Chapter Text
It’s hot today—almost too hot. The afternoon sun casts a golden shimmer over the beach, heating up the sand to unbearable temperatures; you imagine your feet boiling, flesh peeling off like a banana, and you pull them back to relative safety into the cool shadow. Yet not even the gentle ocean breeze can cool your clammy skin. Lazily, you try to fan yourself with a hand, but it does little to alleviate the heat. With a frustrated sigh, you lift your gaze to the sky, staring at the wheeling seagulls, and you briefly wonder what you’re doing here. This is not your scene; you’d rather be back at the inn, sleeping on the porch with a cat curled in your lap and eating melons till you’re full.
But you know very well why you came to the beach today. The seagull’s distant cries blend with the rhythmic crash of waves and the excited shouts coming from the volleyball game, which you tried very hard to ignore. It’s not been working very well, keeping on getting distracted by a certain someone.
No! For the last time, you’re not gonna think about his body! Shaking your head to dispel any sinful thoughts, you try to focus on the book resting open in your lap, but it’s hard when he’s right there, flirting with her.
“Lux, catch!” you hear him yell, distinguishing his voice easily among the hundred other ones. With your curiosity piqued, your gaze casually drifts past the book’s pages to the scene unfolding a few yards away; and you instantly regret it.
There he is—your crush, your friend, your classmate—laughing, moving effortlessly across the sand as he dives for the volleyball. His sun-kissed skin glows under the summer light, his blonde hair (usually tied in a ponytail) tousled by the salty wind; Ezreal definitely looks in his element. Every motion, every playful grin sends a flutter through your chest. But his sparkling blue eyes, resembling the ocean, are not focused on you. As he effortlessly scores another point from the enemy team, Ezreal turns toward his volleyball partner, a beautiful girl with a sunlit smile named Luxanna. The pair’s easy banter, the way he leans in to speak to her, the way their fingers brush as they high-five—it all coils like a knot in your stomach.
It’s so sickeningly obvious they like each other, though neither made a move yet to make it official. Or Ezreal doesn’t want to share the news with you knowing you’re in love with him and you’re sure they laugh about you when they’re alone, saying, “Ha ha, she’s soooo pathetic,” and that’s mortifying—
No. NO. Stop. That’s not how Ezreal is. He’s kind and nice and infuriating and cocky—and he never gives up when he wants something. It’s one of the reasons you fell for him. He came from nothing and had to fight for his spot at the top; you’ve been with him the entire journey, supporting and encouraging him when he failed. You’ve been through thick and thin since the beginning, and while you always have a spot by his side (he reassured you multiple times), you still feel inadequate to stand in his brilliance.
Perhaps it’s Ezreal’s sudden rise to the top of the school’s social hierarchy that’s left you unable to confess the feelings you’ve been hiding for so long. After all, why would someone like him—with his charm and talent—ever notice someone like you? Yes, you were friends; close friends, mind. But he never gave you any hints that he like likes you. Well, there was that almost kiss a while ago, but it was an accident! You slipped and pulled him with you, and your lips were a hair’s breadth away from his. You shared a moment—you’re certain there was a spark—and he looked ready to…
But as fate has it, you got interrupted before anything went down, followed by a ‘let’s pretend this never happened’ attitude that seemed to suit both.
So, again: why would he choose you—a ‘commoner’ with no special powers other than being slightly stronger than average—as his girlfriend when Lux exists? Amazing, innocent, radiant Luxanna. Everything you’re not. She’s the one who could stand by his side without feeling out of place. And deep down, you know it’s only a matter of time before she claims him for herself while you’re left in the dust, heartbroken and tear-streaked by your inability to act. A silent reminder that you’ve never had the courage to act in the first place.
It’s your own fault, really. You know that. So maybe you should just accept the inevitable: Lux and Ezreal are gonna be the school’s power couple while you don’t deserve anything more than a fleeting glimpse of him from the sidelines.
Always there to support him. Never to be loved by him.
Okay, enough self-pitying. It’s summer vacation, and you’re on a trip with your friends at the beach. You should be joining the volleyball game and having fun splashing in the water, not wallowing in despair and reading books. What a nerd. But you had a plan. You’re not gonna let this summer go to waste, and you’re finally gonna pull it together. At the festival tonight, you’re gonna confess, and no matter the answer, you’re gonna accept it.
Just have to find the right time to ask him to go with you. Which you’re still working on…
You force yourself to look away lest you go insane with jealousy, pretending to read. But the words blur with tears, and you furiously swipe at them till they’re gone. Then, your index finger absently traces the condensation on the cold lemonade resting next to you, your heart sinking just a little at the echo of their laughter. The ocean stretches endlessly ahead, but right now, it feels like you’re on a tiny island, alone under the shade of the striped umbrella, watching a story unfold that you’re not a part of.
“Darling, something reeks here.” You lift your head at the sound of Rakan’s voice, he and his girlfriend making their way toward your spot. He scrunches his face as he pretends to sniff the air around you, adding, “Smells like unrequited love.”
You don’t hesitate to throw the book at him, which Xayah, Rakan’s partner in life (lucky them), catches it with ease.
Oh, the two were frustrating. They could at least pretend they weren’t better than you…
“You’re right, my love,” the Vastaya says, leafing through the book. “Reading at the beach; that’s a new low even for you.” She throws it on the blanket, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at you with a frown. “You’re not gonna get him like that.”
You scoff, defensive, “He’s obviously busy.”
“You could’ve offered to be his partner, you know,” Rakan shrugs, his eyes trained on his lover.
“I don’t do sports.”
“And that’s exactly why it would’ve been the perfect opportunity, darling. As you trip in the sand, he would’ve caught yo — “ Rakan exemplifies by taking Xayah’s hand and twirling her in his arms. “—and you would’ve lost in each other’s eyes…” His voice dips low as he caresses Xayah’s face with a finger, the girl giving him heart eyes. “You would’ve leaned in and—”
“Ugh, get a room, you two,” you roll your eyes, trying to hide your blush as you imagine Ezreal holding you flush against his body, hands on your waist as he looks deep into your eyes and whispers, ‘Kiss me.’
Yeah. Okay. Whatever.
“There’s plenty of Rakan to go around,” the boy laughs, followed by Xayah. The two were very open about their relationship and your inclusion in it should you fail to bag Ezreal (though they never said ‘no’ to including him, too). You considered joining them as a throuple, not gonna lie, as they were both attractive. But something always pulls you back.
“Wait—what are you wearing?” Xayah interjects, a look of disbelief on her face. You stare at your body before answering, “A shirt?”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Rakan clicks his tongue, shaking his head like a disappointed father. “You’re not gonna get him like that.”
You blush, “What’s wrong with it?”
“You’re at the beach,” Xayah deadpans.
“You’re supposed to wear a bikini,” Rakan continues.
“I am,” you respond, tilting your head to the side. “It’s underneath the shirt.”
The couple stares at you blankly for a few seconds, and you flush; they’re right, of course. You’re being ridiculous. Who heard of someone going to the beach and wearing a shirt? Especially when you’re trying to impress your crush. But you’re very self-conscious—in comparison to Lux’s forms, yours…
Well. At least Rakan and Xayah find you hot. They told you that. Multiple times.
So much so that they basically ‘ambush’ you in the next moment, grasping at your shirt with playful determination. “Rakan, hold her down!” Xayah commands as she pounces on you, fingers curling around the hem of your top. You push at her face, half-heartedly trying to fend her off, but she’s stronger—and okay, maybe you’re not exactly giving it your all. Maybe you just needed a nudge. Besides, there’s a thrill in the struggle, in the way laughter spills from your lips, echoing across the beach.
And maybe it’s your happy laughter that finally draws a certain someone’s attention.
Ezreal’s gaze locks on the scene just as Xayah manages to rip your shirt off of you, leaving you in your swimsuit. The blonde-haired boy prodigy stiffens, breath hitching as his eyes catch glimpses of your bikini-clad frame, a furious blush blooming across his cheeks. For a few seconds, his mind short-circuits at the sight and stands there, the words he was about to say dying on his lips.
But the moment Rakan effortlessly scoops you up, slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes while shouting, ‘You need to have some fun, missy!’, something uglier flares in his chest.
It should’ve been him doing that.
You yelp, pounding on Rakan’s back as he strides cockily toward the water. “Put me down, you idiot!” But as much as you kick your legs and flail your arms, Rakan ignores your protests, whistling a cheery tune as he carries you. Xayah trails behind, clapping in a completely offbeat rhythm, her amusement radiating in every step.
Before you know it, a moment of freefall. Cold water explodes around you as you crash into the waves, kicking your way to the surface, gasping for air. As you come out of the water, you dazedly search your surroundings for the mischievous pair, but your gaze halts on your crush, catching the blonde-haired boy staring, his expression unreadable.
You miss Ezreal’s lingering blush and his clenched fists, though, distracted by Xayah splashing cold water on you—
And chaos erupts.