Work Text:
The lab hummed with the usual controlled chaos. Tools were buried in a sea of gears, neon wiring coiled like snakes, and a thin trail of smoke wafting from an unfinished “party grenade” Jinx had abandoned two hours ago. A small neon green speaker in the corner played a random EDM beat. The air smelled like burning metal and something vaguely bubblegum-scented thanks to a failed prank bomb that had accidentally gone off last week and never really aired out.
Jinx was elbow-deep in the guts of her latest masterpiece: a grenade-like object that lets out ear-piercing sounds when activated. “You won’t accidentally go off, will you?” she muttered, tongue poking out as she soldered two wires together. “Hopefully.”
She didn’t hear the soft patter of socked feet at first. But she felt a tug on her pants, it was insistent, clearly someone wanted her attention.
Glancing down, she found Isha staring up at her with a determined look, pointing at her nails and then to Jinx’s nails which are painted with nail polish.
Jinx blinked. “Wanna look like me, kid? The blue hair ain’t enough for you?”
Isha’s shoulders bounced with that quiet joy she had when something truly delighted her. Her grin was wide and mischievous.
Your nails are always pretty. I want mine to be pretty too. Isha signed quickly, her hands fluttering with excitement.
Jinx smirked. “Flattery will get you everywhere, munchkin. Gimme those little claws of yours.”
She swept an area on the workbench with her elbow to clear it up, sending a few bolts flying, and hoisted Isha up to sit like she was in a salon chair. Although salons probably didn’t have scorch marks on its chairs and possibly toxic materials laying around nearby.
From a drawer labelled TOTALLY NOT EXPLOSIVE in bright pink marker, Jinx pulled out her stash of nail polish. Half-full bottles in every color imaginable, glittery, glowing, some may or may not be faintly radioactive.
“Alright, which are we feeling today?” Jinx asked, wiggling a bottle of lime green before Isha shook her head with vigor and picked up a pink one and a blue one.
“Pink and blue? Classic.” Jinx nodded with approval. “You want it just like mine, huh?”
Wanna be cool like you. Isha signed.
Jinx barked a laugh. “Alright, I see what you’re doing.”
She started painting tiny strokes of alternating pink and blue, occasionally pausing to blow on Isha’s fingers or adding tiny amounts of glitter just to see Isha light up. There were a few smudges here and there, Jinx didn’t exactly have a gentle touch, but the kid didn’t seem to care.
“You know, when I was your age,” Jinx said idly, “I painted my nails with engine grease and whatever marker I could steal. Once, I used highlighter ink. Stained my fingers for a week.”
Cool. Isha signed while wide-eyed.
“Obviously,” Jinx said, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “But this way is better. Less chance of poisoning. Eh… slightly.”
The lab door hissed open behind them, and a familiar voice called in.
“What are my girls up to in here—”
Ekko stopped mid-step, blinked once, and stared in concern.
Because Jinx and Isha both turned in perfect sync, grinning like little devils.
Ekko raised a brow. “Why are you two looking at me like I just walked into a trap?”
Jinx gestured broadly to the scene. Nail polish bottles scattered, glitter on her face, Isha with one hand in the air proudly displaying her very neon nails.
“What?” she asked innocently. “We’re bonding.”
Your turn. Isha signed to Ekko.
Ekko took one step back. “Nope, I’m not doing it. I just came to check on you two.”
Isha slid off the workbench, bottle of blue polish in hand, eyes sparkling.
Ekko groaned. “You’re spending way too much time with Jinx, Isha. You’re turning on me now?”
“She was never on your side,” Jinx said cheerfully, patting the stool next to her. “Now c’mon, Clockhead. Show us your delicate little hands.”
Ekko sighed with all the exaggerated weight of a man carrying the world. Or in this case, carrying the knowledge he was about to be covered in glitter and pink nail polish.
“You two are so damn lucky I love you.”
“Damn right,” Jinx muttered, already pulling off the cap. “Now sit your pretty ass down.”
“What would the firelights say when they see me walk up with pink and blue nails?”
“You’ll start a trend,” Jinx interrupted. “It's revolutionary. Iconic. They’ll probably copy you.”
Ekko grumbled, but he sat. Isha scrambled into his lap, carefully holding his hand steady while Jinx painted his nails with dramatic flair, humming some ridiculous victory tune as she worked.
“You have very paintable hands,” Jinx said, eyeing Ekko’s fingers with a sly grin. “Long, elegant... bet they'd look real nice when—”
“Not in front of the baby!” Ekko scolded Jinx.
Jinx snorted, not even pretending to be sorry as she finished the last stroke of polish and stuck her tongue out at him. “Prude.”
She turned to Isha and held up Ekko’s hands like a prize display. “Tada! What do you think, kiddo? Think we should charge him for this premium service?”
You look SO good. Isha signed rapidly, face lit up with her smile.
Ekko looked down at his hands. “Do I, though? I look like I lost a bet.”
“Oh shush,” Jinx said. “Look, we all match. Like a little family.” She raised her hand beside Isha’s and Ekko’s, flashing their freshly painted nails in pink and blue.
Ekko gave her a sideways glance. “You getting sappy on me?”
“I am covered in polish and glitter,” she said, very seriously, “painting the nails of my silent sidekick and my weapon-smashing boyfriend. If this isn’t sappy, I don’t know what is.”
He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I’ve got the best girlfriend I could ask for.”
Jinx made an exaggerated gagging sound. “Say one more sweet thing and I’m painting your eyelids.”
Isha pointed to the corner of the workbench and signed. Camera. Picture time.
Jinx lit up. “Yes! Brilliant idea. Go get it, kiddo!”
Isha scampered over and grabbed the dusty old Polaroid camera that Jinx had “borrowed” from a market stall months ago, shoving it into Ekko’s hands with a look that clearly said: Picture. Now.
Ekko laughed. “Alright, alright. Hang on.” He propped the camera up on a nearby workbench, angled it just right, and set the timer.
“Ten seconds! Move!” he called, dashing back over.
Jinx pulled him in with one arm while Isha hopped up on a crate between them. All three of them threw their hands toward the camera, fingers spread wide, showing off their glittery pink and blue nails.
“Say Team Pink and Blue!” Jinx shouted.
The camera clicked.
Jinx took the photo as it developed and waved it in the air, then pinned it to the board above her desk, right next to a blueprint of a shark-shaped bomb launcher and a doodle of Isha riding a rocket.
Jinx grabbed a Sharpie and scrawled ‘Team Pink and Blue’ in bold letters across the bottom of the Polaroid.
She leaned her head against Ekko’s shoulder, glitter still clinging to her cheeks, polish drying on her fingers.
“Team Pink and Blue,” Jinx said softly, a rare flicker of tenderness in her voice. “Best damn family in Zaun.”
Between them, Isha lifted her hands and signed with a bright grin: best family!
Ekko smiled, staring lovingly at the photo. “Damn right we are.”