Not A Single Second | Ekko X Jinx

Chapter 4: A Day Where Nothing Happens (Almost)

< Author's Note : >

Why do I keep coming back to writing this story? I've been asking myself that and I think I found the answer. I have the whole Butterfly Effect series on the go, plus an original novel, and that takes so much careful planning and articulation on every little thing, that I need a break every now and then. This story has become kind of a resting place for me, somewhere I can go to write meaningless fluff without much concern for story or plot. It's stress free writing, which I guess I need sometimes.

Anyways, I hope you guys don't expect too much out of this story, since it's not much of a focus for me. I'll keep doing some updates, but I don't have any big plans for overarching themes or plot and definitely no villains or conflict. But if you're having fun with the pointless fluff, like I am, then hey, glad to have you here.

Ekko sat hunched over, elbows on his knees, on the metal bench in the clearing around the Firelight's tree. The sunlight was bright golden, streaming down in brilliant rays that almost made it feel like they were Topside, rather than in Zaun. He held a drink in one hand, something bitter and dark, which he sipped from with satisfaction periodically.

Today was a good day. It was rare he truly got a day off, and when he did, most of them were spent working on new inventions either alone or with Powder, or tending to his daughters in one way or another. But today, the girls were with Scar and his own daughter, and things were just quiet enough around their base for him to justify the day off.

The old bench creaked as a person hopped over the backrest, landing on the bench beside him. In a quick, graceful flurry of limbs, Powder landed half on top of him, her heavy boots landing on his thighs as she lay down on the bench, staring straight up at the sky. He set his nearly empty drink down on the ground beside him, leaning back against the bench and smiling over at his wife. For once, she wasn't covered in burns from explosions, paint, grease, or gunpowder.

"Having a good day, Pow?" He asked, and she raised a pale forearm up over her face to block the sun from her eyes. Ekko traced the thin, lean lines of her arms, and the tattoo that traced in a line around her right forearm. It was a cluster of animals, a bright pink rabbit, a black hound, a blue mouse, and a white owl, with neon green trim.

Ekko reached out and grabbed her hand before she responded, and she looked at him in surprise at the contact, then squeezed his hand back. He pulled on her hand, dragging her up from laying down on the bench to sitting upright, then pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Powder leaned fully into him, scooting closer until her boots were on one side of him and she sat pressed against his other side, and she nuzzled in close to his neck, burying her face into him. Her bangs tickled against his skin, and Ekko held her hand tighter.

"The filters worked," she said quietly, and happily. "I'm taking next week to make a whole bunch of 'em, gonna toss' em out all around the city."

Ekko smiled, and leaned back in the chair to relax.

"You know, I had a feeling they'd work just fine," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Powder asked.

"I happen to know the inventor, and they're kind of a genius," Ekko said, smirking at the light blush that went across her cheeks.

"You aren't bad yourself," Powder said with a pout, nuzzling into his neck with her nose.

"What are you up to today, then?" Ekko asked, grabbing his drink from the ground. Before he could get it up to his lips, Powder leaned across him and put her lips to his cup, and he tipped it gently for her to take a sip. Her face screwed up a bit at the bitterness, as she stuck her tongue out in a ' blagh' expression.