled and chatted the afternoon away, mainly talking about your life updates since he was gone for two months with very little contact to home.
You also took a small little nap curled up against Ezreal’s chest. You fell asleep to his hands playing with your hair and rubbing your back, a perfect combination to knock you out.
A couple hours later, and now you’re getting ready for the dinner party with him.
Ez walks out of his closet and into his bathroom wearing a well-tailored black suit set and holding a garment bag, walking over to you as you finish putting on your makeup. He smiles as he meets your eyes in the bathroom vanity mirror. “Ready to see your dress? I think you’ll like it.
You smile back at him. “I’m sure I will. You know my fashion tastes very well by this point, Indiana Jones,” you observe. “Ok show me!” You turn towards him, closing your eyes, and patiently waiting as he unzips the cover.
Ezreal removes the dress from the garment bag and holds it up by the hanger. “Alright princess,” he says. “Open your eyes now.”
You do and you can’t help but let out a little gasp of delight at the clothing in front of you. It’s an off the shoulder purple cocktail-length dress with a fitted purple bodice at the top, covered in subtle 3d floral details, and a flowy tulle skirt that is ever-so-slightly high-low.
You murmur a little breathlessly, “Oh my goodness Ez, that’s so pretty! Is this what you bought the purple set to wear with?”
He nods and says, “As smart as ever. Yes, that’s why I got the purple set. It’s strapless at the top so you should be fine to wear it with this neckline.”
You immediately walk closer to him and kiss his cheek, murmuring happily, “Thank you, Ez. It’s truly beautiful. I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve such special gifts, but thank you for giving them to me.” You pull back and immediately walk over to your bag, getting out the purple set, with its matching top, bottoms, and garter belt.
As you gently herd him out of the bathroom and close the door you call out, “After I change into these, will you help me into the dress? I’ll need assistance with that zipper.”
“Of course. Happy to help, princess,” he calls back.
You quickly change into the lacy purple set, also pulling on some hose and connecting them to your garters. As you check yourself out in the bathroom mirror, you can’t help but say, “Well fuck! I look sexy...”
Ez’s voice sounds through the closed bathroom door, tinged with amusement, “You always do, princess. Why do you sound so surprised?”
You can’t help but smirk and giggle, “Such a charmer, Ez! Alright come in, I’m ready for your help.”
You just giggle even more as he opens the door and freezes after taking only a couple steps with his eyes glued on you.
“Fucking hell, (Y/N), you look stunning,” he breathes. He hangs up the dress on a clothes peg behind him before quickly coming over to you. The second he reaches you, one of his hands is in your hair and the other is pulling you to him, holding your waist. His lips are on yours with a passion that has you gasping and even has your knees going a little weak, making you wrap your arms around his neck just to make sure you don’t fall. He chuckles, sliding the hand on your waist around your back so his arm helps better support you as his lips move to your jaw and throat.
You’re practically panting as you try to recatch your breath. “Careful Indiana Jones,” you gasp and whimper as his lips find a particularly sensitive spot beneath your ear. “Keep this up and we won’t even make it out of this house to get to dinner. Hell, we won’t even make it out of this bedroom.”
His very amused murmur sounds in your ear, “Don’t threaten me with a good time. I see no problem with that particular outcome, baby. That sounds like a far more enjoyable evening to me.” His lips reattach themselves to your neck, causing you to gasp again as your hands tangle in his hair.
“Ezreal, do not leave a hickey when we’re about to go in public. I was barely able to throw my brother and parents off their suspicions of you the last time you left a visible mark. I’m still not completely sure they believe me. Do you know how it would look if we show up together and I have hickeys on me? I’m fairly certain my parents and your uncle would murder both of us once they heard about it!” You scold him breathlessly as you tug on his hair to get him to remove his lips from your neck.
He just smirks wickedly and instead of pulling away completely, he moves his lips to the soft skin of your upper arm. “Fine. Then I won’t make it obvious. I’m still going to mark you, though. Just in a place your dress covers. I know how much you love it when I mark you, (Y/N), don’t even try to say you don’t.”
You close your eyes and let out a soft noise of pleasure as your head goes back. “Fuck…I do,” you let out on a sigh as he does just what he said he would. He leaves a cluster of small marks on soft skin that will soon be covered by the off-the-shoulder sleeves of your dress.
He pulls back to admire his handiwork. “Perfect,” he observes on a smirk. “Now let’s get you into your dress so you can fix your hair. Apologies for messing it up,” he says, not sounding apologetic in the very slightest as he checks himself over in the mirror. “Whatever makeup you used though, good choice. Your lipstick didn’t smudge or get on me at all.”
You laugh as you wait for him to unzip the dress from the hanger and bring it over to you. “I should be upset with you about messing up my hair, but I can’t really be mad when you kiss me like that. Damn, Ezreal!” Your voice is still a little breathless. “That was…..woah…”
He laughs as he stands behind you and helps you step into the dress. He holds it up as you put your arms through the unconventional sleeves. He also helps zip you up, wrapping his arms around you, leaning forward, and kissing a bare shoulder once he’s done. “There,” he murmurs. “Just as incredible as I thought you would look.”
You smile and turn, kissing his cheek softly and uttering a gentle, “thank you.” You reluctantly step out of the warmth of his arms, going to the mirror to quickly fix your mussed hair. When you turn around again, he’s holding a pair of purple heels that match your dress. Once you walk over to him, he offers his arm and lets you use him to stabilize yourself as you step into the heels. They’re not ungodly tall, but heels have never been your forte.
You look at him with a raised brow. “Making sure I hang onto you all night, are you, Indiana Jones? You know me and heels aren’t besties. Promise to keep me upright?” you tease.
He sends you a wink. “Always, princess."
He leads you downstairs once you grab your small clutch with your essentials in it. As he opens the front door, you see a pretty carriage with horses and a driver.
You pause, your mouth opening in a surprised oval as you let out a small little gasp of, “Oh!”
You hear Ez chuckle next to you. “I thought we’d arrive in classic style tonight. And besides, I didn’t want to make you walk in those heels,” he murmurs as he offers you his arm to hold. Once you’re securely holding onto him, he leads you to the carriage steps, making sure you’re able to easily get in before pulling himself up and into the plush interior to the bench next to you. He laces his fingers with yours as he calls out to the driver to go.
After about a 10-minute ride, you see the line of carriages lined up to drop off occupants at the mansion of the council member who was hosting tonight’s dinner. You couldn’t even remember who was hosting. You only knew a couple of the councilors and it wasn’t any of them. As your carriage approaches the drop off point, you start to get nervous as you see flashes of exposed camera bulbs going off.
“You think by now I’d be used to the cameras and reporters,” you utter, “but god they still freak me out. I’m not photogenic, Ez. I still don’t get why you don’t have some model come with you. They’d do so much better in front of the cameras and in polite conversations. You could get whoever you wanted.” Your hands are starting to shake as your anxiety starts to really kick in.
Ezreal uses a finger to gently turn your head towards him. “(Y/N)…hey, don’t say stuff like that. You look incredible. Also, a random model isn’t my best friend of almost two decades who knows me better than I know myself a lot of times. And they certainly wouldn’t be as fascinating as I find you to be,” he voices reassuringly. He ends his affirmations with a quick peck to your lips. “I’ll do most of the talking if that makes you feel better. Just hold onto me. I’ll never let you fall or look stupid. Do you trust me on that?” Ez’s gentle question helps break through your nerves.
“Of course. I trust you completely, Ezreal. Always,” you answer honestly, giving him a small smile before taking a deep breath and rolling your shoulders back.
He smiles at you. “That’s more like it. Ready, princess? Your adoring public awaits,” he jokes.
You can’t help but grin. “But of course! As per usual, I’m ready to be your arm candy, Indiana Jones. Lead the way!”
“It’s your moment baby don’t let it slip.”
He laughs as the driver finally opens the carriage doors at the drop off point. Ez easily slides out of the carriage before turning back to you and helping you down the gap between the carriage steps and the ground. He makes sure you’re stable and offers you his arm to hold.
You smile brightly at Ez as you take his arm. “Thank you!” you whisper. You allow him to lead you along the walkway lined with reporters and photographers. You keep your attention primarily focused on him, and honestly it does wonders for tuning everything else out. He primarily keeps his attention on you as well, chatting casually with you instead of talking to the reporters or photographers clambering for his attention. Before you even know it, both of you are being welcomed into the spacious home of the councilman hosting. “Hoskel,” You hear his name murmured by some passing staff.
The two of you are led to a drawing room where everyone is gathering before moving to the dining room for the formal dinner. Your names are both announced by a very distinguished looking butler. As soon as Ez’s name is announced, there’s a moment of stunned silence as people stare at him before the chattering gets even louder, everyone clearly discussing the return of Piltover’s “prodigal explorer.”
You lean close to his ear. “Looks like you’ll be the hot topic as per usual. Granted, I already knew about the “hot” part,” you playfully tease.
He smirks at you. “Ready for the introductions, princess?” He murmurs. “The only important people I don’t see in here are councilor Hoskel and his wife, but I’m sure they’re just playing host.” He squeezes your hand as the first curious guests approach for an introduction. It didn’t take long, but you’re not shocked. Everyone wants to meet and talk to Ezreal.
You’re touched how Ez always makes sure to introduce you when he’s meeting someone. Out of the two of you, he’s always been far more of a social butterfly. Having him do most of the talking works really well for your dynamic. As he introduces you, as always, you are surprised at the number of people who recognize your last name. You’ve always been proud of your father, your mother who is an attorney, and your brother, who is involved in Piltover politics, but now you realize their accomplishments are farther reaching than you even realized. They’re very well respected, even among Piltover’s elite. Knowing how humble you are, Ez also makes sure to brag about your many accomplishments, making you blush and smile shyly before you talk about yourself.
Once there’s a lull in the introductions, you lean over to him again. “It’s kind of you to brag about my accomplishments, Ez, but they really don’t compare to yours. You’re doing the impossible,” you murmur.
He frowns a little bit. “(Y/N) your accomplishments are just as important. Your past successes when you were in music. Your multiple degrees in public health. Your non-profit work in cancer treatment research. Your job literally helps find cures for cancer. Don’t you realize how incredible that is? You’re very easy to brag about, princess. You’ve done incredible things and I’ve always been really proud of you,” he murmurs back passionately.
“Ez….that’s,” you battle speechlessness. After a moment you squeeze the arm you’re holding onto. “You keep saying the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me,” you manage softly, almost fighting back tears. “T-thank you…truly..”
“And I mean all of it, (Y/N). I’m proud to have you in my life, just as I’ve heard you say you’re proud to have me in yours,” he says.
You slide your hand down his arm and lace your fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze. “I believe you, Ez. And it means so much to me, I can’t even say the proper words. But thank you.” You pause for a moment before leaning over and quickly pecking his cheek.
Such displays of affection in public are rare between the two of you. Neither of you want anyone to get the wrong idea. But he doesn’t look upset. In fact, there’s a very slight twinge of pink on his cheeks along with a shy smile.
Just then, the host and his wife walk in and announce dinner. Everyone is led to the main dining room which is elegantly decorated with a massive table in the middle. Ez leads you to the two chairs with your names in front of them. He’s sitting to your right and the two of you are only a couple seats down from the head of the table. No doubt so Hoskel can ask Ez his own questions about his expedition. Ez pulls out your chair, waiting for you to sit before pushing your seat closer to the table for you.
You smile at him. “Thank you, Ez. Always a gentleman,” you observe happily before lowering your voice and leaning closer to his ear. “Well at least you are in public.” You smirk so only he can see. “In private with me, you’re certainly no gentleman…”
He gets a wicked grin on his face and winks at you as he leans down, his voice practically a low purr against your ear, “I take offense to that, princess. I believe you thought me quite a gentleman this morning.”
“Only after our shower. Before that, you were only a semi-gentleman, Ezreal.” You grin at him as he sits down next to you. Both of you put your napkins on your laps and look around as everyone else settles in. Tonight you’re dining with quite a few members of Piltover’s elite and regardless if you’re very chatty or not, it’s an interesting people-watching opportunity.
Dinner soon starts with an appetizer of a delicious and light soup that reminds you of gazpacho. Once people settle into the course, conversation continues easily again, and sure enough, one of the guests on your end of the table soon asks Ezreal if it’s true he just returned from an excursion.
Ez nods. “I did. I was in the southwest area of Shurima for two months, looking for a legendary tomb only talked about in ancient manuscripts. The tomb is called the Tomb of the Fallen Lovers. Supposedly it’s where an old king went mad and buried himself alive after witnessing the death of his beloved queen via torture when their kingdom was invaded.”
A hush falls over the table as he speaks, everyone eager to hear his story. “How tragic!” You hear someone murmur to their table mate.
Ez turned his head toward the commenter. “Yes it was tragic. What made it even more tragic was she hadn’t been tortured at all. It was all the cruel illusion of an enemy mage. So his queen was unharmed all this time. Then she went mad with grief when she learned what happened to her husband, sealing herself in with him. The tomb is believed to be cursed and anyone who enters will see one of their loved ones being tortured in order for them to lose their will to live, just as the king did. And that’s just one trap protecting the tomb. There are many others as well,” he explained.
He pauses a moment to build up anticipation. Once he looks around, he continues, “The traps were both physical traps, and mental traps caused by magic. And they were hiding things. Elixirs, amulets, and other treasures. Which I was able to retrieve.”
Ez then goes into a longer explanation of a lot of the physical traps he faced. You find yourself getting more and more tense as he explains all the dangers he experienced. He’d really been in quite a bit of peril, and that was upsetting for you to think about. Though you know he is extremely capable, you don't enjoy thinking about your best friend being in danger. As he continues, you’re really hoping Ez can’t see the slight tremor of your soup spoon.
It seems you aren’t so lucky at avoiding Ez’s keen sense of observation. After a couple more moments of him talking, you feel a warm hand gently slide onto your right knee under the table. His hand is over the fabric of your dress, but the thin tulle isn’t much of an insulator from his body heat.
You subtly switch your soup spoon to your left hand so you can covertly slide your right hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze to give your permission to his touch. You then remove your hand from his so you can continue to act as if you’re just listening to his story casually, like everyone else. Internally though, your brain is practically short circuiting as his hand very slowly makes its way up your thigh, above your dress. It takes every ounce of your control to keep from blushing wildly as his thumb gently traced the letters of his name, your name, and then other words you can’t make out against your skirt.
This smart smart man. He knows what he’s doing. You think you’d be used to it by now, with the number of times he’s done it, but every time, his gentle touch manages to completely snare your attention. Soon enough you’re not listening at all to the words of his story, distracted to the point of only focusing on keeping your face pleasantly impassive.
Eventually he gives your thigh one last squeeze before moving his hand back down to your knee. It’s his own way of warning you he’s winding down his story, allowing you time to gradually tune back into his words.
The next person to speak is councilor Hoskel. “Ezreal, you’ve been to many places very few of us could comprehend. Places filled with all sorts of traps, both physical and magical, as you say. What has been the worst or scariest trap you’ve ever faced to get an artifact?”
The unexpected happens. You feel Ezreal, nearly unshakable in all things, freeze and stiffen. His hand on your knee grips a little tighter, as if he’s trying to keep himself anchored to you and to reality. You glance at him, keeping a straight face even as you’re increasingly alarmed to notice he’s gone pale. He’s hesitating, and you can tell by how tense he is this question makes Ezreal think of something that truly rattled him. You hate seeing your usually unflappable partner-in-crime so tense.
As you lace your fingers with his hand on your knee, squeezing his hand reassuringly, you do something you tend to avoid doing at these events. You draw attention to yourself.
Your words to the councilman are coated in a deceptively polite coolness. “Councilor Hoskel, are you aware how insensitive your question is?” It’s a blatantly bold statement, especially to a member of Piltover’s ruling council, but your loyalty to Ez has you speaking without a filter, and well, it’s too late to take it back now.
The rest of the diners sitting around you let out a soft gasp. Hoskel himself looks stunned at your audacity. “Insensitive? Please elaborate,” he demands.
You stare him down as you gently squeeze Ezreal’s hand again, a silent indicator that you’re gladly taking this man on. “I’m sure Ezreal would rather not relive something he classifies as “the worst trap he’s ever faced.” We heard at the beginning of his story the tale of the fallen lovers and how the tomb came to have its name. That entire series of events was caused by an extremely cruel moment of magic. As Ezreal told us, that curse still exists meaning anyone who enters they tomb will see a realistic illusion of someone they love dearly being violently tortured and killed. For the sake of my argument, I’ll use that trap as my example. This is a rhetorical question, but if it were you, would you want to remind yourself of the time you saw an illusion of your lovely wife in that situation?” You say, pausing a moment to let what you just said sink in with everyone before continuing.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to relive that moment, especially not if I only recently experienced it for the first time anyway. That is just one of many psychological, mystical, and physical traps Ezreal has faced across the continent, and not even just the continent, but in that tomb alone, as he just told us. If it were me, the last thing I’d like to do is think about all the moments I faced intense magic or weapons that were set with the sole purpose of killing me. Especially when I must think about said moments because someone wants to be entertained by my answer. That seems like it’s own unique form of psychological torture,” you observe quietly but firmly. “In Piltover, we’ve seen the beauty of magic and human ingenuity, using Mr. Talis’ burgeoning HexTech as an example. What Ezreal does on his expeditions repeatedly brings him face-to-face with magic’s cruelty, as well as the dangerous cunning of humanity. Horrific things you and I could never dare to imagine.” You never once take your eyes off of Hoskel’s face, and you take great pride in the fact that he’s the one to first look away.
Hoskel finally meets your eyes again and nods. His acknowledgment is begrudging as he says, “I see your reasoning. You have an excellent point, Miss…”
“(Y/L/N),” you quickly finish his sentence for him.
Hoskel studies you closely. “Like the history professor at the academy?”
You nod. “Yes sir, he’s my father,” you explain. “My mother is one of the personal attorneys for councilor Kiramman and her family. You also work with my twin brother. He’s a member of the sub council that oversees daily academy affairs.” You explain proudly. You then do another thing you try to avoid at all costs. You brag about yourself, “I myself work in the non-profit sector helping run clinical trials for cancer drugs. It might not be the most “glamorous” work, but I’m proud to do it and try to make a difference in the lives of Piltovans.” Bragging about yourself isn’t something you like to do at all, but you know how elite society craves social connections, and you fear it’s needed in order to make your point to the arrogant man. At least you can brag about the rest of your family, who you are extremely proud of.
Hoskel looks at you with newfound respect. “House (Y/L/N) has done quite well for itself. I should have known who you were. I’d heard you were the one usually found on Ezreal’s arm when he’s at an event such as this, and now I understand why. You and your family are quite impressive.
You smile at Ez, who is looking far more normal-colored at this point, and run your thumb over his knuckles under the table before speaking. “Ezreal and I have been very close friends for almost two decades. We’ve known each other since early childhood. While he brags about my accomplishments, as well as the accomplishments of my family, I certainly don’t think my family’s social connections or achievements are why he invites me.”
It’s at this point you feel Ez squeeze your hand, silently signaling to you he’s jumping back into the conversation. “(Y/N) is right. I bring her because there is no one who understands me better nor is there anyone I trust more. Though I am more than happy to brag about (Y/N) at any time to those who will listen. She’s extremely impressive as we’ve all heard.”
Hoskel nods. “So she is,” he agrees. “And wise. She’s correct. My question to you was insensitive. I apologize, Ezreal. I spoke without thinking.”
Ezreal nods once to the councilor, acknowledging and accepting his apology through the simple gesture.
As the appetizer course is cleared and fragrant roast is set in front of you, you lean over to Ezreal and whisper, “Are you alright, Ez? Based on your reaction I figured that question brought back things you’d rather forget. I didn’t mean to step in as I know you can handle yourself, but…I…”your voice trails off as you hope you didn’t overstep.
Ez looks over at you and squeezes the hand he’s still holding. “Thank you for stepping in. I mean it. You’re exactly right. It brings things to mind I never want to think about again,” he whispers back. “But on a lighter note, how many people can say they have someone in their corner ready to take on a damn council member for them? You hid it very well, but I know you. You were absolutely furious with him.
You nod. “I was livid with him, yes,” you admit. “And I think my mother would be quite proud of how I respectfully tore him down a couple pegs. The question just made me so angry. Hadn’t he been paying attention? Magic and humanity can be cruel.”
“They certainly can be. But anyway, maybe I should start calling you “Angel,” since you were my avenging angel just now,” his voice takes on a playful tone as he responds.
You feel your cheeks get a little warm. “I don’t hate it. Test it out on me once the dancing starts, yeah?” You murmur with a wink.
He squeezes your hand one last time before letting go of it so he can eat the main course, nodding at you. “Good plan, princess."
“Am I falling in love with the one that could break my heart?”
The rest of dinner goes by without any fuss, and soon everyone is excused to gather in the ballroom for dancing. Ez stands and helps you up, again offering a stable arm for you to hold. He murmurs close to your ear, “Ready, Angel?”
You smile and murmur back low against his ear, “A. Yes I am ready. B. Oh I like the new nickname….it gets my stamp of approval.”
He chuckles, “Good because I like it too.”
“Now since it’s been two months, how worried should I be about my feet this evening, hrm?” You tease. You don’t really mean it. Ezreal is a surprisingly divine dancer. He always says that his dancing classes as a kid made his footwork much more agile for his expeditions, and you believe the agility he needs on his expeditions has turned him into an even better dancer.
You glance over to see Ezreal smiling widely at you. He gently squeezes your arm holding onto him. “I feel like I should be asking you that, Angel. You’re in heels this evening,” he murmurs.
You give him a playful pout. “Because of you, Ezreal! You picked out my footwear for tonight.”
He laughs. “So I did. I suppose any damage I take is my own doing.”
“Oh shush,” you giggle as you playfully swat his arm. “You’re skilled enough to deal with my two left feet.”
He smirks widely at you as the two of you find yourself in a beautiful ballroom. There are multiple doors opening to more private balconies, as well as to let air in. There’s also a bar where flutes of champagne and sparkling rosé are being poured. It’s a luxurious space, perfect for someone trying to show off his wealth and power.
You tilt your head towards the bar. “I didn’t have any of the wine with dinner, so I think I’d like some sparkling wine now. Care to join me?”
He instantly starts leading you that direction. “Of course, princess. That sounds like a great idea,” he easily agrees.
Once the two of you have your sparkling wines, him champagne, you the dry sparkling rosé, he leads you by the hand to one of the smaller more private balconies. On the side of the room he picks, there’s only the one, so it really is more like a completely private balcony just for the two of you. He draws the set of curtains in front of the door to show it's occupied. There’s a little table set up, and there’s plenty enough space for two people to dance.
You smile at him and say, “Thank you…my social battery was getting pretty drained when it came to people that weren’t you. This is perfect, Ez. Can we stay out here for a little bit?”
“Angel, we can stay out here as long as you’d like. I was also pretty done with most of the people in there,” he murmurs back as he wraps an arm around your waist and gently pulls you against his side, looking at you fondly. “We should be able to hear the music out here as well, so we don’t even have to go back inside for dancing.”
You sip your rosé and gently rest your head against his shoulder as you and him just watch the sunset. “That sounds…perfect,” you sigh happily.
“Glad to hear it, Angel. I aim to please,” he says.
You glance up at him with a shy smile. “Ezreal, you do an excellent job of pleasing me. In every way that matters and even some that don’t,” you admit. It’s quite an intimate admission, but it’s the truth. Even just being with him, standing here, makes you so very happy.
His eyes light up. “Do I?” he asks in a murmur. “Good. Since we’re being honest with each other, I can tell you that you also do an excellent job of pleasing me, again in all the ways that matter and even those that don’t. Always.”
You finish your wine as he’s talking, gently rubbing his back with the arm you put around him, the one not holding your flute. As he finishes talking, you lean up and kiss his cheek. “Ez, you are so important to me, and I hope you know that. My life would be infinitely darker without you in it,” you say, meaning every single word.
He turns his head and kisses your temple gently. His lips linger on your skin as he quietly confesses, “I do know that. I hope you know I feel the same way about you. A life without you…well that wouldn’t be living to me.”
You look at him as your heart speeds up from his incredibly tender words and the incredibly soft expression he’s looking at you with. “Ezreal…” you whisper, stunned. Tonight alone he’s managed to render you speechless twice by saying the absolute sweetest things. You reach up and cup his cheek, returning his soft expression with one of your own.
Just then, the music starts, disrupting the moment and causing both of you to jump in surprise a little since you were so focused on each other.
You can’t help but start giggling, “Fuck, that scared me!” You lean your head against his shoulder as you continue giggling, and eventually Ez joins in laughing with you, leaning his head on yours for a moment before stepping back from you and facing you.
“Now that we have music, Angel, may I have this dance?” Ezreal asks with a smirk and a well practiced bow, holding his hand out for you to take.
You deposit your empty flute on the little side table before turning back to him and curtsying. “I’d be delighted to give you this dance,” you say, playfully sweet as you place your hand in his, smiling as he easily pulls you closer.
His arms both snake around your waist as the two of you slowly start to sway to the music. Your left arm goes up around his shoulders, while your right hand gently comes up to rest on his chest where his heart is beating. You sigh happily as you let him lead.
He smiles softly at you. “Is this alright, princess?” He asks gently.
You give him a tender smile in return. "Of course," you murmur. “Ez?”
“Yes, Angel?” His soft response gently floats around you, almost like a hug.
“It’s funny you say, Angel, because if you get something new to call me, can I call you something new? You call me Princess, baby, and Angel, while I just call you Ez and Indiana Jones. That seems a little uneven to me."
He smirks gently at you. “I suppose it is uneven. I have no issues with you calling me something else. What were you thinking?” He voices curiously.
“Now of course this would just be between us two when we’re in private, but since you call me baby, could I call you that?” Your voice is shy as you ask the question. “I-I understand if you don’t want me to though, and I can find something else. It just seemed easiest since you already call me that.”
“No, you’re right, that makes sense. Sure, Angel. I have no issues with you calling me that,” he murmurs gently.
You smile brightly at him. “Thank you, baby.” You test out the new nickname. “Oh! What do you think?”
“I like it. It gets my full seal of approval,” Ez states with a grin.
Both of you laugh as you continue to dance with each other, softly chatting for a little bit. Eventually though, you two are just swaying back and forth in comfortable silence, your foreheads resting against one another. The position is so beautifully and peacefully intimate. You’ve never felt as safe as you do on this balcony. And as you realize it, you’re almost a little frightened, as odd as it sounds.
You’ve danced with Ezreal at these sorts of events hundreds of times over the years, but the last few times? Well, you realize they’ve all started feeling like this. Like it’s just you two while everything else is tuned out. Your heart keeps skipping so many beats, all because of one person, the man currently holding you in his arms, and it terrifies you to think about.
Your thoughts start to race as this realization sinks in. Oh shit...what the hell have I done to myself? What have I done in general?? Oh my god….oh my dear fucking god…am I…falling in love with him? Frankly you’re pretty sure you know the answer but you're refusing to believe that right now. That would mean admitting to breaking your own condition you put forth the morning you two agreed to this whole thing. “Condition number 4. No falling in love with each other.”
No, of course I’m not falling in love with him. I’m just surprised because he’s been so sweet since he’s been home this time. It’s because he’s been gone for two months, that’s all. Nothing else. Definitely nothing potentially friendship-ruining. Nope. Absolutely not. Everything is just fine. At this point you’re basically willing yourself to believe that because the alternative isn’t pretty in the slightest.
You're so lost in your thoughts that you don’t notice your arm around his shoulder tightening and your hand on his chest closing into a small fist, but Ezreal does. He can tell you’re completely distracted by something, so he gently kisses your forehead and murmurs softly, “Everything alright, princess? You’re really tense all of a sudden.”
You blink at him in surprise as his gentle voice snaps you back to the present. “O-oh! Y-yes, s-sorry. I didn’t mean to woolgather. I think my feet just finally registered I’m in heels. And they’ve started to hurt a bit. I-it was bound to happen eventually during the evening.” Your excuse is a little weak, but it’s not completely a lie. Your feet are starting to hurt because of the heels.
He nods. “Got it,” he says. “Would you like to sit? Or after one more song we can go home? Whatever you’d like.”
You give him a slightly shaky smile. “One more dance sounds good, Ez,” you decide.
He’s known you long enough though to see that something really has you bothered, and while he knows well that you and heels don’t get along, he’s pretty sure there’s something else in addition to your feet hurting, but he knows better than to push you to talk about it, just as you didn’t push him this morning to talk about what happened on his expedition. He spins you one more time under his arm before gently stepping back.
You hate how the cells in your body immediately seem to protest his absence once he’s away from you, but you can’t seem to help it.
He gives you a bow and murmurs. “The conversation from dinner still has me a little tense. I think going home is wise, Angel. Is that alright with you?"
You start to relax as you nod.
“I know these aren’t your favorite things to go to, so thank you again for coming with me. Truly. There’s no one I’d rather go with,” he says with a small but genuine smile.
Internally, that sets off your alarm bells again. Oh god he can’t say stuff like that to me. I’ll start to believe it…He says it so casually too…fuck me…damnit this isn’t good.
Externally though you manage to keep a calm demeanor, smiling gently at him and squeezing the hand he offers you. “These aren’t my favorite things, true, but you make them much more tolerable,” you admit. You are being honest there. While you might be freaking out inside, you’re not afraid to admit that being with Ez does make elitist society bullshit like this better.
The two of you re-enter the ballroom, leaving the almost cozy little world you created for yourselves on the balcony. The loud hum of conversation is a little jarring compared to the companionable silence and soft conversation the two of you found yourselves in moments ago.
Despite your prior warning thoughts to yourself, you find yourself gripping Ezreal’s hand a little tighter as he leads you through the room to where councilor Hoskel is standing.
Ezreal speaks once he has Hoskel’s attention. “Councilor, we greatly appreciate the invitation. Dinner was delicious and the company delightful. Unfortunately, I find myself still not fully recovered from my journey. I hope you’ll forgive our abrupt departure.”
You listen as he easily slips into the high-society member his parents, when they were here, and uncle trained him to be. You, Ez, and your brother even shared the same cotillion tutor when you were younger, and in moments like this, you’re grateful for the stuffy old woman and her lessons.
You step up next to Ezreal and smile at the elder man. “Yes, truly, thank you for hosting us. I hope the rest of the evening runs just as smoothly as it has so far,” you add on to Ez’s statement.
The councilman smiles at the two of you before jovially saying, “I’m very glad both of you could make it. I look forward to following your next journey, Ezreal. I’m even happy to help fund it when the time comes. And you, Miss (Y/L/N), your future is very bright. Your willingness to always speak your mind and make people listen is unconventional, but very admirable. I’m excited to follow your career, help where I can, and see where you go. I initially thought the friendship between the two of you was an odd pairing, but after the conversation at dinner, I see why Ezreal is always asking you to join him at society events. You clearly do understand him better than anyone. You two make an excellent team, the type of team that only comes from knowing each other as long as you two have. Treasure it in whatever form it takes. Companionship such as this is extremely rare to find.”
You and Ezreal speak simultaneously, “I will.”
You look over at him and blush a little.
Ezreal looks back at you, his expression a little surprised and the very slightest amount of pink on his cheeks. He quickly recovers and turns his attention back to Hoskel. “We appreciate the kind words, sir. Please enjoy the rest of your evening,” he voices before squeezing your hand and leading you from the ballroom to the front of the house where the butler was already informed of your intended departure and had the fancy little carriage brought back around for you two.
You gladly let Ez assist you into the carriage before scooting over on the seat so he can slide in next to you. “That was…that was quite the evening,” you murmur as you gently lean against him and rest your head on his shoulder. “For fuck’s sake, I took on a Piltover councilor. During the soup course!”
Ez’s arm makes its way around you. “For me, nonetheless. It was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen, (Y/N),” he chuckles softly before gently turning your head to look at him with a soft finger on your chin so he can gently peck your lips. “Thank you, Angel,” he whispers.
You just can’t help it as you lean forward and peck his lips in return, almost like a second nature response at this point. “You’re welcome, Ez. I'll always stand up for the people in my life that I are care about. You know that," you murmur affectionately.
He gently smiles and pulls you closer, allowing you two the rest of the ride to unwind. He’s just so sweet and gentle with you, but even then you can tell something is still a little off with him. You wager he’s likely still a little shaken up by the question he was asked at dinner, and you can’t blame him. While you don’t know everything Ez has faced, you know enough that pondering the “worst” trap he’s seen must be extremely difficult.
“Ez? Dinner and dancing wore me out, so I think I’m just going to undress and relax in bed for a while and read,” you say.
“I like that idea, Angel. I think I’ll join you, if that’s alright?" His voice goes into a very very gentle tease, “If it helps to convince you, I’ll provide the cuddles…”
You can’t help but giggle softly. “I was hoping you would,” you admit, making him smile widely at you.
Once the carriage gets to the front of his house, he gets out and hops down before turning back to help you. Since it’s really just you two and the driver who doesn’t really care, Ez makes it easy on both of you by just sweeping you into his arms and carrying you inside with a gentle, “So you don’t have to walk anymore in those heels.”
You rest your head against his shoulder. “Thank you Prince Charming,” you sigh happily as he once again carries you easily upstairs and to his room before gently setting you on the bed and helping you take off your heels.
“Happy to serve you, my princess,” he says with a wink, making you laugh. He then moves around and helps you unzip your dress so you can remove it, letting out a low whistle as he again sees the purple set. “Again, you look fucking stunning,” he murmurs. He softly kisses along your neck and jaw as he helps you remove your hose and the rest of the lingerie.
As he focuses his attention on undressing you, you make sure to do the same for him, quickly undoing his tie and unbuttoning his suit, pants, vest, and dress shirt. As soon as his shirt is unbuttoned your hands are on his chest, savoring the delicious warmth of his skin and the sure “thump” of his heartbeat. You can’t help but look up and giggle softly at him, “How unfair…you’ve thoroughly distracted me.”
“Just as you do to me, Angel,” he chuckles as he undresses the rest of the way. “But, let’s at least get your makeup off and our nighttime stuff done before we distract each other too much, yeah?”
You nod and stand, pecking his lips before you go into the bathroom with your toiletries kit, happily beginning to take off your makeup. You call out to him, “Why is it that getting unready almost feels better than getting ready?? I love dressing up, especially in the beautiful things you so kindly get me, but the feeling of removing my bra for the day and getting my face washed and teeth brushed is almost…divine!”
He comes and joins you in the bathroom, sharing the sink with you. “It’s a good question. I can’t relate to the bra part,” he muses with a grin, “but definitely agree about the feeling of getting the night routine done. Maybe it’s because, once you get it done, that’s when you feel like you can most truly relax.”
You nod in agreement as you brush your teeth. He has an excellent point, and you make sure to tell him so once you don’t have a mouth full of toothpaste. “See, now this is why I like you. Most people would write my musings off as silly ramblings, but not you, baby. You gave me a genuine answer, and I agree with you. I think that’s a great reason!” You rest your head on his shoulder for a moment and smile at him in the mirror.
He laughs. “Anyone who dares to call your brilliant mind silly can fight me. We have the most interesting conversations, Angel.”
You blush happily and kiss his bare shoulder before returning to your night routine. Before long, both of you are cuddling in bed, your legs tangled together and his arms around you as you rest against him and happily read your book. The moment is so lovely and peaceful, you practically forget the stressful thoughts you had earlier. Soon enough, you’re falling asleep, nuzzling his neck as he tells you a story about one of his happier adventures.
“No I don’t care about the pain; I’ll walk through fire and through rain; just to get closer to you…”
You’re not sure how long you’ve been asleep when you’re woken up by a soft whimper. Everything is still pitch black out and you’re listening to the stillness to see if it happens again. Eventually you hear it again, and this time you realize it’s coming from Ez who has started shifting in his sleep, based on the movement of the mattress.
“Ez?” you murmur sleepily, wondering if he’s awake. It’s only when he doesn’t respond that you realize he’s likely having a dream.
Suddenly you hear a “(Y/N)? No….no stop!” slip from Ez’s lips.
Oh, he’s sleep talking. He’s saying out loud what he’s saying in his dream, you realize. You focus back on him, trying to figure out what sort of dream he could be having that would make him say your name.
Suddenly, he speaks again, this time his voice a lot more….panicked, which is never a word you associate with your level-headed best friend. “(Y/N)! No! S-Stop! Let her go! She has nothing to do with this! Hurt me if you must, but please don’t hurt her! I’m the one who entered this tomb. N-No! (Y/N)! Kill me, damnit! My life for hers! Just let her go! (Y/N) please hold on! I’m almost there!” His voice is frantic and he’s starting to struggle in the blankets, as if desperately trying to get to you.
Your alarm skyrockets as it’s clear he’s having a terrible nightmare about one of his expeditions and it involves you being hurt in some way. You quickly throw on the lamp on the bedside table and carefully move the covers off of him. While you’re worried about him, you know panicking won’t do anything to help. Your voice is as calm as possible as you shake Ez’s bare shoulder and say, “Ez? Ezreal? Baby, wake up. It’s just a nightmare, Ezreal. It’s (Y/N). Ez! Wake up.”
“No!” he cries out desperately as he suddenly awakens and startles up. His breathing is ragged, tears streaming down his cheeks. He’s trembling and gripping the blanket like a lifeline.
“Ezreal?” You gently turn his head to look in your direction. His eyes are wide and unseeing in a haunted expression, and it’s clear he’s not fully awake yet. You cup his jaw, kiss his forehead, and tenderly wipe away his tears. You continue to speak to him in soothing tones as he shakes like a leaf, “Shhhhh Ez, you’re ok. It’s me. It’s (Y/N). Look at me, baby. Focus on me. Focus on my voice. I’m safe, Ezreal. I’m completely safe. Nothing bad happened to me. It was only a bad dream, Ez. We’re safe in Piltover. We’re safe in your room.”
You note the moment he’s fully awake by the spark of recognition in his eyes.
“(Y/N)? You’re ok? You’re not hurt?” he says, his eyes and voice still holding some panic as he frantically looks you over, hands skimming you to physically check your well being for himself.
Whatever he saw has him absolutely terrified. You’ve never seen him so rattled, and it’s honestly jarring, but you don’t let that show, still intent on calming him at the moment.
You gently rest your forehead against his to get him to really focus on you, continuing to wipe away any tears that fall. Your heart squeezes as you continue try and ease the fear from his eyes. “Shhhh. Shhh Ezreal…breathe slowly for me. I’m ok…I’m safe, baby. I promise you, I’m perfectly fine. It was only a nightmare. We’re together, Ez….we’re safe,” you coo softly before wrapping your arms securely around his shoulders and nuzzling his neck just as he likes. “Feel this? You’re here, safe in my arms…” You softly kiss his cheek before gently kissing his lips, lingering until you feel him start to relax against you and feel his arms wind around your waist to pull you closer.
Once you pull back, you again rest your forehead against his and look him in the eye. As you feel him stop shaking, you peck his lips another time. When you eventually move one of your hands back up to his cheek, he eagerly leans into your touch. You tenderly whisper, “That’s it, Ez….back with me now?”
He sighs deeply and nods, closing his eyes and just letting his forehead rest against yours. His breathing slowly regulates and one of his hands comes up to cover the one you placed on his cheek. “Thank god…it was just a nightmare…or a memory, I suppose,” he murmurs so softly you barely hear it.
“I wonder when you go if I stay on your mind.”
You trace along his jaw lightly with your thumb as you softly inquire, “A memory?” You think for a moment. “Ez, I’m not going to make you tell me anything you don’t want to. But, may I ask some general yes or no questions so I can understand what’s going on? You don’t even have to verbally respond, you can just nod or shake your head if that’s easier. You may also stop me at any time, no questions asked.”
He laces his other hand with yours and nods, giving your fingers a squeeze.
You gently squeeze back. “Thank you for trusting me, baby,” you murmur. “To start, you said this is a memory, so this is something you saw?”
He nods and squeezes your fingers before whispering, “Yes. On my most recent expedition. The one I just returned from.”
You gently lay down, silently directing him to lay on your chest, melting as he rests his head where he can hear your heartbeat. Once he’s comfortable, you get back into your line of questioning.
“I see. Was this the trap you didn’t want to discuss at dinner, and the thing that happened that you didn’t want to talk about this morning?” Your voice is soft but your curiosity is unmistakable.
He squeezes your hand tightly and nods. You softly reach down and cup his jaw, melting even more as he closes his eyes, turns his head, and nuzzles your palm.
“Ezreal, did…did you see m-me being tortured when you were in the Tomb of the Fallen Lovers? Was that the trap?” you ask hesitantly. Based on what you heard him say during his nightmare, and hearing what he's told you so far, you can't imagine what else it would be.
He stiffens again and nods, looking up at you with a haunted expression similar to the one he wore when he wasn’t quite fully awake from his nightmare. Once he starts speaking, he whispers so softly you barely hear him, but his whisper is thick with emotion, “(Y/N)…I saw you being tortured and killed. I heard your screams and sobs as they hurt you. I saw you look at me with terror in your eyes as you cried out for me, desperately begging me to save you, to stop the pain. My very soul felt like it was being ripped apart every time I heard you say my name in such pain, in such fear. It was fucking unbearable, (Y/N). It was as if my deepest nightmare had come to life. I was going insane. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get to you. I could do nothing to help you…and then…I-I couldn’t save you in time. I’d never felt so helpless or useless in my life. I believed I failed to keep you alive, (Y/N). That very nearly broke me…completely. What good is my magic, what good am I, if I can’t protect or save those I care for most?”
You look back at him with wide eyes, your heart breaking at the distress creeping back into his voice.
He pauses for a moment to take a shaky breath. “The only thing that snapped me out of it was remembering the rest of the original story. How it was just a cruel illusion on the king and that the queen was really unharmed. That made me remember that you were still here in Piltover, that you hadn’t come with me to Shurima so it made no sense for your captors to have you. That’s what finally made the illusion and trap fall apart. But, fuck it was so realistic…” his voice finally breaks and you feel warm tears gently drip onto your bare chest as his breathing gets unsteady and he again starts to tremble.
You move your hand up to gently wipe away his tears again. Your voice is gentle and tender as you murmur to him, “Shhh, oh baby. Oh my god…oh Ezreal…” you’re struggling not to let emotion overwhelm you too. “No wonder you didn’t want to talk about it. I’m sure Hoskel’s question and the discussion at dinner had something to do with the memory reappearing in your nightmares. Your strength astounds me, Ez. I’d never want to relive that either if I were in your shoes and I’d seen realistic illusions of you being h-hurt or w-worse. Seeing that happen to you…even if it just turned out to be a t-terrifying illusion…God, Ez, it would completely r-ruin me.” You can’t help but let out a shudder as the horrific thought goes through your mind.
His voice sounds softly, “I also knew if I mentioned that trap they’d ask who I saw in there. You know how nosy that group is. And I didn’t want you finding out I saw you in there at the same time as other people, not when it’s none of their damn business. I wanted to tell you myself, in private. You deserved to hear it from me in private. That’s not the type of news to surprise someone with in public. I respect you too much and you’re too important to me.”
You gently shift down the bed so you can better cuddle him. He immediately nuzzles your neck, allowing you access to kiss his temple. “I’m very glad you told me in private, Ezreal. We’ll need to talk about this more later, because I’m sure it means something important that I can’t comprehend at…” you peek at his clock, “…3:26 in the morning. But for now, let’s table this extremely distressing topic and just focus on trying to get back to sleep. What else can I do to help you right at this moment to help you relax? Would you like some tea? Warm sweetmilk? Water?” You ask softly, playing with his hair.
He thinks for a moment before looking up at you and murmuring, “Warm sweetmilk doesn’t sound bad right now. Can I come with you to make it? I think getting out of bed for a bit would be helpful.”
You nod and trace his lips with your fingertips as you utter a simple, “Of course, Ez…”
You blush as he gently grabs your hand and places a kiss to the inside of your wrist before he gets out of bed and pulls on a shirt and boxers. He tosses you another one of his shirts and then the neatly folded underwear of the lacy purple set so you can also get dressed.
Once you are ready, he offers his hand, giving you a shaky smile as you lace your fingers with his and give his hand a squeeze before letting him lead you into the rest of the dark house.
Despite the darkness and many stairs, thanks to Ez’s guidance, you never feel unsteady or unsure of your step. As the two of you move quietly, you can’t help but silently ponder everything you’ve seen and heard tonight. Why would he see me in the trap? I-is this why he’s been so very sweet lately? It’s overwhelming to think about, especially considering the thoughts you had earlier at the party. As well, for your own sanity, you don’t want to consider how very close you might have come to losing Ez. After calming him, the last thing you want to do is work yourself into a panic. You push those troubling thoughts to the side and move back to the present to focus on making both of you some much-needed warm sweetmilk.
He easily guides you to the kitchens, grabbing a couple mugs while you grab a pot and a cold bottle of milk. The two of you meet back at the stove and you’re relieved to see how he’s already far more relaxed than when he woke up. You pour the milk into a pot and add some sugar, anise, and a couple dashes of cinnamon while Ez easily gets the stove going. You grab a wooden spoon and carefully place the pot over the heated grate. As the milk heats to a simmer, you stir occasionally, keeping a close eye on things and getting lost in the routine of the recipe.
“You’re quite good at that, it seems,” a low voice murmurs by your ear as Ezreal wraps his arms around you from behind and sleepily nuzzles the junction of your neck and shoulder. He lays feather soft kisses there, making you sigh softly and tilt your head a little so he has more access.
“I happen to be a sweetmilk enjoyer when I can’t get to sleep, which is unfortunately more common than I'd care to admit. Are you trying to distract me? You’ll make me scald the milk, Ez,” you voice, mock offense coloring your tone.
You shiver as you hear the smirk in his voice as he whispers, “Would you rather I stop, Angel?”
You’re infinitely glad your teasing Ezreal is back after everything he saw in his mind, even if he’s making it much harder to focus on stirring the milk. “I mean my answer is no, baby, but, since I’m mianly making this for you, maybe you can wait until we’re back upstairs and not dealing with appliances that involve heat. You’re well aware of my clumsiness.” you tease right back.
Ez lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine….we can be sensible,” he grumbles, though you can hear the smile he’s trying to hide.
You turn your head slightly and grin, saying, “Out of the two of us, that tends to be my role, yes. The sensible one. You’re the bad influence who managed to corrupt me a little bit. But I’m not really complaining. Being a goody-two-shoes all the time was so stressful.” You finish your point by turning your head a little bit more and kissing his cheek.
“What a pair we make.” This time he definitely can’t hide the smirk on his face.
You laugh as you finish heating the milk, straining out the larger spices as you carefully pour the liquid into the two mugs he brought over. “Hopefully you like it. There are a million different ways to make warm sweet milk, but this happens to be the way I was taught by my mom,” you say as you hand his mug to him and pick up your own.
“Cheers!” You hold your mug up and smile as he gently clinks his against yours before both of you take a first sip.
“Oh fuck,” he sighs happily, his fond gaze finding you. “That’s so good….that is exactly what I needed. Thank you, (Y/N).”
You smile back at him. “Happy to help, Ez. Always.”
You turn off the stove and put the small pot you used into the sink to be washed later. After you return to him and grab your mug, you take his free hand and lead him back upstairs.
Back in his room, you hand Ezreal your mug so you can climb into bed first, sitting up against the pillows. You then take both mugs as he climbs in and settles next to you. Once you give him back his mug, you wrap your free arm around his back, gently cuddling him.
“Now that we have my second favorite sleep aid, how do you feel?” you ask as he lays his head on your shoulder.
He smiles. “Much better. And cuddles certainly don’t hurt either,” he admits shyly. “But back it up a bit. So sweet milk is your second favorite sleep aid. What’s your first?” He asks curiously, popping his head up and adjusting his position so he can look at you.
You can’t help but blush and let out a giggle before smirking widely at him. “It’s you, Ez. I sleep really well when we’re together. You’re number one because your methods definitely make me feel the…well...best,” you confess, unable to keep from giggling some more when you see surprised, wicked delight flash in his eyes as he starts smirking back at you.
“Well well well,” he murmurs. He gives you a mock bow as best he can in his current position as he leans towards you. “Happy to be of service, my princess,” he whispers playfully into your ear before capturing your lips in another deep kiss that you’re helpless to resist.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! This chapter was really interesting and fun to write. Like obviously Ezreal comes off as so confident and arrogant almost always, but the man has likely seen some shit in his travels and I wanted to explore that a little. Also I am a SUCKER for a good FWB gone wrong story. It's looking like Chapter 3 will be the last chapter of this particular fic, but I'm enjoying this "universe" so don't be surprised if there is a future one-shot based in it lmao.
