Chapter Text
Jinx leaned back in her seat, her grin widening as she watched the chaos unfold. The other students were giving her looks like she was the problem, but she knew better. Honestly, they should be thanking her. Most of them probably hadn’t even looked at the assignment, let alone attempted it. The teacher was going on about rescheduling and a meeting with the discipline office, but she wasn’t worried. Maybe she’d overdone it a little, but seriously, she didn’t plant anything. The stuff she was messing with just had spiraled out of control. What was the point of science if she couldn’t experiment anyway.
While the others left, she stayed behind. She didn’t know what else she was going to waste her time on. It was moments like this that made her miss her siblings. She could almost hear them laughing about the disaster she’d just caused and how the pilties couldn’t handle a lil explosion. Bored, she grabbed her notebook and started doodling her usual, signature monkey drawings to decorate her notes. She barely had time to get immersed in her work before a shadow stretched across her page. She looked up, her blue eyes locking with a pair of intense brown ones.
It had to be Ekko. Just her luck . There he was, probably all upset that she had ruined his oh-so-serious student council meeting.
"Hey again," she said with a grin. "Looks like you missed lab class. As you can see... it got a little explosive ." She emphasized the word, with the full intention of provoking him, for the second time that day. The whole point was to get under his skin, and this was round two of their usual clash. It wasn’t a daily thing, but when the mood struck, she couldn’t resist poking at him.
Unless she wasn’t creating a mess. Ekko usually tried to ignore her, and she didn’t like being ignored.
“We heard an explosion from far away. I knew it had to be you,” he said, his voice calm but sharp, his eyes narrowing in that way that always made her feel like he was analyzing every little thing about her. He didn’t look impressed, of course. He never did.
“Oh, come on,” she said with a teasing smirk. “It wasn’t that bad. Just a little bang. I’m sure you’ve heard worse, right?” she tilted her head as she remembered all the fuss she’d caused over the past year.
Ekko’s expression remained cool, but she could see the muscle in his jaw twitch, making her raise an eyebrow. “You really have a talent for making a mess, don’t you?”
So she leaned forward, her smirk growing wider. “You wouldn’t understand, Ekko.” She glanced at the monkey doodles she’d been making, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. “I mean, you do love keeping everything timed and orders and whatever, but it must be boring as hell. No room for fun, huh?”
She inspected his face, trying to catch a flicker of anger, but Ekko was pretty good at hiding it. His expression remained steady, a little too calm for her liking.
“No, I don’t,” he said. His eyes trailed deliberately over her body, and for a split second, she wondered if he was looking for signs that she’d hurt herself. I mean, the explosion was loud, but not deadly or anything to send her to the hospital. She quickly brushed off the thought, stifling a laugh at her own stupid thoughts. Yeah, right. Like he cares. He probably just thought she had one of her little bombs stashed somewhere. Everyone knew by now that Jinx was never without a surprise or two hidden in her clothes. Before she could overthink it any further, he added, “Not when I have responsibilities to handle, while you’re always busy exploding something.”
“I promise, this time it was an accident,” she defended herself, her voice dripping with mockery. There was some truth to it, though. Sure, she liked blowing things up, but sometimes, things just happened on their own. Not for nothing, she was a Jinx.
“I find it hard to believe you,” Ekko responded, his tone unimpressed, knowing full well what she was capable of. After all, he had seen it multiple times.
Jinx’s grin widened. “Okay, fine, you don’t have to believe me. But seriously, Ekko, you’re soooo...” she stretched the word out like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. “ Serious. ”
“Where’s your sense of fun?” She paused, looking him up and down. “Maybe you could loosen up a little. You know, let things... explode once in a while.” she said innocently.
Ekko could see what she was doing, trying to get under his skin like always. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he said. “For me to lose control.” He paused, meeting her eyes. “But that’s not who I am.”
Her smile flickered for a moment, a hint of challenge in her eyes. “Yeah? Well, maybe that’s your problem.” She shrugged, then gave him one last cheeky grin. “I’ll be around, Ekko. And next time, I’ll make sure the accident is even bigger.”
With that, she pushed herself up from her desk, not breaking eye contact for a second. She strutted out of the classroom, a little bounce in her step. It was like a cycle, she’d blow something up, Ekko would swoop in all heroic to clean up the mess, they’d part ways, and then she’d do it all over again. The best part? She knew he couldn’t ignore her, no matter how hard he tried. She could practically feel the weight of the professors’ expectations on his shoulders, counting on him to keep her in check. And that? That made it even sweeter. She had him wrapped around her finger, and honestly, that was the most fun part of it all.
Having left the classroom, she made her way to the dorms, planning to skip the class. Not that she couldn’t catch up later, she actually went to most of her classes, despite what people thought. Today, though? She just wasn’t feeling it. The period was just starting, so what was the harm in missing it?
But if anything, her triumph was short-lived. The smirk faded the moment she spotted Viktor stepping out of a classroom like a ghost, his eyes locking onto hers. He stood there, arms crossed, as if he’d been expecting her to escape.
Well, fuck.
"Jinx," Viktor said in that calm, measured tone of his that somehow felt worse than someone yelling at her, because she knew he was about to give her one of those boring lectures. "You’re aware your science class professor has already contacted the discipline office, aren’t you?" He raised an eyebrow, and she simply nodded. It couldn't be helped. "Your little incident has caused quite the commotion."
She groaned internally. Every time he started, it reminded her of Vander. Same vibe, same tone, same endless patience. After she got into the academy, Viktor had somehow taken it upon himself to look after her. Not that anyone asked him to, but maybe he felt sorry for her or something, and ever since, he’d been like this weird, unofficial mentor. She knew he was busy, working on some hextech thingy with his partner Jayce, who she hadn’t even met yet, while also being assistant to Professor Heimerdinger. She had no idea how he managed to juggle all that and still somehow find time to babysit her.
Anyway, she just wanted to get through this, then head back to her dorm and collapse into bed before her next class. Maybe take a nap, or just zone out and forget the whole day. She could blame Ekko for this. His mere presence sometimes sucked the energy right out of her, but then again, that was probably on her too, for getting close to him.
“Could you actually believe me if I say it was an accident?” she said with a shrug. Her classmates hadn’t believed her, neither had the professor, and, to no one’s surprise, neither had Ekko.
Viktor sighed, “I could, but I also heard you painted over one of the paintings.” She froze, the memory of what she’d done hitting her. It had been the first thing she did that day, just because she was bored, and the painting itself had looked boring too. Her bad, she guessed. "Jinx, you can’t keep having people clean up after you," Viktor said, making sure she was paying attention.
She leaned against the wall, letting out an exaggerated sigh, already losing interest. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind next time I accidentally revolutionize science or something," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Viktor didn’t take the bait. "I hope so, because your punishment has been decided."
Jinx’s eyebrow shot up. Now that was new. The professors usually just shrugged her off, like the messes she made were part of her charm. But two explosions in one day? Maybe they were starting to get fed up. She opened her mouth to protest, but Viktor cut her off with a look, one of those "I'm serious" stares. She crossed her arms and slouched, thinking of how to escape whatever boring task they'd throw at her.
“You’ll spend the entire week after classes in the library, organizing books that students leave out of place, cleaning, and returning the ones they bring back.” He paused, watching her eyes flicker with annoyance. “And no,” he added before she could object, “it’s not negotiable.”
She groaned audibly this time, “The library? You know, I was really hoping to do something exciting. But nope, you’ve got me stuck with books. That place is like a graveyard”
“Precisely,” Viktor said, his tone firm but not unkind. “Perhaps a quiet environment will teach you the value of…”
“Yeah, or it'll just suck the soul outta me,” she shot back before he could finish, rolling her eyes as she turned to leave, not giving Viktor the satisfaction of having the last word. Because he usually did, and she hated that.
Having decided to attend her classes instead of heading straight to her dorm, she didn’t get the luxury of escaping Viktor’s punishment, knowing she’d be caught avoiding it. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder and grumbling about his words, she reluctantly made her way toward her one-week punishment.
She wasn’t a fan of the academy’s library. It was too quiet, too dull, not even the stress-filled air of topsiders studying for the next exams made it any better. If she had it her way, she’d be back at her dorm, blasting loud music while studying. Somehow, that worked for her.
When she reached the library door, she didn’t hesitate to kick it open, earning glares from a few nearby students and, most annoyingly, from the librarian. The woman quickly shushed her, but Jinx ignored it, her eyes wandering around the space instead.
“Well, damn,” she muttered, taking in the sheer size of the place. “Didn’t remember it being this huge.” The last time she had seen this place was when she was dragged there for a group project last year. She had promised herself she’d never come back to this depressing place, but here she was now.
She blew a strand of blue hair out of her face and stepped inside, already feeling the weight of the silence pressing down on her. The librarian was still staring, her face twisted in that What-now? look. After all, Jinx was known for causing trouble, and a library was the last place anyone would expect her to be.
“Well, you’re not the only one who thinks I don’t belong here,” she mumbled under her breath. “I’m stuck here ‘cause I made a mess, and now I have to spend a whole week organizing books because it seems like the pilties can’t do it themselves.” She said this louder, though a part of her wished she’d just ignored Viktor and gone back to her dorm instead.
The librarian raised an eyebrow like she finally understood the situation.
“Oh, of course. You can start by organizing the books in column C,” she said, pointing to a towering shelf that looked like it hadn’t been touched in years.
“Sure, sure. Sounds like a blast,” Jinx muttered, dragging her feet toward the column.
The shelf was a total mess. Books shoved in every direction, some upside down, others about to fall off. Dust was everywhere. What, they can't afford someone to clean up this mess? she grumbled. S eriously, how are topsiders this messy? She scratched her head. Maybe we’ve got something in common after all . She grabbed a book and slid it back into place, but her thoughts were harder to organize.
Should’ve brought some paint... splash it all over the place. She smirked at the thought, imagining the librarian’s horrified face. But then again, if that would earn her another week of punishment, maybe she should keep quiet. Her fingers moved from book to book, fixing the mess as her mind wandered. Maybe Viktor thought this punishment was perfect for her, forcing her to clean up someone else’s mess for once. She shook her head, letting out a small laugh. One down, a million more to go. Fantastic.
After making a big deal out of her progress, she stared at the first row of books, each perfectly aligned, not to her personal liking, but still feeling a bit proud of herself. But just as she was about to move on to the next row, something, or rather, someone, caught her eye. A rush of adrenaline shot through her.
Ekko.
He sat at one of the study tables, a stack of books beside him, pencil in hand as he scribbled notes. He was so still, so in his element, it made her chest tighten. It wasn’t fair how effortless he looked, like the library was his domain and she was just trespassing. Well she clearly was.
And who knows what got into her head, but she quickly decided to peek a little bit longer from the corner of the shelf. Her breath quickened, heart racing as she watched him. There was no way she would forgive herself if she got caught; it would be way too embarrassing. He was completely focused, his head slightly tilted to the side, a faint furrow on his brow.
Of course he’s here , she thought bitterly. Where else would the Mr. President spend his time?
She knew she should focus on her task, but her eyes kept drifting back to him. He didn’t belong here, not really. Sure, he looked like he did; anybody knew that if there was someone that embodied this stupid academy it had to be him, but she knew better. Beneath all that calm was someone who used to run with her, laughing, tinkering, and causing chaos without a second thought. It wasn’t that she missed it, though. She didn’t. Things were different now. The last thing she needed was to get caught up in all that nonsense. Still, it was hard not to think about how easy it all used to be, no rules, no pretending to fit into this polished crap. Just doing what felt right. Or at least, what felt good in the moment. I mean, not that she exactly followed their ridiculous rules, but she was definitely holding herself back, and that? That was hard as hell.
And yet here he was, perfectly at home in a world she’d never fit into.
It shouldn't annoy her this much, but it did, more than she was willing to admit.
She shifted in place, her foot knocking into a few stacks of books she had left on the floor, which she had planned to organize later. They tumbled, one after the other, creating a loud crash that echoed across the library. Shit. No, no, no. She froze for a second, holding her breath. It felt like being a kid again, caught red-handed by Vander, that moment when she knew she was in trouble. Without thinking, she bolted to her right, hoping no one had heard, especially him.
A second passed, then another. She inched forward, eyes darting around. She peeked just enough to get a glimpse of him again.
Ekko was still writing, completely oblivious to the mess she’d caused.
Her shoulders relaxed with a sigh of relief.
Phew, totally clueless. Perfect.
She had expected him to catch on by now, considering how observant he used to be. But maybe he was too wrapped up in whatever was on his mind.
With a smirk, she turned back to her task, pretending the crash never happened. Her fingers moved swiftly, trying to make up for the noise by getting the books back in alphabetical order.
But her mind was far from the task at hand, her thoughts still wandered to him, how he looked now, so immersed in whatever he was writing.
She couldn't help but wonder if he even realized what it was like, being stuck in this place, surrounded by all this... fake calm. He looked so different now, grown-up, polished, the perfect little academy puppet, but somehow, he still had that same familiar vibe. It irked her.
This punishment is ridiculous. I don’t belong here, and neither does he. Stupid Ekko. Stupid library. Stupid alphabetical order.
She grabbed another book, her eyes briefly flicking back to Ekko. A familiar discomfort stirred inside her, but she pushed it aside, forcing herself to focus on the books in front of her.
One mess at a time, she reminded herself. One mess at a time.
Without realizing it, time kept passing. One by one, she heard how other students packed up and left, their footsteps fading into the hallway until only the two of them remained. The librarian as well, but she didn’t count.
The silence deepened, heavy with unspoken tension. Peeking again, she saw how Ekko closed his book and slipped it into his bag. He stood, slinging it over his shoulder, and took a few steps toward the exit, but he didn’t leave immediately.
What’s he waiting for? she thought.
Instead, he turned, his gaze landing on her. She was still by the shelves, trying to clean up for what she had caused in the morning, much to her disdain.
“Looks like you’re almost done,” he said, his voice cutting clean through the silence. "Good night, Jinx. Take care."
Her head snapped up, eyes wide, caught in the act. She didn’t respond, her mouth opening and closing as if the words had been yanked out of her throat. Damn it.
Ekko didn’t wait for her to respond. He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing softly in the empty library.