If it's one thing you hated more than Mondays, it's waking up on a Monday with a hangover.
Y/N: Ow. My head.
You rubbed your temples as your head throbbed in pain.
???: Easy there, son.
You looked up to see Vander walking over to you with two glasses of water in his hands.
Y/N: Vander?
He flashed you a warm smile as he stopped in front of you.
Vander: You had quite the time of your life last night if I do say so myself.
You then noticed that you weren't in your apartment but Vander's. You were in his living room, laying on the couch with Jinx, who was currently hugging you as she slept, with a blanket draped over both of you.
Vander: Here, drink this. It should help you with that hangover of yours.
He held out one of the glasses for you to take, which made you realize how thirsty you were. You carefully sat up before graciously taking the glass from his hands.
Y/N: Thanks, Vander.
Vander nodded as you began to take small sips from the glass. After you had drunk the entire glass, you set it down on the coffee table before sighing with relief.
Vander: Feeling any better?
Y/N: A little bit. Thank you, Vander.
Vander nodded before you carefully removed yourself from Jinx's grasp and slid off the couch. You then caught yourself before you landed on the floor by holding onto the coffee table and sofa before planting your feet on the ground and standing up.
Vander: Claggor's just finished using the bathroom. Go freshen yourself up, son. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.
You nodded before you slowly made your way to the bathroom. After closing the door and locking it, you turned on the lights. It took your eyes a few seconds to adjust to the light, but once they did, you took a moment to look at yourself in the mirror. Your hair was a mess, your eyes were bloodshot, and your skin was oily.
Y/N: Damn, I look like shit. At least I didn't have a nightmare last night.
Turning on the faucet, you put your hands under the tap before splashing your face with some water. As soon as the cold water made contact with your skin, the resulting shock instantly woke you up from your sluggish state. You let the water run down your face as you washed your hands before shutting off the tap and opening your eyes. You then looked up at the mirror, but the minute you looked at your reflection, you froze.
Y/N: What the -?
Looking right at you was a younger version of yourself. He was wearing the black military uniform and tactical gear you used to wear during your time in the military. However, his uniform was riddled with holes and badly burned, and he was soaked from head to toe in blood. Lots and lots of blood. And his eyes. They had this disturbing look to them and were filled with an unfathomable amount of rage as they glared back at you intensely with this immense aura that elicited a deep primal fear within you.
Y/N: Am... am I going crazy?
You shook your head, hoping that you were just imagining things. However, right as you opened your eyes, you suddenly heard a voice.
???: You shouldn't have survived that day.
You felt your blood run cold as the voice rang through your ears. You recognized that voice. It was her voice; the calm, melodic voice that you've grown to love over the last four years. It's been so long since you've heard it, but hearing that thing use her voice to torture you? It made you feel uneasy and furious at the same time.
Y/N: No. No! Don't you dare use her voice!
You looked around the bathroom, trying to find the source of the voice.
Y/N: Show yourself!
However, all you got was a deep, scratchy laugh. As you continued to look around the bathroom, you caught a glimpse of something zooming past your younger self in the mirror.
Y/N: Huh?
You slowly approached the mirror, wondering what it was that you just saw. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary aside from your younger self still staring back at you as you walked over to the mirror. However, as you got closer, that's when you noticed several shadowy figures standing behind your younger self.
Y/N: What the...?
You rubbed your eyes and looked back at the mirror, but the moment you opened your eyes, that's when you saw them.
Y/N: No.
Hoping that your eyes were just deceiving you, you rubbed your eyes again and looked at the mirror again only to see them standing behind your younger self, staring at you with accusatory glares.
Y/N: No.
You quickly backed away from the mirror. You felt your chest tighten as panic began to set in. It was your squadmates; the ones you failed to save on that day.
???: You're such a pathetic, useless weakling.
Y/N: Stop it.
???: Why did it have to be you who lived while we died?
Y/N: Stop it!
???: You have no right to be alive right now.
Y/N: Stop!
???: You should have died with us that day!
Y/N: No!
???: Y/N!
A pair of hands suddenly grabbed your shoulders. You jumped at the sudden contact before finding yourself face-to-face with a young man with curly brown hair and glasses.
???: Finally! You had me worried there for a second.
Y/N: Clag... Claggor?
He nodded before you gently shook him off and stood up. You then looked at the mirror, only to find your normal reflection staring back at you.
Y/N: Was I... just imagining things?
You then turned to Claggor as he watched you a worried look on his face.
Claggor: Are you okay?
You took a moment to catch your breath before nodding your head.
Y/N: Yeah... I'm alright. Sorry for worrying you. I don't know what came over me just now.
Claggor, however, seemed unconvinced by your answer, but he decided not to ask any further questions and simply nodded.
Claggor: Okay, if you say so.
You nodded as he made his way to the door before stopping.
Claggor: Oh, by the way, breakfast is ready.
You nodded as you ran a hand over your face.
Y/N: Yeah, I'll be out in a second.
Claggor nodded before walking out the door and shutting it behind him, leaving you alone in the bathroom with just your thoughts. As you finally managed to calm yourself down, you let out a tired sigh before turning back to the sink and turning on the faucet.
Y/N: So much for having a peaceful morning.
Later...
Vander: So, how's your job hunt going?
You sighed as you scrubbed the plate in your hand. It has been thirty minutes since the incident in the bathroom and you had just finished eating breakfast with Vander, Jinx, and Claggor. While Claggor had left to help the Last Drop staff prepare for the lunch rush and Jinx was freshening up in the bathroom, you were helping Vander clean up the dishes.
Y/N: It's going okay, I guess. I got about three job interviews lined up today and two more later in the week, but to be honest, I'm not sure if I'll even get any of them, let alone get past the first round of interviews.
Vander: Well, if you don't get any of those jobs, you can always come work at the Last Drop.
You sighed as you handed him the plate in your hand.
Y/N: I know, but... I just don't want to feel like a burden. I mean, I'm leeching more off of you than I feel comfortable doing.
Vander: Nonsense, Y/N. You aren't leeching off of me at all. I'm helping you and Powder because I want to. You are very much part of the family, so it's only natural that I help you in your time of need. However, I'll respect your decision if that's how you feel, but do know that the offer still stands if you ever need it.
Y/N: Okay. I'll think about it.
Vander nodded before he seemed to remember something.
Vander: You know, I don't think I've ever said this to you, but I can't thank you enough for helping me, Y/N.
You stopped scrubbing the plate you were holding and gave him a weird look.
Y/N: Why are you thanking me? If it's anyone who should be saying that, it would be me. You're always helping Jinx and me whenever we're in a pinch and you've been giving me great advice for... well, just about everything in life.
Vander chuckled as you handed him the plate in your hands.
Vander: That's true, but that's not why I was thanking you.
You cocked your head in confusion as he continued.
Vander: I'm thanking you because you've been Powder's rock and support through these past four years. Ever since you two left for the military, you've always been by her side whenever she needed someone to comfort her, especially during the aftermath of Silco's death.
You nodded as you thought about Vander's late adoptive brother. Silco was a powerful drug lord and Renata's predecessor and mentor, who earned a reputation for being cold and ruthless when it came to running his criminal empire. However, despite his fearsome reputation, he was a genuinely friendly and caring man from what you could tell from your only run-in with him. He cared deeply for his family and the people of Piltover and Zaun, and only wanted what was best for them, something he strongly instilled in Renata before his assassination two years ago by a rival gang led by some mage supremacists. His death was hard on everyone, especially Jinx since she was very close to him. It was thanks to him that she found her passion for engineering and decided to join the military after he talked her out of following in his footsteps.
You then found yourself turning to look over at the picture hanging on the fridge door. It was a photo of Jinx and her entire family on the night of her high school graduation; the last photo she ever took with Silco. She wore a big smile as she held her high school diploma in front of her while standing behind her on both sides were Vander and Silco, who were both wearing proud smiles on their faces while standing beside them were Vi, Caitlyn, Claggor, and Jinx's other adoptive brother, Mylo, who looked like he didn't what to be there.
Vander: You know, when Silco died, I never felt so helpless in my entire life.
You turned around and noticed that Vander was also looking at the photo with a sad smile.
Vander: Knowing that Powder was hurting all by herself, and not being able to be there to comfort her? It honestly broke my heart. But you, Y/N? You were there, every step of the way, to help her get through her grief. If it weren't for you, Powder probably would've drowned herself in her sorrow, and for that, I can never thank you enough.
You felt touched by Vander's words and couldn't help but feel proud of yourself and a bit embarrassed at the same time.
Y/N: Oh, it's nothing. I only did what I did because Jinx is my friend. It's only natural that I supported her and made sure she was okay since she has a caring family waiting for her to come home, you know? Besides, as Silco once said, we powerless have to watch each other's backs.
Vander chuckled as he dried his hands.
Vander: Yes, that is true.
You smiled before you heard Jinx walking out of the bathroom. You turned around right as she exited from the main hallway.
Y/N: You feeling better, Jinx?
Jinx nodded as she stretched her arms.
Jinx: Yeah, I sure am.
She then cocked her head as you dried your hands.
Jinx: Are you ready to go, Y/N? You have that job interview in about an hour.
You nodded as you finished drying your hands.
Y/N: Yeah. Let's get going then.
Jinx nodded before she made her way to the front door. While she slipped into her shoes, you turned your attention back to Vander.
Y/N: Well, I guess we'll be leaving now. Take care of yourself, Vander.
Vander: You, too, son. You as well, Powder.
Jinx: Okay, Vander.
He nodded before you walked over to the front door and slipped into your shoes. Once you had put your shoes on, you and Jinx turned to Vander and waved him one final goodbye.
Y/N/Jinx: Goodbye, Vander.
Vander smiled as he waved back to you two.
Vander: Goodbye. Take care of yourselves.
You both nodded and flashed him a smile before Jinx opened the door, and the two of you exited the apartment.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to point out what you liked/didn't like about this chapter and tell me how I can improve in the future.