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gingernut1314 · 3 months ago

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Turkey and Cheese ch. 2

Summary: On the run from enforcers, you collide straight into someone in your rush. Someone whose seafoam eyes take your breath away and all you want to do is spend a little bit more time with him.

Content: female reader x Silco, pre-season 1 arcane, first meeting, gendered terms, reader has water manipulation powers, young Silco, young reader, you share a stolen sandwich with Silco, slight Arcane season 2/League of Legends spoiler (Janna)

Word Count: 2.7K

A/N: The characters will age up, but the plan I have set up is reader meets Silco and the others when they are all still teens so there is only going to be like...one or two more chapters as teens and then we're getting aged up. I hope you all enjoy!!

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You got too much joy picking on the Enforcers that hang around the bridge that separated the shining city of Piltover and the not-so-bright Undercity. You stole their lunches and their coin, called them every name under the sun, and threw rocks at them from dark corners.

It pissed them the fuck off making it prime entertainment for you.

Your guardian, Janna, disapproved of your shenanigans. The lectures were too long whenever you were caught. Lectures about reasonability and grace and blah, blah, blah .

So, to avoid such mind-numbing lectures, you waited until Janna disappeared for days on end to let chaos ensue.

And this fog-heavy day was one of those days.

Your stomach growled, clenching and twisting in hunger as you knelt on top of one of the run-down tenement houses near the bridge. You watched four Enforcers walk out of the broader toll house, switching posts with the other four Enforcers standing before the bridge.

You had been watching them for most of the night, counting and double counting how many Enforcers were on duty. You counted nine in total, which was one less than there had been last time you’d done this.

Someone must be sick or had been fired or, maybe, they were dead. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter one bit to you. All you cared about now was earning a few coins and getting a homemade meal from someone's spouse for a late dinner.

You rushed into action after one last scan of the area, before rushing across the roofs. When you came to the end of this line of tenements, you hopped down onto the fire escape below, a small grunt escaping your lips before starting down the rusting stairs.

Once on the ground, you yanked your hood up and shoved your hands into the pockets of your jacket, trying to keep a low profile as you walked the short distance across the recently redone cobblestoned road. You disappeared into the large shadows the street lamps cast, walking along the smooth wall of the tollhouse.

“Beth just got accepted into that fancy college she wanted.” A gruff voice filtered out from a small, open window.

“Well, shit--” Was the last of that conversation you heard as you climbed up a ladder around the back of the building.

You stayed crouched low as you made way to the vent in the center of the roof. You had used this vent for years, but, as you quietly pulled the metal covering off and lowered yourself into the vent system, found it might be one of your last times.

You were getting too big to fit in the vent.

This was a child's game, as unfortunate as it was to admit, and at the ripe age of fourteen, you were no child anymore.

“We’ve been saving up--” And blah, blah, blaaahhhh .

Enforcers rarely had anything exciting to talk about. It was always about someone's family or about whatever game they had gone to watch. It had nearly sent you into tears as you crawled through the vents.

Where was the excitement? The danger?

Didn’t Encforcer beat Undercityians up for fun?

You finally made it to the vent in the locker room area. It was bland and hardly fit hardly enough lockers for every enforcer stationed here, but to you, it was a gold mine.

You opened the vent, placing it slowly on the other side of the vent shaft, and hopped into the room, hitting the ground on near-silent feet and a held-in grunt. You waited a few seconds to see if anyone had heard you before starting on opening each locker and taking as many coin potches as you could find. The only good thing the last locker had to offer was a piece of gum instantly shoved into your mouth.

Just as you opened the fridge and grabbed someone's paper bag lunch, the door opened.

Your blood went cold. You've been caught one too many times over the years, but each time it happened it never helped ease your nerves.

A younger-looking Enforcer saw you instantly, his eyes narrowing in something like confusion. You didn’t recognize this Enforcer from past interactions, so you assumed he was new.

“Hey! Who the hell are you?”

“No one.” You pulled on the most innocent look you could muster, hiding the lunch behind your back. “I think I might have taken a wrong turn.”

“A wrong--” The Enforcer then saw the open and ransacked lockers. It clicked then, what had happened here right under his nose.

Before the Enforcer had time to speak, you pushed past him into the small hallway.

“Hey!” He shouted after you but you were already booking it into the office area where six enforcers sat. They noticed you almost instantly, rising from their seats in the blink of an eye. One tried to grab you, but you twisted out of his way and dodged another on-coming man.

The front door open with a bang and all but threw yourself into the street, your gum falling from your mouth in the process.

“Grab her!” One of the enforcers shouted, singling the four others standing before the bridge. Those four were too far away to do any grabbing, so you didn’t feel the need to be worried about them.

You ran downwards, toward the looming city you called home. As you ran closer and closer, the air seemed to get thicker-- dirtier than that of the air by the bridge. This wasn’t anything new to you, your throat and lungs taking less than a second to adjust to the polluted air.

The continuous shouting from behind let you know that the Enforcers were still hot on your tail. You would either lose them eventually in this maze of run-down buildings and streets or they would give up, finding they didn’t want to venture as far into the city as you were going to take them.

Time would only tell which it would be, so you pushed yourself harder.

You made the first sharp turn into a familiar alleyway, an enforcer that had been getting too close to you tripping and falling into a couple of barrels full of fish. You gave a sharp laugh, looking over your shoulder to watch that scene unfold in your utter glee.

And just as you made to turn back around, you collided into something solid and bony.

You and the person you’d just hit at full speed went tumbling to the ground, each giving own round of curses.

A pair of blue-green eyes halted your escape. A pair of eyes that took your breath away…well, maybe it had been from the impact but your breath was differently stolen and these eyes--eyes like seafoam weren’t helping.

The blue-green eyes were attached to a thin, sharp face covered in skin that looked like it hardly got out in the sun.

Though everyone down here always had that “hardly seen the sun” look about them.

This guy was very attractive. Too attractive some might say.

So attractive it almost had you forgetting about the four enforcers running after you.

The blue-green eyes narrowed up at you, completely pissed off.

“Get the hell off--”

“She’s in there!” The enforcer that had just fallen into fish guts shouted to his coworkers. The boy’s eyes widened and he looked past you to find what you already knew was coming into the alley.

“Do you have a canteen?” The boy snapped back to you, anger written clear on his face.

“What? No--” You gave him an eye roll.

Who didn't carry a water canteen with them?

Well…you didn’t, but that was beside the point.

“A flask?” You tried again.

“You ran into me and brought enforcers with you and you're asking me if I have a--” He gave a startled sort of sound as you began patting him down. You’d grown tired of his rambling. You found a flask in his jacket in an inner pocket and gave a little sound of triumph.

“Thank you!” You sweetly spoke, pushing yourself off the guy who looked so bewildered by you it was cute . You turned your attention back onto the four enforcers blocking the exit.

“Thought you could get away with it this time, girl .” One of them hissed through his mask. You recognized this man to be Rufus, an Enforcer that had been stationed on the bridge the longest.

“But whatever did I do, sir? ” He gave a growl, taking a step forward that was meant to be threatening.

“Give it back and we’ll forget this ever happened.” You knew that was a lie. As soon as you got close enough, they’d grab you and throw you in jail.

“Promise?” Rufus was growing impatient, you could see it in his brown, tired eyes.

“ Promise .” He grit out. This made you smile.

“Alright, mister.” You pulled the flask out from behind your back then. “Catch!” And the flask was tossed Rufus’s way.

You let your magic flow through your veins and felt for the water in the alcohol.

Rufus caught the flask with ease. He looked from it to you.

“What is--” With great effort, you made the little bit of water in the alcohol explode. The flask broke into pieces, shooting up into his eyes. He gave a scream and that was your queue to leave.

You snapped around, finding the boy standing there, shock on his face. He had a lean build and was very, very tall. It just added to his overall attractiveness.

Focus!

“Time to go!” You swiped the fallen lunch off the ground and grabbed for the boy in one go, pulling him further down the alley.

It only took the boy a moment to regain his right mind and in a split second, he was the one pulling you along.

You followed the boy, climbing up on top of the dumper closest to the broken fire escape. You let go of his arm so he could launch himself at the escape, slamming into the railing with a bang. Once he was over the rusting railing, you were quick to jump and slam into the escape.

The boy grabbed your wrist once your two feet were safely on the other side of the railing before continuing to drag you up stair after stair until you made it to the roof, which someone had been trying to grow some kind of plants on. Just with a quick glance at the spotting plant, you could tell it wasn’t going very well.

Shouting from the enforcers below had you wiggling out of the boy's grip and looking over the edge, finding one had climbed up onto the dumpster while the others looked defeated.

“If it's any consolation, you’ll be feeding a poor underling for a day or so.” You shouted down to them, waving the bag mockingly.

“Don’t think this is over, girl!” Rufus spat. You only gave him a cheeky smile.

“Tell your wife she makes the best turkey and cheese sandwiches. I’ve been looking forward to it all month.” Rufus gave a growl before storming out of the alley. Slowly, the other enforcers followed after him, throwing you dirty looks as they left.

The boy grabbed you then, whipping you around to face him.

You weren’t always the best at figuring out how people were feeling, mainly thanks to being raised by a seemingly emotionless wind spirit, but you could tell in a moment this guy was angry.

“If this is about your flask, I’m--” The guy was quick to not let you finish.

“What the hell were you thinking, bringing enforcers to the Lanes?” He snapped. You merely gave him a very slow blink.

“I’m fully prepared to buy you a new one.” You finished, earning a frustrated growl from the guy.

You liked what he had going on--this uptight, angry, authoritative thing. You liked it so much it made you want to tease him to no end.

“Why I’m trying to get a child to see reason--”

“Whoa there.” You held a hand up, further cutting him off. “You’re like--what, a year older than me?” He narrowed his seafoam blue eyes at you once more.

“You can’t be older than twelve.”

“Nope! Fourteen.” The guy rolled his eyes.

“A child.”

“Alright, mister-high-and-mighty. How old are you then?”

“It hardly matters.” Your mouth fell open in disbelief, but before you could nag him anymore, he continued. “You realize they will be back.” You pulled out of the guy's grip again and began walking across the roof.

To your surprise, the boy followed.

“The reason I pick on those buffoons at the bridge is because I know their threats are empty.” You opened the brown paper bag and rummaged around until you found a foil-wrapped sandwich your stomach had been growling to get a bite out of. “Especially Rufus.” You took one of the halves out and extended it to the boy. “Want some? It’s the good stuff.” He looked it over for a moment, eyes still narrowed.

You could tell he didn’t want to take it from you, not when he still looked so annoyed at you…so you gave it a little wiggle that pulled a sigh from his mouth.

“Thank you.” He took it from you, his eyes finally softening. His fingers brushed the tiniest bit against yours, but it was enough to send sparks running through your every last nerve.

You watched the boy as he took a bite from the sandwich. Watched as his eyes widened the slightest bit. It was so slight most wouldn’t have noticed, but you had been watching him too intently.

“Right? It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” You gave him a bright smile. One you rarely ever gave--one that was genuine --before chomping down into your own half.

You hopped up on the edge of the roof, which overlooked the whole of the Lanes. From up here, you could spot the tops of the highest buildings and the smoke billowing up from the mines beneath the city. Smoke that danced and twirled upward, illuminating the lights shining from across the city. In the day, the smoke would cast the sky in murky shades of gray, depending on how bright the sun was shining.

It was quite beautiful, despite its run-down and polluted nature.

It was still your home.

“I didn’t mean to bring the enforcers here…but maybe I gave someone the chance to get across that golden bridge--for them to seek their fortune or a fresh start.” You looked back to the boy who had jumped up onto the edge with you. He turned his gaze towards you, scanning you over with seemingly all-seeing eyes. Eyes that made your skin seem to burn.

“Is that what you want?” The question shocked you.

In The Lanes, most didn’t get too close to one another. Not unless they had to. It was a very lonely world, but you endured.

“No,” You scoffingly said. You wouldn’t even last a day over there. You were too wild, too much a part of the Undercity. You gave the boy a look over of your own, though much less all-seeing as his had been.

“What about you?” You cautiously asked. Though you didn’t at all mind sharing things about yourself, you didn’t know how this guy was. All you knew is you enjoyed his company….and you didn’t want to be alone all over again quite yet.

“No,” He replayed, looking back over the city. “There’s too much potential here.”

You liked that. You liked that a lot .

You took another big bite from your sandwich, letting the night air fill the quiet between you two.

You swallowed, glancing back over him as you worked up the courage to speak again.

And once that small bit of courage was wrestled up, you told him your name.

The boy turned his eyes back on you, his longish brown hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He seemed to hesitate too for a moment.

“Silco.” He spoke before finishing off his half of the sandwich.

You liked his name. You liked it almost as much as you liked his face.

“How did you manage to make my flask to explode?” You smirked, turning away from the boy, Silco , once more.

“A lady never reveals her secrets.” Silco gave a laugh. It was a tiny huffing one, but a laugh nonetheless.

You liked his laugh. You liked more than his name and face.

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alkelkha · 1 month ago

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𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐓. chapter three

relationship — jinx/powder x fem!blk coded reader

❛❛ OF COURSE, WE'RE FRIENDS ❜❜

WEEK ONE

after the two of you ran until the sunset it was awkward from there. jinx felt guilty— which she knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it. she practically begged you to be her friend and now chickening out like a pussy every time you get close.

she didn’t know how to be a friend. what does she do? give you hugs? scary!

you on the other hand?

you got comfortable immediately, going to the shop every day, hanging out with her rambling, and asking questions on her latest projects. jinx tried doing the same but there was this twisty turny feeling in her stomach when she tried. she was scared of how you would react.

she wants this. she wants your friendship, she needs it.

maybe it was because she finally cared what someone thought of her. someone that wasn’t silco or vi or isha.

she had to be vulnerable.

fortunately, you didn't have any of it. you were the type of person to confront the problems ahead. communication was important to you which jinx hated, but appreciated simultaneously. it was beyond uncomfortable. at least it told her how much you valued this friendship between the two of you. you were willing to work things out.

“what does this device do?” your hand ran over the contraption, and with one move, you were covered in glitter. you slowly turned to jinx, looking at her with a deadpan, “don’t laugh—“

jinx nearly falls off her seat from laughing.

this was painfully new to jinx. being called a ‘friend’, calling someone else her ‘friend’ was treading on unknown territory.

the way bubbles that formed in her heart the day she said yes burst every time you smiled at her as she ranted. that was sweeter than any candy you've given her.

you listen to her when she talks. you laugh at her dumb jokes. you walk with her around the plaza. you stay with her while she works on one of her (harmless) gadgets when you don’t have work.

she was starting to understand the hype around having a friend. who knew sharing meals with someone made food taste even better? having a friend meant she could talk for hours on end and be met with a voice that wasn’t tearing her down.

is she doing it right? maybe. she isn’t sure herself.

grabbing a cloth, you wiped down your face. it didn’t help much. powder’s laughter wasn’t any help either.

“you’re helping me clean that up, sprinkles.” powder tosses you a broom with a grin on her lips.

WEEK TWO

stalking your friend is totally normal. there’s nothing wrong in making sure your friend gets to work safely, especially when there’s a gang after her. besides, is it really stalking if she’s hiding in plain sight? she just so happened to blend in with the colorful scenery of flosnum. much like herself, flosnum loves colors.

pink and orange powder that you can get from kicking plot plants. beautifully painted murals. colorful homes. it was a colorblast.

and just like the good friend she is, she knows your schedule by heart!

you wake up around seven am, ready for the day at about eight-thirty, do a bunch of random stuff after that, and show up at her house or shop at eleven am to hang out. on weekends and wednesdays, you work the afternoon shift. mondays and fridays are your days off. the rest you work at night.

you can't blame her for it, she has no idea what she would do if you got hurt. she’s finally settling down, and that took 10 mental breakdowns.

sometimes, while following you, she'll get distracted and end up at the ice cream truck. after trying out all the poor old man could offer, cotton candy became her favorite.

what was she doing again? oh yeah!

your work was demanding, which is odd because she’s been at bars. hell, she grew up at one. she knew what they were like, and it certainly wasn't supposed to be what you were doing. she had never seen a bartender work so hard. powder was pretty sure the job wasn’t supposed to be this intense.

SEVEN CHIMES was just like its home flosnum with a mature air. paper lanterns that would illuminate a variety of colors and shadows of white stars on the ceiling some days. weekends it would be packed and that was one of those days.

you were exactly the same while you worked. the customers loved you. even if they were drunk, the only type of handsy they would get is an arm swing around your shoulder.

your coworker, stella is what you called her, kept your eyes on you a bit too long. stella’s eyes trailed your body up and down before meeting powder’s.

they locked eyes.

with a smirk, stella broke the contact eye.

okay, what the fuck was the smirk about?

powder slumps down in her seat from the corner of the bar. she already knew she wasn’t going to like her. who the hell did that girl think she was? does she want to fight? because powder will! feeling her eyes twitch she looked down to slip on her pink fuzzy drink.

“baby blue?”

jinx's eyes shot up to the voice. it was you! in all your glory, the blue light hitting your pretty dark skin, wearing that smile the same way you wore the stupid bronze turtle necklace around your neck. pretty.

after she was done checking you out a frog got fixed in her throat. she's been caught. wait! it’s not the end of the world yet. she could just brush it off as a simple visit! perfect plan.

“why did you tell me you were here?” you sit down on the opposite side of the table as her. “stella told me 'a certain blue-haired girl' had been 'keeping her eyes on me.'”

ohhhh, so that’s why she smirked.

snitch.

“just wanted a drink.” powder shrugs and keeps sipping down her drink.

“you could’ve said hi, ya know? now i feel bad for you sitting here all alone.” you frown.

“you say that like i’m going type of loner!” powder scoffs. you raise an eyebrow as if you’re saying ‘are you not?’.

she furrows her brows, “i am not!” she defended herself.

“i never said—“

“you were going to!”

you leaned back and sighed. that struck something in jinx. she’s got you annoyed.

shit.

now you were probably thinking of breaking it off with her and never seeing her face again. she should’ve known. she shouldn’t have gotten attached. “I’m sorry—“

“come on blue,” you interrupt her, getting out of your seat. “my shift just ended, and i’m starving!” you take her cold hand in your warm one, pulling her out of the bar.

WEEK THREE

blue was mysterious— was.

this girl bounced off walls. no filter. talks back to old mean people who gave you a hard time. she had to be constantly doing something or doing nothing. no in-between. you adapted to it.

she's unlike anyone you’ve ever met.

the shop you gave her? now her hideout. she completely renovated it in her own style. remember that broken illuminating sign? now the sign had no words it was a…

monkey?

you think it was. you saw it often in her work. you’re guessing it was her signature.

you liked moments like this. standing behind her, brushing her short hair mindlessly. her hair grew really fast, it was almost to her shoulders now.

jinx tinkered on the glitter bomb that exploded in your face three weeks ago. her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth in concentration.

it was odd. her hair. not that it was bad, she somehow pulled it off amazingly, but you can’t help but think that this was a recent cut. “why did you cut your hair this way?” you asked.

she pauses her work and looks up, leaning back in her chair to get a better look at you. “what, don’t like it?” your heart jumped at the sight of her.

she was so cute. wide pink eyes, blue eyeshadow, dark lipstick, and glitter stains on her face.

“no, just curious,” you spoke softly. powder’s eyes trail away from you as she thinks about whether she should answer your question.

in the meantime, you noticed some dark grease on the corner of her mouth. it was nagging at you, she was dangerously close to eating it if she were to lick her lips.

taking your thumb you lick it and then wipe it off of her. the action caused her to scrunch up her face a bit but she didn’t pull away. “it was a weakness.” she answered your question, “my hair was wayyy too long, practically dragged it on the ground.” she shrugged still looking up at you.

“plus, i needed some change.” jinx made her hand into a gun and slowly raised it up to you, “pow.” she pretended to shoot you.

“shooting me now?” your voice amused, raising a brow at her.

“you should’ve dodged it,” she shrugs, looking back down to her work. she set it down on the workbench and spun her chair around, “now you’re dead,” she got up from her seat to get another tool. "sucker."

“i thought you liked me!” you grumble, her back was now turned to you.

“just a little.” she plays into it and turns around.

her eyes widened to see you point a sucker to her head, with a smirk on your face, “now, you’re dead.”

“oh, so that’s how you wanna play, princess?” she puts her hand on her hip.

“you started it, cutie.” you unwrap the sucker, placing it in your mouth.

she narrows her eyes at you with a frown. a cute frown. you could tell she wasn’t really angry. she takes the sucker out of your mouth and places it in hers.

your breath hitched. this should not be affecting you the way it is. the heat that coursed through your body went straight up to your face. jinx leaning closer didn’t help, you could envision her tongue swirling around the candy.

oh fuck.

WEEK FOUR

the warm softly grainy sand slipped between jinx’s toes as she stood barefoot on the beach. the beach was bustling. children darting around, teenagers around playing volleyball, and locals dancing to the music that filled the air.

she sits down on the blanket you placed down. “you’ve gotten tanner, blue.” you say as you just finished applying sunscreen on yourself.

she didn’t even know what sunscreen was until she crashlanded her. “you used to be a ghost, now look at you.” she wasn’t tan, she was still pretty fair, but she wasn’t as white as a ghost the first time she got here.

you sat on your legs in front of her with your hand lathered up with sunscreen. you slowly approached her giving her the time to pull away. she didn’t. you applied the sunscreen on her tattooed arms.

jinx didn't need you to do this. she could’ve done it herself, but your touch was nice…

also because of the view it was giving her. “now, where have you been hiding these bazongas!?”

"I've had these the whole time" you deadpan at her, get up and crawl away to the other side of the blanket.

"never out in the open like this!" she bursts out laughing at your reaction. “wait, wait! come back, pretty lady!” she grabs onto your wrist, pulling you closer.

she was terrifyingly strong for someone so thin. “you’re no better than a man!” you yelp but don’t pull away (not that you could).

“can a girl appreciate some beauty?” she huffs, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling your back to her chest. “not my fault they’re right in front of me.” she pokes at them. jinx bit her lip to contain her laughter.

the clear blue water shimmered in the sun like it was a jewel. jinx clung onto your back, arms around your neck, and legs wrapped around your waist. fun fact! jinx can’t swim. “you’re such a baby.” you giggle, she puts her cheek on yours.

the both of you spent the time in the ocean teaching her how to swim or trying to kill each other by splash wars (you almost went blind because of her).

it was sunset. the both of you laid down on the blanket under you, looking up into the now pink sky. powder held onto your hand and you gladly held it with the same intensity.

“i like this, toots.” she turns her head to you but you don’t seem to notice. your eyes were fixated on the sky, you hand slightly loosened your grip.

your face drops into an annoyed expression, “i like this too.” foolishly you let out a tired sigh.

jinx's mind swirls.

she lying to you! she doesn’t mean it, do you see the way she replied? you’re such an idiot for trusting her. she’s probably only hanging out with you out of pity.

jinx shook her head, “you sure? you don’t sound like you did.” her voice offended.

you finally looked back at her. “sorry, baby blue. i’m just tired—“

she scoffs. “tired? tired of me? i thought we were having fun!” she sat up.

taken aback by her reaction you quickly backtracked what you said. you didn’t want to make this any worse. you got up to level with her, “no, no. of course not tired of you. i love hanging out with you, baby blue.” with that you seemed to get through to her, her face relaxed.

she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you.

jinx’s jaw clenches. why would you be tired of her? that doesn’t make sense! she’s made sure you had fun this whole time. yeah, at the beginning of your friendship, she chickened out a bit but you forgave her. yeah, she would pull stupid pranks but you love them. so why would you be so rude?

she looked into your warm eyes. “you’re lying to me!” she rips her hand away from yours. why are you lying to her? jinx’s eyebrows furrowed, jaw tensed and her forehead held creases.

“i’m sorry, blue. i just got stressed—“

“if you were stressed why would you come here in the first place? if you’re not having fun just say so, you didn’t have to fake it and lead me on the whole day.” she stood up and you did the same.

“what?” like an idiot, you laugh at the situation happening right now. “i never said all of that. honey, if you let me finish my sentence you would understand.”

now she’s laughing at you, she’s not even trying to hide it!

“shut up!” jinx shouts and you quickly pipe down. her breath came out in heavy pants. hands trembling over her ears. her mind was in overdrive. she was thinking about everything. about how you hate her. about how this was doomed from the start.

she should’ve known, no way someone would actually want a genuine connection with her. it’s not like you could ever understand her.

she points her finger out accusingly, “you think this is a laughing matter? you think i’m a joke!”

your voice got caught up in your throat. this was insane. she was insane. she was just making up things on the spot to play the victim. you suck in a breath and shake your head. “what’s wrong with you?”

those words left like a gunshot to her heart.

told ya.

jinx.

not that you had to work hard to get to this point. wasn’t like she liked you to begin with.

hot, frustrated tears welled up in her eyes, her nails dug into the palm of her hand, letting blood drop freely onto the blanket under the two of you. an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, thick and stifling.

her glare at you intensified, a flicker in her pink eyes of… betrayal? a step back, followed by another, soon, she left you alone on the beach.

this was a mistake.

TAGLIST: @millie2point0 @powderbomb-jinxed @velvetinkbym

#arcane #jinx arcane #jinx x reader #jinx x you #jinx x fem!reader #arcane x reader #jinx x y/n #wlw fanfic #arcane jinx x reader #x black reader #black reader #x black fem reader #jinx x blkfem!reader #elka's shop #jinx arcane x reader #arcane fanfic #lesbian fanfic #lesbian

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moonieandi · 3 months ago

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corners and walls | silco x f!reader

Summary: the grief of loss shakes apart the friends of four, leaving silco and her to pick up the pieces of the complex affliction between them

warnings (TW): slight spoilers for arcane season ii//act ii, swearing, mentions of death, alcohol mentioned, general trauma, violence (implied)

tags: established relationship, honestly for once NOT dumbasses, angst… comfort?, affection

notes: i think this is a oneshot. Im not completely sure (im kinda maybe sure) that this is a oneshot… im allowed to write about my interests! (pt 11 of snapshots in my drafts rn its a complicated ch im wrestling w myself about posting)--- but im in arcane brainrot…. I love dissecting it and unfortunately for all of u i LOVE silco……… hes a questionable character…… but the way the action of season ii is going i need something familiar in my life while looking at (doomed) victor/jayce (heavy sighs) — if u don’t wanna read i understand this is a moonie want (and need) — love youuuuuu <3

word count: 2.6k

| masterlist |

There were corners of her he did not know.

Folds of her linens and clothes he moved to uncover in the past months. She was quiet, silent in the visage he had drawn of her, but stubborn (something familiar) and something of great consistency to him.

It was hard to quantify her, easier to dismiss. She was not special. Of common stature and of common shape. Plain colors adorned her closet, plain and even temperament, plain tone, and of plain face.

That is what they would say when uncovering her past. Now that she was part of this mess, part of the mess he had sheltered her into (part of the mess Vander had shepherded her into). The dream of a larger nation, of overarching architecture and structure and reasoning. A voice, they figured between the four of them, a voice that would listen and learn and speak loudly in the face of the injustices they had survived and crawled through.

But he figured they would only comment on her appearance, perhaps. Of her coal stained shoes and the dirt under her picked nails.

They would not know the woman behind it all. Would not know of Felicia either (now). Not with the violence inflicted on the bridge. Not with the weapon staining his hand (an accident he had sworn to them both).

He knew of the woman before him though, knew of her mind and spite and grit. Knew of her work and the lengths and dredges she had come from. Knew of her grief. Something he sequestered in the back of his mind. Survive survive survive. She had once compared Zaun’s residents to roaches. Unkillable, dirty, and strikingly annoying. She meant it in an endearing way, she had to. She was a roach too.

It was a different kind of insect, a different animal, that drove him to draw a gun on the woman he loved so dearly. He wouldn’t have thought to wrap a finger around the trigger if it weren’t for the feral instinct of preservation. He could discern danger like a sense, it came as easily as smell, as sight, as breathing. But it had him stuttering now, seeing her on the other end of his warranted violence (was it warranted?).

She was a structure of poise, like usual. Another reason to keep the gun drawn to her. The silence in her acceptance of his decision. He knew though, that if they both survived the grief of his mistake she wouldn’t forgive him- never forgive him for registering her as a threat. How could she be?

He had been waiting for the retaliation. He hid away in corners and along dark walls in wait. He waited for Vander to seek a sort of violence in him, the last violence the large man would ever do. Seek blood in the name of their shared friend, for the orphans he made. He was sick, sick with the thought of it most days. But composed, up until this point. Up until Vander used his last facilities to shake his roach of a mind from the corners of the nation they once dreamed of in the depth of caves and between stone-cold walls. She was it, was that thing that would make him waver, and he knew that.

She had her palms raised, hands shaking. But composed, as usual. It was hard to shake the structure of her. She was rarely surprised by violence, much less the plights of men. She wasn’t quick to anger, wasn’t weepy at the thought of destruction, and stood as strong as cavernous walls, sturdy against the infrastructure of the Undercity. He admired that, he loved that.

She had only shaken a total of three times, in front of him. Only bent her head and neck and bowed before him in emotion all of three times. Imprinted in his mind, the cascade of her hair, the shaking of her shoulders, and the sightless grief in her eyes.

The first was the first time he truly saw her. She consumed herself with work. Whether it be their laborious job in the mines or the turmoil of finding justice in an unjustified upbringing. She had broken one day, that very first day.

She was a sightless, unknowing girl in the crowd. But something about her hunched structure had struck him differently that day. He was younger then, only twelve. He knew of empathy but had yet to experience it. But he was shackled by it then, that day, when he first saw her. Hands bloody through her miners' gloves, shoes holey from the trek to and fro. She was younger, by a year or two. It was not unusual to find distressed children in the Undercity, perhaps more common than people would like to comment. Children, like they were, grew along the walls and innards of the city, meshed into stony hallways and bridges, faded into noise and paint of the background. It should go unnoticed by most, a crying child. But it struck him differently, then.

The second, the day she confessed unfounded feelings. Years in the making, the dredges of the relationship between them. Even now, he could not comprehend the strings that were strapped between them. It was more than stuttered words and whispered confessions. It felt undying between them, an acceptance.

She had been confused at the progression of their relationship, as was he. No reference to be found between them of a structure to hold their relationship. They took it in stride, took and molded their wants between them to breathe easily. Wind through a metal chime, ultimately peaceful, but prone to knots. Their strings overlaying, knotting, tightening. He had never thought to unweave them when he fled. The tug of knots and her heart led her back to him anyway.

The third time would be now. The shake of her hands and the draw of her legs. The shimmering tears rounding along her chin. She was beautiful. She never liked when he said so, but she was captivating. He didn’t enjoy seeing her cry, it unsettled a deep dark part of him. One he would crush and stamp down, that domineering possessive part of him. He thinks of drawing the gun to his foot, squeezing the trigger at his incompetence and attitude to make her cry (this was the second time now, he swore, two strikes in the threads between them).

“Please.” She never pleaded. “Please Silco, come home.” The grit of her teeth against a stutter, the shuddering of her breath in the cavities of her chest. Grief, unfounded.

“You know I can’t, dear.” Too quick for his liking, he responded. He had backed himself into a dark corner, grown leaves into walls, and hid in shadows of the Undercity bridges now. It would have to be without her though, he grieved again. He had sunk so far into the stones, in the murky water of the Undercity, it wouldn’t be safe for her to follow.

“I’m sorry.” An afterthought. A forethought. What he apologized for was lost between the notch of string on his belt and the thread leading back to her shirt. Was it for Felicia? His grief? Or was it for leaving her? (Was it for the children? For the young girls that remember his visage in Felicia’s home? For the blue-haired pixy girl that asked for him between shattered bombed dreams? The girls she shushed and rocked and cried to sleep?)

She liked to think it was for all of it. Her stupid heart forgave him anyway.

She was far from naive, far from gullible.

She knew of men and violence and dark waters by the ripe age of nine. Something she would teach Felicia’s daughters now too. It was why she lived, why she breathed still, her unwillingness to bend and snap her neck in the face of shadows and men. But she had forsaken that for him, craved a subjugation in his waters, and wished to follow him up ivy walls and read the ink scrawled on his stupid notebooks. Wanted to breathe life into his ideas and into Zaun. She’d follow him into the dark, knowingly leaving the unsaught dawn behind her.

She only bent because she knew the power between them was equal though. She was sure of exactly three things when it came to Silco.

The first being that he was flippantly deep. That he thought not in breaths but in paragraphs. That he could not speak but write for hours on end, that he could comprehend and listen and swallow and accept, and that he did not react in haste. He was full of purpose and determination. It was more than endearing, almost blindingly inspiring that he wished for not better but only ever the best.

The second being that he was a perfectionist. That his scripture was scrawling and hard to read, but comprehensive. That he enjoyed messes only because he enjoyed the meticulousness of planning and cleaning up. That he loved the structure of homes and corners of houses and the craft of cleaning something that was truly his.

The third being that he loved of equal measure, that she was most sure of, could recognize in the dead of the night, in the depth of caves. That he was severely serious when it came to the strings strung between them, and not because of the disorder of them. He would have color-coded, would have untwisted knots, and lengthened rope if he wanted to. But that was the truth of it, that he was the farthest from a perfectionist when it came to love. That he didn’t measure distances and didn’t note words between them, because he threw away the scale of them long ago. Pulled her close, twisted words between them, and sang and hummed to her in crooks of her neck. That he wished for her continued safety above anything, and far above his own. She knew for a fact, was sure of it as she was of the red-pitched brick outside the bar. It was as cumbersome as the smoggy sky, but as easy to swallow as any dark liquor. That he loved her in dark corners that made him.

But there were dark corners of her he did not know of yet.

That the consuming grief of her long-time friend sent her into a rage, that the stabilization and measurements between them fell and broke when he was not there for her to confide in. She wished above all else that he had stayed, that he had faced Vander’s anger. She had stayed, breathed, and swam the storm of their mutual friends' grief. Stayed for the children and for their grief also. Did that make him a coward?

“For what.” She asks, the caverns of her lungs shaking now. Her hands weak, falling to her side. “Don’t say that, don’t say that if you don’t know what for.” It was senseless and miscalculated of him to say sorry. He is so purposeful, so full of preserverations. She just wished he did not feel he had to preserve himself in the face of her.

The gun shakes now, dropping to his side, his finger poised along the trigger still. The depth of the scarcity of her image still shook him. It had been weeks, what felt like months since he’d seen her face.

He had seen her in crowds, seen the children marking her frame and clutched in her arms. It shook him to not wake up to her face anymore, much less her smell or her frame or her voice. Her face though, the visage of tears and the weakness of her arms, awoke something in him.

He had to remember himself, why he left. To build a nation, to structure a future for her. For the new shadows of Felicia that followed in her wake now.

“Everything.” He meant. “For everything, my love.”

She sighs deeply, tired. Her head tilting to the left on instinct. Powder made a home in the crook of her neck most nights now.

It was striking to see him. She dreamed of him between nightmares and dreamless sleep. Dreamed of waking up to him, of the quirk of his lips and the crook of his nose. The smell of him and the warmth of his embrace. The fold of his jacket around her shoulders and the breath of a kiss along her brow. When she woke she could not decide the ups and downs of walls, couldn’t decide if it was a tortuous nightmare to be awake or to be asleep.

It strikes her when he steps forward from the shadowed corner she had backed him into. His hair is longer, his eyes deeper and darker, his clothes caked with dirt. She thinks to be insistent again. Thinks of bringing him home despite Vanders’ anger, despite the grief they shared between them. But wasn’t Silco grieving also?

He approaches with stuttering steps. Unsure of the length of strings between them, grasping her to tie her tight again to him, when he reaches for the curve of her cheek and jaw.

“Don’t cry.” He commands for the third time in her life, sweeping his thumb and fingers along her wet cheeks. She shutters around it, breathing between the mess of string and space between them.

“Good.” He hums, bringing his fingers to the nape of her neck, curving her neck up in revelation. He bends his own in subjugation to her, curving his shoulders and bowing to her visage to meet familiarly between them. Curving his slight frame and lips against her own warmth, the common parts of her beat faster at the affection. It burst between them, the movement of endearment and familiarity. She forgot about this above all, missing the plainer parts of life you don’t know to miss until they are gone.

She’d miss him again and again, would string along strings and set fires in dark paths and along walls searching for him. They’d say goodbye now, and say goodbye again once she traced him back down to the cobblestone he had slid into and out of. She’d look for him in architecture and in the children of the Undercity, she’d swear and kiss away it all now, though. Anything to push off the knots between them, anything to stop a stuttering goodbye between them that was as inevitable as her own death. A thousand of them, these tiny goodbyes, she’d take though, if it meant he lived.

Lived farther down below than she’s ever been. But then again, there were corners and foothills in her mind he did not know of, yet.

#arcane #arcane season 2 #arcane silco #silco #silco x reader #arcane imagine #arcane fanfic #lmaoooo sorry yall

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kanskje-kaffe · 3 months ago

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New Jayvik update omg

Run It Back Again Ch.4 by Withercrown on AO3

Fandom: Arcane Pairing: Jayce/Viktor, Vander/Silco Chapters: 4/19

Viktor gave him a pained look. "I’ve always found your lack of interest in Zaunite history insulting." "It’s not exactly something they’re teaching topside," said Jayce, with frankly heroic calm. "Unless you have some books to recommend on the subject, I don’t know how else I’d find out." "Mmh." Viktor crossed his arms. "You could always try asking." "Fine. Who's the Hound of the Underground?"

---

holy shit if you like middle aged jayvik and young vanco and multiverse/time travel fix-its then this shit is FOR you

#arcane #jayvik #jayce talis #viktor arcane #jayce x viktor #zaundads #vanco #silco #vander #silco arcane #vander arcane #arcane fanfic #fic rec #!!!!!!!#the age reversal with older jayce and viktor and (imminently) young vander and silco do be HITTIN THOUGH

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devilsmenu · 1 year ago

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"Yeah, it seems so. We're finally away from the hell of that maze" Romeo said with a nod, feeling relief seeing everything from outside of it.

*transition post event*

"Well it seems we made it out alright." Silco looked up at the other that he recognized from the maze. He had been enjoying some time out of the office and in the sun. He had gone back to work pretty quickly.

#mischiefxmuses #feat silco #ch: romeo

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honey-tongued-devil · 2 months ago

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Everytime it rains (ch.1)

Fandom: Arcane (Episode 07 S02 AU) Pairing: Silco x reader, Cassandra x Tobias, Platonic Silco x Vander Chapters: 01/?? TW: Graphic description of wounds, Graphic description of medical procedures, Reader: No use "Y/N", AFAB Plot: Two years have passed since Vi's death, and the change has become tangible. Something has shifted in the people, and for the first time, the winter doesn’t feel as cold as usual.

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roseamongroses · 1 month ago

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with strange tenderness ch: 6/7

Melvika - Timebomb [side] Alternate Universe - Modern Setting /Alternate Universe - Small Town /Artist Mel Medarda/ Muse! Sevika /Court Mandated Found Family/ Sevika Does Not Get Paid Enough (Arcane: League of Legends)/ Retired! Sevika/ Parental Death/ Past Traumatic Events/ Past Violence & Stalking/ Mild Sexual Content/ Dog/Cat Dynamic/ Canon-Typical Exploitation of the Working Class/Mentions of Police Brutality/ Microgression/ no beta we die like Silco/ Vitiligo! Mel/ repeated silco slander/ Hurt/Comfort/ Past Child Abuse/ Past Neglect/ Domestic Fluff

[1]/[2][3][4][5]/[6]

ao3

1--2--3--4--Candles.

The fires lit up one by one, bursting from that chocolate cake and licking Ekko’s face with their glow. Wide eyed, he looked between the cake and Benzo, shaking in his chair with excitement , “Is it all for me--?” he asked, beaming up at the man.

Benzo placed a heavy hand the young boy’s shoulder, fond, “Of course, kid,” he said, letting out a rumbling laugh, “Now go on and make a wish--”

Ekko shut his eyes tight, taking in a deep breath.

Jinx exhaled.

That early morning, winter air—pierced like a knife. Her lungs burned as her sneakers slapped against the cracked and uneven pavement. Heart beating faster and faster.

She hit the corner, skidding to a halt, cheeks flushed. Against her neck, her headphones bumped rhythmically—the beat of drums, a mind-numbing rattling that filled the silence. Dropping her bag, she rummaged through the mess. Random sheets of stickers, scraps of colorful wrapping paper, broken drumsticks, packs of empty gum—shit her meds—before she found the canister.

Violet eyes danced across her canvas—hearing that little ball rattle as she shook the spray paint hard.

‘WELCOME TO THE HISTORIC CITY OF YAWN’

Chunky letters were blasted across the front doors of the High School. The colors were a nasty combination of vibrant blues and purples, biting into the muddy brown of those dingy doors.

A few students clustered in front of the doors, whispering and taking pictures of the graffiti. Every-so-often the teacher on Morning-Duty would poke their head out the doors to shoo them off to class, but they always came back after she left.

Ekko brushed past the group, nose down as he doodled in his notebook-- jelly falling on the lined pages as swallowed the last of his donut. He maneuvered his way through the crowded halls, dodging elbows and side-stepping the occasional group of meandering, six-foot tall jocks.

He heard the late-bell ring and he glanced up--then at his schedule.

He walked to his homeroom from last semester.

His class was on the other side of the school.

“Shit-” Ekko mumbled, turning on his heel and rushing to his homeroom. By the time he stepped through the doors, tardy slip in hand, most of the other students had already found their seats.

“Mornin’ rabbit,” Jinx drawled. She was propped up on top of her desk. Her uniform was strategically ripped below the knees, skirt rolled up at the waist, and sleeves decorated with safety pins. Her long braids sprouted wild from underneath her beanie, hanging over her eyes. She was next to the only empty seat left, “You’re late-- again.”

Looks like they were stuck together-- again.

Ekko closed his eyes, internally groaning. He resigned himself to his fate. Dropping his bag down, he slumped into the seat. Forehead to desk, eyes shut tight.

Jinx snickered to herself, paying him no mind as she loudly talked about her weekend with everyone else. She crowded into his space with little care. Braids tickling his arms, legs bumping into the side of the desk every-so-often making it shake, her fingers tapping absentmindedly on his desk to an unheard rhythm.

Sixteen years ago, somewhere in East Zaun Hospital, two babies were born seconds apart. And like most kids in Zaun--they grew up together, but they were closer than most.

They had the same birthday and lived in the same apartment building. Their last names listed one after the other on every roll-call, being deskmates every year without fail.

Both had parents who worked in the mine before it shut down. Both had parents. Both entered foster-care around the same time, except Ekko never left Zaun.

One day Powder was there--the next day she wasn’t.

Packed up and gone on some random Tuesday.

He hadn’t even known she’d left until he saw that her name-tag was taken off of the cubby next to his. He didn’t know the exact reasons why at the time, but he wasn’t stupid.

He remembers the flashing lights--blue, red, blue, red-- outside his windows before Benzo guided him back to bed. How Benzo hugged him, a little too tight, before saying goodnight.

It was a small town and he was a nosy kid. He heard the rumors-- Enforcers were killed. He remembers seeing the barriers and check-points on his way to school--more each day. The dark uniforms posted up on the corners, most of them outsourced from Piltover, the hungry pigs sniffing for blood.

Sleepy, small town Zaun wasn’t known for much. Its profitability burned up quickly, leaving its residents in the dust. But the year Powder disappeared was the year Zaun became known for something else entirely.

Zaun.

The Birthplace of Shimmer.

It was originally an old recipe miners used in place of expensive, traditional medicine to fight the aches, the pains, and all things rotten. But the recipe changed. Many hands passing over it until it became so potent even the rich and able-bodied wanted a piece.

Silco’s Shimmer operation outgrew the town quickly.

He wasn’t wealthy. He was wealth personified.

Most people in Zaun could make the original recipe themselves with a little elbow grease, spare change, and a healthy disregard for the legal system. So Silco’s operation expanded--other cities, overseas, until the man was shaking hands with wallets fatter than the oceans were wide.

Zaun had a love-hate relationship with the man.

Mostly hate.

Silco’s teeth were as bloody as any Enforcer, but he never shied away from his roots. He maintained his properties in Zaun, paid his taxes, and casted his ballots. His hands dipping into the pockets of the indifferent city council members. That blood money kept the town afloat in more ways than one. He didn’t make the town that much better, but it didn’t get worse.

So when the ax finally fell, no one knew what to expect.

Ekko definitely didn’t expect her.

Heavy boots, a too big uniform, and a shiny new name.Those big violet eyes, seething from behind her bangs. A snarl on her lips as she sat down in the seat next to his own, kicking up her feet--like nothing ever changed.

And yet--everything was different.

You could always hear her coming.

From her loud-ass voice, to her even louder boots, but mostly you could hear the whispers that followed.

“Did you hear how she-”

“Last week she-”

“Why is she-”

“Damn, it's -”

Jinx stopped in front of him. Her braids swayed as she constantly shifted her weight from either leg. She was always in motion, a pendulum swinging and swinging until you had no choice but to follow.

Ekko sighed, “What?” he asked, eyes fixed on his presentation notes. It was bad enough he had to deal with her in every class, why was she still here after-school. An unnatural silence followed the question, pulling his attention away. He twirled the pen in his hand as he studied her face, how her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, mouth pinched, “You good?”

Jinx’s nose twitched, snapping out of it, “Never better--” then she tacked on, quick, “This is the Robotics Team interest meeting, right..?”

“...Yes,” Ekko said slowly, then he realized.

Did she actually want to…join?

Then again, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Jinx was always good with her hands. They were always making shit when they were younger. Cobbling together dolls made of wire-hanger and old dresses, breaking apart and putting together anything they could get their hands on.

Imagination was a necessity to combat boredom. Most toys were far too expensive and most days were spent at home waiting for the adults to get back from work. The habit stuck with Ekko as he got older. It must have stuck with her too.

Ekko’s eyes dropped back to his notes, “I’ll start the meeting in a few minutes, pull up a chair--” he said, pen pointing idly off to the side.

“Cool,” Jinx said, smiling a bit as she passed.

- She was so… -

“1-2-1-2-3-4-” Ekko barked out, drumsticks moving with ease.

Steady wood shaped into the palm of his hands like a second skin. The steady snap of drums washing over his senses, mind focused entirely on the task at hand.

His eyes moved across the sheet music, but he didn’t need it. The repetitions were natural at this point, as easy as breathing. It was more so for the rest of the drumline's benefit. Apparently it was easier for them to make corrections if he knew the exact place in the notation.

He listened carefully, eyes drifting down that long line of snares. So far no fuck ups--

Ekko’s eyebrow twitched.

And for a second, he thought he misheard. It was so subtle anyone could have overlooked it, but--

It happened again.

He frowned, holding up a hand to cut them off.

Tucking his drumsticks away, he walked down that line studying the nervous faces carefully, before he sighed, “Everyone split into groups of two and review the piece--starting at measure 53, ” he said, noting the visible relief on their faces, “We’ll go over it again at the end of the hour.”

The group dispersed, a hush of whispers as everyone started to break down their setups and begin moving into the practice rooms.

Ekko looked up briefly, muttering to himself, before he called out, “Jinx, you’re with me.”

Jinx’s eyes crinkled as she sent him a cheeky, two finger salute.

Once everyone had filed out and her drum-sticks were readied, Ekko nodded at her, counting off again.

Jinx played like how she talked, how she walked, how she lived.

Loud--and with a careless, hyper-competency that would piss off anyone.

She didn’t bother glancing down at the notation, she wasn’t looking at anything at all. Her eyes closed, a blissful, yet mean look on her face as she rode the beat. Hands a blur, the drumsticks melting into her skin, the drums, and the beat. An untethered motion that never hesitated, not even for a second.

Ekko couldn’t help but lose himself in it all.

The motion, the rhythms, her-

There it was again.

“--Jinx? Jinx? Stop--” Ekko cut her off.

Jinx’s hands jerked to a stop, drumsticks going limp in her hands,“What-?” she bit out, annoyed.

“You’re playing it wrong,” Ekko said, paying the attitude no mind,

Jinx squinted at him, chin raising, defiant, “I’m playing it better.”

Ekko’s eyes narrowed, “You’re doing it on purpose?”

“Well-duh, “ Jinx scoffed, twirling a drumstick in her hand, “I don’t make mistakes.”

Which, infuriatingly enough--she wasn’t wrong.

“Play it how it's written,” Ekko said, pinching his nose, “It’s an ensemble, not a solo.”

Jinx rolled her eyes, blowing her bangs out of her face, “Does having a stick up your ass make you play better?” she said, pleasantly.

“Better than you, yes.”

“Is that a bet?” Jinx asked, readying her drumsticks.

“It’s a promise,” Ekko said, raising his own lips twitching at the challenge.

- Annoying. -

Jinx didn’t expect much from this shithole.

That old man was far too fucking sentimental thinking coming back to Zaun would do her any good. It had already killed the few good bits she had left.

So she definitely didn’t expect him.

He wasn’t with Benzo anymore, but the unlucky bastard was placed in one of the few group homes in the area.

Ekko was still alive and kicking-- unchanged-- like a ghost.

Old ass, raggedy ass-- pig-bitch.

“Heh,” Jinx chuckled under her breath, mouth sneering as she glared up at the teacher standing over her. She was a shiny, new lady shipped fresh from Piltover. She introduced herself by detailing her lengthy career working at Stillwater Prison while dropping stacks of papers on each desk.

At first, Jinx thought it was a bit--it was not.

Ms. Piggy’s eyes narrowed cooly at the teenager, manicured nails tapping against the desk, “There’s nothing to laugh about, go ahead and read the passage or else you can take another trip to the office.”

Jinx inhaled--then exhaled, eyes darting to the other students around her, nails biting into her wrist, “I’m not reading out loud,” she gritted out, narrowing her eyes right back.

“And why not?” Ms. Piggy loftily asked.

“I…” Jinx looked down, then around, huffing, “I don’t want to s--” she bit out.

“Well, we don’t always get what we want--”

“Is that why your face looks like a--” Jinx stopped, feeling a steady hand on her shoulder.

“Excuse me, Ma’am-” Ekko interrupted, with a strained, but polite smile, “I can read the next passage. Maybe she just needs a sec-”

“I’m not talking to you, boy, ” Ms. Piggy snapped out, “Interrupt again and I’ll send you to the office too.”

Ekko’s smile faltered, eyes chilly, narrowing.

And yet, he closed his mouth, resigned.

A deathly silence followed, students watching, waiting, and-

That ever-dwindling fuse burned to its end.

Jinx abruptly stood, hands slamming on the desk and sending the papers flying. Ms. Piggy stepped back, startled. Jinx was close behind, “Yeah--Cunt-For-Brains,” she spat, jabbing a finger in her face, “You’re talking to me-- I told you I’m not fuckin’ doing it,”

“This behavior will not be--”

“Me-mem-eme-memem,” Jinx mocked, rolling her eyes.

“The office, Miss Pickett,” Ms. Piggy said, tersely. Face red, she somehow collected herself enough to get a word in, “Go or should I call your parents and--”

“Blah-blah-blah--” Jinx mimed with her hands. She strolled past her, waving a crooked finger behind, “Go ahead and call them, bitch--”

The classroom door slammed behind her as she left. She stopped at the office, pushing through the doors and flinging herself into one of the uncomfortable-ass chairs.

The secretary barely glanced up from her computer before reaching for the phone, resigned. She didn’t even bother to hand out the incident report paper-work,

A nap and some bells--later finally came.

Ms. Piggy stepped through the office doors, looking smug.

Sevika ducked into the office after her, weary. Before she followed the teacher into one of the conference rooms, she stopped in front of Jinx, raising an eyebrow, “What happened?”

“She’s a bitch.”

“...Anything else?”

Jinx looked off to the side, frowning, “...Public speaking and reading.”

Sevika’s eyes narrowed, “Did she provide an alternative assignment?”

“No.”

Sevika didn’t need to hear anything else. She disappeared into the conference room.

Jinx picked at the threads in her coat, humming as she waited. A door opened, a familiar set of boots--worn and paint splattered -- stopped in front of her. She looked up, a little confused, “...Don’t you have a bus to catch, rabbit?”

“I--” Ekko adjusted the straps of his bookbag, “Are you…good? That lady is a--- lot sometimes.”

Curious and curiouser.

“You're worried about me,” Jinx observed with an odd look, “She was ruder to you, honestly. Should’ve chewed her ass out.”

“That…” Ekko frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets, visibly uncomfortable, “Isn’t that overreacting? It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“People only react to overactions,” Jinx said with a shrug, “Otherwise they let any-shit fly.”

“I…can’t really afford to overreact right now,” Ekko admitted, eyebrows furrowing.

Jinx paused, considering his words for a moment, then, “I can do it then.”

“What?”

“If you can’t, I can,” Jinx repeated, like that made any fucking sense, “Call me up and I’ll do it. I don’t give a fuck--I can bite, cuss, fight--”

“No,” Ekko said, shaking his head, fighting back a laugh, “Absolutely not.”

Jinx frowned, crossing her arms as she slumped back, “You’re no fun.”

Ekko sighed, a little helpless, “You’re so--”

The door to the conference room opened.

Ms. Piggy rushed out, face looking snotty and wet.

The two teens craned their necks, eyes wide, mouths gaping a bit.

“Damn--” Ekko muttered.

“Is she crying--?” Jinx asked, a little giddy. She looked up as Sevika stepped out the room, “Did you make her cry? Wha’did you do?”

Sevika looked down, expression unmoved as Jinx peppered her with questions, “We talked” she vaguely said, rolling her shoulder out as she walked past, “You’re still getting detention for profanity, but the alternative assignment is due by Monday,” she added on as an afterthought.

Jinxed waved her off, “Boo--tell me. C’mon lefty, don’t hold out on me--” she hopped on her feet, snatching her bag up as she followed them, “Can I drive us home today?”

“Hell-fuckin’ no,” Sevika said, turning her head. Her eyes landed on Ekko standing awkwardly behind them, “Do you need a ride, kid?”

“Uh-” Ekko glanced down at his beat-up watch before scratching the back of his neck, “Maybe.”

Jinx beamed, doubling back to snatch his arm and drag him along before he could second guess himself, chatting as she went, “Hey, Granny--can we get ice cream? We should get ice-cream. I didn’t even bite the bitch-”

- And yet, he now was so… -

“Two cones with two scoops of mint-chocolate chip and--”

Isha thumped on the glass excitedly, face pressed against it, eyes wide.

Jinx nodded in agreement, “-- a scoop of blue-raspberry sorbet on top--with rainbow sprinkles, please,” she finished all in one, long breath.

Ekko stared at them, disgusted, as he spooned up his own ice cream--plain chocolate.

Sevika didn’t bat an eye, pulling Isha away from the glass, “Add a pint of mango sorbet,” she said curtly to the employee.

The employee nodded, busying themselves with putting together the rest of the order. Once done, they handed the cones over to the girls and slid the bag with the pint across the counter.

“You don’t even like sorbet, though?” Jinx said, shoving ice cream down in her face.

“Mind your business, “ Sevika said, pulling out a wad of cash from her wallet. She thumbed through the stack before sliding a chunk of it across the counter. Then she handed a five to Isha and a twenty to Jinx.

“Business minded, “ Jinx chirped, tucking the cash away in her boot. She continued noisly licking at her ice cream, turning to Ekko, "You want some?” she asked.

“Ugh-no,” Ekko said, pulling a face.

“C’mon try it--try it” Jinx goaded, waving the cone around like a knife, ice cream dripping with each swing.

Ekko pointedly dodged her attempts to end his life--getting chased around the store with increasing fevour. Every left--every right--she wasn’t far behind. Jinx didn’t let up-- Isha on her heel, hyping her up as she cornered him in the chip aisle.

Ekko feigned right, before breaking free, skidding out the door towards the truck, heavy boots and cackling not far behind him.

- Boring. -

“Are we there yet?” Jinx asked for the fifty-billonth time. She sat in her seat, cross-legged-- mime punching into Ekko’s open palms.

The entire robotics team was crammed into the back of the van, rattingly about like spare change as it climbed those hilly, pot-hole peppered roads.

“Shut the fuck up before I crash the van,” Sherry gritted out, hands gripping the wheel tight. She was lovingly referred to as Mr. Clean, for obvious reasons. A scrawny little thing, her face pierced to hell-and-back with rainbow jewelry and always sporting that ratty Sumprats jersey.

Mili, her girlfriend, was curled up in the front seat. She giggled as she smoked out the window, dyed and fried sisterlocs flying wild in the air.

Jinx patted Ekko’s palms repeatedly, like tapping a drum. She tilted her head, “On purpose or on accident?”

“Keep yapping and you’ll find out--”

The rest of the group groaned as Sherry turned a sharp corner, bracing themselves as she finally went off road.

Terrell--Bug face, hit the front seats, glasses falling to the ground.

Beebee and Junebug--creepy-ass cousins, surprisingly not twins--gripped their seatbelts tightly. One muttering in Klingon while the other recited a Catholic prayer.

Jinx yelped as she slid out her seat. Ekko caught her around the shoulders, pulling her back up and holding her steady. Before she could protest, he reached around her, clicking her seatbelt back on.

“Aw, you do love me-” Jinx teased, fingers now using his shoulders as her new drum pads.

Ekko rolled his eyes, looking out the window without another word.

By the time the van skidded to a halt, the sun was long gone. They all tumbled out into the cold, pulling their coats around them a little tighter as they huddled together, trekking up that winding path of trees and wire fences--and more wire fences.

Mili began passing out beers--skipping over Jinx. Ekko declined. Seeing this, Jinx pulled out two of her own bottles from her bag, handing one to him.

“What's this?” Ekko said, squinting at the label.

“It's non-alcoholic,” Jinx promised, a strange glint in her eye as she cracked open her bottle and sipped it evenly. Seeing him hesitate, she added, “I can’t drink on my meds.”

Ekko scrutinized the bottle for a moment, mumbling, “Fuck it-” before he cracked it open, taking a sip and--he spat into the snow, groaning, “What the fuck Jinx?”

Jinx cackled, that devil liquid splashing everywhere as she clutched her stomach.

Wiping his mouth, Ekko slowly approached her, “I’m going to dump snow on you“ he explained, words short, methodical even, “And then I will laugh. And do it again.”

Jinx paid him no mind at first, hiccuping at this point--before the threat finally registered.

“Shit-” Jinx yelped, stumbling to the ground and dodging the obscenely large clump of snow thrown her way. It wasn’t even a snow-ball, it was more like he had scooped up as much as he could and flung it in her direction, “Shit-shit-shit-shit--Ekko it's cold--” she whined, gloved hands digging into the snow and half-heartedly flinging it as she sprinted away--his footsteps close behind.

Up the hill and through the crumbling fences, they chased each other up that snowy path, squeals and laughter echoing in the forest as the rest of the group joined the chase.

Jinx inhaled that crisp winter air--lungs on fire, braids fluttering behind her, before she stumbled to a halt.

There--where the sky met the plunging earth. Where the glass bottles shake and that old chain-fence rattled. There-- the stars, the lights, and the grime--those unlikely worlds came together.

Ekko exhaled, clutching his knees, relieved to finally get a chance to catch his breath.

“What...” Jinx’s eyes darted around the area, frantic, “Wait what happened? Where’s the tree?” she asked, thin voice easily caught in the wind.

“Oh….” Ekko’s brow furrowed, a little gutted at the remainder. He’d forgotten there used to be a tree here, “Some rich-fuck from Piltover tore it down awhile back,” he explained, “We can still make wishes here though…”

“I…wanted to climb it with you again,” Jinx admitted, hugging herself tight.

Again-- Chubby cheeks, bandaged knees, and sun-kissed faces. Scrambling up the sprawling branches of that old tree, hiding in the leaves from Mylo after they swiped his shoes. They knew the older boy would never find them because he was afraid of heights and they weren’t.

They weren’t afraid of much back then.

Some things do change.

Jinx looked lost. Growing quiet all at once, a pensive look on her face.

Ekko shifted nervously, looking between her face and the fence. He reached out, grasping her arm, tugging her gently to follow, “C’mon--”

“What?” Jinx stumbled behind, a little annoyed.

Ekko led her to the fence, letting go. His fingers hooked onto the fence, shaking it experimentally, “We can still climb the fence.”

“Why would we climb a stupid-fuckin’ fence?”

Ekko glanced back, giving the fence another shake, “If your too chicken-shit to do it, just say so--”

Jinx threw herself up the fence, flipping him off as she climbed. Boots slipping, wire shaking as he followed close behind.

Sneering faces, gangly legs, and frost-kissed faces. They reached the top in no time, breathing heavily as they tried to catch their breath.

Jinx hefted herself up and over--swinging her legs around to the otherside, balancing herself at the top of the world.

Ekko hooked his arms around the top of the fence, feet lodged into the mesh to keep balance. Mulling it over, he raised the bottle to his mouth, hesitating, before he took another sip. He gagged, trying it again, “This shit sucks ass--” he muttered.

Jinx emptied the last drops of hers on her tongue, letting out a burp--white air puffing from her lips.

“Gross.”

Jinx burped again for good measure, fanning it his way. The bottle hung loosely from her fingertips, fence swaying as she kicked her feet, “You know what really sucks ass--”

“Life?” Ekko guessed.

“--Life,” Jinx echoed, nodding her head sagely.

“When’s… Vi leaving?”

“Soon,” Jinx said, yawning as she rubbed her eyes, “She’s apartment hunting all the time--texting me details and shit, asking for my opinions. Y’know, because she hates me and wants to rub it in my face. ”

“...She doesn’t hate you,” Ekko said, automatically, sipping his bottle. All too familiar with this song and dance.

“....I know,” Jinx huffed, glaring at the sky.

“Y’know what doesn’t suck ass?” Ekko wondered out loud.

Jinx sent him a look.

“Really? Nothing?”

Jinx raised her eyebrow.

“...The competition? Remember? The whole reason we came up here-? Make a wish? Kick ass?”

“Ohh, right, right, “ Jinx nodded, “The nerd shit.”

“Our nerd shit,” Ekko corrected, raising his bottle.

Jinx snickered, clicking the bottles together, “Our nerd shit.” she agreed. Her swinging feet slowed, head lolling from side-to-side instead as she set her sights on that horizon. Eyes sweeping from the distant Zaun lights, from the stars, to somewhere else entirely. Forever in motion, her brain rattled so much it made her teeth shake and body ache from the pressure.

“Hey, Ekko?”

“Huh?”

“Y’know what I wish for?” Jinx asked, fighting back her giggles.

“Do I… wanna know?”

Jinx raised her free arm, finger gun pointing far past those rolling hills, to the unseen, gleaming, Piltover city-lights. Distantly she heard the rest of the group finally make their way up the path, the short, even breaths of the teenager next to her, and her own beating heart, beating faster and faster.

Eyes squinting--narrowing in on her target, then her hand jerked back as she mimed an explosion with her mouth. Cold air poured from her lips as she threw back her head and let out a wicked laugh.

“It's not funny,” Mel grumbled, holding the garish, red-black uniform up to her body as she squinted into the mirror. Her laptop was propped up on her vanity, her brother wheezing on the video call. The screen froze every-so often on his big-mouth.

“It's so…ugly,” Mel complained, with a thinly veiled sneer, “She clearly hates me.”

“She doesn’t--” Kino hit the table repeatedly, gasping for breath, “She doesn’t hate you--” he coughed out, shoulders shaking, words of comfort utterly unconvincing.

“It has a tie-- Kino--an ugly tie,” Mel drawled, throwing the blazer on her bed before picking up the skirt and holding it up to her waist with a scrutinizing look, “A tie so ugly and so big it makes me look like a Christmas tree set ablaze.”

“Okay, my ugly little shrub--” Kino says fondly, wiping his eyes, “Did you finish your stone yet?”

Mel stepped into the skirt, tugging it over her pajama pants, frowning a bit, “I need to get these tailored,” she mutters to herself, rolling up the waist a bit, turning in the mirror to get a better look at her a--

“The rock Mel. Melly? Melly belly? The stone--The stone--?

“Right--” Mel blinked out of her thoughts. She reached towards the vanity, picking up a palm-sized stone. It was white, smooth, and decorated with vibrant, overlapping flames, like fluttering sails. She presented it to the camera with a flourish.

Kino beamed, showing off his stone as well. The little blue hearts, painstaking etched into its curves, a dotting spiral that curled around two, small cursive initials that read--‘K+V’-- “What are you going to wish for?”

“What I always do,” Mel scoffed as she tucked her rock inside a vase of roses.

“--Sevika,” Mel whined, hugging her pillow tight. A calloused hand wrapped around her ankle completely, holding her firmly for a moment before slowly pulling her from under the covers, “Go away--”

“Not until I see your face,” Sevika insisted. If Mel was willing to speak, it was clearly a good time to intervene. They adjusted their hold, hand now latching onto her calf. Their prosthetic hand pushed back the blankets, searching, “It's been a week.”

“It's only been a week. I’ve eaten--I’ve walked Shug so I’m fine--”, Mel yelped, body sliding across the mattress into open air. She looked up, dazed, as the bed creaked. Sevika crawled on top, arms bracketing either side of her head, legs pinning her body with their weight.

“Happy now?” Mel grumbled, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Ashy. Arms uselessly flung across the mattress, locs falling out of a half-assed bun, her bonnet lost in the covers. Her body was swimming in that shirt she never managed to give back to them.

It wasn’t something Sevika got to see often. Mel’s self proclaimed ‘moods’ were often neatly tucked away behind a locked door. It was usually Mel who gave them a heads up--rescheduling, apologizing, the works-- but this time was different.

That morning, Sevika woke up to a text from Lest. She asked them to check on Mel.

Sevika baited Mel with sorbet to get the bedroom door open-- it worked.

Sevika got her fill, eyes raking across Mel’s face--then body. She leaned in close, nosing at the delicate arch of her collar bone.

Then she sniffed.

“You stink,” Sevika said.

“Fuck you--” Mel groaned into her hands, mortified, as she kicked her away.

Sevika had reared back, catching both legs easily, “Not until New years,” she reminded with a crooked smile.

That got a giggle out of Mel--flustered at the thought. She lost focus enough that Sevika could close the distance again, scooping her up and tossing her over her shoulder.

Mel squirmed in her hold, quickly giving up once she realized they wouldn’t budge, “You’re a brute and a bully--” she said, hotly. She glared at the woman’s back, locs swinging as she was carried off upside down. At their feet, Shug popped up from her dog-bed, scampering to follow them. Cute, but no help seeing as she was being actively kidnapped

Sevika patted her ass, unphased, “You’re into it.”

Mel neither confirmed nor denied this.

Suds frothing, a bubbling, scalding heat.

Mel scrubbed her body raw, Sevika's dark eyes watching her every-so-often as they rummaged through her bathroom cabinets and picked out various different bottles and creams.

“Se--”

Mel gasped into the pillows, clawing at the linens.

A strong hand kneaded her body. The curve of her shoulders, the dip of her spine, the swell of her hips and between the meat of her thighs--methodically rubbing sweet oils and butters into her skin.

That hand--it worked. It worked into her hard, coaxing those tense muscles and unraveling her with a punishing persistence. That gruff voice--sweet in her ear--coaxing her through it all.

“-vi-”

“-ka,” Mel sighed, watching as they finished folding her laundry, setting the basket down beside the bed. She sucked the mango sorbet off her spoon, “You can go home if you need to--I’m fine…”

A thumb smoothed over her forehead, before a hand cupped her face. Sevika leaned down and kissed her on the nose lightly, “Are you kicking me out?” she asked, thumb stroking her cheek.

“...No,” Mel said, melting into the touch.

“Then I’m staying,” Sevika said, kissing between her wrinkled brows.

“You don’t need to…”

Sevika pressed their foreheads together, noses brushing, breaths intertwined.

“I know you’re tired…”

Sevika didn’t say anything, dark eyes unbearably tender, hands cradling her face like she was something precious--

“I-I know you need to…” Mel choked up, squeezing her eyes tight, “You can--”

Sevika caught her as she fell forward and let out a muffled sob into their shoulder.

The hushed whispers in the living-room died down as the front door opened, boots heavy.

The teenagers scrambled, tucking away their papers and hiding their bottles right as Sevika stepped through the door. Looking very casual, normal even. Mili was already knocked out, curled up under the coffee table. Sherry scrolled away at her phone--which had died an hour ago. Bug-eye, looked significantly less bug-eyed. And--well the not-twins were a lost cause, but they had the decency to at least turn on the T.V.

Jinx didn’t bother to move, hanging upside down on the couch, braids tumbling over Ekko’s shoulders, “You’re back early,” she says, gum popping loudly, “Did she kick you out again?”

“Mind your business,” Sevika said, shrugging off her coat, casting a skeptical glance over the room.

Before Jinx could request her shut-up fee, a honey-coated pitbull darted past Sevika towards the couch.

Jinx pepped up, falling to the ground, “Puppy-!” she excitedly beckoned the dog closer.

Ekko groaned, bony elbows digging into him. He tried to shove her off, “Dude, what the fu--” his expression softened, words lost all at once.

Flushed cheeks, upturned violet eyes, raspy voice cooing as she fussed over the pitbull.

The…dog was kinda-cute.

Shug--ever the diva-- drank up the attention eagerly as the other teenagers crowded around. The teens were so distracted, they didn’t notice the woman tucked at Sevika’s side, her footsteps quiet as they disappeared down the hall.

Majesty purred, paws kneading into the quilt as she settled into the bed, her little face pushing into Mel’s side. Mel hummed, stroking their fur gently, pleased to have finally won her over.

Cozied up and dozing off, she woke up at the sound of footsteps.

Sevika stepped back into the bedroom,“Isha had a nightmare,” she said, looking weary. The door clicked behind her, “She’s sleeping now--this always happens when she watches The Grinch,” she reassured, seeing her concern.

“She’s afraid of The Grinch?”

Sevika yanked off her shirt then bra, reaching for her belt, “No, the Whos,” she explained with a grave seriousness, “She says they look like hairless rats.”

“That’s…” Mel frowned a bit, brow scrunching, “She’s not wrong.”

“She’s not,” Sevika agreed--dropping her pants around her ankles and stepping out of them. She bent down, collecting the clothes and tossing them in the laundry bin

Mel briefly forgot herself, she always did when it came to them. She couldn’t help but indulge in the sight like it was the first time. Then she remembered what she had decided to ask, “...Sevika?” she called out, fingers itching to reach out and touch.

“Hm?”

Mel hesitated.

Sevika let her take her time. Straps unraveled--a heavy thump of her prosthetic arm being set aside. The bed creaked, a weight nestling into Mel’s other side, breath warm against the nape of her neck as an arm draped across her stomach, pulling her close.

“I need to run some errands out of town, ” Mel quietly admits, biting her lip, “I’ve been putting them off for awhile and Elora can’t go with me anymore. Is it possible if…”

“When?”

Mel exhaled, heart easing a bit, “Any day can work for me, it's mostly paperwork for my exhibition, but…There is a youth science competition in Piltover I’ve invested in--they’ve requested I attend. I made the arrangements and I was…working towards it with my therapist, but the event lasts several days so I don’t expect you to commit to that much.”

Sevika’s fingers drummed against her stomach, contemplative, before she asked, “Is it the Young Innovators Competition?”

“...You’ve heard of it?”

Past the rolling hills, where the sun touched gleaming sky-scrapers, the countryside was devoured by that bustling city--Piltover. That ratty, rental van squeezed between the endless stream of shiny cars--decidedly late.

If there was hell—this was it.

Sevika’s fingers itched for a blunt, instead she turned up the radio. She hoped that’d be enough to tune out whatever mess was going on in the back. She was volentold by the rest of the parents to drive the group here since she’d been dodging chaperone duty the whole year.

She’d thought there’d be more of an issue about Mel coming along, but a few calls and a background check and she was cleared. They were more than a little grateful for her presence--she always hated these trips. Dealing with other parent’s teenagers and their handsy Moms--ugh.

Before they reached the bridge, Sevika pulled over at a gas station. The teens and Isha filed out to do fuck-all.

Mel leaned across the aisle, kissing her cheek, “We’re almost there,” she reassured.

“That’s not much better,” Sevika said, eyes falling on those gleaming towers. At Mel’s confused look, she sighed, “A lot of miners from Zaun died on that bridge protesting. They blocked executives from leaving a conference and…” she sucked in her teeth, words failing for a moment, “I knew some of them--all of them, actually.”

Sevika wasn’t in Zaun at the time. She was long gone, a nose full of copper and tasting asphalt on the daily dealing with turf disputes. She never planned on returning---until she heard the news.

A bitter rain--the smell of smoke. Those little fires burned for weeks, lighting up each night. A quiet house that was too big for her to keep and an even quieter funeral. Some didn’t get headstones--others didn’t even get graves. Bodies far too gone to even recognize.

And when they finally wrapped up their affairs she hoped to never have to return again.

“It's funny…” Sevika says, fingers drumming against the wheel, eyes lost, “My old man was chasing the bottle his whole life, but it was the butt of a ugly-lookin’ gun that got him in the end.”

He was always a cynic, yet he was there. That protest—the one, unselfish thing he did-- was what finally shut him up for good.

It’s so fucking stupid.

Mel reached across the aisle, finding their hand and squeezing her tight, those bright eyes searching, soothing.

Sevika always wondered what she saw.

Approaching the bridge, the van was quiet.

Those big eyes lost-- seething as they all came to the same realization.

The murals, the candles, the flowers, the bottles, the bears--everything, gone.

The memorial--only a sliver of land nestled between the road and the start of the bridge--got cleared out. It was wiped pristine, white, and shiny.

Now a billboard stood in its place.

Some things do change.

‘WELCOME TO PILTOVER’ - ‘THE CITY OF PROGRESS’

“I’m not wearing that—” Sevika said, scowling at that little strip of shiny fabric hanging with her blazer, circling it like it was a snake.

Mel leaned into the mirror, eyeing them as she put in her other gold earring, “It's Black-Tie attire,“ she said, emphasising each word like that means shit, “They won’t let you in if you don’t fit the dress code. You’re wearing the tie.”

Sevika snorted, “Like hell I am—“

Mel’s eyes narrowed, turning around slowly, lips sharply drawn together. In a few quick strides, pony-tail swinging with each step, she planted herself in front of them,“You're wearing the tie.”

Sevika took a step forward, eyes narrowing right back.

Mel raised her chin, not budging an inch.

Sevika nostrils flared, but mirth was plain on her lips as she looked them over.

An open, sheer robe that fell a little past her thighs. Dark lingerie, dark brown nipples peeking through the lace, dark tights doing little to cover her shapely legs. Eyebrows furrowed, face done up, glowing. Fluttering lashes, makeup meticulously blended. Lips pursed, stained, and shiny with gloss.

“You gon’ make me?” Sevika said, but her look was asking something else entirely.

Mel raised an eyebrow. Stepping out of her irritation, she assessed the situation as well.

Broad shoulders, well tailored pants, and equally lovely thighs to match. The faint shadow of their nipple piercings under her tank top. That glimmer in their eye as they took another step forward-- stepping between her legs.

“Well?”

Mel smiled, squinting as she leaned in close— a breadth away from Sevika’s lips.

Sevika’s eyes darted down, hoping to catch that shine with her teeth, but--- a firm hand pushed a silk tie into her stomach, catching her off guard

“Wear the tie,” Mel said, voice low, soft— that deceptive sweetness lingering as her hand slid down Sevika’s abdomen, nails trailing behind, “We can use it later.” she promised

Not elaborating further, Mel turned on her heel, returning to the vanity in the blink of an eye.

Sevika put on the tie.

If Sevika had anything to say about it--later won’t be too long from now.

Mel was pressed against the vanity, a strong body pinning her in place with little effort. She squirmed, robe slipping as Sevika mouthed at her neck, hungry.

“Se-” Mel half-heartedly protested. She lost herself in the sensation--embarrassment fluttering in her chest every time she looked up, catching sight of herself in that mirror already looking utterly wrecked.

A rough hand slipped under her bra--

“-vika-- we have to finish--”

--easily covering her breast and squeezing, teasing her relentlessly.

“You want me to stop?” Sevika murmured into her skin, kisses peppering down her throat.

“...No,” Mel admitted with a whine, hips pressing back a little desperate.

Sevika chuckled, the sound going straight between Mel's thighs as she--

Mel’s phone rang.

A French lullaby--not one Sevika recognized.

Mel patted Sevika’s hand. They stepped away, letting her reach for it.

“It's Jinx, “ Mel explained, pressing the phone to her ear, stepping away as she listened to the other end. Once she was done quietly talking on the phone, she sat it down with a sigh, “She needs help with her makeup. I told her I’ll be there in a few.”

Sevika raised an eyebrow, “Does she call you often?”

“Only from time to time,” Mel said, picking up and stepping into Sevika’s discarded sweatpants. She pulled the strings taunt around her waist, tying them in a bow, before searching for a shirt, “Usually she’s checking on you. Apparently calling you is like talking through a toilet--” she snatched Sevika’s sweatshirt from the bed, pulling it over her head, careful to avoid her face, “Do you need a new phone?”

“No,” Sevika said, already guessing where this was headed.

“You still need to tell me what you want for Christmas,” Mel complained, mulling over the mask before setting it aside, “You promised you’d think about it.”

Sevika sat back on the bed, reaching for the remote. She entertained the thought for a second, before quickly deciding, “I want what you want for New Years.”

Silence then--

“You…you already get to--”

“I know what I like.”

“...Shut up,” Mel mumbled, fighting back a grin as she grabbed the key card before ducking through the doors connecting the hotel rooms.

The Young Innovator’s Competition was bright--cheery, a gleaming spectacle of minds gushing over each other’s creations across generations. Kids of all ages gathering at each stall lining the banquet hall while others rushed to grab a seat before the awards were presented.

Mel leaned against the railing of her private balcony, observing the hall. A brief reprieve from the private meetings, paperwork, and one too many hands to shake.

Mel pulled up her mask, seeing a sight that left her terribly nostalgic.

Tucked away in some odd corner, Ekko grumbled to himself, doodling on a napkin--not noticing the click of heels getting closer.

“Are you hiding?” Mel asked, head tilting just so--as if the answer wasn’t obvious. Sevika wasn’t that far behind, a sleeping Isha thrown over her shoulder.

Ekko tensed, raising his eyes, annoyed, “No ma’am, I’m not.” he lied, tucking the napkin under his sleeve, pen twirling in hand.

Sevika’s partner was as glossy as the Piltover skyline. Even behind that mask, you couldn’t hide the shine, the refined speech, and the ease she moved with about the room. You could tell she was in her element--and that element sucked ass.

Gold halls, marbled floors, food spilling from every table—that no one fucking touched. So-called-investors either ignored him or talked at him-- like a fucking dog they could bribe into doing tricks.

It was pissing him off.

Mel raised an eyebrow, eyes subtly glancing at the napkin, “This is the only networking event before the awards, are you sure you want to waste the opportunity?”

“Not everyone wants to shuck and jive for cash—“ Ekko muttered, before shutting his mouth abruptly, looking a bit guilty.

Mel let out a quiet laugh, “I suppose not…” she said, folding her arms, pony-tail tossing to the side, “But, investors aren’t the only people here,” she pointed out, eyes straying past him.

Ekko followed her gaze.

Jinx.

She was eagerly chatting with a group of people around their age, shoveling food down her mouth without a care in the world. A little further, he could see the rest of his team--all talking with the other teams.

Thinking about it--Zaun was rather… small.

They didn’t get a chance to talk about their work outside of their club.

It looked—

“You should go have fun,” Mel gently suggested, “When things get hard you’ll need connections that’ll stick around…There’s nothing investors love more then a lone genius.”

It was that stupid test fault.

Mel crawled underneath her Mother’s desk, sniffling as she buried her face into her knees.

“Mel--?--Melly?” Her Mother called out, heavy footsteps passing by, echoing down the halls.

Mel balled up tighter, covering her ears.

She hates her--she hates her--she hates her--

She froze hearing footsteps, much lighter enter the room. She covered her mouth, eyes screwed tight--waiting.

“Melly?” Kino crouched down, pushing back the office-chair.

Mel cracked open one misty eye, “How’d you find me--” she complained, glaring hard.

Kino got on the floor, crawling under the desk with her, cramming into the tight space with his big-ol knobby knees, “You always come here,” he said, arms folding around the previously mentioned, big-ol knobby knees.

“No I don’t,” Mel muttered, sniffling.

“Sure you don’t,” Kino easily agreed, not making any moves to leave.

“...Why does Mama hate me?” Mel eventually asked, voice small.

“Mel…” Kino’s eyes softened, “She doesn’t hate you she just--”

Mel scowled, “Then why is she sending me away?” she snapped, “You get to stay here for school. It’s not fair. ”

Kino sighed, raising a hand to rub her forehead, “I’m not half as smart as you--” he said, with a thoughtful look, “She thinks I'm better suited to the…family business. She wants something different for you.”

“...That's stupid.”

“Maybe it is,” Kino mumbled with a furrowed brow before pepping up again, “You wanna do something cool? It’ll make you feel better--promise. ”

And in the quieter parts of their evening—when they were filled with food, wine, and far more lighter memories--they retired to the hotel-room before the 'Man of Progress' made his speech for the night. Mel whispered into the dark and quiet. She traced those long, winding scars on Sevika’s side, careful not to press into the raised skin.

“It’s strange—”

“I spent my whole life running towards my mother—trapped in her shadow. Scraping up every look, every gesture, desperate to understand. To know--if she thought of me at all in those years she sent me away--”

“—I could never appease her--nothing I did was enough, yet she risked everything to save me. She cradled me like I was precious even as she--She waited until then--? Why then? When I was pleading for her my whole life--”

“She chose me--She believed in me--and in the end I didn’t even know what She was--what She wanted. I didn’t know--- that gentleness, adoration, and softness could burn the same way indifference did--“

“And the person I chose--who I loved more than anything--was nowhere to be found.”

Love.

“It’s so—stupid.”

And in that quiet night, Sevika’s lips moved without thinking.

She was always a bit…impulsive when it came to Mel. It was an urge that always cropped up--that stirring need to have those hands bury in her deep.

Those old feelings--those old memories were whispered into the comforting darkness for the first time.

Sevika remembers her mother—or maybe the woman was a fling of her old man. A persistent memory that lingered too strongly in her childhood.

Strong smoke—wiry hands stacked with gold bangles and shiny rings. She’d pass Sevika a dollar or piece of candy from her bag, tossling her hair as she passed.

Dark eyes glazed, blackened lips pressing apologies into her Dad’s mouth before he could get mad.

She’d come—she’d go—and go—and go, then one day she stopped coming back.

Sometime between sixteen and seventeen, Sevika sat on the front porch, watching that car pull away for the last time.

Once it was out of sight, she pulled out the lighter and cigarette she had flinched from the woman’s purse. She placed the cigarette in her mouth, eyebrows scrunching before she turned it around. She fumbled with the lighter for a minute, that flickering light waning in the cool winter air.

Open, Closed, Open--She raised the lighter to the end of the cigarette, inhaling, trying to swallow her cough.

After a few more tries, she got the hang of it.

Dark eyes fixed above, she counted out the satellites and dead stars. The wind blew hard and she held the front of her flannel shirt together, tight, bracing herself from the cold.

Comfortably numb, Sevika dropped the cigarette butt to the ground, rubbing it out with her sneakers as she made a wish.

Sevika took the suitcase from Mel, lifting it into the back of the van. She looked around, irritated, “Where the hell are they?” she complained.

They had checked out earlier that morning, but the kids still wanted to go to a few shops before they left--so they agreed to meet back in the afternoon for lunch.

They were late.

“Maybe their uber is running late?” Mel suggested, finger tapping her lips expectantly.

Sevika leaned down, kissing her softly, annoyance disappearing briefly before returning, “I doubt it, my arm itches,” she muttered under her breath, “I can sense Jinx’s bullshit from a mile away.”

“Or…perhaps you need to try those creams your doctor suggested,” Mel said, forever skeptical, “I can help you with the application if you want?”

“I don’t need--” Sevika paused, thinking it over, “Wait, really?”

“Of course,” Mel said, hands grasping their scarf, heels lifting as she leaned in and--

Mel’s phone rang--a French lullaby.

Isha tapped the windows excitedly as the van pulled over on the side of the road.

Right as it parked, the teens rushed towards it, bags rattling as they threw them inside, doors shutting--van immediately peeling off.

Jinx leaned forward, hands drumming on the back of Mel’s seat, “So is this a grounding? You chewing me out? Running laps? Extra chores? Like what’s the situation?”

“There is no situation,” Sevika said, eyes trained forward, “Put your seatbelt on.”

“Righty-O-Cap’n,” Jinx said with a mock salute, “Ooh can we get ice-cream? I want ice cream--”

“Jinx. Seatbelt.”

Ekko sighed, leaning across and snapping her seatbelt on.

Jinx giggled in response.

Sevika turned up the radio. She looked at her side mirrors, those blooming flowers smearing across the billboard--paint dripping a jarring mix of colors that stained that pristine landscape. Around the billboard, wreaths of flowers, decorated bottles, and unlit candles reclaimed the space.

It was inevitable for it to be cleared out again.

In the same sense, it was inevitable for the memorial to return. Like a flame that’s been snuffed out again and again. It will never be the same, yet it will persist in spite of the odds.

Sevika’s fingers drummed against the steering wheel, speaking low, “Where did she get the money for all those flowers?” she asked with a sidelong glance.

Mel hummed, eyes watching those rolling hills, “I’m not quite sure,” she said with a small smile, “She’s a clever girl. I’m sure she has her ways.”

‘WELCOME TO PILTOVER’

Blue spray-paint scratched out the city's name, scrawling out something new instead. - ‘THE CITY OF PROGRESS’

White spray paint did the same.

'WELCOME TO PISSLOVER'

'THE CITY OF BULLSHIT'

After the kids were all dropped off, Sevika and Mel climbed back into the van. They drove for a long time, past those rolling hills and gleaming lights. Where the countryside was tamed and glossy fences stood tall on the horizon.

Shuffling into the apartment, Jinx flinched, catching the keys tossed her way. Vi hopped up from the couch, handing an envelope to her as well.

“The fuck are these?” Jinx rasped, nudging a sleepy Isha towards her bedroom.

“I got a place,” Vi said, scratching her hair, “I’ve already moved my shit, but I’m not leaving until early January.”

“Oh.”

And while Jinx knew she was leaving--this felt different.

More…real.

“Try not to lose the key, management’s a dick. And you’ll need to pick out what you want for your bedroom, but--”

“Wait?” Jinx blinked, ripping open the envelope--a train pass, “My... bedroom?”

Vi tilted her head, “We’ve been looking for a two-bedroom apartment this whole time? Who’d you think it was for--actually don’t answer that,” she said, shaking her head, “But, anytime you need me--anytime you’re sick of that old-lady’s face, my doors will always be op--oof,” she groaned, nearly thrown off balanced.

Jinx sniffled, hiding her face in their shoulders as she squeezed her sister tight.

Shadows stretched —tombs standing tall in the early morning light. Scrawling cursive etched into the marbled surfaces, fresh flowers sprinkling the plots.

Mel stood in front of her Mothers grave. She let go of Sevika’s hand, stepping forward with a bouquet of white, slender petals that sprouted cobbs of gold. She set them down across the plot, watery eyes dancing across the little painted-red stones circling her grave.

“My Mother…” Mel closed her eyes, a bitter laugh caught by the wind, “She always hated the smell of peace-lilies,” she shared, not quite smiling. She wiped her face, returning to Sevika’s side and reaching for their hand.

Sticky fingers pressing into paint. Colors bloomed at her fingertips--that shimmering gold coating her cheeks and hands as she carved little lines into that stone.

“We’ll make our wishes and bury them now,"

Kino wiped her face and hands clean, whispering to her another story--one she’ll soon forget.

It was about a strange man.

He held her hands gently when she was far too young to remember his face. The clean scent of a hospital bed. The crinkling of newspapers as they colored in the margins, curled up in his lap. How they were picked up and taken away, their mother’s boots heavier with each step.

They didn’t go back to the hospital, instead she took them into the garden. She pressed colorful stones into both of their hands, holding them tight as she spun a different tale.

“--and by the time spring comes--”

Mel dropped her stone into the hole, covering it with soil.

“He’ll come home.”

Mel pressed her hands into the dirt, dress filthy, tears streaking her face as she whispered the same wish over and over--and over again.

“I wanna go home.”

#arcane #sevika #ekko #mel medarda #jinx #sevika arcane #ekko arcane #mel arcane #jinx arcane #melvika #sevika x mel #mel x sevika #timebomb #jinx x ekko #ekko x jinx #fanfiction #writing

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thepenguinhbo · 2 months ago

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i forgor about this fella i pre-ordered as a pick me up after my recent ocrevus infusion, do now i have Him

#4.txt #ch: silco #my deepest darkest secret is that i am not opposed to funko pops as long as they have decent designs #or as long as they're of my guys. that works too.

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torntruth · 1 year ago

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there are times emily actually doesn't quite look as regal as she can be. this is one of those times. sitting against a wall, one leg propped up, the other resting flat. her arm across her leg. she's just wearing a white button up and some old, black pants. it helps that she's also not sporting any of the royal colors. she's actually munching on some sourdough. it would be better with meat, cheese, and wine, of course. but currently emily is out and about prowling the streets and trying not to be a rich empress. so ... just sourdough. she rips off a good chunk and raises it to indicate she's throwing it to vi.

" i've heard from the grapevine that coldridge prison isn't the most joyful place in the world. " sarcasm, said so simply, emily throws the bread to vi. finishes off the rest of what she has. emily smiles at vi, too. it probably would have been a little sexier if she didn't do it around a mouthful of bread. this moment of respite might be the only one they get if they're about to head deeper into the darker parts of dunwall to get some answers. emily never expects peace and quiet to last, but nobody particularly expects the empress herself to ever go out and solve the issues directly either. it catches everyone off guard. nor do they expect emily to be ... marked.

" i'm willing to listen to your family stuff if you want to walk and talk. i think i know a spot where silco's gang congregates. " emily stands, holding out her hand to vi.

@torntruth asked: ❝ i can tell you a thing or two about family matters. ❞ from em to vi (I could probably come up with an arcane verse if you didn’t want to go dishonored)

Adjusting her jacket, the pugilist eased to sit for a time with an apple she had been able to locate that wasn't tarnished. She bit into it for a moment as she glanced her eyes toward Emily as she spoke. Something told Vi she would be right about that comment and she finished her first bite into some semblance of food for herself.

It had been a few days at least since her appearance to Dunwall off a whaler's ship from lands far off. In those days, Vi had been swift to try and get herself to blend in a little but her shock of red hair made that quite hard to do. She had at least changed from her red jacket to something more common in the color of black and long. Something that helped a little in easing her into the new surroundings.

"I could tell you quite a lot too of family things. What's left of it anyways," she grumbled biting once more into her apple before raising a brow toward the other woman. Only one person remained from her family and Vi felt terrible about it being her younger sister. Her sister who had once been so bright with ideas now tarnished from the hell they had both been forced through. Shaking her head, she continued to devour the apple til just a core was left which she tossed to the side for whatever animal to help themselves to it. "It's just nice to stretch the arms and legs freely and not contained to a fucking cell."

#[ ch. ] 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 — emily kaldwin.#we could use the arcane storyline tbh!#even have silco making the vials #and it's just addicting to half of dunwall now #if you want

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argowrites · 24 days ago

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Morality, Chapter 12

“You knew Jinx, right?” Vi asked .

“Yes, not for very long, but yes,” Viktor replied.

“Why do you think she did it?”

“I cannot say. We may never know,” Viktor said softly.

“Do you—do you think she’s still out there?” Vi asked, not looking at him.

“I hope so.”

“Then I’ll find her,” Vi said, voice barely audible.

Vi had fallen silent after that and Viktor knew for sure that they would not be coming to Noxus. She wouldn’t leave her sister and Caitlyn wouldn’t leave her.

READ HERE: CH. 12: Content

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends

Rating: Mature

Chapters: 12/12

Characters: Viktor, Singed, Silco, Jinx, Ekko, Jayce, Mel, Sevika, Caitlyn, Vi

Relationships: Jayce/Viktor, Caitlyn/Vi, Singed & Viktor, Jinx & Viktor,

Additional Tags: Angst, Multiple POV, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Major Character Death, Black Death AU

#arcane #fanfic #viktor arcane #jayce talis #jayvik #jinx arcane #ekko arcane #caitlyn kiramman #vi arcane #arcane fanfic #vi x caitlyn #caitvi

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gingernut1314 · 2 months ago

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The Water's Embrace ch. 7

Summary: You and Silco talk about recent events happening within your friend group before one simple act has everything exploding in your faces.

Content: female reader, gendered terms, pre-season 1 arcane, young Vander, young Silco, young Sevika, young reader, young Felicia, young Connol, Nadia & Nikolai are Viktor's parents, silco POV, fear of rejection/ruining friendship, rejection, reader has water manipulation, smoking, slight Arcane season 2/League of Legends spoiler (Janna, Felicia & Connol)

Word Count: 5.9K

Tag List: @miffysoo , @teriyakiitae

A/N: So.....that series finale.....how we feeling about it? I'm feeling unwell SOB. Anywayy here is the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy!!

↞ to The Water's Cold Embrace Masterlist | Request Rules | Blog Navigation ↠

Three years later

“Felicia’s pregnant!” You gaped at Silco from where he sat on the edge of the small pool of water you swam in. It was a pool located in the cave you once called home, though nothing but a rotting, makeshift bed remained of that past. Even Janna had left this place.

You had noticed she hadn’t been around much for a year. A long time for her to be away at sea…if she was even out at sea at all.

To say her disappearance didn’t worry you would be a lie. She may be an emotionless wind spirit but she was still the thing that had raised you. You still found love for her in your heart.

You ducked under the surface of the inky black waters, swimming forward till you popped up at the edge of the pool. Silco unbent his legs from his chest only to criss cross them, making it easier to lean closer to you and your utter shock.

“Shocking, right?” Silco's seafoam eyes tracked you as you placed your arms on the stone floor beside him.

“Shocking is quite the understatement.” You let your feet kick aimlessly through the waters, enjoying the feel against your skin. It’d been too long since you’d been swimming like this. “She--with who? Connol?” Silco nodded.

“It would seem.”

“Damn… damn .” Silco nodded in agreement. “What--I mean--I’m happy for her.” Silco raised an eyebrow at you.

“Are you?” He teased.

“ Yes .” You huffed back. “I’m just…worried.” Silco again nodded.

“Yes…as am I.” You scooted closer to him then. “She made us promise to make Zaun a reality for her child.”

“And it will become reality.” You confirmed only for Silco to sigh deeply.

“It’s been years .” He murmured. “We’ve continued to let Piltover stomp all over us. We are no closer to freedom let alone Zuan.”

“You’re giving up?” Silco leveled you with a fierce look.

“Hardly. I’m just tired of waiting and waiting for the “right moment”.” You hesitated before placing your hand on his knee, rubbing your thumb over the fabric. Silco’s eyes tracked the touch before they found yours again.

“I know we’ve all been patient for a long while, but I think we need to be patient a bit longer. Especially now that Felicia is expecting.” Your mind went down a dark train of thought. Of the reality that pregnancies down here so rarely made it to full term. To the reality that, even if her child was born safe and sound, it could kill her. To the reality of just how little food there truly was to go around and how babies were such fragile things that had a tendency to die before they reached the age of one. “We don’t want to stress her more than I’m sure she is now.”

Silco nodded, eyes darkening in those very same thoughts you had just had. He placed his hand over yours, turning it so that it would rest in his palm.

“Do you--” Silco began but seemed to think better of it. You gave his hand a squeeze, pulling yourself further on land to peer more closely into his eyes.

“Do I…? Come on, don’t hold back on me now.” Silco looked over your face slowly. A slowness he had been doing a lot more recently. Not that you minded. You quite liked his attention but it still didn’t help you in your mission to keep your feelings for him smothered.

“Do you wish for children?” You blinked up at him. And blinked again. And again.

“Me? Have…a kid?” Silco shrugged.

“Just curious. We’ve never talked about such things before.” A pinkish hue began to spread over his cheeks. A pinkish color you had missed seeing on him.

“Well, I’ve never really thought about it before. I…really didn’t think I’d make it this far in my life.” Silco smoothed his thumb over the back of your hand in a comforting manner that had you fluttering your feet in the water a bit more. “And not to mention I would be a horrid mother.” Silco scoffed.

“Hardly. You are great with kids.”

“What kids have you seen me interact with?”

“Those kids you helped get away from those enforcers.” You thought back to that day which had happened a year ago. All because a few of them had stolen something for some Topside douchebag. It seemed to give those enforcers some grand idea to not only ruin a perfectly nice day, but to invade the stream and connecting lake kids went to swim around in and use unnecessary force to find the little thieves.

You had been working when it started. Had only showed up because you had been… called there by some tug you still didn’t know what it was. Some tug that felt too much like magic. You’d gotten there just in time to find enforcers trying to drown some of them, others getting dragged away and beaten up, and others trembling in fear looking like they were praying to some god that you knew wouldn’t show up to help them.

You just assumed it had something to do with your magic and their connection to the waters the enforcers were using to try to harm the children with, so you stepped in and ended it.

Of course, you didn’t tell any of your friends that.

Not even Silco, who knew of your magic and who you practically told everything to.

You just told them you had left work early because you were feeling unwell and stumbled upon the scene by accident.

You tried to call out to Janna afterward to see if she knew what that--that calling had been but she had never shown and was nowhere to be found. It was then you first figured out she was missing. Had been missing for a while before.

“They don’t count.” You quickly said.

“Why?”

“Because I hardly even spoke to them,” A lie. They had tried to talk your ear off afterward about your magic, but Silco didn’t need to know that. “And because I said so.” Silco huffed.

“Fine. It doesn’t matter because I’ve seen you interact with Viktor and you do so very well.” You chuckled, a smile blooming at the thought of that kid.

“Viktor is a sweet thing. Only reason I’m good with him. Most kids are like you and I were. Bad-mouthed little ankle biters.” A smile pulled at Silco’s lips.

“I suppose you're right.” You both huffed and chuckled at the thought of your younger years.

“What about you?” You asked as your amusement died out. “Do you want a kid?” Silco fell quiet for a long while. You saw a thousand and one thoughts rush behind his seafoam eyes.

“You have.” You beamed, pulling your hand from his only so you could plant it on the ground, pulling yourself further upward, now at eye level with the very much blushing Silco. “Oh tell me about it, pretty please.” Silco almost seemed to lean away from your eagerness, eyes scanning and scanning over your face as if he couldn’t get enough of it.

“There’s--nothing to tell.” You rolled your eyes on a groan.

“I told you what my opinion on the matter was.”

“Your opinion was hardly a true answer.” You huffed.

“Fine. No. I don’t think I will have kids. There. Now tell me what you’ve thought of.” A heaviness filled his eyes. A heaviness you’d also been seeing him show more and more often. Always when watching you. Always when you said something to him. You thought maybe you had upset him somehow but he was always quick to speak and shove the look away.

“I’ve just thought about it since Felicia’s going to have her own.”

“And…?” You egged him on.

“And I don’t think it could ever become a reality.” You watched him closely. Watched that heaviness flicker through his eyes again.

What was he thinking about? What was he feeling to make his eyes look like that?

“But you would want one? In an ideal world. In Zaun?” Silco watched you just as closely back.

“I…suppose.” You grinned up at him, legs kicking upward and making the water splash about.

“I think you would be a good father.” Silco rolled his eyes.

“Are you just saying that because I said it about you?” You shook your head.

“Nope. You also are good with Viktor.” Silco gave a small huff in amusement.

“Well, Viktor is the ideal child. Very sweet. Doesn’t steal flasks from random strangers off the street and explode them before their very eyes.” Your grin only grew wider as he spoke of your very first meeting.

“Well, I also don’t think he would beat other children up and then refuse help for his boo-boos.” Silco narrowed his eyes, leaning ever closer to you.

“I didn’t get any boo-boos and I won those fights fair and square.”

“And I did go through all that trouble to replace your flask with a much nicer one.” You responded, bringing a finger up to tap at the flask which sat in a pocket on the inside lining of his jacket.

“It is very nice.” You smirked.

“You’re very welcome.” Silco gave another small laugh, lips relaxing into an easy smile. His seafoam eyes started up their scanning of your face all over again. A scan that made your heart beat painfully against the cage you had trapped it in to ward it against whatever deeper feelings you had for him.

Your breath lodged itself in your throat when he brought his hand up to brush away a droplet of water from your cheek. And then to do it again closer to your lips.

You--you didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know whether to pull even closer so that your noses might brush or jump back into the inky waters to disappear from view.

But what you did know is you liked the touch. You wanted it to keep going on and on despite your struggle to fight back your feelings.

Silco said your name softly in question and you thought shit was this--was he going to lean in closer?

“Are you…are you human?” The question took you off guard. Made quickly reel back all those feelings you had stupidly let slip from your iron hold of them.

“What kind of a question is that?” You huffed, letting your body dip back into the waters, your hands the only thing still holding you to the surface. “Of course I am.” But Silco continued to watch you too carefully. “Why did you even ask me that?”

“Because…you feel different somehow.” Silco shrugged like you weren’t talking about the one topic you avoided speaking of like the plague.

“Are you trying to piss me off?” Silco sighed your name.

“I’m serious. Magic is rare.”

“You know I don’t like talking about it.” You fully let go of the pool edge then, making to disappear like you had first thought until Silco’s hand shot downward, grabbing hold of your wrist. The action nearly had your heart stopping in your chest.

“You once told me you trusted me enough to tell me those things. That you wanted me to know.” That pink cross over his cheeks once more, burning brighter than before. “It's…just me.”

Even when you wished to forget about your feelings for him, even when you wished to not talk of your magic, you knew you couldn’t deny him.

Not ever.

It was a flaw. Something that should have been corrected a long time ago but was left to fester and grow within you like a fungus.

“I…know I was born. Only humans are born, right?”

“Magic is mysterious.” You huffed.

“You don’t need to tell me that.” You thought of Janna. Of all the things she had told you in your youth.

You thought of that calling . Of how those kids had been praying for help before you had arrived.

“Maybe…maybe I am but I’m…not?” Silco blinked at you, looking just as confused as you felt. “You remember I told you how my guardian found me, yes?” Silco nodded.

“When you were small. In the water.” You nodded back at him.

“She’s…well she’s not human.” Silco's eyes sparked at this.

“Truly?”

“Annoyingly so. Her “human” body isn’t even human. It’s more elven and even then you can tell she’s other.” Silco gently pulled you back towards the edge of the pool as you spoke and you let him without any fuss. “She spends most of her time as The Winds. She’s old. Came here when The Gray first came to be.”

“Winds… your guardian is--she’s real?” Of course, he knew of Janna. Most miners did. She uses most of her energy trying to keep them safe from the choking smog that seeped through the tunnels they were forced to work in; it was only natural for them to appreciate her, even when some didn’t believe.

“Yes, but she’s a lot more irritating than you all give her credit for.” Silco chuckled then.

“She took you in because of your magic?” You nodded.

“She says our magic was what led her to me. I don’t know much else besides that.” You answered, worrying your lip between your teeth. “You said I feel different? Like in a bad way?”

“What? No. Like--other. Like…you’ve always given me the feel of the sea, even when I’ve never been sailing out on it. Like if I were to close my eyes right now, you might melt into the very waters you are in.” He paused for a moment, eyes flickering over your features once more. Something like…worry? Nervousness growing at what he was about to say. “When you hold me, I feel as if I am in the water's embrace.”

“And…is that a bad feeling? Feeling like water has hold of you--like it might drag you under?” You asked, voice coming out low as if scared of the answer.

“No. Never.” He spoke quickly. “I find…peace.” Your heart beat just a bit faster then.

“You don’t let me hug you often. How can I believe you?” You asked, partially teasing so that you could try to regain some semblance of control over yourself. You thought, almost hoped , he would tease you back, but what you hadn’t expected was him to stand and begin pulling his jacket off. “W-what are you doing?” Your eyes flew wide as he kicked his shoes off, leaving him in his patched-up socks.

Your eyes only grew wider when he pulled his shirt off. The first grayish-white layer came off, followed quickly by his bright red shirt, giving you a full view of that thin, yet undoubtedly strong body he typically kept hidden beneath it all.

You weren’t completely unfamiliar with seeing him shirtless. You had once lived at The Last Drop and the boys had a tendency to sleep in nothing but their boxers.

But it didn’t matter because you hadn’t seen him in such a way in years . And you couldn’t help yourself as you looked over every inch of exposed skin. Drank in every scar, bruise, and lean plain he was made up of. Drank in that blush that grew richer and spread down the sides of his neck.

Couldn’t help but feel yourself grow restless at the sight of him.

“Silco, what are--what are you doing? ” You repeated, not knowing what else to say in that moment.

“I can’t swim.” And before you could ask another question or shout at him to stop, he was cannonballing into your pool. You panicked at his warning, diving instantly after him.

It didn’t take you long to find him, your magic helping you feel for him in the darkness. You quickly grabbed and yanked him back to the surface, where he gave a gasp for air.

“What the fuck!” You hissed, struggling a bit to keep both of you above the surface. To ease the struggle you commanded the waters to flow beneath him to keep him up. But he didn’t seem at all bothered by this, because the sound of his laughter filled your ears.

Laugher that had your annoyance dissipating nearly all at once.

“Since when can you not swim?” You shouted as you began to swim him across the small pool till your feet found the sandy bottom in the shallows. You watched him move a bit of his long hair that had fallen out of his bun behind his ear as he found his footing.

A loose bit of hair your fingers itched in their want to move for him.

“Since forever.” He spoke between his dying laughter.

“Well get ready 'cause I’m going to teach you. Ridiculous.” You huffed with a playful shake of your head. You knew he was stubborn and hesitant to ask for anything for himself but this was something you could have taught him a long time ago.

You had taught Sevika to swim so she wouldn’t be so nervous to sail on your Boss’ ship. Taught Vander and even helped teach Viktor, despite his leg.

Swimming was essential. It could make the difference between life and death. Especially since your friend group was always messing around on the docks.

You went to pull your arm away from where you had it wrapped around his waist, but Silco grabbed your forearm, stopping you. Your skin began to burn so hot you thought it might evaporate the water clinging to it.

“If you insist.” His voice came out softer than you would have thought it would.

Why was--you were again confused.

Confused about him jumping into your pool and about why he was trying to be so…so close to you all of a sudden.

“Yeah. I do.” You playfully snapped back. Silco’s lips pulled into an easy smile, his fingers drawing lazy circles over your skin that was making your brain buzz loudly . Making you feel all fidgety on the inside.

Making you suddenly remember he was shirtless. That you were practically shirtless except for the ratty sports bra you typically wore to swim.

“But…why?” Silco’s seafoam eyes glanced towards your lips as you spoke.

“To show you.” He simply said. Words that only further confused you.

“I--show me what?” Silco chuckled, bringing his other hand up to brush more water off your cheek. To hold it. To make your mind switch off and leave you only able to think about him touching your face and arm. At how close he was.

“To show you that I don’t think anything about you is a bad thing.” Your lips parted on the slightest shuddering inhale. “That I would willingly slip away in your waters because I would be surrounded by you. Because it's you.”

“Silco--I--” You didn’t know what to say. What to do . Could hardly even think past the pounding in your ears. Not when he was coming closer .

How was he getting that close?

Why ?

“I don’t--I don’t know what to say to that.” You managed to breathe out, eyes flickering from his thin lips to his seafoam eyes which were full of that--that heavy look again.

A look that, now that you were so close, made you think it was longing .

Longing for--for you?

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t wish.” You swallowed the growing dryness in your mouth back, only for your lips to all but gasp back open when you felt the tip of his nose brush against yours.

“What…what are you doing?” You whispered, fingertips digging lightly into the skin of his side as if to ground yourself. To make sure that this was real. That this wasn’t some messed up dream.

“Showing you.” He whispered right back, breath ghosting over your lips.

He inched closer ever slowly. So slow as if to give you a moment to say something more. To push him away. To stop him.

Lips brush against your lips, sending a shock through your spine. A tingling warmth that stuck to your lips and pressed closer till he was kissing you.

This…this was happening.

It was finally happening after years of pining after him. After dreaming of this very moment.

It was-- intoxicating .

Driving you to seek more to sate that drug-like addiction his lips were poured into you. A rough yet gentle hand moved over your skin to find rest on your back. A hand that guided you ever closer .

And yet--yet even though you finally had it, your brain began shouting at you.

Why?

Why now?

Why when he had never once tried before?

Why on some random Wednesday?

Why when just last Wednesday you had seen him with another girl? A girl Benzo had laughingly congratulated him on finally winning over.

Why when he had been pining after someone else?

Why, why, why?

You shoved abruptly away, water sloshing at your legs as if to try and soothe your hurt.

“Are--” Silco started, breath heavy on his lips from the recent lack of it. “Are you alright?” He sounded almost--nervous. Anxious as you continued to place distance between you and him.

Game .

He likes to play the game. You’ve seen it multiple times before.

He’s bored. He got bored and wanted a challenge. Or maybe he thought he could win the game against you easily?

You didn’t want to play. Not when you truly had feelings for him. Not when playing would only get your feelings hurt.

Your eyes burned as you started out of the water, grabbing for your bag which held your overlayers.

“I should get back.” You somehow managed to get out past your tightening throat.

“Back? Get back where?” The sound of the water moving alerted you to Silco’s exiting the pool. You quickly tugged the dress you had packed on over your soaked skin and clothes.

“I--uh--Sevika. She’s waiting for me.” You pressed your fingers into your right eyelid, trying to rub away that burning.

“Sevika--wait a moment.” But you didn’t wait. You slung your tote over your shoulder and started for the cave mouth. “Wait--” Silco grabbed your wrist in his hand, fingers feeling even colder thanks to the chill air and their dampness from the water. “I--are you not going to look at me?” You ran your free hand over your mouth to keep him from hearing your elevated and shaky breath. “I didn’t mean--I’m sorry if I overstepped. I just--well I thought…” His voice died out then, leaving his words hanging in the air.

“It’s okay.” You schooled your face as best you could into that of its normal easy-going features before you turned to face him. His face was in that same calm it usually sat but his eyes--his eyes were raging like a stormy sea. So many emotions flashing through those eyes you could hardly even pick up on one of them.

“No. No, it’s not. I--I overstepped. I can see I’ve upset you.” You shook your head, all but yanking a smile to your lips.

“It’s okay. Really. I just--I have to get going.” Silco watched you for a moment longer. A moment when that heaviness returned to wrestle with the rest of those emotions in his eyes.

“I--why do I feel like you are?” He asked softly. And just as softly you pulled your wrist from his hand. A hand whose fingers dragged along your own as if to weakly try to keep you there.

“I’m fine.” You held your hand to your chest as if his touch had burned you. As if to keep your heart shielded. “I’ll…I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Silco watched you as you began to back away again.

“Okay.” You gave him one last, all too forced smile before rushing from the cave. A rush that grew into a run as your eyes blurred and your mind screamed at you for letting him get so close. Screamed at you for being such a coward.

Silco stood in that dank cave for a while. Just staring at the exit which you had rushed out of. Just thinking and thinking and thinking about what had gone wrong? About why the hell he had tried to kiss you in the first place when you didn’t want to.

He thought you wanted to. He thought he finally saw that you might want to…with him .

He was wrong.

Very much wrong and now he had upset you.

Very much so.

Silco pulled his clothes back on and made his way out of your childhood home.

Why had he done that?

It was so stupid. So, so stu--

Gods but he had wanted to. Had wanted to ever since you had saved him from that gang on the docks when you were teens. Had wanted to ever since you had told him you wouldn’t tell Vander of his failure and meant it.

He’d chased many girls before. Had caught many of them too, but you-- you …he didn’t want to chase them like he wanted to chase you. You who he would risk drowning in the sea if it meant he could be by your side.

But…you didn’t want that. Obviously, you didn’t want that. He was just trying to figure out why he had been so stupid in his thinking you might want to chase him back.

The Last Drop was rather packed for a Wednesday night. Though, he guessed it made sense, wanting to have a little fun and drink your sorrows away when cave-ins had started to become more frequent. When enforcers were marching through the streets looking for blood anywhere they could get it.

Silco glanced towards the table he and his friends usually occupied and instantly regarded doing so. Regretted it because Sevika sat there, blunt between her lips as she smirked triumphantly at an easy win against Connol and Felicia.

You were nowhere in sight. He scanned over the entirety of the bar to make sure of it.

“Did she come find you?” Silco couldn’t have stopped his feet and mouth from moving even if he had wanted to. Sevika hardly glanced up at him as Connol began to deal out more cards for a new game.

“Who?” A frustrated hiss shot from Silco’s grit teeth at Sevika’s words, hand all but slamming down on the table before her. Sevika blinked slowly at this. Blink slowly, leaning back in her seat to look at him near bored.

“Who else would I be looking for?” Sevika pulled her blunt from her lips, blowing a line of smoke into his face he only narrowed his gaze at.

“I don’t know, Silco. You go lookin’ around for lots of girls.” Silco gruffed, pulling away from the table.

You hadn’t come to find her. You would be by her side trying and failing to win the game if you had.

He couldn’t help the small hurt that flashed through his chest at the lie you had given him. At your…your rejection of him.

His eyes snagged on Felicia then, who was giving Silco an almost knowing smile. Caught on her pink painted fingernails running through Connol’s short cropped hair.

A small touch. One Silco ached to feel from you.

“You okay?” Felicia asked, pulling Silco from his hurt-filled thoughts.

“I’m fine.” Felicia hummed, looking like she didn’t believe him at all.

“You two got into a fight huh?” Silco narrowed his eyes down at his friend.

“Hardly.” She gave another hum, keeping that amused disbelief plastered on her face.

“Really? She is the only one who gets you all fussy like this.” Normally, Silco would laugh and play along but--but not now. Not tonight.

“Keep your nose out of it. It’s none of your concern.” Silco snapped too harshly. A harshness Felicia only shrugged at but one that pulled Connol’s rust-colored eyes to look up at him.

“No need to take it out on Felicia, yeah?” He spoke calmly. A calm that carried a very loud warning to back off within it.

“You heard the guy. Nothing to take out. She’s not bothering him. He’s unbothered.” Sevika chimed in, only making Silco’s mood worse. Felicia rolled her eyes, patting Connol’s shoulder as she started to stand.

“Let’s talk, Silco.” Felicia nodded towards the bar.

“There is nothing to talk about.” He tried to keep the bite from his voice, but it slashed through his words regardless. “There was no fight. There was nothing. Nothing--”

You came through the doors then, dripping water everywhere. More water than you had left the cave with.

He knew instantly you must have run to the docks and dove into the waters there.

“Here we go,” Sevika muttered, only adding fuel to the fire burning in Silco’s belly.

You caught sight of him and almost paled . Like you thought he wouldn’t be here. Of course, he would be here. He lived here.

“Go for a swim?” Silco couldn’t stop the words from spilling from his lips as you came closer.

“Uh--yeah.” You spoke as you came to a stop before him and the table.

“You said you needed to go find Sevika.” You glanced Sevika’s way like she might give you an answer. An answer Silco knew she wouldn’t provide just by the sound of her shuffling cards.

“I can’t go swim?”

“You had just come from a swim.” He could see your frustration beginning to boil in your eyes. Could see he was toeing a very dangerous line and he knew he shouldn’t be this--this hurt. Knew he was only lashing out to lash out but he just couldn’t stop himself.

Why couldn’t he stop?

Why couldn’t he just walk away ?

“What does it matter to you?” You quickly questioned back.

“It matters because you lied .” He responded just as fast. You rolled your eyes at him.

“I’m not in the mood for this.” You huffed, but Silco wasn’t done.

“If you lied about such a simple thing as going to see a friend, then how do I know you aren’t lying about other things?” Stop . He needed to stop but his hurt was too strong. Was awakening his anger which he had been trying to keep under control ever since he was a kid.

“What--” You have a huff in your own anger. “If I lied then you lied.”

“There was no lie.” You watched him for a long moment. A moment that had your own hurt flash through your eyes. A hurt he had seen flashing through them when you had left earlier.

“I am not in the mood for your game, Silco. Never have been.” You all but hissed at him. Game? What game? He didn’t know what you were talking about. “But there are plenty here that might want to give it a go.” Silco pulled closer so that he could lean down to catch your eyes fully.

He thought of your lips. Of how soft they had felt against his. How they held a bit of salt from the waters you both had just swam through. How you had kissed him back .

Why had you kissed him back? Why did you run away?

“And what is that supposed to mean?” You bore your dagger-sharp anger right back into his eyes.

“It means go find someone to fuck and leave me be.” Silco felt those daggers skewer right through him at your words.

“Maybe I will.” Again that hurt flashed through your eyes. Hurt you quickly masked with anger.

“Go do it then.” You shot back.

“Fine.” Silco shrugged.

“Fine.” You mimicked. Neither of you moved. Not until Vander’s voice filled the space between you.

“What’s goin’ on you two?” You were the first to look away. He watched your eyes shift when they fell onto Vander. Soften.

Oh , it made his blood boil. Made his fists clenched so tight his fingernails dug into his palms.

“I was just leaving.” You pulled a half smile to your lips that had Vander sighing.

“You just got here, sweethea--”

“Don’t call her that.” Silco snapped before he could even think. Vander turned his cool, gray eyes onto him then, a frown pulling deeply at his lips.

A finger was shoved into Silco’s chest, a small pain blooming there. It was you and you looked very much over his poor behavior.

“He can call me whatever the fuck he wants to call me.” You bit, pressing your finger harder into him. “You don’t get any say in that.”

“Oh yes, I--”

“ Enough ,” Vander commanded, cutting Silco off from saying anything further. “What the hell’s got you two like this now?”

“Nothing!” You and Silco both hissed. You both turned to find the other's eye again.

Hurt . That’s all he saw in your eyes.

Gods Silco was an ass. Gods Silco had messed up.

“Nothing happened.” You spoke in a too- quiet voice. Said it like you were speaking directly to Silco. Your finger fell away from his chest then. He wanted to grab your wrist to keep it there, but his body couldn’t seem to move. “I just came to say hi. I’m…busy.” Vander sighed through his nose at your words, but nodded.

“Alright, sweetheart.” The nickname had always grated at Silco’s nerves, but it shredded at them tonight.

Silco watched you walk back through the bar. Watched you slam open the doors and let them slam shut behind you.

He almost ran after you. He should have run after you but…he was still too angry. Too hurt. Too stubborn .

Felicia gave Connol another loving pat on the shoulder before rushing after you herself, not sparing him a single glance as she left. Sevika grumbled at this, throwing the cards back into the table.

“What happened?” Vander asked again, voice more stern then it had been with you around. Silco waved him off.

“You heard her. Nothing.” He made to walk past Vander to head to his room, but his brother grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

“You two butt heads a lot. Enough I can see this was different.” Silco yanked his arm from Vander’s hold on a scoff.

“Leave out of it.”

“You made a move on her?” Silco leveled Vander with a look that had made many before turn tails and beat it. But not him. Not his brother.

The worst part was that Vander had always hit the nail on the head when it came to Silco’s feelings for you.

“Just talk to her. Tell her what you're feeling . ” Vander had told Silco many many times over the span of time they’d known you. Silco had always brushed his brother off. Always denied his feelings for you. But Vander was no fool. He knew.

“Nothing happened.” Silco insisted, though his voice having lost a bit of its bite was a sure give away that something did .

“I hope to the gods you meant it. She’s our family . Not someone you can have your fun with and leave.” He let go of Silco’s arm then.

He wanted to hiss sharp words at his brother. Wanted to use the man as his own personal punching bag, but Silco’s feet were moving before they even caught up with his brain.

They brought him up the stairs, down the small hallways, and up onto the roof where he fit a cigarette between his lips and watched as you marched off back through the dark streets.

His lips itched to call out for you to come and have a smoke with him. To come sit with him and talk about anything .

But again, he didn’t. Just watched and willed the heavy smoke filling his lungs to ease the onslaught of thoughts and feelings rushing through him.

Nothing.

There has always been nothing.

Though it didn’t hurt any less, knowing he could never have you.

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