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Ekko sat on top of one of the roofs in a middle section of Zaun overlooking a sparsely populated shopping area. It was fairly late and while the city never really slept this area was never particularly busy to begin with. Which is why he chose this spot, because he needed to think. Heimerdinger had told him he was spending too much time in the office or his workshop and was running himself ragged.
"Ekko, my dear boy, what you're doing isn't healthy," Heimerdinger commented. While I never would deny a man his passion, I believe this 'passion' you exhibit borders on obsession. Now take some time off. Maybe spending some time with your lady friend will clear your head. Off you go!"
It was strange getting kicked out of his own office, but he knew that Heimerdinger was right. After the last case he was on, he'd been spending a lot of time tinkering and just keeping his mind busy. Too much downtime and he'd fall into a sort of depression that was hard to get out of. Lots of sleepless nights. Wandering aimlessly around Zaun with no clear idea of what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go.
He had hoped that Jinx would come around and talk to him, but she never did. Oh, he knew she was around. There were the usual signs. Things shuffled around in his apartment. New containers of milk in his fridge, or whatever it was she fancied at the time. He could sometimes find traces of her smell on his pillow. Water on the floor in his shower room. The occasional shirt missing. She was always there, yet not there at the same time.
That feeling he got, was it loneliness? How to describe the feeling when there's someone just out of your reach, but you can't touch them. The traces of them are everywhere. There's a special kind of yearning that there was probably a word for, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Every morning he'd wake up hoping that she'd be next to him again. Just there-- staring at him with those big pink eyes of hers. The very thought of it made his heart ache.
He stared at a piece of paper he had in his hand. He'd been holding it for quite a while. Had it been days? Weeks? He wasn't sure anymore. Whenever he'd feel anxious, he'd take it out of his pocket subconsciously and focus on it. It was something he had written. A note to himself so that he wouldn't forget. However, instead of it being a note of promise or hope, it had turned into a reminder of his fear. Fear of what? he thought. He chuckled under his breath. Ekko knew exactly what he was scared of. Silently he cursed himself.
Behind him, he could hear someone coming, so he quickly jammed the paper back into his pants pocket and looked at his hands. He had an idea of who it could be, but didn't want to make any assumptions as Scar had a way of finding him in moments like this.
With a flop a woman in brown pants, brown jacket, gray boots, and black gloves sat next to him. She rubbed her hands on her thighs and began playfully swinging her legs over the edge of the roof.
His heart leapt into his throat, but he didn't do more than nod while staring out into the fairly empty plaza below.
"Hi. You look like you could use some company. Can I join you?" Jinx asked.
With a wave, he accepted her company and she nodded back. For a while they just sat there in silence. Jinx had become better at reading his mood. When they were kids, she always would poke him or get in his face to force him to talk even when he didn't want to. It was annoying, but in some way he hoped she would do that now. Instead she just would sit next to him and wait until he was ready to talk. Maybe this was a sign that she was trying to change herself or maybe she just wanted to make sure she didn't step on his ego. With the complicated history between them he felt like perhaps it was the same for him as well.
He looked at her and realized that she was looking at him with the biggest grin on her face. That look always made his face hot and trying to contain that feeling was futile. She was obviously holding in her desire to do something physical looking for a chance to get in close to do something silly. She never had any real boundaries when it came to him. Was there even a boundary? He quickly looked away with his whole body getting warm all of a sudden. What was it about her? She was so beautiful. More beautiful than when they were young. Age definitely was kind to her. It wasn't just her beauty. There was this energy about her. A wild spirit that warmed him. It was so bright-- almost blinding. As much as he hated to admit it, she was his. He never really had any doubt and neither did she. So why was it so damn hard for him to talk to her?
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his thigh. A comforting hand. Without noticing he realized she had scooted over and was practically on top of him. Yep, no regard for personal space.
"What was that you were looking at?" she asked curiously.
He shook his head. "It was nothing. A list of things I need to do. Been pretty busy lately."
Her nose curled and she tapped his leg with the hand that was resting there. A sign of disapproval.
Without warning, she reached over and put both of her hands on his cheeks, turning his head to face her. He resisted out of reflex, but she tried again, but softer and he acquiesced. She gave him her best pout and puppy eyes. "Why are you so sad?" Then she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his.
Ekko closed his eyes and took in her smell and warmth. He smiled to himself as he realized she had begun using the shampoo he liked. It was more of a passing comment a month ago, but apparently she acted on it. She smelled so nice. That mild hint of peach was intoxicating. She slowly rubbed her right thumb over his cheek and gave him a toothless smile that he made sure to return. It was then that he realized what he had to do.
* * * * * * * * * *
Jinx had been watching Ekko for weeks and while she tried to give him his space, she was beginning to realize that he was spiraling into a sort of self induced depression. Every once in a while she'd catch him staring at a small slip of paper with that upturned lip he always got when he was frustrated. She was starting to get upset and it was frustrating her to no end.
That morning she had spoken with Heimerdinger and they both came to the conclusion that he needed to get away from whatever it was that he was using as a way to escape his problems. That was work. His dedication to the Firelights. It was both a blessing for him, but also a curse. He used it as way to run from everything. Vi and Caitlyn were both worried as well. Even Scar. Her and Scar had formed some sort of bond over the last year. They both wanted to protect Ekko as he was being self destructive and it was painful to watch.
Sometimes she wondered if this was what Ekko saw when he looked at her. She didn't want him to suffer anymore so she made sure to keep her destructive ways to a minimum so that he could have some sort of peace. It didn't seem to be working as he had became more withdrawn. That sad look on his face became more and more frequent.
Now she looked him in the eye and saw that sadness again. It made her heart sink. She hoped her presence would cheer him up, and for a moment she got a glimpse of that energy he used to have, but it vanished just as fast. What could she do?
Ekko gave her a smile, grabbed her hands to gently remove them from his face, then stood up. "Are you busy now?" he inquired.
She shook her head. "I am free tonight. I'm all yours...if you want me."
He held out his hand to her, "Care to go on a date with me?"
Her heart fluttered. A date? This was new. Unconsciously, she bit her bottom lip. It was mid February and cold, yet she was feeling this heat course through her body. She took his hand and said, "Okay." She cursed herself for not saying something snarkier, but her brain wasn't working all that well at the moment. "There's only one problem. There's no way I can wander around in the open like this." She pointed to her attire. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she was a wanted woman.
"Oh. That's right," he reflected.
She giggled. "Why don't you let me wear your coat? It's large enough for us to wander around and no one would even know it was me."
He took a moment to contemplate her suggestion, then nodded in agreement. "I have an idea, but we'll need to go to my place first."
They had made a little detour to his apartment. She had left her own coat there and donned his while he picked up another for himself. It was cold and it was better for them both to be protected from the elements. His coat was intoxicating, more high inducing than any drug. All she could do for the first few minutes was to sit on a stool and just soak in the smells. It was him. All him. He kept asking her if it was okay and she just nodded. The size was large and with the hood up she doubted anyone would suspect she was buried in it's warmth.
Once that was done, they boarded his hoverboard and were off to a part of the city they both knew well. This area was where they had played as kids. It was a place where tinkerers usually gathered to sell their wares. Benzo's old shop wasn't far from here. There was a wave of pleasant nostalgia that washed over her. It had been years since she had really walked through this area.
Ekko took her hand and they walked around reminiscing about how things had changed since they were kids. She was surprised that he held her hand and while they were both wearing gloves, her palms were sweating. There was no way to describe this feeling so she decided not to and just let things play out. They were together...in public. The euphoric feeling was like nothing she had ever experienced. Was this what it was like to actually act on her love for him? In some way she became scared. That unsure feeling she got when her walls were feeling that pressure.
Sensing her trepidation, Ekko squeezed her hand gently and that snapped her back to reality. She looked at him and he her. They quickly looked away and continued their walk through the city.
Ekko broke the silence and said with a laugh, "Remember this place? Old Mr. Quina used to yell at us for rummaging through his junk." They were standing in front of a door to what looked like a clock shop.
She laughed with him. "He would go to Vander and complain that we were trespassing on his property. Vander would just smile and nod, then send us on our way without a word."
Looking up at the night sky Ekko mused, "I think deep down he liked us. I thought it was funny how he would always put that junk back there even though he could have easily taken it to the junkyard. Then there was the fact that he would give us that little smirk after he'd leave Vander's place. I miss that guy."
Jinx nodded in agreement. "He was fun." Mr. Quina had died not long after Vander and the others. She would sometimes walk by to make herself feel better, but at some point he stopped sitting by his window and she never saw him again.
"He was a lonely man. His wife died early in their marriage and they never had kids. I always thought that us digging through his junk was just a way for him to stay connected to something. Once we were gone...it's like he didn't have any reason to keep going." Ekko looked affectionately at the shop and put his free hand on the door. Someone else operated from there now, but the remnants of the old place were still visible underneath the surface. "I talked to him a couple of times after Vander died. With my parents keeping me home more often, I couldn't do more for him. One day I came to see him and his shop was closed. I found out a few days later that he had died."
They both stood there in silence. The shop was closed currently, so there was no chance someone would see them. There was a certain weight to his story. She reached up with her free hand and rubbed his right cheek. He was deep in thought and that sad look reared its ugly head.
"Ekko," she whispered.
That snapped him out of whatever trance he was in. "I'm sorry. This is supposed to be happy." Putting his hand on hers he pushed it closer to his face. "Sometimes I wonder if that will be me in the future. A lonely old man who lost everything through the passage of time."
Jinx removed her hand and lightly punched him in the chest. "What are you talking about? You have me and I'll always be here with you. Whatever it is, we'll be together. Even if the world is on fire around us. So none of those thoughts, okay?"
It took everything she had to fight her own insecurities, but Vi told her many times that she had to be strong for both of them. In a lot of ways, Ekko's walls were stronger and taller than her own. A mountain, she called them. Higher than the highest peaks in Runeterra. It never made any sense to her. He was surrounded by people who loved him dearly. His parents. His precious Firelights. Vi. Caitlyn. Scar. Heimerdinger. And of course, herself. Yet, he was always alone. Fighting the world in a battle all by himself.
In contrast to her own loneliness where she was quite literally alone. Most of her days were in solitude. Every now and then she could chat with Vi and Caitlyn as they had long since buried the hatchet and it did grant her some kind of normalcy, yet she didn't feel lonely anymore. At least not that soul crushing loneliness she used to feel. Just looking at Ekko and following him around was enough to remind her that she wasn't alone. She always had him. When she needed to see his face, she could. When she needed to touch something of his, she could. At some point she simply stopped worrying about it. This gave her peace. Something she'd been wanting since she was a kid.
He blinked at her, before giving her a weak smile. Don't do it, Ekko. Please, she thought. She took his hand and ran ahead with a laugh. "Enough of this. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving! This is our date. Don't you want to show me a good time?"
That seemed to brighten his mood and he pulled her in close and said, "You're right. Someone told me about this place that's supposed to be great, but it's in Piltover." He looked at his watch. "If we hurry, we can make it before it closes."
"Piltover?"
"Oh come on, now. Caitlyn recommended this place. It's right across the bridge. Let's take a chance and give it a shot."
Jinx feigned surprise, then in a huff said, "Okay. Let's go!"
They made their way to this nice little bakery maybe a block from one of the bridges into Zaun. She was surprised it was a bakery, but they served soup and other light dishes as well as bread, cake, and a variety of other sweets. They had just arrived before close and the owner gave them a smile and offered them a seat. Considering they were both rather famished, they removed their coats and ordered. The owner was delighted and helped them choose dishes they may have been interested in. Jinx was worried that he would perhaps recognize her, but he never made any indications that he did. That allowed her to relax and enjoy her quiet time with Ekko.
The food was amazing. Even she had to admit that Caitlyn had some great taste. Jinx wondered how she found this place considering it's on a side street off of the beaten path through town. It wasn't often that she was able to get a good meal and being able to share this one with Ekko, made the food taste better. He had also relaxed and began telling her stories about the early days of the Firelights. Some of it she knew and others she didn't, but she didn't interrupt as it was one of the few times he had that twinkle in his eye and she wanted to savor it as long as she could.
They had stayed a little bit beyond closing hours and the owner of the shop took some time to actually chat with them as he was taking care of the closing chores. He was a nice man who had grown up in Zaun, but was able to make a good life for himself "on the border" as he called it. They promised that they would return in the future and he gave them a thankful hug before they left.
After they were finished, Ekko paid and they left with that after dinner glow. She was flying high at this point and if the date had ended here it would have been a success in her eyes.
It had gotten a little chillier as the night went on and she took the opportunity to grab his arm while holding his hand. They huddled in close and casually began walking back home.
Walking in silence gave her this strange sense of calm. Her and Ekko were finally doing what normal couples do. Not that she ever wanted them to be a normal couple but she thought they at least deserved those moments. The hand holding. The relaxing walks in the park. The kissing...and everything else that came after that. The thought of anything more than kissing gave her this tingling feeling and she wasn't sure what that meant. She wasn't afraid of more intimate activities, the truth was they had just never been together long enough for something like that to happen. By now, he had to have been well aware that she wasn't bashful around him, but Ekko being the gentleman he was never took advantage of her. When they were ready, she thought.
For some reason thinking about evening activities made her face get hot and she laughed to herself. Ekko must have noticed her laugh and curiously asked, "What are you laughing about?"
Jinx bumped him lovingly and said, "Oh, nothing. It's such a clear night tonight, don't you think?" Changing the subject.
He squeezed her arm tighter and agreed, "It's nice. Quiet and nice." Suddenly he stopped and looked up at the sky and had the biggest grin on his face.
Confused, she asked, "What?"
"I want you to see something." He pulled out his hoverboard, fired it up, and hopped on. Extending his hand in her direction, he bowed. "Madame, would you care to join me?"
She tried so hard to keep that silly grin off of her face, but ended up losing that battle. There was that gleam in his eye again and as she stared into those beautiful brown orbs of his she melted inside. Without a second thought she took his hand and joined him on his hoverboard. Not sure where they were going, but she didn't care. Take me anywhere.
Nodding to himself, he told her to hold on as tight as she could...and they were off.
She couldn't begin to describe the feeling of zooming through the air at such speed. Many times she thought she was going to fall off, but he always managed to keep them balanced. If there was anything to say about Ekko it would be he was easily the best hoverboard rider. No one was even close. The buildings flew by with such speed she hardly had any time to really admire them. Higher and higher they climbed riding the buildings until they were above the city looking down at some insane height. It was just them against the beautiful night sky, the stars twinkling like little shards of glass at the bottom of a clear stream.
There were no words to describe how breathtaking the scenery was. They stood there above the city and she had never thought that either Zaun or Piltover were all that impressive looking, but from here both of them were beyond her imagination.
Ekko carefully turned around and held her close to him. It was especially cold at this height and they were probably going to pay for this tomorrow, but it was them and only them right now. Against the backdrop of the world.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"It's beautiful. So pretty."
He placed his chin on her forehead. "When I first built my board, I took it as high as I could. Damn near killed myself, but what I saw that day--. I don't know, it reminded me of how beautiful the world can be even in the face of so much pain. I've never shared this with anyone else, but I hope you can accept this from me."
Jinx looked him in the eyes and there it was again, that twinkle she'd sorely missed. She so desperately wanted to pounce on him, but considered their situation and refrained. She instead did the only thing available to her...she kissed him. Ekko jerked away at first, but she put her hand behind his head and pulled him in. There was no way he was getting out of this. His protest was brief, a mere fraction of a second, before his impulses took over. They kissed slowly at first, then increased the speed and frequency. They had to be especially careful not to fall and that was getting difficult the longer they continued.
Ekko broke off their kiss and looked at her again. She couldn't make out what he was thinking and that confused her. She could feel a knot forming in her chest. Leaning in he kissed her on the ear and said, "Jinx, I love you. From now until forever."
The sound of his words touched her stomach. That's where it started. This feeling she couldn't describe. Happiness? Longing? She didn't have a word for it. A tingle. It traveled through her body. From her stomach through her spine to her chest. Through the joints in her shoulders. Through her arms and her legs. A wave of emotion that culminated in the curling of her toes and fingers. A tear that snuck away from her left eye.
He loved her. She knew this. She always knew this. Or at least she thought she did, but there as a time when she doubted. That doubt lead to frustration. Pain. Her own personal torment. It wasn't until their encounter on the bridge that she knew for sure. There were no doubts in her mind, but he never really showed it to her. She really didn't need to hear the words, but in absence of affection, the words helped. They calmed the mind and eased the demons of doubt.
A hand wiped the tear from her eye. The feeling of the gloved thumb gliding effortlessly across her cheek. Slowly. Softly. With purpose. She didn't even realize her eyes were closed until she opened them. He stared at her with that goofy smile and eyes as sharp and as radiant as rubies. She kissed him affectionately one more time before settling against his chest. No matter what came she was sure she wanted to be with him forever, and even that wasn't long enough.
* * * * * * * * * *
At the moment of his confession, Ekko felt lighter. That weight that had been on his mind for so long was lifted in an instant. It freed him of his fear and gave him new drive and purpose. Jinx had started crying and he wiped a tear from her face. In the moonlight she was by far the brightest star in the sky. His bundle of chaos. Not anyone's...his. That made him proud for some reason.
There were two more things that needed to be done. He started to slowly make their decent and while he did, he held her bangs in his hand and smiled. The tips of her hair that had been dyed white were just reminders of how close they were and her love for him.
"It's you," remarked Jinx. She thought for a second, then corrected herself, "No, it's us. I hope you understand me now."
Ekko nodded to her. "I do." He glanced at the hourglass paint mark on her left cheek. Exactly where Vi had hers. No doubt they were definitely sisters. Jinx realized where he was looking and moved his fingers to touch it.
"Jinx, move in with me."
He heard her audibly gasp. "What?"
"I know you're not a Firelight and I'm not asking you to be, but I don't think I can go many more days like we are now. I'll add a room and you can sleep there, but I don't want us to be apart anymore. I know it's not--"
Jinx cut him off, "Of course, I will. I've been waiting for you to ask me for months, dummy. Sheesh."
They both laughed.
"Ekko. Ekko. Ekko. Finally being honest. I like it!" She snuggled closer and stroked the back of his head with her left hand. "We don't need another room. Just yours is fine."
For some reason her comment made his ears get hot. Best not to think about it, buddy.
There was only one thing left to do. He reached into his pocket, removed the slip of paper he'd been carrying since forever, and released it upon the world.
Jinx followed the paper as it was blown away by the breeze. "Why did you do that?"
He held her close and replied softly, "I don't need it anymore."
"But you never told me what was on it," she pouted.
"Don't worry about it. It's not important."
Both of them were starting to shiver, and that was their cue to return home. There was no way to know what was going to happen in the future, but no matter what it was they would face it together. He used to think maybe that wasn't enough, but he now knew he was wrong.
* * * * * * * * * *
The decent was slow with the wind currents fluctuating randomly. It fluttered about helplessly, moving ever forward through the heavens unsure of where its final destination lie. The streaks of light passed by like a glowing stream ever pulling it towards its ultimate fate. It touched down quietly against the ripples of a flowing stream drawing water in between its folds. Its message being shown one last time to sky, the heavens, under the twinkling lights of the stars. "Tell Jinx I love her" was all it said. Written plainly and carefully. The crumpled note disappeared silently under the waves, caught in the undercurrent of the dark watery abyss. Lost forever in the depths of the unknown.