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Jinx and Ekko went to the grocery store to buy gingerbread house kits. They got three of them— one for each to decorate and a third to get extra pieces from.
Isha's elementary school class was having a competition for parents to see who can make the best gingerbread house. Then the other parents along with their children would vote for the best one. Fair play, and sparked something incredibly competitive between the two...
Only to get back home and Isha telling them that she can only take one to school.
"What?!" Jinx groans, looking down at their daughter, the kit still in her hands.
"That's not fair." Ekko sighs.
Isha tilts her head to the side, confused.
You're supposed to decorate one together. She signed.
The two look at each other, then back at the girl.
"Where's the fun in that?" Jinx frowned.
"It'll be a hot mess if we do it together." Ekko crosses his arms.
"Yeah, cause of you."
"Me? You're the one who would have icing everywhere."
Jinx stuttered out a laugh. "Ohhh, you wanna go, Buster?"
He smirks, tilting up his head. "Do you?"
She lifts her hand out, propping for a dramatic handshake. "Best gingerbread house, Isha gets to take it to school."
He collides his hand with hers with the same amount of flair, their grip on each other tightening. "You're on!"
Jinx snickers. "C'mon, kid. You're the judge." She lets go of Ekko's hand and instead takes Isha's, leading her to the dining room table. She pulls out a chair, letting her climb onto it.
Ekko is rummaging through the cabinets of their kitchen nearby. She joins him, trying to get a peak at what he's doing.
"Are you getting your own stuff?"
"Yeah, obviously if I'm gonna make it the best, I gotta put in my own twists."
She huffs out a laugh, passing him and jumping onto the counter. Jinx opens the top cabinet, collecting the box of food dye they rarely use from off the shelf.
She jumps back down onto the ground, staying with her knees bent before quickly straightening back up. "Ha! I got the best item tho."
"I was gonna get that!"
"Loser." She hums, shaking her head. "I'll think about sharing with you."
Ekko doesn't answer, just goes back to getting his supplies. The first thing he picks up is a knife from the woodblock on the counter.
Jinx joins him, picking up a plate. She looks down at the knife. "Already choosing violence?"
"Maybe." He jokes, grabbing a plate himself.
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The two collect the rest of their supplies, coming back to the table with a whole bunch of stuff. Plates, bowls, knifes, food dye, and even paintbrushes— Because they're crazy.
They sit down, their unopened kits in front of them and Isha opening the third. She's used to their shenanigans by now. This is a typical Tuesday.
"Ready?" Jinx asks, leaning forward.
"Ready."
"Anddd... Go!" Her hands jump towards the box, opening it like it has somewhere else to be in a few minutes.
He does the same, sliding the pieces of gingerbread onto the table.
The kit comes with the pieces to build the house, icing, candy canes, and a few tiny candies.
Jinx grabs a bowl, opening the icing pack with her teeth and pouring some out into it. She squeezes some pink food dye into it, stirring it with a knife because it's the closest thing to her.
Ekko pulls a bowl towards him, doing the same but instead putting green dye into it.
The two start assembling their houses, starting with the base. Jinx takes the piece for the front of her house and starts cutting out the door. She wishes she had a circular saw for this, but unfortunately they don't own one small enough for that.
With a similar idea, Ekko starts cutting into the individual spaces of the windows of his house, making them actually see-through.
By the time they finish that, the table is covered in gingerbread dust. But, they'll clean that up later.
Jinx attaches it to the base, securing the walls with her icing. She takes the door she cut out and starts painting small details onto it with the pink. Starting with a vine-like doodle going across the whole door. She steals some of Ekko's green icing when he isn't looking and creates a wreath in the middle. A small candy for the doorknob, and she's done.
Smearing icing onto one side of the 'doorframe,' she attaches the now decorated door to it, keeping it at an angle to give the effect of it being opened.
Ekko diligently pipes icing onto the sides of his home, cleaning up the edges. He adds white swoops over his windows, making it look like curtains. He goes back in with his paintbrush, making sure to add details to it.
He starts piping on some 'snow,' covering the house and letting it drip down for an icicle effect.
He dyes some icing black and starts covering the already made lines on the roof, making a pattern with the green icing.
Jinx snaps a few candy cane in pieces, measuring two longer pieces to the side of her house. She creates a ladder with them, propping it up to the side of her home. She dusts off her hands, then picks up an extra piece from in front of Isha.
She starts sticking three extra walls to the side of her home, making a garage. Icing over the front wall, she paints on details to make it look like a garage door. Adding a roof to it, she goes in with a variety of colored icing and decorates the top of it.
It's a mess, but so is she. So, it works out in her book. She paints a few firework like shapes on the top, drawing swirls with blue icing.
Ekko creates a tree out of candy canes and uses the small candies as ornaments.
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A long while, and Isha leaving them to go play on her own later, they're finished.
They hadn't talked to each other the entire time, just pure focus on their craft.
Ekko ended up adding a lot more details to his when he noticed Jinx added an entire garage to her. He couldn't let that overshadow his house.
She hums, pushing her house over to sit next to his. Jinx puts her hands on her hips, examining the two.
"Not too bad. Mine's better though."
"Don't talk to me when you added an entire garage." He crosses his arms.
"Hey! I said best one wins. That's your loss. Plus," She gestures towards his gingerbread house. "look at that custom chimney. That things crazy."
He added cotton to it to make it look like smoke coming out of it. Ekko can't lie, he is pretty proud of it.
"Well, let's get our judge out."
Jinx chuckles, going to the living room to find Isha.
The little girl is laying on the floor, drawing doodles into a notebook. She hears her approach, and looks up.
"You ready to pick your lucky winner?" Jinx couches down in front of her.
Isha nods, standing up. Her mom holds her, standing up with her in her arms. Returning back to the dining area, she presents the two houses.
Her eyes roam the two buildings, Ekko and Jinx waiting anxiously.
She points to Jinx's gingerbread house, and the lucky winner screams.
"Take that!"
He groans in defeat, sliding down to the ground.
"Good pick, kid! You have taste." The two giggle, high-fiving just to rub it in some more.
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The actual competition at the school had started. Jinx and Ekko already finished going around and voting, judging everyone heavily in the process.
Now they stand off to the side, waiting for the teacher to tally the results. She spaced out, half forgetting she was in the classroom before hearing the teacher call out the winner.
"And the winner is... Isha's parents!"
Jinx came back to reality, perking up. Everyone started to clap, and she looked over to Ekko.
He leans down to tell her something in her ear. "See, I win too."
She smirks. "Dream on."
The teacher approaches them with three goody bags. The average elementary school prize. Jinx couldn't be happier.
"Thanks!" She takes all three, handing one to Isha.
Jinx opens up one of them, looking at all the candy she got. Picking up a lollipop, she takes it out of the wrapper and pops it in her mouth.
As soon as the taste settles in on her tongue, she hates it. "Eugh." Taking it out of her mouth, she hands it to Ekko.
"You can have that."
He laughs, putting it in his mouth. "And my gift bag, right?"
"Nope."
Ekko knows to play by the rules, she'll keep both of them.