Arcane X Reader (Open)

You never thought you'd set foot in The Last Drop again.

The neon lights flickered overhead as you weaved through the crowd, the bass of the music vibrating in your bones. Faces turned as you passed, some curious, some wary. It had been years since you walked these streets under Silco's rule. Long enough for your name to fade into whispers. Long enough for old wounds to scar over.

But scars never meant healed.

At the back of the bar, away from the chaos, sat the man himself. Silco hadn't changed much. He was still dressed in a sharp, dark suit, his gloved hands resting lazily on the table as he nursed a glass of amber liquid. The red glow of his ruined eye cast eerie shadows on his face, making him look more like a specter than a man.

For a second, you considered turning around.

Then his gaze flicked to you.

And it was too late.

Silco's lips curled slightly as he gestured to the seat across from him "It's been a while"

You sat, rolling your shoulders "Yeah, Been busy"

"So I've heard" He studied you, fingers tapping against his glass "A man doesn't leave my ranks and survive in Zaun without making powerful friends, Or.. powerful enemies"

You smirked "Little of both"

Silco exhaled through his nose, unimpressed "Last I heard, you were working for the Chem Barons. Imagine my surprise when I heard you were still breathing"

You leaned back, stretching your arms over the chair "Imagine mine when I found out you still cared"

His gaze sharpened "I don't"

"Then why agree to meet?"

A beat of silence. Then, Silco smirked, swirling the liquor in his glass "I was curious. To see if you had the gall to show your face after what happened"

You resisted the urge to touch your side, where years ago he had driven a knife between your ribs and left you to die in a warehouse. You'd survived, barely. It hadn't been personal just business. But that didn't mean it didn't sting.

You crossed your arms, meeting his gaze head on "I came because we have a common enemy. The Chem Barons are turning on each other, and some of them want Zaun under Piltover's thumb"

Silco didn't react, but you knew him well enough to see the slight tension in his posture. This wasn't news to him, but it confirmed something.

"And where do you stand?" he asked.

You smirked "On the side that keeps me breathing"

He chuckled, low and dark "You always were a survivor"

"Better than being a corpse"

He leaned in slightly, his expression shifting from amusement to something more calculating "And why should I trust you?"

There it was. The real question.

You could lie, spin some story about loyalty and second chances. But Silco wasn't the type to be fooled by pretty words. So instead, you told him the truth.

"Because no one knows you like I do"

The air between you thickened, charged with something unspoken. Silco studied you, his good eye searching for weakness.

You held his gaze.

There had been a time when things were different. When you weren't just another piece in his grand design. You had fought for Zaun together, bled for it. And, once, before betrayal had carved a chasm between you, there had been something more. A closeness. An understanding.

Maybe even something neither of you dared name.

Silco sat back, exhaling slowly "And if I decide I don't need you?"

You tilted your head. "Then I walk out that door, and we go back to pretending the other doesn't exist. Until one of us is dead"

Another silence stretched between you, but this one felt different. The tension had changed, shifting from something dangerous to something... heavier. Something laced with old wounds and sharper edges.

Then, Silco stood, adjusting his gloves "You'll work under me. I'll decide where you stand"

You huffed a quiet laugh "And if I say no?"

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. His gloved fingers brushed against the table as he leaned down, voice low.

"Then you'd best make sure I don't find you again"

Your pulse quickened. Not out of fear. Out of something far more dangerous.

You pushed your chair back and stood to meet his gaze "Guess I'm working under you, then"

Silco smirked "Smart choice" He turned on his heel, pausing only once before looking at you over his shoulder "Try not to make me regret it"

You watched him walk away, exhaling a breath you hadn't realized you were holding.

You weren't sure if stepping back into Silco's world was the right move. But as people here say.., only one way to find out