League of Legends Series

Riven x Talon

Modernish AU 

His first crush.

It wasn't all that unexpected, to be honest. Talon spent most of his life on the streets before bouncing around foster homes, keeping to himself and warding off others. That was just everyday life, so when DuCouteau came along with an irresistible offer, he was understandably wary of the man's intentions. But he didn't harbor ill will. From the start, DuCouteau saw an intelligent boy who needed stability in his life to flourish, and so his new life began.

Katarina, on the other hand, was odd. They got along fine, well as fine as newly acquainted siblings in their mid-teens could. They were opposites to a certain degree. She was outgoing and chatty and didn't think twice about flaunting her feminine features. He, on the other hand, remained reserved.

The thought of attending a private school gave him anxiety he had never experienced before. He was a bookworm, despite the many fights he had instigated. The high school experience depicted in the novels did not seem appealing. He was the ideal victim, thin, nerdy, and worst of all, at the bottom of the totem pole.

He grew envious of Katarina. Every day, she would come home with an entourage of friends. Said friends were okay, though, polite and respectful around him, but he realized that might have been due to DuCouteau's warning glances.

Talon loved his new home. He really did. His private tutors were knowledgeable and attentive, and the selection of books inside their manor library was to die for. Yet, he realized he would have to leave his comfort zone eventually. He couldn't spend the rest of his life hiding away between pages of fictional words because the real world was not as majestic.

So, he petitioned DuCouteau, and to his surprise, the older man smiled and approved him to attend the same private school as Katarina within the week. Admittedly, Talon thought he would get more time to prepare for a considerate shift in his life, but that wasn't the case, and he would have to deal with it.

★

It was there, during his first day, that he met her: Riven. She was pretty, prettier than any girl he had ever met, including Katarina. Silky hair and glossy lips, and the way she hugged her books to her chest was strangely endearing. Her aura felt different from those around her, more mature, more composed. There was just something about her that lured him in.

He averted his eyes to Katarina as she explained how the lockers worked. Something about a three-piece number combination. He didn't much care. Halfway through the day, he noticed the other students had a tendency to keep their distance, and he realized all his worrying about social hierarchy didn't matter.

Darius and Draven were at the top of the food chain. Typical school bullies in some sense, but the good kind. Darius was boastful and arrogant as the captain of the wrestling team, and Draven was vain but had the muscle to back it up. They were indiscriminately mean to everyone but never took it too far; it mostly extended to verbal teasing and the occasional noogie. Draven was not exempt. And Katarina happened to be his girlfriend, which meant Talon got a free pass into their group.

If he had his pick of the litter, he probably would have chosen different friends, but they were nice enough. However, Talon was peeved to know Draven once harbored a crush towards Riven. But his lousy judgment led him to think slapping a girl's ass in public was appropriate. That transgression earned him a broken arm, and since then, Draven had kept his distance. This, however, was terrible news for Talon, considering he was now part of their group. If he had any intentions of courting the pretty albino, he was already at a disadvantage.

Talon finally deduced that if he wanted a shot with Riven, he had to be the polar opposite of the brothers, which meant differentiating himself from his entourage. It was lucky he had the same literature class as Riven. And even more fortunate that he sat beside her. It was almost fate if such a ridiculous notion existed. He strove to be a model student during that hour-long class, raising his hand, taking structured notes, and helping classmates who appeared to be struggling.