Not A Single Second | Ekko X Jinx

Chapter 3: Bedtime Stories

Why did his girls all have to feed off each other's energy so much? Was it just because they were triplets?

Then again, knowing their mother, it wasn't exactly a surprise that they had this kind of energy...

"Beni!" Blue said with a yawn, stretching her little arms out towards Beni on the bed as her sister did the same. Ekko lowered Blue to the bed with only a hint of reluctance, and Blue practically fell on top of her sister, both of their arms outstretched so they fell right into a hug.

Ekko vaguely noted that he could hear Powder's light footsteps coming up the stairs, and he breathed a sigh of relief that maybe they could work together to get the kids to bed on time for once. He sat down on the edge of Beni's bed as the girls snuggled up to each other, laying on top of the blankets in the warm summer night air.

"Where's Sparky?" Beni asked, her brown eyes barely open as she seemed to be actively waking up rather than going to sleep.

"Right here," Powder said proudly from behind them. Ekko and the two girls looked over to see Powder, one hand on her hip and the other holding a bleary eyed Spark, in a wide, power stance in the doorway. "All cleaned up! And now thoroughly convinced that spaghetti is not a toy, right, kiddo?"

Spark nodded with a serious expression on her tired face, and Ekko couldn't help but let out a chuckle at their antics. Supper time had been a bit... chaotic that night, to say the least. He'd probably need a new tablecloth...

Spark pouted in the direction of her sisters, looking sad at being left out. Powder noticed the look and, with a huff, walked right over to Beni's bed and set the last of the triplets down. Without hesitation Spark crawled on her hands and knees across the bed and wound up on top of, and then in between, her sisters. They whispered to each other in quiet but fast voices, and Ekko felt like putting his head in his hands. There was just no way they were getting to sleep at a reasonable hour now.

Powder sat down on the bed next to him, with a tired sigh of her own. Her head hit his shoulder as her eyes closed, and Ekko felt a warmth build in his chest. He reached out and laid his hand over hers, which she flipped over in turn to hold his.

"Tired, Pow?" Ekko asked.

Her head nodded almost imperceptibly. It had been a long day for both of them, he knew. Powder had spent almost twelve hours straight hoverboarding around Zaun, scattering her portable air filters to test them, something that would wear just about anyone out. Ekko had spent the day with Scar, repairing some of the broken machines and weapons around the Firelight camp, and setting up a new safe house down in the Sumps. He could feel the weight and the exhaustion in every part of his body, and he longed to collapse into bed with Powder and finally sleep.

His daughters' conversation started getting louder, and as Powder started to stir at the sound of their voices, Ekko squeezed her hand to make sure she was still awake before turning to face his girls.

"Alright kids, bed time," he said, and they all groaned.

"But I'm not tired anymore!" Blue said, glaring at him defiantly with those bright blue eyes of hers.

"You were plenty tired a minute ago," Ekko replied. "Just lay down, close your eyes, and it'll come back to you."

Powder pulled her head up from his shoulder, taking a deep breath that ended in a yawn.

"Listen to your dad, girls," Powder said, and Blue shot her a look of betrayal.

Powder stood up slowly, stretching as she did so, then walked around Ekko so she was at the top of the bed where their daughters were.