#timebomb tickle

[tkpuke]

To be Loved is to be Known

Pairing - Powder x Ekko

Word count: 1,689

In which Ekko starts to feel stressed out while working on the time machine to bring him back to his own universe he belongs in. Powder knows a great method to help relieve his stress, one unbeknownst to him.

This is a tickle fic. Please do not read if that’s not your thing.

Papers were scattered around Ekko, some crumpled up and torn out of frustration. A small beam of light started to make its way into the room, signaling the sun coming up. That didn’t matter to Ekko, however, because what mattered most is why he just can’t seem to brush over this damn minor problem he’s having on the machine.

Footsteps were being heard, getting closer until Powder was revealed. “Thought I’d might find you here. Vander made everyone a delicious breakfast, come down an— have you been up all night?” She stopped in her tracks once getting a full good look at his state, his eyes meeting hers. Visible heavy eye-bags forming and looking fatigued and irritated. Ekko looks over to a window to see the sun, swearing it was only 9 pm two seconds ago.

“No…?” He starts, but Powder gives him one raised eyebrow and he sighs. “Okay, fine, I have been.” He rubs his temple as he leans against the table, Powder joining him as she rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. “But it’s because I’ve come across an issue that just won’t seem to go away, no matter what I do.”

She lets out an airy laugh. “Hey, nothing we can’t fix, right?” A determined smile takes over her features, but doesn’t last long when Ekko didn’t return the smile and just stared at the floor deep in thought.

Powder can read the ins and outs of Ekko. It is one’s job of being a girlfriend, isn’t it? That being said, she can definitely tell how mentally tiring working on this machine is starting to take a toll on Ekko. He’s only ever out to go get food, not wanting to waste any unnecessary time on anything else that’s not working on getting him back home to his people. Powder practically has to drag him out sometimes to get fresh air and hangout with the others that are asking where he’s been.

Powder is smart, no doubt about that. She picked up after a few days that Ekko wasn’t her Ekko, but regardless they are still the same person, hence feeling confident on doing a personal favorite activity of hers that she knows will help Ekko ease up and get his mind off things that are stressing him to the core.

“Want me to tickle you?”

Ekko blinked. “What?”

He slowly looked over to her, an innocent smile she’s wearing. Powder takes a step forward, Ekko takes a step back. “Y’know, what I do to help you relax whenever you get like this.” She says ever so casually as if Ekko is probably thinking ‘oh yeah, that thing!’

But Ekko wasn’t thinking that. Quite frankly, his heart started to beat faster every step Powder attempted to get closer to him, noticing her flexing her fingers a bit. “W…what are you talking ab—“

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t like it.” She cuts him off, grinning slyly when he takes a moment to put the pieces together. In this universe, somewhere along their relationship, Powder made the beautiful discovery that Ekko doesn’t hate being tickled as much as the normal person does. If anything, he absolutely enjoys the playful action and like how Powder stated earlier, drowns any stress out of him.

Only though the Ekko from the original timeline that’s in this Ekko’s body hasn’t quite made that discovery of himself just yet. Hence the confusion, his thought process that Powder has gone mad, and believing that fact of him is simply not true.

He must have been too caught up on his thoughts racing, because he felt himself suddenly backed up into a wall. Trapped, but only momentarily. He looks at an opening to escape on Powder’s left side. Powder reads his stance, knowing exactly his next move.

Ekko makes one last look at Powder. She does the same.

He books it.

You can’t outrun Powder in a place that she knows the ins and outs of. All the shortcuts, exits, and obstacles that would slow down a chase. Which further explains why Powder catches up to Ekko so quickly, pouncing on him as they go down together on the floor. He catches one of her wrists, the other high up out of his reach on purpose.

“Powder! Please.” Ekko nervously giggles out, but feeling a sense of thrill inside that he never felt before. A lively one at that, almost as if he’s excited to see what will happen next.

“Alright alright, your pleas have been heard.” Without any form of build-up, she immediately sticks her hands under his arms and starts wiggling away. “No need to beg for me to tickle you.”

She can’t help but break out into a cheeky smile when her ears pick up that sweet melodic tune: his laughter.

Ekko cannot remember the last time he has been properly tickled ever since Benzo died in his original timeline. He didn’t even know if he still was ticklish, thinking that sort of stuff just kind of vanishes overtime while growing up. Although, clearly the Ekko in this perfect timeline he was stuck in has definitely had people make a habit of tickling him whenever the opportunity arises, especially Powder. She went straight for the kill, having her fingers get trapped in his underarms as he squirms for freedom all the while cackling for the whole world to hear.

“PohohoWDEHEHER!” Is all he can say, struggling to form any coherent sentence without his laughter interrupting the process. She relents a little, scratching a bit lighter. “That’s me!” Powder watches him flail a bit less, noticing how he’s grabbing her wrists but not making any attempts to move them.

“sohomewhere ehehelse. Give me a sehehecond..” he managed to say, already sounding out of breath in the thirty seconds she’s tickled him. He’s never experienced anything like this, all so new. So it might look like Ekko is more ticklish than Powder is use to, finding it a bit cute how he tapped out so fast.

“I would love to, but I’m kind of trapped here mister.” She wiggles her stuck fingers to state the obvious, him giggling hard. Ekko mentally prepares himself a little, slowly raising his arms a bit for her to bring her hands back. He’s a fool to ever think there’s not another spot far worse, because Powder instantly latched onto his knees from behind and started squeezing like there was no tomorrow.

Completely caught off guard by how deadly of a spot his knees were, Ekko snorted out a deep belly laugh and it all continuously spilled out from there. It’s surprising that nobody came in from the start to check out who kept screaming as if they’re getting murdered, but it’s just Ekko who cannot handle a few wiggles here and a few squeezes there.

“Did you just snort?” Powder chuckled, but not expecting any answer from him as he was too busy trying to buck her off. She managed to lock her legs around his in a way where she didn’t budge in the slightest from his hysterical movement, smugly looking down at him.

“Toohoho MUHUCH! NOHOT THERE PLE-“ a sharp hiccup cut him off, feeling absolutely embarrassed and mortified from all these unknown noises he didn’t even know he could make come out of him so freely. Hands started to trail upwards from his knees, a sense of a small break but it wasn’t much of a difference for poor Ekko. “You told me to go somewhere else, remember!?”

Powder almost felt guilty for having way too much fun, but she knew she wasn’t alone with that feeling. Ekko was too, don’t let his reactions ever fool anybody. Noting his hands tightly around her wrists but never moving them, knowing damn well he’s strong enough to easily do so. Saying ‘please!’ but never a ‘stop!’ and suggesting for new spots for her to attack. You’d have to be blind to come to an assumption that he wasn’t enjoying himself.

His laughter was starting to be overtaken by sharp hiccups, which has always been a cue for Powder to stop soon. Soon.

Showing mercy on his knees, her hands find their way to his neck to start lightly skittering. Ekko grabs onto one of them, fingers interlocking with hers. “Ohohokay, stop! I’m nohot stressed, I’m nohohot!”

Powder softly smiles at the sight in front of her, heart feeling warm. The smell of the breakfast Vander made downstairs caused her to stop, realizing she and Ekko both had a plate of untouched food still waiting for them.

She got off of him with ease, sticking out a hand for him to take to help him up. Catching his breath, Ekko took the offering hand and stood up fully, brushing off some dust from his pants. He looks over at Powder, shooting her a cold but jokingly glare. “That was horrible. I’m not that bad to you to deserve that, am I?”

Chuckling, she gives his arm a little push. “If it was so horrible, I would’ve heard you say stop a lot sooner than you did.”

Silence was his response, feeling his face heating up. She’s right, Powder is always right. It’d be pointless for him to argue with her and deny, because even he knows the truth. Ekko enjoyed every second of it, because when was the last time him and Powder ever played around like this? In his timeline, not since they were twelve.

He misses the good times so much, and him needing to relive those memories and emotions were long overdue, but at least he experienced it one last time with someone he so dearly loves before heading back home.

Powder knows he’d never admit it, so she broke the silence first. “How does eggs and french toast sound?” They both share the same smile, Ekko walking right beside Powder as they head on downstairs where everyone else is.

These are the moments he wished he could stay in forever, never having to leave or give up something behind. Ekko will never forget this, forget her, and he’ll promise Powder that.

[otomiyaa]

Smile | Ekko x Jinx

Random drabbles 3/?

He held both her hands, she didn't refuse.

She closed both her eyes, she didn't complain. Or cheat.

Ekko slowly walked backwards, guiding Jinx further and further towards his surprise for her.

He couldn't believe that he needed his experience in another universe to be reminded that Powder wasn't lost. That he didn't want her to be lost.

And even though he knew Jinx wasn't going to be the same after all she went through, there was something else he believed: with time, and with love, warmth, and friendship, he might be able to see glimpses of her.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Jinx opened her eyes and she immediately gasped. Ekko stood proudly next to his artwork of Isha.

"What do you think?" he asked smugly, but the smile he had hoped to see, or even the smug giggle while acting like she wasn't impressed at all, they both didn't come.

Jinx sank through her knees and touched the wall art.

"......Isha."

Tears fell from her eyes. Shit shit shit. Ekko felt like an idiot. He foolishly staggered around before he knelt down beside her.

"Sorry - Jinx. I didn't want to make you upset or anything, I just..." Ekko fell backwards when suddenly she wrapped her arms around him in a full, heavy hug. Losing his balance, Ekko toppled back clumsily, but that didn't stop her from holding him.

"She's beautiful," Jinx whispered. "Thank you."

Jinx was still as unpredictable as ever. Startled by her emotional reaction, Ekko lowered his hand and touched her back.

"Y-you're welcome," he said awkwardly. Jinx wasn't sobbing or crying a lot. She just held him tightly. When that took a little while, Ekko wondered if she was okay.

"Are you alright?" He tried to move, but damn, her hug was quite strong.

He didn't want to push her away, that would be a bit cold. But she was almost choking him now and he wasn't sure if she was ever going to let go.

"H-hey, maybe if you let go, we can..." Jinx only tightened her hold on him. Oh. Okay, okay. She wanted that hug.

Ekko made a little gasping noise and he coughed, trying to act like she was really choking him, but she still didn't let go.

Just as he reconsidered forcefully throwing her off, a memory struck him.

In the other dimension, when he was working on the Chronobreak device with Powder, and when he spent a lot of time with her there... Something happened between them that sparked a childhood memory he had long forgotten. Powder was ticklish. Which means... Jinx should be ticklish.

"Jinx..." Ekko said, but he wondered if he should really warn her for what he was going to do. He already wanted to try it anyway. He slowly lowered his hands and hesitated just briefly before he tickled her sides.

"Aiiihh!" Jinx made a funny noise, but instead of letting go, she only tightened the embrace. Well, if Ekko was going to die anyway, heh. He started tickle her for real. A lot. And the surprised cackles that suddenly came from her, they sounded like music.

"Are you letting go now?" Ekko asked with difficulty. She finally did. Jinx released him from her killer hug and before she could retaliate, Ekko caught her arm and started to tickle her more. Bold move, but effective.

"Hehehey no! Nonono! You ahahare so- AHh!" Jinx sang hilariously. Her laughter was so funny and melodious, and although her voice was the same as Powder in the alternate universe, because this was Jinx, it felt like a completely new experience.

Ekko caught himself getting distracted by the sound of her laugh and Jinx saw her chance. With little effort she managed to flip him over and she ended up straddling him.

"You've got some nerve," she said breathlessly, but she was still smiling. "What made you think you could get away with that?"

Ekko was about to give her an honest reply, but to his surprise, Jinx already started to tickle him back.

"HOHOHO-HANG AHaha hahaang on a-aaaahhhah!" Ekko's own loud voice startled him. In the other universe Ekko had only tickled Powder, but she didn't tickle him back, so the last time he was tickled like this...... He could barely remember. It must've been when he, Powder and Vi were still kids.

"Ho ho ho, no I won't hang on. You did it first," Jinx taunted. She had a smug, wicked grin on her face, and tears were still sparkling in her eyes.

Ekko could only be relieved they were no longer enemies. Her fingers skilfully played him like a failure of an instrument, making him shriek and howl uncharmingly. This was Ekko definitely not at his best.

"AHAHA I'm sohhorry! I'm sahaharry - gaahhhhah!"

She was merciless, but in the end the tickling did come to a stop, and Ekko greedily sucked in some air. Jinx got back up and went to admire the art again. She brushed it softly with her hand, emotion still visible in her eyes as she studied it.

"Thanks, Little Man. For making me smile again."

She then walked away again, leaving Ekko to catch his breath there beside the painting.

Wow. Well there was one thing he knew for sure: she liked it. And he wasn't sure if she was referring to him making her smile by making that surprise artwork - which in fact made her cry instead, or to the fact that he dared to tickle her and make her laugh.

Jinx was still a mystery, but no longer a mystery Ekko was going to avoid. "You're welcome," he mumbled with a smile, even though she was already long gone.

Right. Since he got away with it, with only a mere scratch to his ego, Ekko was determined to tickle her more later. He wasn't just going to make her smile. He would make her laugh.

[scribbly-artist]

Paint War

Summary: After talking Jinx down so they both didn’t get blown up, Ekko assists Jinx in getting everything ready to help in the big fight. They can’t crash the party looking all cool without some sick paint designs on their outfits though!

Author’s Notes: Thank you to this anon for the prompt requests for this fic! Despite not writing for Jinx or Ekko previously, I had a lot of fun trying to write them. :P Like everyone, I’m under the assumption they talked and maybe hung out between Ekko convincing Jinx to not hurt herself/blow them both up and the big fight. So here’s a little something I think could have happened!

Words: ~1,300 | AO3 Link

“You think this’ll work?” Ekko asked with doubt laced in his voice.

“Of course it will. You helped me build it, after all.” Jinx responded as she sat on a stool at what was originally her makeshift workbench.

The Boy Savior had managed to talk The Loose Cannon down from trying to hurt herself (both of them, really. If that explosive went off without Ekko using the Z-Drive, they’d both be dead) and convince her to fight as a major pawn in the clash between Piltover, Zaun and Noxus. With Ekko’s help, Jinx has converted her hideout into a secret weapon in the game of chess between the nations. They both needed to go and help so the whole world didn’t succumb to downfall. 

The big balloon was ready to go, just not launched yet. The weapons were attached, rebuilt to be more lethal and painted brightly. Just one final thing was missing in their plan…

“Now, we just have to look the part.” Jinx turned the stool so she could look at Ekko, who tilted his head in questioning. “We can’t go face first into a fight lookin’ like this. I need… something deadlier to wear. And we need paint!”

So they got to work. Ekko’s outfit didn’t need many changes, but Jinx wanted to rework her attire. She managed to make and attach a hood out of some extra cloth she had laying around to a big jacket, wrapped her chest with bandages and tape and tailored the rest of her outfit to her liking.

Jinx even dyed a few purple streaks in her hair.

“I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you that I dig the new hair,” Ekko commented, helping Jinx so she didn’t get hair dye everywhere. “I think it suits you better this way.”

“I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve had it this short. New trauma, new me, I guess.” She shrugged.

Ekko brought the paint cans up on the workbench, mixing a pot of it with a paintbrush so its colour would be consistent. “You really want paint all over you?” He asked as he took the brush out of the paint, holding a cupped hand under the brush so as to not make a mess if it dripped.

“Paint makes everything look cooler,” she replied. “Besides, you’re the pro at it. You painted more than me as a kid, and painted my cool hat I used to wear when we used to play…” her smile faltered to a frown as her eyes grew a little sad. “…back then…”

A sad sigh left Ekko as he pulled up his own stool, sitting down. “Once this is all over, we’ll figure this out. Okay?”

Jinx nodded and then shook off the sadness, spreading her arms out wide. “Let me be your canvas, Wonder Boy.”

He nodded as got to work. He started painting her clothes first, drawing different patterns and symbols on her outfit with a range of colours. This was very different to the murals he and his friends at the sanctuary were used to painting, but it was nice to try something different. And painting like this caused some more old memories to resurface into his mind.

“Heh, I remember when we did this as kids. You could never sit still,” he moved the paintbrush from the side of her jacket to her bare skin on her torso. Jinx shuttered at the sudden cold paint touching down on her skin with a shiver. “Whenever I painted on you before, you always squirmed because you were so ticklish.” He stated with a laugh, reminiscing.

“That w-was when I was just a kid, though. Not anymore.” Jinx replied. With Ekko’s comment, she was now hyper aware of the brush making contact with her skin.

But Ekko noticed that Jinx’s body went stiff. The exact same thing would happen when he painted her way back then.

“I dunno… Seems like that still rings true.”

“What? Me, ticklish? As if. That’s just a stupid kiddy feeling. I’m way past that now.”

Ekko swiped the brush, painting a long, colourful streak of bright green paint from her side all the way to her stomach. Jinx let out a strangled noise as her hand darted to her mouth to silence herself. Her eyes flew to look at Ekko’s face, a small smile across it.

“Ekko.” She tried to make her voice as stern as she could. Though, her vocal cords failed her in this moment. “Don’t even think about it.”

He didn’t even need to give a response as he started to drag the paintbrush around her skin with more tickly intent, from her stomach all the way to under her arm. Jinx let out a gasp as giggles started to slip through her defences, a hand swiftly latching onto Ekko’s wrist to stop him.

“Yohohou always did this when wehehe were kids, too.” She shook her head, giggling. This was so silly, but strangely she didn’t mind it. Thinking of her past self usually upset and hurt her, but with Ekko here… some parts didn’t seem as awful, at least.

“I just wanted to lighten the mood. You need all that spark and energy for the fight,” Jinx loosened her grip on Ekko’s wrist as he grabbed another paintbrush with some bright pink dyed bristles. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t tickle this time, I promise. Super serious now.”

“Pfft, fine.” Jinx gave in and leaned back in the stool, holding her arms back out with a bit of reluctance. Ekko got back to painting, the cold paint once again making Jinx’s skin crawl. She was focusing on trying to mentally block out the feeling of the paint sliding against her skin, until—

“Hahaha! Y-You’re totally doing it ohohohon purpose!!” She jumped off of her stool, surprising Ekko. His eyes grew wide as he stood up himself, waiting for a physical attack or something of the like from the other.

“No, I wasn’t! I swear!” He held his hands up in defence, the paintbrush that was in his hand clashing to the ground with a dull noise.

Jinx looked Ekko up and down in thought. And then a plan hit her. A somewhat menacing smile formed on her face, making Ekko shiver in place. She grabbed a loaded paintbrush of her own, a pretty bright blue.

“You’ve just started a tickle paint war. And I’m gonna win.”

Ekko had no time to react as Jinx launched herself in his direction, attacking him with whatever bare skin her own paintbrush could reach. He tried to run away with begs and pleads. He was ticklish himself after all, and Jinx knew that. But she didn’t relent.

Loud laughter bounced off the cave walls from both of them. Paint was flying in many directions as Ekko managed to grab another paintbrush to fight back during the brawl. They had a scuffle, seeing who could laugh the loudest. They were both entirely covered with bright, messy paint from head to toe once they called a truce.

Ekko looked at Jinx’s face, trying to catch his breath. “I think I missed a spot,” he moved back to the workbench, dipping his thumb in some purple paint. He made his way back to Jinx, holding her chin steady with one hand as he dragged his painted purple thumb across both of her cheeks, just below her eyes. “There. Think we’re ready now.”

Jinx laughed, eyeing Ekko’s body, colourful paint now all over him. “I think I did a good job, if I do say so myself.”

They shared another laugh together.

The calm before the storm.

[tickly-trashcan]

Icing Cookies {Ekko x Jinx}

Advent Calendar Event!

A/N: oughhh ekko has been my fav since day one but after season two i needed more ekko content and i also miss him and jinx's antics hehe so i decided to write for these two!! they're so silly i love them and i hope y'all enjoy!

Summary: Ekko and Jinx are decorating some cookies, but Ekko's look... a bit odd.

Word Count: 1k (under the cut!)

“Jinx, these look like shit…”

“No, only yours do.”

“Hey!”

Jinx laughed, nudging Ekko with her elbow. “What? I’m right! Have you never decorated cookies before?”

Ekko huffed. “No, I haven’t! I didn’t think it would be this hard, either.”

Jinx looked over at Ekko’s batch of cookies that he had been decorating. They… did indeed look like shit.

Ekko had helped Jinx bake the cookies and that had been easy enough, but as soon as he picked up a piping bag, they suddenly looked like globby, horrid lumps of goop. There were colors mixing into weird colors and Jinx could not tell what most of them were even supposed to look like. There was some icing dripping onto the counter from some, and others had bits of cookie exposed where there definitely should have been icing.

Ekko sighed and wiped at his nose, accidentally wiping icing on the tip of it. Jinx held back a laugh, but he noticed her change in expression. He frowned. “Are you laughing at how bad they are?”

Jinx grinned. “Maybe~!”

Ekko groaned and let his head fall back in exasperation. He set down the icing bag he had been holding and crossed his arms. “I give up. You finish them.”

Jinx whined. “No, Ekko! I can’t make all of these without you! My poor hands will get tired!”

Ekko raised an eyebrow at Jinx. “You were just making fun of how bad my cookies look.”

Jinx shrugged. “It’s the thought that counts?” Ekko started to walk away and Jinx had to grab his wrist and drag him back. “Hey, hey! They’ll still taste the same, just do a few more with me!”

Jinx looked up at Ekko with pleading eyes, pouting her lip slightly. Ekko sighed and gave in, making Jinx snicker victoriously. She put the piping bag back in his hands and held onto his hands, walking next him as he watched her carefully.

“Never thought the Boy Savior would need saving, but here we are! I’ll help you pipe a few so they don’t look too much like shit.”

“Watch it, Jinx.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh! Let’s start with a snowflake, that should be easy enough.”

Jinx guided Ekko’s hands while he applied pressure to the piping bag. It went across the cookie in small lines, Jinx correcting Ekko on how much to squeeze the bag when it got a bit gloppy again. In the end, it was much better than Ekko’s previous cookie attempts. It took a bit of creative interpretation, but it was a snowflake if you looked close enough. Jinx put her hands on her hips triumphantly and then pat Ekko’s shoulder.

“Good job! It’s a very special snowflake. Y’know, no two snowflakes look the same.”

Ekko nodded his head, a small smile on his face. Jinx went back to her own cookies, but Ekko tried to get her attention again. “Hey, can you… help me with one more?” Jinx raised an eyebrow at him. Ekko rubbed the back of his neck. “I– I mean, you don’t have to…”

Jinx smirked. “Ohh, I see. You need my expert cookie skills, don’tcha?”

Ekko hummed. “Something like that.”

Jinx picked out an ornament for their next cookie and decided to make it blue. This time, she demonstrated how to do it for Ekko on her own cookie and then watched as he tried it himself. He piped some green icing onto his ornament cookie, but he was struggling with the evenness of the icing. Jinx chuckled as she watched and leaned against Ekko once he finished.

“I’d put that on my tree.”

“You would?”

“Yeah… maybe near the bottom where no one could see, but I’d still put it on!”

Ekko chuckled and rolled his eyes. He set down his piping bag and leaned his back against the counter. Jinx hummed and stood in front of him, leaning against him as his eyes widened.

Jinx watched Ekko closely, noticing his eyes flickering down to her lips and back up to her eyes. She smirked and leaned closer to his face, but he did not lean back at all.

“Jinx…?”

Jinx leaned just a bit closer, making Ekko almost stop breathing in anticipation. She let her hands rest on his hips, and just as he closed his eyes, she gave his hips a gentle squeeze.

Ekko yelped and jolted back, hitting his head against the cabinet. “Ow!! Hey– Hehehey!! Jinx, wahahait!”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Little Man? Is something funny?”

“You– Stahahahap!!” Ekko laughed as Jinx crept up his sides. He tried weakly to shove her away, but she had him pinned. He tried his best not to squirm because of all the cookies behind him, but with Jinx tickling him, that was proving difficult.

“Someone’s got the giggles!” Jinx chuckled, pinching his sides as he whined through his laughter.

“Jinx, dohohohohon’t!!”

“Hmm? Don’t what?”

“Tickle mehehehe!”

Jinx grinned and latched her hands onto Ekko’s ribcage, making him gasp. “Tickle you? Well, if you insist!”

“NOHohoho!! Jinx, plehehehease, not thehehere!!”

“Why not? I thought this was your favorite spot!”

Ekko whined and laughed, trying to clamp his arms down. Jinx laughed along with him, but finally let up when his laughter started to get hiccupy. She chuckled as she watched him come down from his fit of laughter, but he could hardly muster up a glare for her.

Jinx leaned in close to Ekko again, smiling as he finally managed to stop giggling. “What is it now, Jinx?”

“You have something on your face.”

“I– What?! Where is–?”

Jinx kissed the tip of Ekko’s nose, cutting him off mid-sentence. He stopped, staring at her with wide eyes as she smiled. She licked her lips and hummed. “It must have been icing. We were supposed to ice the cookies, Ekko, not your nose.”

Ekko huffed and pressed his forehead against Jinx’s. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Jinx shrugged. “But that’s why you love me, right?”

Ekko wrapped his arms around Jinx, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “That, and so many other reasons.”

Jinx wrapped her arms around Ekko as well, holding him tightly. They held onto each other for a few moments, but then Jinx stuck her hands under Ekko’s arms, making him shriek and burst into laughter again. She laughed with him as he squirmed in her grip. They would finish decorating those cookies… Eventually.

[lbulldesigns]

Could you imagine what an intimate moment between Ekko and Jinx would be like.

They are sitting on Ekko's bed, talking about whatever, when they look into each other's eyes and just trail of talking. They stare at each other and suddenly their the only ones in the world, this is their bubble and nothing else matters but this moment.

They lean into each other, Ekko smiles and softly says something that sounds something like "first time" or something to Jinx she honestly doesn't care. Their lips meet and they kiss tenderly before this desperation on both sides bleeds in.

Before long, their hands are on each other, running other each other's arms, legs, necks, Ekko has one palm supporting the back of Jinx's head and the other on her hip rubbing small circles into it.

Jinx straddles Ekko's lap, and holds his face with both hands, before moving them down to grip the hem of his shirt and pulls it off his body.

They have to break the kiss in order to take the garment off, but don't instantly return to kissing as Jinx is watching her nails trail down his chest.

She watches the muscles under her nails jump in response, and smiles. Looking Ekko in the eyes she leans forward but avoids his lips, she trails small butterfly kisses along his jaw, as Ekko places small kisses on her neck

Her lips graze his ear, and he feels her breath upon it as she whispers.

"Choochie choochie coooo"

Before assaulting his sides in a surprise tickle attack.

Ekko:

Jinx:

[youmaycallmeyourhighness]

I love Timebomb so much because I think roughhousing/play fighting is a legitimate form of affection and I imagine if Vi were to pick Caitlyn up and ragdoll her around it probably wouldn't go over too well

[hexblooded]

the chromacrash universe has always tickled my fancy in general but chromacrash timebomb, specifically, is my personal brain rot. wearing each others colors is just so superior to everything else

[renatogpadilla]

After "Arcane" ended, I fell into a bit of a LoL rabbit hole (I know, I know, TERRIBLE idea!) and came upon the friendship (crush? 👀) between Jinx and Lux, which I believe we'll be seeing in the inevitable Demacia show, but I also realized something while looking into it.

In Episode 7 of Season 2, Ekko and Powder have that wonderful dance scene to "Ma Meillorie Ennemie" which means that, canonically, the French Language exists within Runeterra, and the only character with a French accent in LoL, to my knowledge, is Fiora, from Demacia. This leads me to believe that "Demacian" as a language is spoken by born Nobles of the kingdom, like a symbol of status. Since Lux doesn't have an accent, I like to believe she hides it and she and her brother Garen can speak it fluently if need be, but they keep their neutral accents to show they're "staying in their lane", but drop back into their accent when speaking normally among themselves... As an aside, I also headcanon that Caitlyn can speak it, or at least understand it, because she's just posh like that, though that's neither here nor there.

But back to "Arcane", this led me to two conclusions:

Number one: For a kingdom of medieval mage-haters and being the sword-and-shield fantasy stereotype, Demacia has some unexpectedly modern club bangers. (Something about a Timebomb love song being in Lux's native language tickles my brain in some good way.)

And number two: If their friendship is as close as it seems, Jinx is gonna come back knowing AT LEAST a few insults in French...

But moreso than that, I can't help but imagine a moment when someone in Demacia talks shit about Jinx being criminal scum or some such, which Jinx can't understand, and it's Lux (sweet, innocent, just delightful, Lady Lux!) who proceeds to go FULL MEROVINGIAN and unleashes the most SCATHING, vulgar and absolutely career-ending string of perfect French Demacian anyone has heard in recent memory, just absolutely COOKS the guy to the point that she has to consciously stop herself from lighting up and ACTUALLY cooking him and then turns around with Jinx in one arm (that's just her bestie, she swears!) and walks off in a huff, red in the face...

And Jinx can't understand what she said, but she finds it INCREDIBLY hot.

Just the thought of Jinx finding out her new friend has an accent for the first time by her defending her honor sounds absolutely wonderful to me. And after "Arcane", she deserves a bestie (👀?) like Lux to help her heal before going back home for her man and her sister...

[saturnzskyzz]

Arcane tkl concepts

A/N: 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐(𝙸 𝚍𝚘 ⚰️) 𝚂𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚜 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚔𝚕 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎! :]

These are just for fun! So no credit needed. There's barely any tkl fics for arcane so I thought I might spark some creativity!

Catvi (Caitlyn & Vi)

Lee! Caitlyn ler! Vi

In the talking stage, there comes a time where they start to become touchy with each other? Not extensive, but just enough where there's some playful banter and vi would either shove Caitlyn's shoulder, or Caitlyn would playfully kick Vi from behind her knee. But what Vi recently discovered was that Caitlyn is rather sensitive in the sides from random, and playful, pokes. When Vi wants to confront her about it, Caitlyn would seem to deny it, but also wouldn't completely scruff the idea of her being sensitive on the sides. And THAT'S when Vi is like, "let's test how sensitive you are" or something, and would go for the kill.

Lee! Vi ler! Caitlyn

A cute one that I thought of is that Caitlyn likes to give Vi gentle tickles when she's overwhelmed or stressed. Vi would lay on her girlfriends lap, and since Caitlyn would have a habit of stroking Vi's hair, she would purposely get close enough to Vi's neck and would just enlight the most breathiest giggles from Vi. OH MY GOODNESS I need to write this one😭😭

Jayvik (Jayce & Viktor)

Lee! Jayce ler! Viktor

The thought of Jayce being on the receiving end should not be this surprising.. Then again he's a playful little shit and I headcanon that Jayce inflicts Viktor's ler side. Jayce would do something as simple as misplacing something of Viktor's and acting like he didn't do it, and when Viktor isn't getting an answer from Jayce, that's when he's like "you know what? You asked for it" and would tickle the answer out of him. The amount of times this has happened would be historic.

Lee! Viktor ler! Jayce

Again, playful little shit Jayce. He likes to hear his friends laugh, and when he doesn't want to be on the receiving end of things when annoying his partner in crime, how about he annoys them by tickling them? 😭😭 of course with Viktor's health he take account that he can't go too rough or else a very painful coughing fit would start.. He would literally jump off of a building if he went that far. So he just goes gentle with Viktor, and when I tell you the giggles that would fly out of this man would send a serotonin boost to Jayce??!! He could hear this man giggle all day.

Timebomb(Jinx & Ekko)

:𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚐𝚘 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍:

SPOILERS FOR ACT3

Lee! Jinx ler! Ekko

When building up their friendship again after the war, they talk a lot about the past. When Ekko bring up a past memory that he adored which is when Ekko first discovered that Jinx was ticklish, he reluctantly brings it up and when jinx is all like "what? I don't remember that" or trying to deny it, that's when Ekko is like "I wonder if you're still ticklish" and we all know how that will turn out. Obviously there's this headcanon I have for the both of them that they are frequent with their tickle fights, and either one of them could either have the upper hand, or one is on the receiving end. Different days with a different winner. If that makes sense? 😭

Lee! Ekko ler! Jinx

I feel like jinx would have discovered it randomly. Like "oh, did that hurt?" and when Ekko goes no, Jinx is just like "okay, NOW we need to decipher what that noise was" and it would lead to her tickling the shit out of Ekko. This ones really short, but it also explains itself pretty well I believe 😭

That's all that I have for these main three pairs!! My brain is all goopy and mushy by thinking about all these 😭😭 hopefully these strike interest for you guys :]]

[roseamongroses]

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.”

[hpalways]

in another lifetime

charas: timebomb drabble (ekko x powder) synopsis: as ekko thinks back to his journey from the other universe, he wonders and regrets what could've been in this timeline. warning: spoilers a/n: arcane hurt me so now i have to write angst for it LOL, they are my unbecoming frfr i miss them sm. also heard theories that jinx is still alive (im coping BYE) tho so maybe ill have to write another thing where he finds her

That singular night was still vivid in his mind to relive through, over and over again. From the strobing lights to the taints of her blue hues glimmering mischievously, he could just about see it if he closed his eyes. She was so close to him, so beautiful in a white, pure dress that he could not look at anything else. Her cute little dance moves that slowed down time for him and the sway of her short blue hair. Just a reach of his arm... would he be able to feel her warmth?

Of course not. It was now a memory to be tucked away. In this cold, sad world that he fought to survive in, he could not save the one he desperately wished to.

Ekko raised his arm toward the stars in the sky, laying there. So far yet so close. The stars represented her, burning bright until the very end.

When he first heard news that Jinx was gone, his gut dropped down to levels of hell, a torment of agony and lament drowning him in waves. How could it possibly be? She was the one that always came back from the dead to haunt him, a thorn to his side he could not get rid of. But now, she was gone, the moment he tried to reach out to her again.

He wondered.

He wondered so bad.

Boy Savior she called him. It made him so angry back then. So angry he turned his back on her, accepting the fact that he would never see the same girl he once was so close to.

But now he wondered if he gave up on her too soon.

Deep down all along, Powder was in there. The pain that she endured to live the way she had, she did everything to survive. But his cowardice could not face that. He could not see the suffering or the light that had disappeared from her gaze. The glimpse of her scared face beneath his grasp during their fight looked so much like... Powder. And yet, he still could not save her. Instead, he watched Silco carry her away, for her to continue the path of destruction.

When he found her there in her hideout, prepared to end it all, he could finally see the scope of it all. No longer was he shrouded in an endless cycle of rage and resentment, and for once, he could see it with a clear vision.

He should have tried harder -- to be at her side, save her of the demons that chased her.

She had painted him of her colors, her touch tickling his skin as he watched the furrow of her concentrated brow. Jinx was different from Powder in the other timeline, more rough and shrivel, her scowl imprinted on her lips. He realized he didn't mind it though.

Then they went off to war, only for one of them to return.

He... missed her.

Now all that was left of were his spiraling thoughts, of what ifs and regrets.

He pressed his fist against his forehead, feeling the heat of tears swarm from the corner of his eyes. Where he had been with Powder in the other universe on the same rooftop overlooking Piltover, he was now alone, the quiet unbearable.

Powder's words rang in his mind, a push for him to keep going.

"Sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind."

[tkpuke]

IM ALSO OBSESSED W TIMEBOMB AND THERE ARE BASICALLY NO TICKLE CONTENT SOOO

my personals headcanons or thoughts on them(mostly alternative universe version)😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏

> They had soo much tickle fights during the childhood!! (I rewatched “enemy” animation by riot and there was a moment at the start when Ekko scared Powder by grabbing her when she didn’t expect and she was so 😨 and he just started laughing and IT WAS SO CUTE AHHGGG *dies*)

> Vi was ruthless to Ekko, she just headlocked him and that’s it.. he’s dead;; he also wanted to look all cool and in front of Powder, but then she saw him getting totally wrecked by her older sis and it was how she found out. Or I’d say since they grew up together they had these fights all the time.

> Ekko was really embarrassed by his sensitivity but Powder found it adorable since he was so 🥺🥺🥺

> In another universe they spend countless nights burning incense, drinking cider, listening and dancing to music and having tickle fights at Powder’s place while being tipsy

> Powder’s laugh is very contagious and he just can’t stop smiling when he hears it😭 and it doesn’t matter if it was a tickle fight or a dumb joke mid conversation, he’ll recognise it anywhere

> Her worse spots are just her upper body and behing knees which makes her just freeze and take it, his are NECK (imagine petting a cat under the neck but it’s actually Ekko and instead of purring he chuckled) and just some basic spots but also has ticklish calves

> They are so AAAAAAAAAAA

(also)

> I can see Ekko getting wrecked by the kids in their firelights camp. Because he literally like adopted them😭 best big bro I swear

AAA THANK U FOR BLESSING US WITH UR TIMEBOMB TK HEADCANNONS 🤲🏻

first off, YES they definitely had a bunch of tickle fights when they were younger. Mostly Ekko being a little shit and messing with Powder 24/7, but who says she never got her revenge on him? I like to believe Ekko is slightly more ticklish than Powder and he never hears the end of it from his friends.

Vi definitely plays a little rough with all of them when they were all younger. Her finding out Ekko is ticklish in the midst of rough-housing with him made everything even worse for poor Ekko. She never lets him live it down, always tickling him until he surrenders whenever they play fight or just gives him a poke to the side when walking past him. Y’know, cause Vi is a little shit. Powder never teases him for it though, cause she’s often on the receiving end as well 😭

Sigghhh, in another universe they are happy 😔 I would pay to see a season of just solely Ekko and Powder on what could’ve been if things didn’t turn out the way it did. I think we ALL would pay to see that.

Powder has the cutest laugh EVER. It sounds kind of raspy at times and it’ll crack here and there when a really ticklish spot is being targeted or she finds something very funny. Ekko adores her laugh. He adores everything about her, how could he not? He always tries to hear her AT LEAST giggle once a day. He makes it his mission.

Oh goodness HER KNEES don’t be surprised if she accidentally kicks the living shit out of your face when u attack her there. Ekko can confirm that does happen because he’s a victim of it himself 😔 and omg ur so right about Ekko’s neck. Powder sometimes will pretend to give him a neck massage when he looks like he needs it from her, but really it’s just an excuse to get him giggling adorably.

IMISSTHEM I LOVE THEM SO MUCH UGH I CAN TALK ABT THEM FOREVERRRR

[liesmyth]

Cytherea raised Gideon AU, where Gideon is still the same but also wants to be an author and is way more overdramatic and depressed about being a cavalier

Cytherea finds Gideon on the Ninth and doesn't quite know what she wants to do with this child who could open the tomb, could be the catalyst of a lyctor rebellion, could be Many things so she just waits for the ginger tickling timebomb to grow on a steady diet of melodramatic Seventh House novels

[ixupi94]

Timebomb // Sleepytime Teatime

Ticking Timebomb - Chapter 4

The master of time takes his own tea cup and inhales the sweet tones of lavender before taking a small sip. His shimmering golden eyes subtly shift from his tea to his honored guest. 

N.Gin softly huffs as he smiles at the handsome man sitting there across him in the dim moonlight, mimicking him by smelling the flowery vapor and taking a sip. 

"Oh… That's…"

Nefarious' amused smile widens in anticipation, not expecting much positive of a review.

"...interesting."

Nefarious chuckles quietly, observing the adorable individual, noting his silly youthful crush on the little ginger, apparent by the tickle in his stomach. 

"-Is it, now..?" He casually responds, almost teasingly.

N.Gin looks up with wide eyes. "Um… Yes. It actually tastes like flowers. It's … pretty nice." He takes another sip. It really is surprisingly good, and the honey is a welcome addition.

A small sound of surprised satisfaction leaves the Brit. 

[tearfest]

ㅤㅤmija had been a ticking timebomb before her sinful pact with wonbin. what else was to be expected from a sheltered catholic girl with a raging porn-turned-wonbin addiction? he had been a blessing in the form of the perfect outlet — a man that was willing to defile her in ways that she’d only ever seen in videos. and the man she’d spent so long pining for, no less. how did she ever get so lucky? he justified her carnal urges while giving her a purpose, something that she’d been lacking for so long. 

ㅤㅤeven if that purpose involved being subjected to beautiful punishments such as this one… all that begging for him to fuck her, and he’d spoilt her enough to oblige, but her cunt was still empty, and her ass was so sore. the tears that had welled in her warm brown eyes started to fall with each blink, drops tickling her skin as they rolled down past her temples and down her cheeks when she lifted her head to bury her nose in his locks — muffling the moans that his bite evoked whilst savouring the feeling of his lips on her shoulder, even if it does hurt. but, for her, pain brought pleasure.

ㅤㅤin that moment, when her father knocked on her bedroom door, she selfishly wished for him to drop dead. he’d raised her to be loyal and devout, yet there he was, threatening to interrupt her act of repentance. it took all of her strength to answer, her voice only faltering once or twice as she willed him away, trying to listen to his footsteps as they grew further away, but it was proving hard to listen to anything but the lewd wetness of her tight ring being stretched out. how her father hadn’t heard the relentless slamming of wonbin’s hips was a mystery, but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

ㅤㅤher hole never once lessened its hold around wonbin’s pulsating length, the pain of each thrust never alleviating but only shifting into a distorted pleasure whenever the head pressed deep enough for her to feel it in her cunt. a gag sounded at how suddenly his fingers were in her throat, teary eyes glistening as they sought his out — still searching for approval every time she looked in them. the lewd strikes to her cunt have her eyes widening and her body trembling with pleasure, each contact made with her clit making her thighs tense and her holes clench, doubling both the pleasure and the pain as she comes undone at his last strike in spite of her emptiness — her juices erupting from her in ways that made her cheeks red from embarrassment.

ㅤㅤshe doesn’t know what it was that tipped her over the edge exactly, whether it was the blinding pain from his relentless thrusts, or the force of his hands, or the carnal look in his eyes, or the demeaning way he spoke to her, or all of the above… she just hoped the mess she’d made on his clothes wouldn’t get her in trouble. she didn’t dare moan when she came, nor did she dare moan when his thrusts grew more feverish and her tight walls tried to keep up with the demand of his pace and size, but she couldn’t hold back the moan that his words conjured. she’s drooling around his fingers when she nods, her desperation evident in her face as she grew closer to getting what it was that she wanted the most… just not where she wanted it. but she’d earned this, and she can earn that, too.

Wonbin had not set out to find someone to manipulate, it was just that Mija turned out to be so pliable in both body and mind that it came naturally. Add to that his intellect that knew where to say what when and this situation felt much less absurd. Meant to be even. Who else would be able to take control of her, doubtful that she would know what to do with herself if not for Wonbin taking over for her. All while she was so blissfully oblivious to what was really happening. And so this was where he decided her place was, underneath him, at his mercy, a useful tool for his every need. Maybe god was real, and maybe he had chosen Wonbin as someone special. At least the idea had him chuckle, something eventually drowned in a distinct moan that he muffled by sinking his teeth into her shoulder until a deep impression of them was left behind. Bruises, bites, wounds- how much longer would she be able to explain them away to her boyfriend? The heir was interested to see what would happen. Especially now that he was sure he was rendering her impossible to sit comfortably for a while. A steady reminder of himself wherever she would be. With the knock disturbing his thought process, there was only a brief moment of care before he continued on. Honestly he couldn't care less about what the man on the other side of the door was saying, all he focused on was the delicious way she squeezed around him from nervousness, the look in her eyes of terror mixed with the usual need of approval and with just one glance down her folded body he took notice of her arousal making a mess of herself and his cock, spilling with each impactful thrust rocking her body. Mija had barely finished speaking to her father and Wonbin decided to shove his fingers into her mouth, letting them stroke across her tongue to the back of her throat, properly stuffing that mouth to muffle further noise. A precaution given how he leaned back, slipped his other hand between them and began striking her open cunt with his palm. "Look at your cunt drooling. Maybe fucking your ass is better than anything you could feel with this used up hole." Once more his hips came to a grind just for two more strikes hitting her sex. The expression he carried was priceless. Something he had never let slip before but now it seemed the mask had fully fallen, any smile, any amusement having left there was only something primal, something dark left in his eyes as he looked down to her as he picked up the pace and started drilling his cock deep into her. "Nod if you need my seed. If you can't exist without it anymore."

[inari-zaheer]

oh my god i love timebomb but i didn’t know that you could request them poly 😔😔….but now that i know can i request mornings with timebomb like the one with violyn ? thank you and i have a great day !!

I do write Poly inserts with every couple, Timebomb is one of my favorites, have a great day too♥️

Mornings With Timebomb

Pairing:Ekko x Reader x Jinx

Tw:Mention of sex

—————————————

These two would be the clingiest people on earth while sleeping with you

Jinx would be hugging you with her head tucked on your neck while Ekko would hold her from behind while caressing your side

Jinx sleeps in the middle mainly cause sometimes she has the worst nightmares, but it was also so she could not steal all the blankets lol

Ekko would be the first one to wake up

Not wanting to disturb any of you try to untangle himself from you guys, he’d just sit there and admire

After sometime you wake up and he just gives you the softest smile possible while caressing your cheek

You always let Jinx sleep in a little bit cause without you both she doesn’t get a healthy sleep schedule

But if you guys had something important to do that day you wake her up by kissing her head

Which she just whines and nuzzle herself even closer to your neck

So Ekko starts kissing her shoulders and neck tickling her

After a long while of morning kisses and cuddles you guys finally get up and start getting ready for the day

But only after all three of you had breakfast together, as Jinx always asks

You and Ekko would be the ones to cook it, not because Jinx is a bad cook, far from it, but because her cooking methods are…dangerous exotic

They both take turns in hugging you from behind while the other arrange the table

Y’all sit and eat talking about the chores you have for the day while Jinx playa footsie with you and Ekko

After eating you head to the bathroom, were when the three of you were in the mood Jinx definitely convinced you to have morning shower sex

Which you guys ended up doing pretty often, just to, y’know, start the day better

You’d sit in the counter with Ekko between your legs holding your waist as you do his face paint, and if you wore it too he’d do yours

And then the both of you would brush Jinx’s hair and braid it, as she doesn’t trust anyone else to do it

She’d try and convince you both to just forget any important tasks of the day and just pass the day cuddling each other

But it didn’t work, so after a good amount of hugs and goodbye kisses y’all go on your separate ways for your day