Of Silence and Scars, Chapter 10

Hey all! I have been on a writing spree recently. Please comment below if you like how the story has gone so far plus any suggestions! Thanks!

X Draven chuckled to himself remembering the night on the Shadow Isles. That was only two weeks ago, but it felt so much longer. Swain had held true on his promise to ship Draven and Darius off to every crap job he could find. Draven rubbed his sore shoulder to rid it of the pain momentarily. It felt like a muscle got tweaked, but he wouldn’t know for sure until he got back to Noxus. Their latest assignment had been to Shurima, some void monstrosities had flowed Rek’sai through the portal and they had to spend days in the hot sun clearing the tunnels of the abominations with other mercenaries hired by Azir. Throwing his axes in the tight corridors under the sands had not been gentle on his body, everything ached. He elbowed Darius, “Last job eh? Swain’s done torturing us after this one.” Darius rumbled, “Ha. I think he would keep going but Runterra actually just ran out of ridiculous problems.” “Amen to that. Last week we had to bring down Cho’gath in the western plains, so many sheep lost to that infinite stomach.” “And before that we helped Sejuani’s horde repel a troll tribe that claimed some of her land.” “I’m not a fan of the cold honestly. Oh! And who could forget fighting that dragon with Rengar!” “Crazed cat won’t stop until he’s dead.” “Oh I know all too well,” Draven shuddered remembering the fight in the forest for the Institutes new map beta testing. No one had exactly lent a hand when the hunter had tackled Draven and tore into him. “Heh, I punched him in the face” Darius smiled, lost in memories. “Yea you did, oaf.” Darius tossed a pebble idly as he walked. Throwing it at Draven, he asked, “You never told me how the date with Sona went, what happened?” Draven caught the pebble and crushed it in annoyance. The loose gravel crushed easily, but still was satisfying, “It wasn’t a date, just two friends hanging out. And I only put so much effort into it to say thank you for saving our asses!” “Whatever, so you are just friends?” “Yes! Since when did you care?” “You don’t make friends much, and I’m your brother, it’s my job to give you hell.” “Well A+ job on that one, you should get that promotion to full-blown pain in the ass within the week if you keep it up.” Darius was not distracted, “What did you end up doing afterwards?” “Nothing, dropped her off at her hotel, said goodnight then got back onto the ship.” “Heard from her?” “Yea, we write letters to stay in touch. Ionians aren’t huge fans of Noxians just dropping by to visit. Last time we did that there was an invasion and we kinda burned things.” Draven shrugged. Darius stopped in his tracks and stared at the other. “You. Wrote. A. Letter.” Draven spun on his heel and raised his hands with flourish, “The little miracles eh brother?” Darius couldn’t shake this one off, “You have never written a letter in your life! Hell, in school you wouldn’t even write papers for homework. Since when did you take time out of your day for anyone?” “Get off my case! Jeez, you’re nosy. Get a life so mine won’t be so distracting for you. I mean, I know I’m great but there’s a point where the flattery ends dear brother and becomes an obsession. I don’t blame you though, look at me!” Darius shook his head, “I’ve never seen you in love before, hoped it would change you. I guess not all dreams come true!” Draven tackled him and started flailing and struggling to hit Darius somewhere not covered in hardened steel. Trying to get out a coherent sentence in the struggle, “I’m not in….. love…. You overgrown….. Parasite!” Darius laughed heartily at his brother’s embarrassment. Once he had enough of the attempts to break his armor, Darius stood up hauling Draven as well without effort. Brushing sand off his back and continuing the march home, Darius asked, “Fine, you don’t love her. But would it really be so bad?” Draven tugged on his moustache in thought. Thumb rolling hairs back and forth, he took a couple minutes to respond, “I do not know.” They walked in near silence the rest of the way, only occasionally talking about lighter fare, nothing personal. Draven thought the whole way about her. Would it work? Could she love him? Did she even like him? Draven grimaced at the questions that he deemed beneath his attention, but an inner voice challenged him to answer them. He couldn’t.

Sona read the latest letter from Draven, it detailed his recent escapades about a dragon and his memories of Rengar. She giggled mutely as he wrote about a prank Rengar and Darius had teamed up to pull. Leaping from bushes onto Draven and roaring in his face. The handwriting was worse during that sentence, and she could imagine him grunting angrily and shaking his head from being played.
A knock on the door to her apartment drew her attention away from the yellowed parchment. She laid it gently back on the kitchen table and rose to let them in. She opened the door to let Soraka, Akali, Irelia and Karma inside. They tried to meet once a week at least for tea and to catch up. Life was buys for a champion of the League, but they made time where they could. Sona greeted each and Karma stopped to tell her about some ordeal she had seen downtown.
Soraka began to clear the table as Akali and Irelia moved into the kitchen. She saw a letter and felt a temptation to indulge her curiosity. She looked back at the door, Sona was still distracted. She gave in to temptation and grasped the parchment. She gasped as she saw who it was signed by. All eyes looked to her in confusion at the outburst, but she quickly played it off and put her finger in her mouth, “Papercut surprised me! Sorry.”
Everyone returned to what they were doing as she released her held breath and looked to Sona. Wearing a slightly disappointed frown and pretending to listen to Karma’s resumed tale, she glanced at Soraka and subtly shook her head. Soraka stashed the letter in her robe and continued to clean the table.
Sona tried to be in the conversation with her friends, but failed. Her mind kept drifting to the situation beneath the surface. She hadn’t told Soraka about the night on the Shadow Isles, or about her new friendship with Draven. That wouldn’t go over well. They had shared everything since they met years ago. The evening pasted quickly, and everything seemed to travel too quickly. Lips blurred to vibrations and people flew around her until only Soraka remained. Still working on a glass of tea, she sighed. “Why hide this Sona?” Removing the paper from her robe and sliding it to her friend.
Sona set her hands on the table and replied that she didn’t know how to tell her about it.
“You know you can tell me anything. What happened that caused this?” She spat.
Sona huffed out her breathe angrily. She signed that Soraka can’t demand answers after sifting through her mail. 
Soraka’s demeanor lightened and she leaned back in her chair. “I guess we both have to apologize. I am sorry I looked in your mail Sona. I was curious and it was a mistake.”
Sona couldn’t stay mad at her best friend. Soraka was quick to make amends as always. Sona slowly began to sing out that she was sorry too, but it had only gotten harder to try and tell her after time passed. She told Soraka everything that had taken place two weeks ago on the Shadow Isles, the horseback riding, the cliff, and the jump into the ocean. Soraka listened intently, awe not hidden at the Draven she was hearing about.
Soraka was breathless for a moment. “Well, are you two dating then?”
Sona shook her head and divulged her thoughts she had on the boat and her uncertainty of her feelings for the headstrong Noxian. 
Soraka mused for a moment with her fingers drumming a pattern on her cheek. Finally she said “The way you speak of him, and what he has done I think you should explore this.”
Sona was startled, she never dreamed Soraka would accept this, much less condone it! She asked why.
Soraka tilted her head and smiled, “You know I want what is best for you before my personal feelings. That’s what friends are for! Plus it will generate juicy gossip for me!” She chuckled. 
Sona thanked her, but asked she keep it a secret. The others may not be so accepting, especially Irelia. Soraka promised but only if Sona would keep her informed. The agreement was made and the conversation shifted to a more normal conversation for the two women, namely Varus and the Starcaller’s obsession with his hair.