Chapter Text
Ekko looked up from shaving his chin. He could’ve sworn he’d locked the door to the bathroom. Yet, here was Jinx in the mirror’s reflection, standing in the doorway behind, arms stretched wide, grinning like she’d just pulled off the prank of the century. Ekko blinked, staring at the massive bulge underneath her shirt.
“You better take responsibility for this, savior boy!” she accused, rubbing her belly.
The razor nearly clipped his ear as he whipped his head around. “Uh—”
Jinx gasped, clutching her chest like he’d shot her. “Is that all you have to say? Uh? Really?” She patted her stomach again, looking far too pleased with herself. “I’m with child!”
Ekko dropped the razor to rub his temples. “Jinx…”
She cracked, snickering. “Just kidding!” With a dramatic flourish, she yanked a pillow out from under her shirt and flung it over her shoulder. “Damn. Thought I could milk it a little longer.”
Ekko exhaled, feeling a smile appear on his lips as he moved to tug her cheek. “Don’t scare me like that.”
Jinx rocked on her heels, hands clasped behind her back. “There’s no way it would be that big already, Sparky. C’mon, think it through.”
She pulled something from her pocket. A small, plastic stick.
Ekko took it and looked down. Two pink lines.
The world shifted sideways. His grip tightened on the sink as she slung her arm around him.
A beat of silence passed. Then, another.
Jinx cleared her throat. “Sooo,” she dragged the word out, shifting her weight, “y’know, turns out, when two people really, really like each other and—”
“Jinx.” His voice came out rougher than he expected. “Are you serious?”
She shrugged, but it wasn’t her usual careless shrug. It was cautious. Vulnerable. “Yeah. Dead serious.”
Ekko’s chest felt too tight. His pulse pounded in his ears. Because Jinx, his Jinx, was telling him they were going to have a kid.
Another kid.
“Uh, hello?” Jinx waved a hand in front of his face. “Still with me?”
Ekko let out a breathless laugh. Then another. “Holy shit.”
Jinx’s expression flickered. “Oh, that’s your reaction? Really?”
Ekko moved before she could finish, sweeping her up into his arms, spinning her in a half-circle before pulling her against him. Tight. Secure. Like he never wanted to let go.
Jinx squeaked, going stiff before finally melting into his hold. “Oh,” she mumbled against his shoulder. “That’s new.”
Ekko pulled back just enough to look at her, hands firm on her waist. “You’re serious. Like, serious serious.”
Jinx rolled her eyes. “Yes, Sparky . For the last time, this isn’t a joke. I’m actually, literally, completely knocked up.”
Ekko let out a shaky laugh, dragging a hand down her face.
“You’re happy,” Jinx said suddenly, studying him like she couldn’t quite believe it.
“Of course I’m happy.”
Jinx hesitated, like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Yeah?”
Ekko cupped her face, pressed their foreheads together. “Yeah.”
She let out a breath, sagging against him, her fingers gripping his bare chest like she needed something to hold onto. “Oh, thank god,” she muttered. “For a second there, I thought you might pass out.”
Ekko chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I still might.”
She stared up at him, searching his face, and this time, when she smiled, it was soft. Real.
Ekko kissed her. Right there, in their tiny, chaotic apartment, with the sink still running and the damn pillow soaking up the shower water on the floor. He kissed her slow, deep, trying to tell her everything he couldn’t quite put into words.
When he pulled away, he let his forehead rest against hers again. “I can't believe there's going to be four of us now,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to her nose, then her cheek, then the corner of her mouth. “Isha's going to be so jealous.”
Jinx smirked, twirling a strand of his hair around her finger. “She's going to have to get over it.”
“Yeah, okay. Guess we’ll find out.” Ekko laughed, wrapping his arms around her tighter. “I hope it’s a boy this time.”
"It’s a she, actually.” Jinx corrected, tapping her chin.
“What? How do you know that already.”
Jinx grinned, staring back down at her still-flat belly. “I just know.”
