Just One Night
Pairing: Ekko and Jinx
Words: 5413
Summary: "Well? Whatcha waiting for?" Jinx asked nonchalantly, but he could see how bright red her cheeks were, and his eyes flickered between her lips and her gaze.
"Wondering how real this is," he responded, before pinning both her hands over her head with his one hand and kissing her again.
Tags: Kissing, like a lot of kissing, fluff and angst, hurt/comfort, Jinx needs Therapy, Ekko Needs Therapy, They All Need Therapy, But Kissing Helps, Making Out, More Than Friends Less Than Lovers, I just want them to be happy your honour.
Notes: This is self indulgent and I wanted these two to smooch and forget about their problems for just a MINUTE.
Read on AO3
Ekko closed the door of his bedroom before falling onto his bed, a smile plastered on his face.
His work with Heimerdinger was going well and it looked like they could be coming close to a breakthrough. He had only met the tiny professor a few days ago but their shared interests in engineering quickly sped up their friendship.
He still knew little to nothing of the professor’s life and when he enquired about the council, he dismissed the topic saying, "Let's focus on the present."
But Ekko knew pain and the pain he saw briefly in the professor’s eyes was enough for him to back off.
His ankle was healing slowly so his fights with Silco's goons were put on hold, and he only hoped that Vi and Caitlyn managed to get something done now that they had the crystal.
He winced at the memory of his fight with Jinx on the bridge. Her eyes had looked so...empty when she had been silently pleading with him to not kill her.
He had frozen.
He thought Powder was still there.
And she had detonated a grenade.
He had mourned her death after he had got to safety. There was no way she was alive after that blast, and he hated knowing that Vi would have to now grieve without him. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her but getting that crystal back to the council and him needing medical attention became priorities.
He had wept bitterly for the girl that he crushed on when they were children. For the girl who she became and for the girl who allowed him one last chance to play a game that ultimately lead to her death. He cried till his eyes hurt before pulling himself together.
He knew one way or another, that with her as Jinx, they never could be together. He could fantasize all he wanted about her redemption: her abandoning Silco and coming to him to beg for forgiveness with tears in her eyes. He would stare at her because Jinx....no Powder...was back and he would hesitate for a second, unsure if it was real before taking her into his arms and welcoming her anyway, uncertainty be damned.
They would build grenades and weapons to fight Silco together with Heimerdinger. Powder would love the pets around the base and feed them every evening. The kids would gradually warm up to her and she would colour in with them and tell them stories of Vander and make jabs at him from their childhood and he would only grin. They would spar together, sweat and exhaustion getting to them before collapsing onto the floor, both laughing hysterically, like they used to when they were kids. He would teach her how to fight and she would remind him that they were still children and could be carefree and alive.
They'd be Ekko and Powder and he would be there for her.
Through her grief, her insecurities, through her talking to inanimate objects and he wouldn't care that she had have visions so horrible that she'd lash out at him or wake up screaming. He would be there to hold her, to sooth her and to remind her that she was good because she was. He'd kiss all her sins away, and all the death and destruction she caused would vanish and she would be Powder.
A new slate, a new person, and they would be happy.
But Powder was gone now.
And those fantasies were a graveyard.
Ekko shook his head, cursing himself for wanting something that would never happen. He stretched before sitting up on his bed and yawned, ready to turn in for the evening. He could hear distant sirens in Piltover and he sighed. He only hoped that Vi and Caitlyn had it under control. He couldn't go even if he wanted to with his leg. According to Heimerdinger as well as the medic who sought to his injury, it would take at least a month before his ankle was fully healed.
It was frustrating but he couldn’t argue with his own body.
He took a quick shower, changed into sweats and a vest before getting under the covers to welcome sleep but a dull thumping got his attention. He tensed up as the noise got louder and he realized that it was coming from the side of the house. He got out of bed slowly, careful of his injury, and crouched behind his bookshelf, weapon in hand and inwardly thanking that he chose to set up a house here instead of at the base.
He knew he was a target as the leader of the Firelights and with the other Firelights all safe at the base, he could defend himself if trouble rose like this. While it was his parents house, he knew there was a ninety-nine percent chance that they wouldn't be home because of the late shifts they decided to take to earn more money. He heard the crash of glass, and he gritted his teeth, knowing the intruder was now in the house and he had to deal with a broken window. He waited, the thud of footsteps getting louder, and he readied himself to take down whoever the hell was stupid enough to break into his house. The footsteps came to halt outside his door, and he watched the knob turn before being kicked open.
He expected to see one of Silco's men or an intruder looking for valuables but when he saw her bright magenta eyes, he had to blink twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"Jinx?" he whispered.
~~
Jinx had known she had fucked up the moment the council building exploded, but she only held Fishbones and watched the building crumble, the orange flames climbing the building. She escaped into the night, sirens blaring from across Piltover.
She had avenged Silco. The council wanted her and he wouldn't give her up.
He loved her.
He said she was perfect.
He said he’d never forsake her.
He loved her for who she was unlike Vi who only liked Powder.
Powder was gone.
Dead like Silco, Vander, Mylo, Claggor and her parents.
Jinx was who she was now.
But even with that clarity, she felt empty. She didn't want to think about Sevika and the Undercity and what could possibly happen now that there was chaos between Zaun and Piltover. She didn't care. She was lost. Lost without Vi. Lost without Silco and she was alone again.
She was always the one left behind.
Because you're a jinx, a voice in her head giggled at her mockingly.
"Yeah, and what is anyone going to do about it?" she replied before running into an alley, but her reply lacked her usual cheer.
It was only when she slowed down that she realised that she didn't know where to go.
Sevika would lose her shit knowing that she had killed Silco and probably try to kill her too. They had gotten along when she was younger but with Silco being laxer towards her 'mess ups' as she got older, Sevika began to despise her. Sevika was about order and planning. Jinx...well she did what felt right. And if the plan was to guard a shipment of Shimmer which ended in four enforcers dead and the entire shipment container to fall out of the sky because of her...then that's what happened.
Jinx couldn't help that she'd get bored during missions. She needed it to be engaging otherwise she'd find other distractions. And now...she needed a distraction.
Anything to get her mind off what had just happened.
To get her mind off the death of Silco, the chaos going on in Piltover, the potential crap she'd have to deal with Sevika and how she severed any sort of relationship with her sister. To forget how her sister chose an enforcer over her.
To just...forget for a little. There would be no harm done.
But figuring out what that distraction was caused irritation too. She couldn't go back to the bar because she'd be ambushed by Sevika. She couldn't beat up enforcers in Piltover because that would only make her think of Vi. She didn't want to tinker on new grenades either. She wanted something that wouldn’t land her in any more trouble.
Then, as if by luck, she spotted Ekko, hood drawn over his head, his pace quick and she grinned.
“Well, it looks like tonight can still be decent,” she giggled before following him.
From what it looked like, he was on his way home with his head lowered, and she followed him at a distance, making sure to lose him at certain points so that he wouldn't be suspicious. She enjoyed tailing him and watching him flinch whenever he felt her gaze on him only to vanish before he could spot her. She enjoyed watching people especially when they thought they were alone. People let their guards down so easily when they think they aren’t being watched. She tailed him for ten minutes before he got to a house, and she watched him go inside and lock the door.
The road was quiet, save for the drunken singing she could hear from a few blocks away, but this was one of the quieter areas in the Lanes. The house wasn’t anything special, looking identical to most of the other houses in the Lanes, but she now knew where the Boy Saviour lived, which could prove useful later.
She waited, waiting for the feeling of 'I am satisfied with this distraction' to hit her but the adrenaline was still pumping, and she groaned in the alleyway.
"Ugh, well what now?" she grumbled, as she kicked the ground.
You're alone, all alone, no one wants you, no one puts you first, a voice suddenly repeated over and over in her head.
"No...shut up! SHUT UP!" she hissed, her hands gripping her hair.
You killed the one person who loved you for you. No one wants you.
Jinx sat down, rocking herself back and forth as the voices continued to attack her, the insults getting meaner until they vanished and could only hear her own uneven breathing and feel the wetness on her cheeks.
Go inside, another voice said, only it was significantly softer than the other ones.
"And do what, dummy?"
Pay him a visit. He probably doesn't know you're alive, remember? Imagine how cool your eyes would look.
“But…but he’s connected to Vi…I don’t want to think about Vi,” Jinx whispered, her voice cracking.
But he was your best friend back in the day. He was closer to you anyway so Vi doesn't even need to be in the picture. And besides…don’t you want a rematch?
She paused, realising that that last time she had seen Ekko was when she had detonated a grenade right in front of him after he had given her quite the beat down. She breathed in and out, a crazed grin growing on her face as she wiped away her tears.
“A rematch? Holy shit. Yes. Give him a little scare!"
Jinx didn't even try to be quiet when getting into his house, her clunky boots scraping the already flaking paint off the walls. She wanted him on edge and if they fought...well maybe that would be distraction enough. She was strong enough now too because of the Shimmer running in her veins and could roll with the punches. She didn’t have to just rely on guns and grenades.
Yes, a brilliant plan and once she was done, she could deal with the real world.
She broke a window to find herself in the kitchen and she began to wander around the house in search of him. Eventually she found a door that was at the end of the corridor and deduced that it was his bedroom. She held in her laughter in before kicking the door open, her eyes falling on the unmistakable white braids in the darkness.
"Jinx?" he whispered and she only grinned.
From what it looked like, he had tried to hide behind his bookshelf but with her arrival, he didn’t seem to care that he was exposed despite having a weapon in his hand.
"Back and better than ever!" she giggled, and she watched the moonlight light up his dumbstruck face.
"But...but there's no way you would've survived that blast I-"
She then noticed his leg, more laughter bubbling out from her.
"-Wow, I got out unscathed and you have a wonky leg! Ha!"
She was having so much fun. This was a brilliant idea. He looked so confused but she knew she had to keep him talking before he tried to alert someone or fight her. She didn't want this to end too soon.
"You could say I'm back from the dead," she said with a wink and his confusion melted into realisation.
"Holy shit...did...did Silco do something to you?"
She winced at the name. Crap, she had already made a mistake.
"Jinx what the fuck did he do? Wait...your eyes...they're glowing purple…did he-"
She wanted him to stop talking. She hated that her distraction was reminding her of the man she had killed less than an hour ago. She came here to forget, not to be reminded.
"Stop talking, Boy Saviour," she hissed, and he glared back at her.
"Well, I can't just stand here in silence in my own home while you’re here for no reason!"
Jinx kind of wanted him to throw the first punch because there was a part of her that felt guilty that he was injured after her little grenade stunt on the bridge, but she was losing patience.
"Why are you here Jinx?" he asked, and she clenched her jaw.
"No! You don't get to ask any more questions!" she snapped, and he looked at her incredulously.
"You broke into my house! If anyone should have questions, it's me!"
Jinx wanted him to shut up, but she didn't want to kill him. She had enough killing for one evening. She wanted to forget. Why was he making it so hard?
How could she make him stop talking to her without killing him? Knock him out? No, that was no fun. She still wasn't satisfied with her distraction. She hadn't forgotten enough yet.
"Jinx, I don’t know why you’re here, but you need to leave-"
Then it hit her.
People who kissed were quiet. Sure, she had only ever seen Sevika kiss one or two people in the bar when she thought no one was looking, and she'd gone to enough brothels with Sevika to collect their cut of money for Silco to know what adults did.
Maybe that would work? It was a shot in the dark, but she just wanted him to stop talking and forget . Without another word, she strode over to him, disarming him instantly. He wasn't quick enough to react as she pushed him back onto his bed, the force hitting the floor. He tried to fight back but she was stronger this time.
She loomed over him, caging him in with her body and she saw his eyes widen as she leaned in, not giving him anytime to escape.
"Jinx, what are you-?" he hissed before she cut him off.
"I told you to stop talking," she growled before closing the gap between them.
His lips were unyielding, his body tense against hers and for a second, Jinx wondered if she just sucked at kissing, a fear that she didn't know she'd have until now. She pulled away to see Ekko's eyes wide in shock.
Jinx wasn't sure if what she was feeling was embarrassment or anger because if this was as awkward as it was, she'd have no choice but to leave. She didn't even want to fight him with her new strength because if she was that bad of a kisser, she’d rather die of embarrassment somewhere else.
But then he pulled her back in by her neck, their lips meeting once more and her eyes were wide open, her body tense while his eyes were closed as he kissed her.
Okay so you're not a bad kisser? she thought but her brain stopped working when she felt his hand on her waist pulling her into him so close that she could feel his muscles against her.
She wasn't sure when her body melted into his or when her eyes closed but it felt right.
~~
If someone had to tell Ekko when he was younger before the death of Vander and everything went to shit, that he would kiss Powder when he was older, he would've celebrated. If someone had to tell him last week that Jinx would break into his house and kiss him after he thought she was dead, he would've thought they were crazy.
But here he was. Kissing Jinx as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Her skin on top of his and she smelt vaguely of gunpowder and sweat but he didn't care. She tasted like icing only making him think that she must've had something sweet earlier.
Why did it feel so right but so wrong?
The girl he liked died when she started talking to her guns. She died when she voluntarily helped Silco poison Zaun with Shimmer and turned her back on him. She died when he tried to convince her to join him and failed.
But...he didn't care.
She was in his house. She had come here. Hell, she had kissed him first. Why he pulled her in for a second kiss was unknown to him, but she was kissing him back with just as much as he was.
Then he heard Jinx moan and all duties and responsibilities as the leader of the Firelights went out the broken window in the kitchen as he deepened the kiss. He was allowing himself this one thing for a moment before everything would go back to normal tomorrow.
Just this one thing.
Jinx had fully relaxed against him, only her arms keeping her up before he flipped her over, breaking off their kiss as she looked up at him. He was quiet for a second, breathing hard as he looked into her magenta eyes.
"Well? Whatcha waiting for?" Jinx asked nonchalantly, but he could see how bright red her cheeks were, and his eyes flickered between her lips and her gaze.
"Wondering how real this is," he responded, before pinning both her hands over her head with his one hand and kissing her again.
He let his other hand wander down her waist, gripping into her side as she whimpered from underneath him and he smiled into their kiss, happy that she was enjoying it just as much as he was.
How long had he wanted to do this? To have her with him like this? It felt like years. It felt like a dream especially since she was Jinx and not the Powder he grew up loving.
It hurt a little knowing he was kissing a different version of the girl he once loved but here she was...giggling underneath him as he tickled her sides.
And that's what mattered to him.
~~
Jinx hated herself for caring.
She hated that she was enjoying kissing Ekko too much because this was supposed to be a distraction and now it just felt like it was something infinitely more that she couldn't put her finger on.
She wondered if he was feeling the same way but banished the thought.
She was getting her distraction and that was enough but when his hand that was pinning her hands to the bed released and cupped her cheek, she thought she was going to explode.
When last had someone touched her so tenderly?
She initiated hugs with Silco when he had first adopted her, and he slowly started reciprocating but he was all she had for years. Other than that, it had been little to nothing from everyone else except Vi and Vander. Vander gave epic bear hugs and Vi let her know at every opportunity that she could get a hug, a head ruffle or a poke on the cheek.
But that vanished after Vander died and Vi abandoned her. Well, left her considering that Marcus was the one who had taken her to Stillwater.
Shit, she was thinking about Vi again.
Ekko seemed to sense something was wrong because he pulled away, looking at her face with concern.
“You okay?” he asked and she pictured the memories of Vi, Silco and Vander in her head before shoving them into chest, locking it, and tucking it to the furthest corner of her mind.
Ohh, better come up with an excuse otherwise you have to go.
"I'm fine...just a lot on my mind," she said quickly, ignoring the voice in her head and he raised an eyebrow, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
"What am I not good enough?" he teased, and she snorted before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him back.
"No, you're...perfect," she whispered before they kissed again.
Her body was humming with glee as Ekko kissed her jaw, trailing down kisses on her neck before she inhaled sharply as he nipped her neck.
"Hey! No biting!" she said, her voice coming out more in a stutter of disbelief because holy shit why did that feel so good?
"You sure? You seem to be tickled pink about it," he said from above her and she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, but she was too giddy to try.
She allowed herself to really look at Ekko this time, his usual white face paint gone and memories from her childhood with him surfaced. Their games they’d play that resulted in laughter, the races they would have through the Lanes before needing to sit by the pier to cool off, the jumping on the couch before Vi yelled at them and how he'd show her some of the new merchandise Benzo had gotten that week.
Usually, she’d try to forget those memories too, but they weren’t bad. They were sweet and innocent and even though she was Powder then…she still felt the same giddiness.
He had only ever been good to her and right now she wanted to be good to him.
"Nah, I'm not sure," she said honestly, and he chuckled before gently touching their foreheads together.
He seemed surprised by her honestly before planting a kiss in her cheek.
"Just let me know. I'll stop if you want me too."
Jinx’s heart skipped a beat and was over the fucking moon...and she hated that she felt that way.
This was supposed to be a distraction. Not...whatever the hell this was.
Ekko was making her feel things. Things that she liked but didn't like. Happiness, love…acceptance? Was she really this soft underneath?
Was she being vulnerable?
Could he tell she needed this more than anything right now?
Crap, out of everything that had happened tonight, was this was the most stupid thing she had ever done? But then again how would she have known? This was her first kiss. She had never let anyone else close to her like this in her life. She was allowed this one fuck up to actually be a good thing and serve its purpose.
She could afford just this once to get lost in Ekko and feel something other than sadness.
She deserved it right?
No, you don’t, hissed one of the voices in her head.
Yes, I do!
She raised her hand to Ekko's cheek, prompting him to stop his ministrations on her neck before pressing her lips to his once more. It was as if upon contact, the voices immediately went away, and she relaxed once more. His hands were in her hair, her hands on his chest, and for a moment she felt calm. The voices in her head were quiet for the first time in years
She wasn't sure when their tongues became involved, but it felt right. Their kisses became urgent, her brain foggy with desire and she wondered how far they'd go.
She wasn't clueless about sex. Hell, Silco had even given her 'the talk' much to her surprise a few years ago but it never really played a part in her life. She wasn't sure even now, with Ekko showering her with kisses and touches, she wasn't sure it would be wise to take things that far with someone who was a) affiliated with Vi and everything she went against and b) she wasn't sure how vulnerable that would make her.
She came here for a distraction, not a crisis.
So, when she trailed a hand up Ekko's forearm and broke off their kiss with two short ones, she looked at him, hoping he'd understand what she was saying.
He blinked, as if he was coming out of a trance, before nodding and pulling away from her.
She missed the warmth almost immediately, but he only took her back into his arms under the covers before nuzzling her neck from behind her. She was relieved her didn’t open his mouth to talk. She knew he probably had questions, but she was content with the silence.
She couldn't help but smile before the weight of the day fell on her, her eyes closing and falling asleep.
~~
Jinx had fallen asleep almost immediately in his arms and Ekko couldn't help but feel some sort of pride.
She was here in his bed, sleeping in his arms and...and holy shit they had just made out.
He had kissed Jinx.
He wanted to feel some sort of guilt because of who she was...and because she wasn't the girl he loved but he couldn't deny he had enjoyed what had just taken place between them.
She felt so small in his arms and the painful reminder that they were still teenagers hit him. Teenagers who had it rough and had to grow up too quickly. Teenagers who were so young but had to step up to survive in the Undercity.
It was unfair, but she was in his arms for now.
When he woke up the next morning, he wasn’t surprised to see that Jinx was gone. Part of him was relieved but another part disappointed. Relieved that he wouldn't have the 'so we kissed last night...what happens now?' talk because he knew it would only solidify which sides they were on but disappointed because maybe...just maybe he could've gotten through to her.
He wondered how she looked asleep, but he shook his head with a sigh. Zaun couldn’t afford to lose him now that he had Heimerdinger on his side with Vi and Caitlyn. They could make a difference now with the new tech they were making...Zaun didn't have to be the way it was and daydreaming of a girl who was on the opposite side wasn't going to work.
He got dressed, put on his white face paint and was about to leave before he saw a note laying on his desk. He picked it up, his stomach doing somersaults as he read the familiar crayon writing.
Thanks for last night. You know where to find me if you ever want another smooch.
-Jinx <3
Oh shit, he was so royally screwed but he couldn’t help but grin before tucking the note into his pocket and making his way to the base. He tried not to think of the note on his walk down the street, but the implication that Jinx was down to see him again left him feeling like he still had a chance to get her back somehow. And she had signed her name with a heart. A heart. Surely that meant something.
As he walked into the more populated parts of the Lanes, the streets became more busy, people bustling around with scrap metal, baked bread and trying to sell their wares on the side of the roads. He picked up hints of conversation as he walked, his body growing cold.
“The council…no one knows what happened…”
“Silco…no one has seen him.”
What? Silco missing and something to do with the council?
The feeling of dread hit him, and he sprinted to the base, only to find Heimerdinger trying to calm everyone down, a tear-stained Caitlyn, a somber Vi, and the children huddled in a corner. Everyone was yelling at each other but upon his entrance, the noise ceased.
“What happened?” he asked, trying to keep his voice under control.
“Pow-…Jinx…Jinx is what happened,” Vi said, her voice wavering, and tears began to fall. “She killed Silco last night and blew up the council quarters. Ekko…she started a war between Zaun and Piltover.”
It was as if Vi couldn’t hold herself up and she collapsed to her knees sobbing, Caitlyn immediately rushing to her side to comfort her.
Ekko couldn’t breathe.
Jinx killed Silco.
She blew up council quarters.
She had come to his house.
They had kissed.
They had shared the same bed.
“This all happened last night?” he said, his voice strained, and Caitlyn nodded. “Heimerdinger…has this ever happened before?”
“No…not in all my years has a council ever been…targeted like that. Attempts against their lives especially certain individuals? Yes, but this…this is very dangerous. Without the council, there will be panic all over. It’s imperative that there be a force of calm right now,” he said, his voice sad.
Ekko couldn’t imagine how he was feeling. The Yordle had been on the council mere days ago. He didn’t want to ask if there were any survivors.
“I…I need to check on the Firelights around Zaun. Make sure panic isn’t erupting there…I’ll be back as soon as I-”
“It’s okay Ekko. Please do what you need to do. We’ll…we’ll manage,” Caitlyn said reassuringly, and his heart ached when he saw how puffy her eyes were and how raw her voice sounded.
Wait…didn’t she know people on council?
Oh no…Caitlyn Kiramann…daughter of Cassandra Kiramann…her mother was on the council…was she still alive?
Ekko’s stomach was in tight knots, and he gave Caitlyn a quick nod before walking up to his office. He locked the door before shakily taking the note out of his pocket and rereading it once more.
He had kissed the same girl who had killed one of the biggest crime bosses in Zaun and then blew up the council quarters.
And she then visited him?
What the fuck?
He tried replaying their conversations and he felt sick. The minute he mentioned Silco, she got upset and told him to shut up. When he told her to leave, she kept talking, not paying any mind to what he was saying.
Had he just been a distraction for her?
To get her mind off the shit she had done?
And he fell for it like the lovesick puppy he was.
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he tried to control his breathing but it was no use as the anger, embarrassment, and frustration flowed through him as he grabbed some matches from his desk and lit one.
He placed the match under the letter and watched it burn, Jinx’s writing melting away.
Jinx was not Powder.
He needed to get that into his head.
He thought after the years of destruction she caused to him and the Firelights that he’d be convinced, but all it took was for her to be standing in his room and kissing him to fold.
But now…this changed everything.
Tears of frustration dripped down his cheeks, his quiet sobs echoing the room and he screamed in frustration before dropping the mostly burnt letter and stomping on it to kill the fire. Only the ashes remained, and he walked over to his desk before plotting his route through the Lanes to check on the other Firelights. He circled parts on the map and got his board before taking one last glance at the ash in the middle of the room, the letter that initially made him happy but now only reminded him how stupid and naïve he had been.
“Next time Jinx…I won’t hesitate. That’s a promise.”
~~
Notes: Okay so I watched Arcane and this ship thoroughly WRECKED my entire being and I knew I needed to write something for these two! I just love their dynamic SO MUCH and the fact that Ekko canonically had a crush on Powder was everything I needed to write this.
I do have more ideas for fanfiction of these two (as well as CaitVi and Viktor and Jayce) BUT I am in the middle of trying to finish my thesis so those will probably only be uploaded once I'm done with university.
The biggest of thank you's to Dr. Stoned for beta reading this fic and for complimenting me when this was just an idea and a few hundred words. <3 I appreciate you so much for editing this.
If you enjoyed reading, feel free to leave a like, reblog or comment!
Stay safe! vanilla107 xoxo
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