Hm. This is a little hard to imagine since at the moment, there are two problems:
1) Talon’s in a monogamous relationship with @laboucherie
2) Talon views Darius as sort of an older brother figure (though he doesn’t really dare to call it that because Darius HAS a younger brother and Talon figures he’s lucky enough that Darius tolerates his company and he’s not going to overstep by claiming to be family or anything, he just. Really wishes that he’d grown up with an older brother like Darius.)
THAT SAID, I think the easiest way it could have happened would have been in the past since Talon admired Darius a lot. All the kids in the Underground did because Darius was just some poor kid who made it all the way to the Trifarix. Hogw can you not look at him and be inspired? How can you not look at him and think ‘if he did it, I can too’?
A younger Talon could have that identification change to a crush very easily. It’s a fine, fine line between hero-worship and crush, between thinking ‘I want to be him’ to ‘I want to be with him’. Because if you adore him so much, if you think he’s good enough to want to be, then why wouldn’t you want to be with him too?
(Of course, a key point is that Talon never wanted to be in the army and taking orders. That’s why he couldn’t ever really be Darius. He’s too much of a loner. At the same time, if he’d had Darius for a brother, if he’d been raised as part of a pack instead of a solo assassin, then perhaps he would have been more used to taking directions and being part of something.)
Talon with Darius is easy, ultimately. Praise him, bond over terrible childhoods, respect his talents as he respects Darius’, be patient with his touch issues and lack of sex drive – and that’s it, you’ve got him. Darius tends to be a very quietly intense character, which works well for Talon who thrives on quiet, understated affection.
THIS GOT REALLY LONG AND IT’S NOT EVEN ANSWERING THE QUESTION PROPERLY, I AM SO SORRY, ANON. Let me do it properly.
1) Younger Talon who hero-worships Darius actually gets noticed by Darius and fed enough approval/praise to have it turn into a crush.
2) Post-Marcus Talon who’s trying to find a new path for himself now that his General is gone/he has no purpose being scooped up by Darius and imprinting onto him instead.
3) Marcus sending Talon on a mission with Darius’ unit and Talon gradually coming to realize that he doesn’t want to go home to Noxus. He likes campfire talks with Darius, standing guard with him, roaming ahead and reporting back to him privately. He likes the way Darius smiles, all teeth and hunger, right before the battle begins. He likes the way the fire reflects off Darius’ armor in the night when he takes it part and cleans the pieces. He likes the steadiness of Darius’ breathing in the night and how he can pick out Darius’ breathing over those of all the other men.
4) Darius defends Talon against something. Anything. Could be on the field, could be some noble making smart-ass remarks about just how pretty Talon’s mouth and why the General would have taken the boy into his house. Talon isn’t used to being defended, he’s used to being the defender. He’s as tough as Noxian steel and utterly competent with no problem threatening people who think words are as effective as weapons as blades. Someone actually protecting him? Someone thinking he’s worth protecting?
Talon would be heart eyes so fast and not know what to do about it. He wouldn’t know how to even cope with being protected – be miffed they think he needs protection? Thank them? Do something to make it clear that wasn’t necessary and then something else to show he appreciates it? Blue screen and shut down?
Talon.exe has stopped working. Hardcrush.exe is attempting to patch.
