Riven was no fool, and neither was she.

The moment she stepped into the pub, they both knew. They turned to look at each other as soon as Riven opened the door and walked in.

As Riven sat down at the bar, her eyes never left the bartender's, and the bartender's eyes never left hers.

The strong scent of booze, sweat, and smoke wasn't enough to mask the scent of either of them, even though it was one no normal human would be able to detect.

Riven, however, was no normal human, and as far as she could tell, only one person in the room was well aware of this fact. Of course, that person wasn't quite human either if she knew immediately.

"What'll it be?" the bartender finally asked after looking her up and down critically, as if looking for a reason to reject serving her, her voice and facial expressions conveying some sort of emotion Riven was far too familiar with.

Disgust. Hatred.

Riven smirked, despite the death glare she was receiving from the worker. "Give me a Bloody Mary. Extra bloody, please," she added, and the glare intensified tenfold.

However, they both knew there was nothing either of them could do if they didn't want to be relocated by the government, and she didn't know about the other woman, but Riven was tired of being relocated again and again.

A stiff silence between them ensued, the sound of the old television playing in the background. Soft chatter filled the air as well before Riven decided to make conversation of her own.

"You new around here?"

The bartender stiffened visibly, but continued making Riven her drink. "Does it matter?" she replied bitterly, catching Riven slightly off guard.

"Perhaps," Riven said with a shrug, though the other woman couldn't see the action. "I'm just curious. I've never seen you here before."

"You some sort of regular?"

"Been coming here ever since I moved into town a few years ago, so I suppose I am," Riven said. "You still haven't answered my question, by the way."

"Curiosity can be a dangerous thing," the woman replied before placing down Riven's drink in front of her. "I'd be careful if I were you."

Riven arched a brow at her as they resumed their staring contest once more, taking a sip of her cocktail as she did so.

She licked her lips.

"Well, I personally think secrets are what's dangerous," Riven stated in a tone that was almost challenging the bartender.

The bartender's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her. Then she broke eye contact, quickly glancing around the pub for any eavesdroppers before leaning in to whisper something in a dangerously low voice, one even Riven could barely hear with her enhanced hearing.

"Secrets keep people like us safe."

The corners of Riven's lips tugged down, but she hid her frown by taking another sip of her drink. Personally, she disagreed with that statement, but she wasn't going to voice her opinion to a complete stranger, especially not when she was in a public space. The pub wasn't necessarily full or bustling with activity, but there were still some people in there.

The bartender pulled away and returned to work, cleaning out empty glasses.

They didn't speak to each other again that night, but Riven didn't leave until closing time.

Riven entered the pub again a few days later. The same woman was working behind the bar again, and she turned her head to glance at Riven before resuming her job. It was busier today, with one group of customers sitting at the bar. The previous time, there were only several other people there, all sitting at the tables and booths watching the game. That was fine by her. Riven wasn't much of a people person.

And neither was the bartender apparently.

"C'mon, you have to have some sort of opinion on those freaks," and Riven knew exactly what they were talking about.

The bartender stiffened, clearly uncomfortable with the topic, but hid her displeasure at the use of the term well. "I don't," she replied monotonously, not bothering to look up at the group of men there. Riven could tell they were other regular customers. She'd seen them and exchange pleasantries, but they weren't exactly the type of people she'd make friends with.

After all, they wanted people like her dead.

One of them snorted. "You some sort of sympathetic?" he asked suspiciously, eyeing the bartender up and down.

"Absolutely not," she said immediately with crossed arms. "I just don't see why I should be concerned with them."

"They're dangerous is why," said one, and Riven could hear his voice shaking. His eyes darted around the room before landing on Riven, eyes widening in recognition. "Hey, Guerrero! Tell her about what happened with your ex!"

She sighed. It hurt to talk about Ahri. It was hard to believe it was months ago when it had happened when the memory of her leaving was still fresh in her mind.

"I really don't want to," she muttered.

The men looked at her with pity. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "I thought you were over Ruri."

Another guy punched him roughly on the shoulder. "Be a little more fucking considerate! Put yourself in Elvira's shoes. Wouldn't you be fucked up for a while after finding out your hot ass girlfriend's a fucking vampire?"

That last part caught the bartender's attention for obvious reasons, though she did not say anything.

That got the other man riled up. "How the fuck was I supposed to know she was still hung up about that bitch?" he yelled back, and Riven's hands tightened into fists. It took all of her self-control not to punch the guy in the face for calling Ahri a bitch.

The bartender was obviously fed up with their shit at this point. "If you want to continue causing a scene, please do so far away from the establishment," she said firmly.

The men, drunk and angry, obliged. That didn't stop them from yelling and pushing each other until they left. Once they were outside, all the attention they had gathered dissipated, and the other patrons inside returned to what they were doing.

Riven walked up to the bar and sat down. To say she was overwhelmed would be an understatement.

The bartender's normally piercing green eyes softened as she looked at Riven, surprising the white-haired woman.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," the bartender replied in a gentler voice than usual. "What'll it be?"

"Sex on the beach." It was Ahri's favorite drink, and Riven silently chuckled to herself because of course it'd be Ahri's favorite.

Her soft laughter did not go unnoticed by the bartender, who looked at her disapprovingly.

"Very mature," she commented sarcastically, and Riven shook her head.

"No, it's not that. It's—" she cut herself off. What was she doing, sharing stories to a bartender like she was already drunk? "Never mind," she quickly said, a little more quietly. The bartender raised an eyebrow at her but didn't press the matter further. Riven was grateful for that fact.

"Here's your drink," she said after some time preparing it.

"Thanks," Riven said once more. She took a sip and paused.

The other woman could tell something was on her mind. "Is something wrong with the drink?" she asked unsurely, even though Riven could tell she knew the drink tasted fine.

"No, I just—" Riven hesitated. "What can I call you?"

The bartender blinked. "That's a very… particular way of asking for a name," she said a little slowly, and Riven rolled her eyes. She knew she wasn't going to get her actual name out of her. "You may call me Amelia," she said with a shy smile Riven didn't know she was capable of. It looked like she didn't want to kill her for once.

It would have been nice but—

"That name doesn't quite suit you," Riven commented before taking another sip, and Amelia frowned.

"Well, it's not like a had a choice in choosing my own name," she noted. "I'm sure you out of everyone would understand."

Riven cracked a smile before laughter burst from her core and out of her mouth. Amelia laughed with her, albeit a little nervously. Riven noticed her gaze shift over to the other patrons in the pub, and turned to meet it. Luckily, they were too busy watching the television to pay any heed to the two women's conversation.

Unfortunately, Riven noticed what was on the television a little too late and almost felt like fainting.

"Ahri," she whispered hoarsely, not caring that she said her real name in public, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. At the edge of her vision, she could see Amelia turning to look at her.

"Reports are coming in that a vampire over nine hundred years old has been sentenced to death for the murder of an entire village that took place a few months ago. These incidents have caused nationwide protests against supernaturals and the laws protecting them."

The screen changed to show the face of a middle-aged woman, clearly in distress. The caption named her as the wife of one of the victims. "'How are my children and I supposed to sleep at night knowing that these monsters are lurking around every corner?! You saw what happened to those poor victims! Now all of my friends are dead, my husband included. I can't bear to think about what would have happened to us if we had stayed at home instead of visiting my mother for the weekend. And to think it was only caused by this one— one— one thing all in one night… It's simply unfathomable how savage these creatures can be. Imagine the devastation they could all do if they all simply went feral like that! I say we need to take care of them before they kill us all.'"

Riven couldn't take it anymore. She got up and left without paying, and Amelia didn't even bother to stop her.

"Oh gods, what have we done?!"

Riven was going hysteric. She was hyperventilating and naked and a mass murderer.

And so was Ahri.

They were going to be killed for this. No one just kills an entire small village and get away with it.

Riven was panicking.

Her girlfriend placed a slender hand on her shoulder to show that she was there for her. "Riven, relax, everything's going to be fine."

"No, no it's not," she said with tears freely flowing down her cheeks. "How could you possibly think that?! We… We have to run away. We have to. It's our only chance. We'll go deep into the forests, deeper than we've ever gone and— and—"

"Riven, you and I both know that won't work," Ahri said with a defeated sigh, and Riven knew her words were true.

She honestly felt like crying. They were going to die.

"What… What are we going to do?" she gulped, her breathing slowly calming down.

"I have a plan, but you're not going to like it. Promise me you'll at least listen to it."

Riven nodded, her breathing shaky. "OK, I promise. W-what is it?"

"Easy. We'll burn the entire town, all right? That way, we make sure no one will see how they died. When they find out what's happened, I'll take all the blame for it, and you'll walk free."

"What?! There's no way I'm letting that happen! You can't just throw away your life for me!" Riven pleaded, but the look in Ahri's eyes told her she already made up her mind. "Ahri, please, you can't do this!"

Ahri only looked at her sadly. "I can."

After all, this was never a life to begin with.

Riven jolted awake, gasping for air and clutching at her chest. Her cheeks were wet.

This was the fifth time this month she'd dreamt of this nightmare, but it was more than that.

It was a memory. It was her reality.

Riven suddenly shivered, her body slick with a cold sweat. She wrapped her blanket closer to her body, and she rocked back and forth slowly as she remembered that fateful night.

Ahri had reasoned that there was no point in both of them dying with the chance one of them might live.

Riven had said that she didn't want to live without her because there would be no fucking point.

Ahri called her stupid, like she always did. It was the last time she ever would now, and Riven choked back a sob.

She really was never going to see Ahri ever again.

After all, there was no afterlife for the supernatural, the damned. If they were human, then at least they would have the chance to meet again in another life.

But that was wishful thinking. There was no cure for people like them. If there was, they would have gone extinct a long time ago. No one wanted this kind of life.

Fuck. Riven needed a drink.

Amelia's piercing green eyes shot daggers at her as soon as she walked in.

"I hope you know it's almost closing time."

Riven didn't say anything. She knew it was less than five minutes before closing. The bar was completely devoid of life, besides a janitor that was cleaning tables while listening to music. After all, Riven and Irelia weren't necessarily alive.

The thought just made her more depressed. Instead of responding, she just sat down in her usual spot looking particularly downcast.

Amelia sighed, and went up to where Riven was seated. "What'll it be this time?"

"Your strongest stuff. I don't care what it is. I want to forget."

She received a strange look, but Amelia complied with her request and poured her a shot in silence.

Riven downed it in one go, eyes watering as the alcohol burned her throat.

"Fuck," she whispered hoarsely afterward. She slammed down the glass and sniffed the air. "More."

And more she got.

"What's bothering you?" Amelia asked after her third shot, and Riven nearly burst into tears.

Nearly.

"I miss her," she breathed, almost inaudibly, but Amelia could hear her loud and clear. She looked at Riven with pity in her eyes.

"What was she like?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Riven snapped all of a sudden, looking up at Amelia with a fierce glare. It was intimidating to most, but Amelia wasn't like most others.

Amelia matched the intensity of her stare with her own.

"It won't help to keep things inside of you, but if you don't want to talk, that's fine by me," Amelia said coldly. "I don't get paid to be a fucking therapist for drunkards and alcoholics anyway, and one less complaint I have to listen is one less annoyance I have while at work."

Riven broke eye contact, instead opting to focus her attention on the shot glasses in front of her. Amelia just sighed and looked at the clock on the wall.

"It's time to close up. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

Riven stayed silent and put, not a single part of her body moving an inch. Amelia cleared her throat.

"It's time for you to go—"

"Thank you," Riven whispered, and Amelia looked at her in surprise. "Thank you for offering to listen, but not now. Maybe another time, when it doesn't hurt as much."

And with that, Riven got up and took her leave.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."

The well-dressed man in front of them paced back and forth, and the two of them looked shamefully at their feet.

"Dozens are dead. A town was burned to the ground, yet the only two survivors that were there happened to be supernatural as well. Would one of you care to explain what happened?" he said with barely contained rage.

Riven stayed silent. Ahri spoke up.

"It was all my fault. I just lost control and—"

"And you're expecting me to believe that Riven had nothing to do with this when there was a full moon?"

Ahri cringed. "Yes?" she answered unsurely. When he put it like that…

He scoffed and looked at them like they were idiots. "Unbelieve. Absolutely unbelievable."

He paced some more, mumbling things underneath his breath. It was slightly incoherent, but they could make out certain words and phrases with their enhanced hearing.

Gods, they wish they couldn't. It wasn't looking good for either of them.

"Please, I'm begging you. I'll do anything if you let Riven go and just punish me instead," Ahri pleaded.

This gave the man pause, and Riven didn't like the look on his face when she said that. "Anything?" he repeated, suddenly studying Ahri's body with a salacious look in his eyes.

Riven looked between the two of them in horror. She couldn't possibly sell herself like that for Riven's freedom. "Ahri, please—"

Ahri ignored her, nodding slowly. She gulped visibly, and Riven could see the disgust and desperation in her eyes. Her body was shaking with fear, but her voice wasn't. "Yes, anything," she confirmed, and the man grinned.

"Well then, today's your lucky day, Riven." No, no it wasn't. "You only get a warning. Your little friend, on the other hand…" He snapped his fingers and in came two other armored men to escort her out.

"You, with the white hair, come with us," one of them ordered.

Yeah, right. Riven would be damned before she left Ahri alone with these men.

"Riven, please—"

Something inside her snapped and she turned to face her girlfriend. "No," she spat, refusing to go peacefully. "Absolutely not. Why would ever think this is what I wanted? This isn't even what you want."

Ahri winced, and by then they've had enough of her resistance. One of the guards moved to smack her on the head with a silver baton, and Riven's world began to blur.

Still, she tried to fight against them as they dragged her almost unconscious body away.

The last thing she saw was the man hovering over Ahri predatorily before everything turned to black.

Their last conversation was going to be an argument, and she would never get to apologize.

But undoubtedly, the worst part was that she never even got to say goodbye.

"You're here awfully late again," Amelia said, and Riven ignored her comment.

"Give me that shit from the other night again."

Amelia rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

"Her name was Ahri, but most people knew her as Ruri," Riven said out of nowhere, and Amelia turned to look at her in surprise as she was getting the bottle. "She was… like you," and Amelia nodded in understanding. She didn't mean she was like her in personality or appearance, but they both knew what she meant.

They stayed silent for a bit, before Amelia remembered she had a job to do and set down a drink in front of her.

"Thank you," Riven said, and Amelia shook her head

"No, thank you," she replied, and Riven looked at her quizzically.

"What for?"

"For trusting me enough to talk about this," she said with a small smile, but Riven saw a strange emotion hidden in Amelia's eyes. She couldn't tell what it was, but brushed it off as unimportant.

"I… I used to hate…" Amelia began, but trailed off. She looked around them, and when she saw that the pub was completely empty besides the two of them, she whispered it.

"Werewolves."

"Oh." Riven wasn't sure what to say in response. "Did you…" Riven was almost afraid to ask.

"Hate you?" Amelia finished, and Riven nodded. "Yes, absolutely. I hated you from the first moment we met," she answered, and Riven's heart sank for some odd reason. "My whole family… they were killed by…" she choked up, and Riven wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she resisted the urge to. "But…" Amelia hesitated, and Riven looked at her curiously.

"But?"

"But then I met you," Amelia continued in a low voice, and Riven's eyes widened.

"Wh—"

"I thought… that if someone like me… could love someone like you… Maybe you all aren't bad after all. You certainly seem—" Amelia froze, as if she was about to say something she wasn't supposed to. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that all of a sudden," she said, cheeks tinted pink.

Riven wasn't sure what to say, so she stayed silent. It was no secret that werewolves and vampires hated each other. She hadn't gotten along with Ahri when they first met for that very reason. It wasn't like it was completely unjustified though. Centuries ago, there was a great and bloody war between the two that lasted decades.

It would have gone on longer if the humans hadn't finally put a stop to it. Caught in the crossfire, they were sick of being slaughtered and victimized by both ends and nearly wiped them out using their advanced technology. It was only until both sides neared extinction when the two groups relented and assimilated into human society under a peace treaty. Not many humans and supernaturals were happy with it, not even today, but it was a necessary evil for the supernaturals. The humans had only done so out of pity and empathy that was wearing thin throughout the years. It looked like there was going to another war soon

"You know… Ahri used to hate me too," she said with a small smile, remembering the first few times they had met. "I met her in the same way as well. She used to work here too until…" Riven's smile faded away.

"Until I replaced her?" Amelia asked.

Riven nodded bitterly, a little ticked off at the way Amelia had phrased it. "Well, yes, but no one can replace her."

"Of course not. I meant no offense," she responded quickly. "I was just wondering who had the job before me. They never told me about why she left, that they were just looking for someone to take over her job. I guess I know why they never told me now."

Amelia took one glance at the clock and something—sadness?—flashed across her face. "It's time for you to go."

Riven looked at the clock to confirm that it was closing time when it was well past it.

"Oh fuck, it's late." She turned to the other woman. "I'm so sorry, Amelia. I didn't mean to keep you here for so long after hours," she apologized, feeling guilty.

"It's all right. I… I like spending time with you," Amelia murmured while looking at her feet, and Riven almost didn't catch the blush growing on the bartender's cheeks.

"Oh. I… I see," Riven said. Did—? No… No, that would be ridiculous. She pushed the thought away, not even entertaining it. It was still too soon to be thinking that.

But…

"Can I ask for your phone number?" Riven blurted out, surprising both of them. "I, uh, I just thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to about… things," she explained lamely, fully expecting to be turned down. "You don't have to give me it, of course, if you don't want to."

Instead, Amelia's face just flushed some more as she shook her head. "No, don't worry, I want to." She scrambled to pull out her phone and unlocked it, handing it to Riven so she could put her number in. Riven took out hers and gave it to the bartender so they could exchange contact information.

She put down her number before pausing at the empty field for her name.

Should she use her real one?

The only person who knew it besides the government was Ahri. It was something special and sacred, and sharing it was like sharing a part of her to someone.

In fact, why was she even considering this? She didn't even give Ahri her real name until they had sex and became official. Ahri hadn't shared her real name with her until then either.

Riven bit her lip before inputting her real name in against her better judgment, handing the phone back to Amelia before she could change her mind. Amelia had set down her phone on the counter, and she quickly snatched it. "I-I need to get going," she stammered, excusing herself.

She immediately opened up her contacts as soon as she was outside to send a message to Amelia. Surprisingly, nothing new was listed under A, so she looked through it for a new name. Perhaps she had put in a nickname. Or—

Her heart thumped as she saw a foreign name she'd never seen or heard before halfway through the list.

Irelia.

She cracked a smile. Now that was a fitting name.

Riven groaned as her phone went off. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, and she wanted to die.

Who the fuck was calling her at—she looked at her alarm clock and blinked blearily a few times, only for her eyes to shoot open in shock—SIX IN THE EVENING?! Did she miss work?! Was that her boss calling her?!

She was about to panic before she realized it was a Saturday and she didn't have to work. Sighing, she answered the phone, not bothering to look at who it was before picking up. It most likely wasn't her boss.

"Hello?" she spoke into the phone, trying to sound as not hungover as possible. She didn't want her friends to think she was a complete mess after all.

"Ah, there you are." A feminine voice came out the other end. It took her a moment to put it to a face though, simply because she's never heard it over the phone before.

"Ame— I mean, Irelia?" she corrected herself. "What are you calling me for?" she asked, though it came out a little more rude than she expected.

"I was wondering if you'd like to spend some time together tonight," Irelia said, her voice a little dejected now. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you…"

Riven shook her head, forgetting that the other woman wouldn't be able to see the action, only to curse as it intensified her headache. "Ugh, fuck. I mean, no, you're not bothering me. Sorry about that. What exactly did you have planned?"

A pause. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the park with me for a stroll, the one near the mall. We could go shopping afterward as well," she suggested.

Riven hummed positively. "Sounds good. Where should we meet?"

"Um, at the park near the mall?" Irelia answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it was.

Riven mentally facepalmed. "Right, of course. What time?"

Irelia took a moment to think. "How about in two hours?"

Riven could get ready in less time. Her hangover should be gone by then. Maybe she'd work out a bit before they met up. "That works. See you there."

"Goodbye, Riven," and the phone call ended.

Riven stretched before getting up and out of her bed, pausing mid-stretch as she realized something.

Was this a date? And did Riven just agree to one?

After she had done some exercises, brushed her teeth, and showered, she took the bus to the meeting spot. Irelia had beat her there, and was sitting at a bench with her head tilted back and her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, and Riven felt a little bad disturbing her.

Irelia, however, could sense her as soon as she stepped off the bus. She opened her eyes and turned to Riven, getting up and waving at her. "Good evening, Elvira," she greeted as Riven walked up to her, and Riven tried not to frown at the name. She had forgotten that they had to use their human names now that they were in public. "Shall we take a walk through the park?" she asked, gesturing to the garden.

Riven pushed aside her disdain for the system and nodded, following Irelia as she walked on the path.

Eyes couldn't help but wander over Irelia's body and backside. It was her first time seeing her outside of her uniform, and Riven wondered how she had never noticed how nice Irelia's physical form was. She was not nearly as muscular as Riven, but she was toned. She also had some pretty nice curves and the way she was walking made Riven feel—

Irelia coughed to get her attention, shooting a cross look at Riven from out of the corner of her eye. "It's not nice to stare."

Her face heated up. "S-sorry," she apologized, not even bothering to deny that she was shamelessly checking her out. She didn't expect Irelia to smirk in response though.

Riven kept her eyes on the scenery throughout the rest of the walk, but she swore Irelia was swaying her hips even more now that she knew Riven couldn't watch.

Riven definitely did not expect the day to end like this.

"Riven," Irelia whispered hoarsely, staring straight into her eyes with unbridled lust. She was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs wrapped around Riven's waist. Irelia's shirt was halfway unbuttoned, her lacy bra showing an ample amount of cleavage. Her forehead was pressed against Riven's, hands feeling up her back muscles.

No, Riven definitely didn't expect the day to end like this, but she wasn't going to complain.

Irelia moved to kiss Riven on the mouth before moving to her neck, pressing soft lips against her tanned skin. Riven let out a moan as Irelia bit down softly on her. Irelia was careful not to break skin because werewolf blood was extremely dangerous to vampires—even though her fangs were filed down so they weren't as obvious, they were still very sharp and dangerous.

Irelia stopped biting Riven and instead whispering something in her ear.

"Make me yours," she breathed, sending shivers down Riven's spine.

"If that's what you want," she responded huskily, carrying Irelia to the bedroom. She quite literally threw Irelia onto the bed before jumping onto it and ripping off Irelia's shirt with brute force, throwing it aside.

Didn't need that for what they were about to do.

"T-that was expensive—" Irelia stuttered, shocked that she would just do that.

"That's enough out of you," Riven growled. "The only thing I want to hear coming out of your mouth is my name."

Irelia gulped and nodded in understanding, prompting Riven to move toward her like a predator stalking its prey.

In a way, that's exactly what it was.

Riven tore off Irelia's bra just as roughly, breaking it in the process, but Irelia didn't complain this time. Instead, she looked at Riven with welcoming eyes, as if Riven's roughness just excited her even more.

Riven could work with rough. Riven could definitely work with rough.

And rough she was as she played with Irelia's nipples, eliciting moans from her lover.

"R-Riven…" Irelia started, but quickly interrupted herself with another moan. "I can't take it anymore. I need you."

She nodded, and Riven pulled down Irelia's pants with a little more difficulty than she expected. Irelia had a fat ass, that's for sure, and her pants were ridiculously tight on her.

Not that Riven was going to protest that fact. Her ass looked absolutely delicious during that walk.

Once Riven got Irelia's pants and underwear off her body, she spread the other woman's legs apart.

She took one long look at Irelia's body, then focused her attention onto her lover's face. Her lips were slightly parted and her breathing was heavy, causing her chest to rise and fall visibly. Her eyes looked at Riven with some sort of expectancy.

"Beg," Riven ordered.

Irelia looked flustered and almost offended. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Beg."

Irelia pouted cutely, but obliged to Riven's command. "Please…"

Riven leaned down and moved to Irelia's lower lips, taking in her scent before devouring her like she was a full course meal, which, in Riven's opinion, she absolutely was.

Riven sat on the edge of the bed with her face buried in her hands.

What was she doing?

She sighed, causing Irelia to roll over and look at her questioningly. She sat up, the covers falling off her bare chest, and she put a hand on Riven's shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a soft voice.

"I don't know," Riven mumbled. "I'm just—"

A look of disappointment suddenly flashed over Irelia's face. "You're not over her, are you?"

Riven sighed again. "I guess not."

It was Irelia's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry. I should get going—"

Riven turned to her swiftly, putting her hand on top of Irelia's. "No, please stay."

Irelia looked at where their hands touched and then back at Riven. "OK," she breathed. "I'll stay."

"What… What are we?" Riven asked, almost afraid of the answer she was going to get.

Irelia looked at her with surprise. "We're whatever you want us to be," she answered after a brief moment of thinking and deciding. "We can be together, or…" Irelia hesitated, not wanting to continue.

"A one-night stand?" Riven finished for her. Irelia nodded, biting down on her lower lip.

"Is that what you want us to be?" Irelia asked with a hint of sadness, and Riven could sense the fear in her voice. She knew Irelia didn't want to hear her confirm that that was all she was to her, a fuck buddy.

It was a good thing that wasn't the case.

"No," she answered. "I want us to be more than that," she said, and Irelia visibly relaxed. "I just wish I still had Ahri, but I want you as well. Is that selfish?"

"No, it's not." Irelia embraced Riven from behind in a hug, resting her head on the other's shoulder. "It's not selfish at all."

"She sacrificed so much for me. She gave up her life and body for my freedom. I feel like I haven't done enough for her in comparison."

"Don't compare yourself, Riven," Irelia chastised, before realizing what Riven had said. "What happened?"

"I… I'm responsible for everything. Do you remember the news report about her?" Irelia nodded solemnly, already beginning to know where this was going, but Riven felt like she had to explain. "She wasn't the only one that killed people that night. I started it, and then she just lost control once she smelled the carnage I had wrought." Riven's hands clenched into tight fists. "I should be the one being executed, not her. She gave up everything so I could go free, even if I didn't want to. I wanted to die with her, but she wouldn't let me. It's all my fault."

If only she hadn't forgotten to bring wolfsbane with her to the trip, it wouldn't have happened. All it would have taken was a ring of the flowers surrounding her while she was in her beast form to stop her from moving, but she had made a careless mistake. They only realized that she had forgotten it once she had stripped out of her clothes as to not ruin them, and by then it was too late and midnight had struck.

The rest was a blur for both of them.

Irelia listened silently, and a few moments passed before she spoke up. "That's very noble of her," she praised, and Riven frowned. It was incredibly stupid was what. "I think you should honor what she wanted and continue to live for her. That's what she would have wanted."

Riven was beginning to grow irritated. "And what exactly do you know about her besides what I've told you?" she spat, fury rising in her chest. "You don't know shit about her or what she would have wanted."

Irelia's expression hardened. "You're right. I don't. I do, however, know that you shouldn't let her sacrifices be in vain. It's no wonder you feel so selfish." And with that, Irelia got up and excused herself to the shower.

Riven stayed quiet. After all, what could she say in her defense when she knew she was wrong and Irelia was right?

"What're you doing in here?"

Riven winced at her tone. Guess she was still upset with her after all. "I came to apologize."

"Couldn't you have waited until I got out of the shower at least?" asked a very annoyed and very naked Irelia. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, inadvertently pushing her breasts up.

Riven only smirked as her gaze shifted downward. "And where would the fun be in that?" she purred as she pressed her equally naked body against Irelia's.

Irelia simply rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're cute," she said before kissing Riven on the lips.

"The cutest?" Riven asked, batting her eyelashes at Irelia, who only laughed at her antics.

"Absolutely. Now, where's that apology?"

A mischievous glint in Riven's eyes. "Why don't I show you?"

"Your hair's very nice," Irelia commented, idly playing with it. "You should keep it down more often. It looks good on you. Makes me want to pull on it."

Riven groaned. "I'm trying to sleep."

"And I can't. Quite literally too, I might add."

"I know that," Riven replied in a muffled tone as her face was shoved in a pillow. She knew because Ahri was the same. All vampires never slept. They simply didn't need to.

Riven, however, wasn't a vampire. And she was really trying to get some sleep before work tomorrow. After all, she had work bright and early in the morning when Irelia couldn't go out.

The feeling of Irelia playing with her hair was very soothing, but for some reason her girlfriend was trying to keep her up all night. First, they had sex. And then they did it again. And maybe once more.

Then she got called in for work tomorrow. They agreed to stop fooling around so she could get some rest.

Now, she was trying to sleep, but apparently Irelia was still too horny.

Still, Riven was tired, and she didn't budge when Irelia began feeling her up.

"C'mon, just one more time?"

Riven feigned a snore loudly, and she didn't need to look to know Irelia was pouting at her with that adorable look on her face. She mustn't look. That's how she gets you, with those beautiful green eyes. They were hypnotizing, and not just because she was a vampire.

Irelia shook her prone form softly. "C'mon, it's the least you could do after ruining my favorite shirt and bra," she said. "I still haven't forgiven you for that."

Riven opened one eye. "I thought you did after the first time. And the second time. And the third time," she deadpanned.

"Once more for good measure?" Irelia suggested.

Riven groaned and took a look at the clock. It was almost time to get up anyway, so she might as well give in.

"Fine."

Well, it was official.

Ahri was dead.

She turned off the television and sat there in silence for a while.

For some strange reason, Riven didn't cry. She had expected herself to, and so had Irelia. Irelia had even left to go retrieve some tissues for her in the other room when the news started talking about the execution, only to be surprised by a stoic Riven when she returned.

"Are you OK?" Irelia asked worriedly, placing her hand on Riven's shoulder.

Riven nodded, looking into those comforting green eyes. "I am, and I think Ahri is OK now too."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When we had first talked about getting together, she brought up how one day, I would die of old age and she would continue to live. She said she didn't want to live without me, that there would be no point. I think, this way, she's at peace. Even if we don't get to be together in the afterlife, she's no longer in a world that hated her. I think it's better this way. She never wanted to live forever anyway."

Irelia paused in thought, reflecting on Riven's words before speaking.

"I think I feel the same way."

"About?" Riven asked, prodding her for an explanation.

"Everything."

"Ah."

"Did… Did you two make any plans for the future regarding that?"

"Yeah. She said she was going to… commit," Riven paused. "Y'know, after I die, so she doesn't have to be alone for nearly a millennium again."

"I'm not nearly that old, but I think I'd do the same," Irelia admitted. "I didn't ask for this life either. None of us did. For better or worse, there won't be much of us left anymore."

After all, the impending extinction of supernaturals was no secret to both the supernatural and mankind, and the lovebirds were no exception. Supernaturals have been slowly dying out throughout the years, and an increasing amount of those that remained have chosen to ask the government for death instead of living out a fake life that wasn't worth living.

Riven was almost one of them after Ahri had died. Irelia would be one of them once Riven did die.

A grim silence filled the air before Irelia broke it once more.

"It's the full moon tonight. I heard it's going to be a beautiful sight," she casually mentioned, just in case Riven had forgotten.

She hadn't. She didn't need the reminder, but she appreciated it. She had the wolfsbane in the pockets of her jacket. Later, when she was in her beast form, it would burn her just to touch it. But for now, she was safe from it. She was safe.

They were safe.

"Not as beautiful as you though," Riven responded, never missing a chance to compliment her significant other.

Irelia simply smiled at her, placing a chaste kiss on Riven's cheek. "Shall we?" she asked, offering her arm to her girlfriend.

Riven intertwined their arms together.

"We shall."

And so they strode to the forest nearby so that Riven could transform, where she would be hidden away from the world that hated beings like them.

But still, they had each other, and that was all that mattered.

After all, in this world of countless injustices, all they could do was make the best of it.