5:40 am. Twenty minutes until my alarm goes off. I slept 3 hours. I'm too excited- I start dressing up, trying my best to make less sound possible. Then I hear Sett knocking in his usual way «Can I come in?»
Fuuuuck. Now I have to change for training I completely forgot about it.
I open the door and he sits on the sofa near the window «I'm making an exception today and making you skip exercises. But you must promise you will not whine tomorrow, we're gonna do double.»
He sees my eyes lighting up like Christmas lights «omgomgomg thank you so much Sett I love you!» I say, trying to hug him and ending up on his lap. We are so close. Too close. I feel his heartbeat fasten.
«I don't think you were joking yesterday, about running away,» he says « maybe you just need a reason to stay.» I get closer and actually kiss him. A small kiss on his lips. «Oh, shit- I'm so sorry for my behavior. And my language. I will get up now. I am very sorry it won't happen again.» as I do so, he grabs my wrist and pulls me against him, making me lose balance and fall again on his lap.
«This place is heaven and you love me Miss Y/N, no need to run away.» and he kisses me. On the mouth. An actual, real, passionate kiss.
I like it a bit too much and get flustered. «Oh, finally it's you getting shy Y/N. Took you a while.
If you want to know how many things you can do when you have money, you know where to find me.» he gets up, winks at me, and leaves my room.
[...]
I was so caught in the flashback replaying in my head that I actually lost track of time and didn't even hear the first time Heimerdinger called me.
This day was great already, but all these people around? I couldn't believe my eyes. People from all regions came here, and for the first time, I was actually in the crowd to witness it.
«Y/N, I promised your parents I would've followed you around. But I trust you deeply, don't disappoint me. I'm waiting for you here in 5 hours, you have all the time in the world to see all the inventions.» I was used to being lucky in a high-class way: good teachers, many different studies, best food. But I never got to experience young adult's luck before: being able to do what I want wherever I want, watch the inventions on my own and kiss people.
I rushed to the art gallery. It was at the end of the road, and even though it was the main road of the fair, only a few people were there. I got stuck watching a specific piece: a machine in a glass box trying to clean up what looked like blood or oil, only to get the walls and floor spattered again. I stand there and just look at it for many minutes.
«It's called Can't help myself.» a voice tells me, as a shadow moved next to me.
«It's beautiful.» my eyes were glued to the box.
«It really is...» I sense his eyes on me, but I'm too shy right now to face him, so I keep my gaze straight.
«But it's also sad.» he continues, «Stuck in an endless cycle it cannot break on its own.»
«That's what makes it beautiful. It needs a real interaction to be understood. If you saw a picture of it, it'd seem like a hard-working machine. But it's showing us what it feels. We're seeing its most intimate part... Uhm- I'm sorry I'm being rude talking all this nonsense, and not even looking at you-» I moved my gaze to him, and standing in front of me is a much older man, very tall, slim, short black hair with a lock of it near his face: a giant scar all over his eye, which is black with the iris orange. I couldn't do much but stare, I was fascinated by it.
«I'm sorry for my eye, I know it must be disgusting to look at.» he says, his hand trying to cover it. «Oh no no, please. I'm mortified for staring, it's just that I find it very special.» I will never forget this innocent, confused look he just gave me.
«I'm Y/N by the way, nice to meet you, Sir.» His blue's eye pupil dilated «Oh, well the pleasure is all mine, Y/N. My name is Silco. So, where have you been hiding Miss? I would've noticed you around, and by your accent, you are from Piltover.» I blushed a little.
«I don't leave the house much. Are you from Piltover as well?» «Kind of, nearby...»
We talked for 2 hours, about anything that would come to mind: art, my studies, my training, gossip even. He talked very little about himself, he just said he's a businessman, who recently had some free time to explore art. The more we talked, the more fascinated I was about his mind. He's smart and charismatic and he wants to learn. He hates the idea of wasting his time thinking about furniture or building a mansion, he wants to learn all that this world has to offer and help the poor. I tried my best to water down my routines, to appear more average as possible: for once, I have the opportunity to have an honest conversation and be the real me.
«So you don't have a literature teacher? You have a yoga trainer but no literature?» «Well no, my parents have been searching for one but no one would fit their expectations.» «Well, that's unfortunate. There's a bookshop nearby where you can buy books and read them there, they have areas where you can sit and read. I can show it to you,» he said, offering his hand to me.
Maybe it was the way the sun was reflecting on his scarred eye, but at that moment I felt like my heart was beating for the first time.
I took his hand and unexpectedly it was delicate and soft. We moved through the crowd and I blushed at the thought that people would maybe think we are a couple. He showed me the place, it was giant: tons of shelves and aisles, it felt like an ancient library.
It was almost 5 hours, so I couldn't stay any longer. «Goodbye, Miss Y/N.»
«I don't think I will be able to see you again Silco, but I wish I could.» «I will be here to read by myself tomorrow morning. It'd be a nice coincidence to meet you.»
«Well, if my personal trainer broke a leg I could read all the books in the world!» I jokingly said, before leaving.
I went back to Heimerdinger and stayed with him for a few more hours to follow Progress Day's stalk, before escorting me back home.
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A/N: The artwork mentioned is Can't Help Myself, by Sun Yuan & Peng Yu. I'm not adding pictures because it could look a bit gore-y, but I suggest you check it out, it's one of my favorite modern art pieces.