Work Text:
Jinx groaned as she stepped over the welcome mat into the apartment. Her boots felt twenty pounds heavier than they ought to, lead weights attached to her feet and remorselessly dragging her down. Dragging her down like the earlier argument with Viktor that played over and over in her mind.
The man accused her of (among other things) being a “workaholic by choice and not necessity, purposely dragging down productivity of the workplace” because she’s “afraid of commitment and change in her personal relationships.”
And damn it all but Viktor fucking nailed it on the head with that one. He was wrong about commitment, though. Jinx could allow herself that win. A faint smile spread across her face as she considered the two most important personal relationships she had, at this point in her life: a wonderful boyfriend and the best daughter ever. She had a sister, too, but only sisters could understand why Vi was placed last in the list.
But alas, thoughts of her wonderfully messy family could not alone drag Jinx out of her mental funk. What she needed was a change of clothes, a shower or maybe a bath, an impulsive raid on the cookies in their pantry, and then spend a couple hours in a snack coma while waiting for Ekko to get home. If she remembered correctly (a strong ask, some days), Wednesdays like today were his double-shifts.
Jinx shrugged off her jacket and made her way through the darkness of their apartment toward her bedroom. Viktor’s accusations, Jayce’s silent condemnation, and Heimydonger’s ever present too-understanding smile played on repeat behind her eyelids at every blink, further souring her mood.
Because she wasn’t a total heartless bitch of a girlfriend, Jinx came to the sudden realization she hadn’t texted her wonderful boyfriend once since earlier this morning, and it was now late in the afternoon. On his double-shifts, she liked to leave him the occasional meme or amusing picture, sometimes a selfie of her tired expression or of a plant or animal she found interesting. And god she sounded so fucking clingy but she definitely missed him right now.
Whipping out her phone with a practiced flourish, she unlocked her screen and opened the messaging app. Only a handful of missed messages from him this time, score one for Jinx being attentive and aware of when she was needed.
Ekko ♥️ Ekko ♥️ Ekko ♥️
Hey Pow
Just remembered: Isha has a half-day today
Lemme know if you can’t get her, I’ll do it no prob
Pow?
Jinx had to take a moment, cursing under her breath at her inability to check her fucking phone when it was right in her pocket for most of the day. It wasn’t her fault that once she got focused on a task, every other thing that wasn’t said task fell to the side! She forgot to drink water, to eat, to even blink sometimes! She could almost imagine his fond chuckle at her lack of response, like he was standing right in front of her. Somehow, he often found her inattentiveness endearing.
Jinx returned to the messages instead of trying to parse that thought. Save it for therapy.
Ekko ♥️ Ekko ♥️ Ekko ♥️
Something came up at work
Gonna take the day off
The last text was sent only an hour ago: while Jinx had been storming through the halls of her research lab cursing Viktor and his entire extended bloodline.
Jinx carefully pushed open the door to her bedroom and changed out of her work clothes into one of Ekko’s large shirts (pilfered that morning from his closet), a pair of soft pink lounge pants with poros on them, and Ekko’s most-treasured hoodie: an ancient relic from Benzo. Jinx decided today was not a “mess with your hair” day and so left them braided and—
Her girlfriend senses began to tingle as she thought back to Ekko’s message— “something came up at work”— and she froze as she heard music coming from Isha’s room. If she was home already, then Ekko certainly was. Jinx frowned as she re-considered the darkened state of their apartment, and quickly crossed into the living room where—
Ekko was asleep on the couch. Face down on his stomach, arms wrapped around a pillow under his head. His favorite sleeveless jacket was on, the hood somehow staying on his head throughout his nap.
Jinx’s cuddly monkey instincts kicked into overdrive and she was powerless to resist such a golden opportunity, practically pouncing onto her boyfriend’s back. His noise of surprise was music to her ears but the music to her heart came when he sighed in contentment and relief as her familiar weight settled on top of him, her arms snaking around his waist to hug his midsection.
“Hey Pow,” his voice was slurred from sleep and muffled by the pillow but he sounded so relieved and happy to have her nearby that Jinx felt her throat tighten with a thick ball of emotion. She felt like she could cry which was so silly and stupid but there she was, almost choking on her own tears.
“Hey back, Pretty Boy,” she croaked out, nuzzling deeper against his back. Their bodies practically melted into each other. Silence stretched out between them for a time before Jinx sleepily mumbled, “how’s our scrappy little dumpster gremlin?”
“Doin’ multiplication on the back of her math homework,” Ekko mumbled back, adjusting his arms around the pillow for better comfort. Jinx decided now was the perfect time to confront him on his work woes, distracted as he was by this comforting moment and caged under her: trapped, the prey successfully hunted. But was interrupted from doing so by a familiar weight settling on her back.
The scrappy little dumpster gremlin herself had no doubt come out of her room to use the bathroom, or to get some water, or for whatever purpose, and saw her parents crashed out on the couch. Now Isha, like her mama, could be a real cuddly little monkey herself and would never pass up on such a golden opportunity.
She crossed the room in quick strides, almost sprinting to close the distance in case one of them started to get up, and pounced onto Jinx’s back. Her little grabby hands clutched at the fabric of Ekko’s most-treasured hoodie, her face nuzzling into her mama’s back.
From below the cuddle pile, Ekko’s mumbled voice rang out, dripping with love and so wonderfully warm, “Hey, Blue Jay. Li’l math genius.”
Isha giggled and Jinx’s heart completely melted at the sound, the weight of her daughter above and the warmth of her boyfriend below, and suddenly those tears spilled over. If Ekko detected the wet spot on his back, just under the collar of his hood, he didn’t point it out and for that Jinx was grateful. Isha didn’t seem to notice either, instead playing with Jinx’s braids idly. Which was when the final addition to their family came prancing into the room, little bell jingling from his collar.
Fishbones had been lounging in his cat-tree when suddenly the couch sounded much more appealing, and had stretched languidly as he rose. Little paws pitter-pattering on the hardwood floors until he saw the cuddle pile on the couch.
Wide eyes blink-blinking for but a moment before springing into action, first scattering the items on the coffee table (including a bottle of pineapple soda and a can of ginger ale, both unopened) and then landing daintily on Isha’s back.
The little girl giggled again, cooing happily as Fishbones made himself comfortable. He made biscuits on the back of her sweatshirt before curling up into a tight ball, purring peacefully.
Beneath it all, beneath everything he’d ever loved and dreamed for, beneath the very things he’d fought so hard to keep in his life, laid Ekko. Jinx’s breath evened out first, the cutest little snores passing through her nose as her tears subsided. Before too long Isha followed her mother into sleep, one of her grabby hands reaching around Jinx’s waist to clutch tightly at Ekko’s own jacket.