Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun had barely peaked over the horizon as Jinx, coffee in hand, stepped quietly through the crowded parking garage at Piltover Memorial Hospital. She took a generous sip from her thermos, the scalding hot brew scorching the top of her mouth, as her AirPods blasted 90s rock music into her ears. She couldn’t tell if it was the coolness of the midsummer morning, or her first day nerves, that sent a shiver down her spine as she approached the towering entryway to Piltover Memorial.

The building was truly massive, shining like a crystalline skyscraper in the early morning light. She swallowed another sip of her black coffee, her throat burning, as she peered up to the top of the hospital. A helicopter thundered as it approached the helipad on the roof for landing. Giant, red letters spelled out PMH for all of the city to see – this was their city hospital, in all its glory. And now, after years of studying, after hundreds of tests, and after dozens of interviews, it was finally her hospital, too.

Jinx, in all honesty, was surprised that she matched at PMH. It was one of the most prestigious teaching hospitals in Runeterra, even beating out her alma mater Zaun State. Some of her favorite professors and mentors from Zaun were graduates of PMH. When it became clear that Jinx was a gifted student, graduating at the top of her class, they encouraged her to shoot for the stars and apply. And when Jinx opened her offer letter, inviting her to join the general surgery residency at Piltover Memorial, she could hardly believe her eyes.

Jinx’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her blue scrubs, startling her out of her trance as she walked through the busy hospital lobby. Her sister’s name filled the screen as the phone continued to buzz in her hand.

“Hey Vi,” Jinx answered the call as she stepped into the elevator. She had memorized what floor she was going to a thousand times, but still had to think twice before pressing the button. “You’re up early.”

“You think I’d miss my baby sister’s first day as a surgeon?” Vi’s voice blared through Jinx’s AirPods, catching static as the elevator doors closed. “What’s your first case today, Dr. Lane? Open heart surgery? Liver transplant?”

Jinx rolled her eyes, but a sly grin appeared on her purple, chapped lips.

“Vi,” she chided flatly. “It’s day one. They don’t even let the first years near the operating rooms this early.”

Vi scoffed, and Jinx heard what sounded like a giant bite being taken out of a toasted bagel.

“Ok, fine, no surgeries yet,” Vi said, her voice garbled as she continued to loudly chew on her breakfast. “So what are you doing today?”

“Orientation starts at 6AM,” Jinx said matter-of-factly as Vi gagged at how obscenely early of a time that was. “Then I get paired with a senior resident and hit the wards.”

“Doesn’t sound as fun as surgery, Powder,” Vi said as another bite crunched through Jinx’s AirPods. Despite how ridiculous Vi sounded with her mouth full, Jinx felt her heart patter in her chest as she heard her childhood nickname. Not many knew her as Powder, and even fewer were allowed to call her that.

“It’s not fun at all,” Jinx said as she rounded the corridor towards the lecture hall. “But we have to start somewhere.”

“Do you think you’ll see Ekko?” Vi asked. “Isn’t he a nurse there?”

Jinx felt a pang of guilt grip her chest, her sly grin disappearing from her lips. She hadn’t reached out to her childhood best friend in ages. She and the scrawny, nerdy, white-haired boy had been inseparable as kids, and Jinx could talk for hours about all of the trouble they’d gotten in together at school.

But things changed after the accident, after Vander died, after Powder became Jinx. Jinx, haunted by her guilt, left much of her old life behind. She and Ekko drifted apart as a result, and sooner than she’d realized, it’d been years since they last spoke. Sometimes she wondered how much she’d hurt him with her absence. Other times, she wondered if he missed her at all.

“It’s a big hospital,” Jinx finally said, punching out a flat response to indicate she didn’t want to talk much more about this. “Maybe I’ll see him, but probably not.”

“Ah, I see,” Vi said, her voice soft and guarded. She knew better than to pry. “Just remember, there are people that are rooting for you out there. People that love you.”

The smile returned to Jinx’s lips. If she owed her success in medical school to anyone, it was her sister.  

“I know, Vi,” Jinx replied warmly as she approached the door to the lecture hall. “I’ve gotta go, I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Love you, sis,” Vi responded, her cheeriness returning as she finally finished her bagel. “And don’t be afraid to call Caitlyn! She’s somewhere in that giant hospital, too!”

Jinx hummed an agreement before disconnecting the call. She took a deep, steadying breath, brushing a strand of blue hair behind her ear, and stepped into the auditorium.

The lecture hall was already full of her fellow residents, all far too awake for 6AM. They sat awkwardly together, many meeting for the first time, as they sipped their coffees and snacked on complimentary, sad-looking pastries served on a table at the entryway. Some were dressed in their brand-new white coats. Others, like Jinx, had opted for scrubs and a hoodie. But none, Jinx realized, looked quite like her.

Jinx took great pride in her unique appearance for a doctor. Where the others had neatly cropped and combed hair, Jinx had two long, electric blue braids that trailed to her ankles. Her dozen cloud tattoos, while concealed under her sweatshirt and scrubs, would surely raise a few eyebrows within the hallowed halls of Piltover Memorial. And, perhaps what Jinx was most proud of, she was one of only two women in the whole first year class.

She knew surgery was still a man’s world. She had endured the countless, mindless remarks about her sex while she pursued a career in surgery – how she wasn’t strong enough to position the patient on the operating table, how the long hours and sleepless nights might be too hard for her, how she wouldn’t be able to raise babies as a surgeon. To all of those questioning faces she grinned, stood tall, and proudly said fuck you.

She positioned the patient herself. She stayed up for countless nights. And she’d raise as many damn babies as she wanted as a surgeon, whether it be none or twelve.  

Jinx locked eyes with the sole other woman in the audience, sitting in the front row. The nervous looking blonde sipped her coffee and smiled back at her.

“This spot taken?” Jinx asked her as she slipped into the row of narrow seats.

“All yours.” The woman smiled into her coffee, gesturing welcomingly at the seat next to her. Her blonde hair was pulled back neatly behind a black headband. Her light blue scrubs almost perfectly matched her eye color.

“I’m Jinx Lane,” Jinx said, extending her narrow hand to the blonde. She shook it warmly.

“Luxanna Crownguard,” she said as Jinx settled into the seat next to her. “But you can call me Lux.”

The two sat in awkward silence for a moment, and Jinx suddenly remembered how much she hated small talk.

“So, um, that pastry,” Jinx started. “Looks pretty fucking disgusting.”

Lux stared at her for a beat before snorting a laugh.

“It tastes like cardboard,” she chuckled. “But I’m so nervous, I could eat a basket of them.”

“You and me both, girl,” Jinx hummed, sipping her thermos. “Where’d you go to medical school?”

“I went here,” Lux replied. “Piltover University School of Medicine. I did all of my clinical rotations here at PMH.”

Jinx feigned an interested smile, but she suddenly remembered another troubling truth – she was the only resident in her class from Zaun. Piltover had a long history of looking down on its sister city, despite the brilliant minds it produced.

“So you must know all of our classmates,” Jinx said, gesturing behind her towards the dozen or so others. Lux nodded with enthusiasm.

“Went to school with most of them, yeah,” she said.

Jinx studied the audience, her eyes finally landing on a pair of men several rows back. One of them was tall and muscular, with a chiseled face and tousled, fuchsia hair. Jinx caught her breath as he winked at her, noticing his eyes were two unique colors. Next to him was a lithe blonde with windswept hair and a dangerous smile. Despite it only being his first day, he somehow already looked bored.

“That’s Kayn and Ezreal,” Lux said as she followed Jinx’s gaze. “Kayn’s a bit of a flirt. Surprised that meathead would do anything but orthopedics, but he followed me to general surgery.”

“Seems like a real character,” Jinx grumbled as she turned back to face the front of the lecture hall.

“And the other one is Ezreal,” Lux said. “He’s absolutely loaded. His uncle has a whole wing of the hospital named after him.”

“Great,” Jinx said. “So we have a linebacker and a nepo baby as co-residents, how lovely.”

Lux snorted another laugh, her eyes disappearing within her smile.

“Well when you put it like that,” Lux giggled. “But they’re good looking, at least. Makes those long, lonely overnight call shifts a little more… entertaining.”

It was Jinx’s turn to snort.

“I didn’t realize residency was like the TV shows,” Jinx said coyly. “Sneaking off to fuck in the call rooms?”

Lux blushed, suddenly very interested in her coffee.

“Well I didn’t say that,” she said. “But Gods know we’re not even going to have time to date, no less fuck-”

The door of the auditorium slammed open, and in walked an orange yordle in a long, weathered white coat. Lux slapped a hand to her mouth, mortified, as Dr. Heimerdinger, chair of the surgery department, walked in. Behind him walked a gaunt yet handsome resident, who looked as if he hadn’t seen the sun since the beginning of his training. He walked with a cane, his steps staggered and limping behind the quick patter of Heimerdinger’s shoes.

“Dr. Crownguard!” the yordle cried as he approached the podium. “What was that I heard you say? Perhaps you and Dr. Lane were studying the ‘four F’s’ of the hypothalamus? Fighting, fleeing, feeding, and…?”

A painfully awkward silence enveloped the auditorium.

“Fucking!” proudly cried a sly, fox-like voice from behind Jinx. The lecture hall burst into a fit of hysterics. Jinx turned around just in time to see Ezreal’s smirk as his friend, Kayn, buried his face into his white coat.

“I would have preferred ‘fornication’, Dr. Lightfeather,” Heimerdinger chided at Ezreal. “But I suppose crude words can be just as effective as poetic prose.”

Heimerdinger climbed to the podium, checking his watch. The gaunt resident accompanying him stood closely nearby, his eyes studying the crowd with an unreadable expression.

“As most of you already know, I am Dr. Cecil B. Heimerdinger, chair of surgery here at the illustrious Piltover Memorial Hospital,” the yordle began, descending into a melodramatic, elegant bow. “And this is your chief resident, Dr. Viktor Talis.”

Viktor nodded a silent hello towards the audience. Jinx studied him, noticing the faint blood stains on his scrubs and the faded embroidery of his white coat. Jinx’s eyes lingered a beat too long, and he sensed her gaze. His amber eyes met hers. As he read her heather hoodie, proudly displaying ‘Zaun State’ in white font, his unimpressed expression cracked, the faintest smile appearing on his thin lips.

“Welcome, first years,” he said. Jinx detected a vague accent she struggled to place. “We are delighted to have you at PMH.”

“Now, without further ado,” Heimerdinger started. “Let’s get you oriented!”

Heimerdinger spent the next hour going over the nuts and bolts of Jinx’s surgery residency – her schedule, her responsibilities, her pay, and perhaps most importantly, her OR privileges. She was disappointed to learn that even the best performing first years were rarely invited by Dr. Heimerdinger or the senior residents into the operating rooms.

“But if you study hard, learn your craft, and most importantly, take care of Piltover’s sickest and neediest,” Heimerdinger continued to pontificate from his podium. “You will be operating with myself and Viktor in no time.”

Jinx felt butterflies in her stomach at the very thought of it. She pictured herself, scrubbed in, a patient’s beating heart open in front of her. She had always wanted to fix things, since she was very little. She had an untamable curiosity that even Vander wasn’t able to contain. And even though he wasn’t with her anymore, she now had the opportunity to make him proud.

She wouldn’t waste it.

…⚕️…

The weeks began to blend together. Jinx had gotten used to her routine of early morning starts, getting to the hospital long before the sun would rise. She would arrive before any of her classmates would, seeing her patients first, writing detailed notes and preparing diligently for rounds each day. She knew exactly what Heimerdinger was going to ask her long before he would ask, and would prepare for Viktor’s incessant quizzing on rounds. Every night, when she would finally get home to her tiny, studio apartment, she would study the charts of each of her patients, memorizing every detail about them.

“It was so cool, Vi,” Jinx said into her phone as she poured over her patient’s charts, shoveling instant ramen into her mouth. “I got to drain the whole abscess myself. It smelled so gnarly!”

She heard Vi gag on the other end of the phone.

“Jeez, Powder,” she groaned. “Times like these I’m thankful Cait went into residency for psychiatry.”

“And I really like Viktor, my chief,” Jinx continued, her voice energized with excitement despite how late it was. “He went to Zaun State, too! He’s one of the only other residents in my program who went there.”

“Viktor, huh?” Jinx could basically hear Vi’s eyebrows wiggling through the phone. “Is he cute?”

“Yeah,” Jinx admitted. “Cute, and gay. His husband owns an tech company here in Piltover.”

“Love that,” Vi cooed. “I’ll have to ask if Caitlyn knows him.”

Vi paused, and Jinx already knew the next question coming.

“Have you, you know, been able to go on any dates?”

“When would I have time for that?” Jinx scoffed as she finished the last of her ramen. “I barely have time to sleep.”

“I just want to make sure you’re getting a good work-life balance,” Vi said as she stifled a yawn. “You work so hard, is all. Anyone good-looking in your program?”

Jinx thought about how truly unimpressed she was with Kayn and Ezreal.

“It’s slim-pickings here in Piltover,” Jinx cooed slyly. “Sorry, sis. You’re not becoming an aunt anytime soon.”

Vi clicked her tongue against her teeth.

“Just take care of yourself, promise?” she said, her tone suddenly serious. “I don’t want you to burn out.”

“I promise,” Jinx repeated. She glanced at the clock, scoffing at how late it already was. “I gotta go, sis. I need to be up in like 4 hours.”

“Good luck, doc!” Vi said before hanging up.

Jinx, however, would be up for an hour longer, rereading her patient’s charts from cover to cover.

…⚕️…

It was a little past 5AM. Jinx stepped into the elevator, her nose buried into her phone as she studied her patient’s morning labs and x-rays. Her rock music continued to blast in her AirPods, her head bouncing subconsciously to the bass. She barely noticed the cane slide between the elevator doors just before they closed, jolting them back open. As soon as Jinx saw who it was, she tucked her phone into her pocket.

“Viktor!” she basically shouted at the poor chief resident over the blaring volume of her music. “Good morning!”

Viktor winced at her volume, but a smile crept into his lips. His eyes warmly studied his junior resident.

“Good morning, Dr. Lane,” he said. “I can hear that you’re a fan of Nirvana, however I must insist you lower the volume before we have to send you to see ENT.”

Jinx smiled as she tucked her AirPods away. Her ears were ringing, but she’d never admit it.

“You can call me Jinx,” she said as the elevator continued to climb. “I figured the only Zaunites in this ivory tower ought to be on a first-name basis.”

Viktor chuckled, his laugh a true rarity.

“Not the only Zaunites, Jinx,” he said. “But I am glad I caught you. I need to talk to you.”

Jinx felt her heart drop. She tried not to let her brows furrow into knots as her anxiety ran wild in her mind. Had she already messed up? Had she disappointed her chief resident?

“I’d like you to accompany me in the operating room this afternoon,” Viktor said plainly, and Jinx felt her heart stop. She couldn’t believe her ears.

“The… operating room?” Jinx huffed incredulously. “Me?”

Viktor chuckled again.

“Don’t sound so surprised!” he said, tapping her leg affectionately with his cane. “You think I haven’t noticed how well prepared you’ve been these last few weeks? You’ve put more effort into this residency than all of your classmates combined.”

“Holy shit,”  was all Jinx could muster. Viktor snorted a laugh, and Jinx felt her cheeks redden.

“Holy shit is right,”  he echoed, smiling slyly. “There hasn’t been a first year in the operating room this early since, well, myself a few years back.”

Jinx had to fight the giddiness bubbling in her chest. Viktor was one of the most brilliant surgeons she’d ever met, and now she had been invited to operate with him.

“What time is the surgery?” she asked, barely containing her excitement. “What are we operating on? Which operating room? What’s the patient’s name?”

Viktor held up a hand to calm her.

“I’ll text you all of the details, Jinx. It’s a simple procedure, just a cholecystectomy. I trust you’ve studied up on your biliary tree anatomy?”

Jinx nodded emphatically, as if Viktor didn’t already know the answer. She was always beyond prepared.

“Excellent,” Viktor said. “I’ll see you this afternoon, then.”

He gestured behind Jinx, who hadn’t even realized the elevator had parked itself on her floor, doors wide open.  

As Jinx basically skipped away in excitement, she heard Viktor call from the elevator behind her as the doors began to close.

“Oh, and Jinx,” he started. “I must warn you, however. The scrub nurse on with us this afternoon is known to get under my residents’ skin.”

Jinx remembered all of the grumpy, old scrub nurses she’d encountered as a medical student. She scoffed, shooting Viktor a confident glance.

“Nothing I can’t handle, Vik!” she called back to him.

“I should hope not,” Viktor said as the elevator doors approached each other. “He’s a Zaunite, same as us.”

…⚕️…

Jinx steeled her nerves and took a deep, steadying breath as she finished scrubbing in. She meticulously scrubbed her hands before patting them dry with a sterile towel. She donned her surgical gloves, gown, cap, and mask before slipping into the operating room.

It was warmer and darker than she expected. The patient was already asleep on the operating table, a breathing tube in his throat, and an anesthesiologist sat behind a curtain above his head tinkering with the ventilator and various infusing medications. Viktor hovered above the patient’s exposed belly, marking it with a purple marker and barely glancing up as Jinx walked in.

“Jinx!” he said warmly as he continued to examine his patient, delineating relevant anatomy with thick, purple lines. “Glad you found us. I know this hospital can be a maze.”

“Wasn’t too hard to find,” Jinx said with a coy grin. She decided not to admit she had memorized the layout of the operating rooms long before today.  

“You’ll be my first assist today,” Viktor continued. “You’ll be in charge of retracting tissue to make sure I have a clear field of vision. I’ll let you make a few important cuts, too.”

Jinx excitedly stepped up to the patient on the operating table, her eyes wide as she took in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the operating room. She couldn’t believe she was here, already. She promised herself she wouldn’t let Viktor down.

“Where do I start?” Jinx asked, barely concealing the excitement in her tone. Viktor nodded towards the corner of the OR, where a previously unseen nurse was inspecting a table of sterile, surgical instruments.

“Go introduce yourself to the scrub nurse,” Viktor said. “He knows exactly what instruments you’ll need at every step. He’s one of my favorites.”

Jinx turned to walk to the scrub nurse as he busied himself with a tray of surgical instruments. As his eyes met hers, Jinx felt her body freeze exactly where she stood.

Where she had expected to see an old, grumpy lady, Jinx saw the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her entire life. Even in his OR attire, she could tell he was chiseled like a Greek statue, his broad shoulders and chest somehow even more attractive under his surgical gown. With a large, gloved hand, he delicately sorted dozens of surgical instruments, his long fingers tracing them in a way that made Jinx’s breath hitch. His eyes were a vibrant hazelnut that flashed in the surgical lights as he glanced up at her. Even behind his mask, Jinx could tell his grin was as dangerous as it was alluring.

It was suddenly very, very hot under her sterile gown.

“Dr. Lane?” Viktor asked, glancing up. “The scalpel?”

Jinx snapped out of her trance, her heart thumping in her chest. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly bone dry, as the scrub nurse approached her with his tray of instruments.

“Um, hi,” Jinx said, her voice almost cracking. She felt her cheeks redden. How had she made it this far in her career, only to be turned to jelly by a man she’d never met?

Pull it together, Jinx, she thought, biting the inside of her cheek. He’s just a nurse. An insanely attractive, sexy nurse –

“Hey, gorgeous,” the nurse finally said. His voice was such an alluring, deep rasp that Jinx barely registered what he had just said to her. “If you’re looking for something sharp and dangerous, you’re in the right place.”

Jinx was glad she was wearing a surgical mask, because if she wasn’t, her jaw would surely have dropped to the floor. Every synapse in her brain seemed to fire simultaneously, until her thoughts were nothing but a warm, wet haze. Her brows furrowed into knots as she processed every word he had just said to her.

“I,” Jinx stammered, her eyelashes fluttering. She felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead. “What did you just say to me?”

The nurse grinned again under his mask, his hazelnut eyes flashing, and Jinx felt her knees nearly buckle.

“You need a scalpel, right?” that deep voice said again, somehow even more seductive than before. He gestured down towards his tray of instruments. “Pick whichever one you’d like, baby. I want to watch what you can do with your hands.”

Jinx’s brain short-circuited, her cheeks suddenly aflame with red heat. She tried to form a dignified response to such an suggestive, audacious statement, but her words seemed to be trapped on her tongue. She wet her lips, suddenly very aware of how the nurse was staring at them.

“Do you talk to all residents like this?” Jinx said, the intended bite in her words melting away under his gaze. “Seems like you’re asking for trouble.”

“Surgery can be dangerous,” the nurse replied. “A good surgeon is bedmates with trouble.”

“Guess you’re lucky I’m a good surgeon,” Jinx heard herself saying.

“If you’re a good surgeon,” he said, his voice as rich as summer wine. “Then I’m happy to be your trouble.”

Jinx’s eyes widened. She had never, in her entire life, been so quickly disarmed, so quickly infatuated, so quickly aflame with desire. Her jaw tensed and loosened, absolutely unable to form another quip as the nurse seemed to revel in his victory.

“I suppose we should get started, doc,” he said with a raspy chuckle. Even his laugh was intoxicating. “I’m Ekko.”

Jinx didn’t register it at first. But when she did, she felt as if her heart stopped. She replayed the name in her mind again and again, absolutely sure she had misheard him. There was no way that this beautiful man in front of her was the same scrawny kid she’d grown up with. But as his hazelnut eyes met hers again, there was no denying it.

It was Ekko behind that mask.

“Ekko?” Jinx said, her voice barely a whisper. She kept her eyes fixed to his, wondering if he’d recognize her now, after all these years – older and covered in tattoos. At last, a flicker of realization lit up his face.

“No fucking way,” Ekko whispered with a low whistle, biting his lip. “You’re all grown up, Powder.”  

Jinx felt her cheeks flush with heat at the sound of his words. She continued to look into his familiar eyes, knowing if she glanced at any of his muscular form again she’d have to excuse herself. Ekko, on the other hand, made no effort to hide his gazes up and down Jinx’s lithe frame.

“Ekko,” Jinx said. “I meant to-”

“Dr. Lane,” Viktor repeated, an air of impatience now in his tone. He looked at Jinx from the operating table, the contents of her conversation with Ekko luckily unknown to him. “Scalpel.”

Jinx’s eyes fluttered again, suddenly very aware of her surroundings. She was a surgeon, in an operating room, and her patient was ready for surgery on the table. She had to pull herself together.

“Right, yes,” she said. She turned back to her childhood friend, who was still studying her, his soft eyes drinking in her every curve. “Ekko, can I have a 15 blade, please?”

“You can have whatever you want, Pow,” Ekko purred back to her. “But I’ll make you ask for it.”

His broad hand gently traced the surgical instruments, and Jinx had to steady a ragged breath as his fingers teased the cold steel. He picked up a scalpel and gingerly handed it to her. As Jinx grasped it, his fingers lingered over hers. Even through the surgical gloves, Jinx could feel the warmth of his hand. His glove size must have been double that of hers.

She traced a vein on the back of his hand, clearly visible through the latex, until it disappeared under his gown. She chewed her lip, longing to trace the vein higher up his forearm,  to his chiseled bicep, to his toned chest, to his full lips –

“Jinx?” Viktor again asked. “Are you alright?”

Jinx stepped quickly to the patient, positioning herself across from Viktor. No more distractions, she promised herself.

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry,” Jinx stammered an excuse. “It’s just, uh, a bit hot in here.”

A beat of silence followed, and Jinx felt her face light on fire with embarrassment.

What a stupid fucking thing to say.

Viktor glanced at Ekko, a knowing sigh escaping his lips.

“Ekko, can you have the circulating nurse reduce OR temperature to 72 degrees,” he ordered. Ekko nodded, signaling his colleague outside the operating room to adjust the thermostat.

“It’s much hotter in here than usual, Dr. Talis,” Ekko said. Jinx’s powder blue eyes somehow knew to meet Ekko’s as the words left his lips. “I’m trying to figure out what’s different today.”

Oh my god.

“First incision,” Jinx said, a new steady resolve in her voice. She did her best to bottle the lightning that rippled through her body every time she so much as glanced at Ekko. She looked to the clock mounted on the wall. “2:07PM. Start case timer.”

The surgery went on for only a few hours, but to Jinx, it was an eternity. Every time Ekko would hand her a new instrument, their hands would linger in each others for just a beat too long. Every time their eyes would meet, Jinx would feel her breath hitch as if the very air within her lungs was stolen by him. Every time he spoke, all of Jinx’s nerves would alight as if she’d been struck by lightning.

Jinx watched as Viktor sliced through layers of tissue, tying off blood vessels and dissecting organs with expert precision. As he worked, he lectured her, pointing out relevant anatomy and common mistakes made by new surgeons.

“Typically, patients need to be started on IV antibiotics as soon as you suspect a biliary tree obstruction,” his accented voice droned on. “Early antibiotics reduce mortality by at least 30% in uncomplicated cases of…”

Jinx struggled to focus on his words, instead replaying again and again what Ekko had said to her hours before. He’d never spoken like that to her before, with such confidence, such hunger, such audacity. But the boy she once knew had clearly grown up, same as her.

You can have whatever you want, he said as Jinx bit the inside of her lip. But I’ll make you ask for it.

She shifted under her surgical gown, ignoring the sudden heat radiating from the apex of her thighs. She glanced at Ekko again, standing next to Viktor across from her. Their eyes locked, and Jinx felt the fire in her core threaten to erupt into an inferno.

Whether she meant to or not, she knew her eyes were asking him for it.

“Jinx?” Viktor said. “I asked you a question?”

Fuck.

Jinx felt panic grip her chest, the heat in her core suddenly extinguished by cold dread.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “What was the question?”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed.

“The most common cause of cholecystitis?” he repeated flatly.

“Cholelithiasis,” Jinx answered rapidly, desperate to redeem herself. “Gall stones.”

Viktor nodded in affirmation, but his smile had disappeared.

“Dr. Lane, I cannot have a distracted surgeon in my operating room,” he chided. Jinx felt her heart rise into her throat. “I’d like to invite you back, but not if you can’t demonstrate your ability to focus.”

Jinx swore every swear word she knew within her mind. Ekko shifted uncomfortably as a tense silence dragged on, only permeated by the sound of the patient’s heart monitor.  

“I’m sorry,” Jinx finally said. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

“Good,” Viktor huffed. He stepped away from the patient, removing his bloodied gloves and gown. He glanced between Jinx and Ekko. “I trust you can close the patient on your own, Jinx. I’ll be in my office.”

As Viktor limped out of the OR, Jinx began to suture the patient’s abdomen closed. She snapped the instruments out of Ekko’s hands, never once glancing at him, as she placed lines of neat stitches along the patient’s skin. Once she was satisfied with her work, she stepped back.

“End of case, 5:34PM,” Jinx said to Ekko, but kept her eyes glued to the patient’s body. “Stop case timer.”

“Powder,” Ekko said. The bravado in his voice had melted away, and he almost sounded apologetic. “I-”

“It’s Jinx, now,” she snapped at him. Again, she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Like I said, end of case.”

She turned on her heels and rushed out of the operating room, tearing the sterile garments from her lithe body as she walked.

“Pow-?” Ekko called to her.

But Jinx didn’t stop. She slammed the door of the operating room behind her, tears beginning to pool along her waterline.   

She started this case with a promise to not let Viktor down. She’d broken that promise.

…⚕️…

Hours passed. The setting sun basked the hallways of the hospital in a warm, golden light as Jinx walked sullenly to the PACU. Viktor had asked her to examine their patient as he recovered from anesthesia, and Jinx, eager to return to his good graces, agreed without hesitation. As she walked, she continued to replay the events of her first surgery, cringing at her own stupidity with her every step.

How could I be so foolish? Jinx grumbled to herself as she rounded the last hallway before arriving at a set of double doors. In bold, red letters, a sign read ‘Post Anesthesia Care Unit”.  

Jeopardizing everything I’ve worked for, all the hard work I’ve done, just for some guy, Jinx thought as her teeth clenched, her brows furrowing in frustrated knots.

But he wasn’t just some guy, Jinx knew. The man who had swept the floor out from under her, who Jinx hadn’t been able to stop thinking about, who had turned her sharp mind into a mess of hot, filthy desires, was Ekko.

Ekko, the boy she played with after school. Ekko, the friend that was there for her when her parents died, when her sister went to juvie, when her life seemed to fall apart. Ekko, who she had pushed away after the accident, after Vander died in her arms, after she wasn’t able to save him –

Jinx snapped out of her trance. She hadn’t realized she stopped at the hallway window, looking over the river towards Zaun. She sighed, collecting herself, before continuing onward.

She badged into the PACU and the doors swung open. A cheery appearing nurse sat at the desk, her neon yellow hair pulled into two, fox-like ponytails towering over her head. She straightened her position as Jinx walked up to her.

“You must be the new surgery resident,” she said, shaking Jinx’s hand. “I’m Zeri, one of the PACU nurses.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jinx grumbled under her breath. She wasn’t interested in making any more friends today.

“Are you here for Viktor’s post-op patient?” Zeri asked, her voice so enthusiastic it almost sounded fake. “He’s in bed 7. He’s doing great.”

Jinx hummed a thank you before sauntering down to bed 7. Despite the hurricane of feelings within her, she was beyond relieved to hear her patient was doing well.

Jinx pulled the curtain back. But instead of seeing just her patient, still snoozing as the anesthesia continued to wear off, her eyes landed on the nurse standing over him.

Ekko was even more breathtaking in his usual scrubs. Jinx noticed he’d grown out his white locks, which he sported in a high, handsome ponytail. Jinx caught the bright white of his teeth as he chewed his full lip, his hazelnut eyes focused intently on his patient. A stethoscope was placed in his ears, and he listened to the patient’s heart and lungs as he slept. His previously concealed arms were just as chiseled as Jinx had imagined – but despite how strong he looked, how his every muscle rippled with his movements, his touch looked gentle, reverent, and caring. The deep V of his scrub top exposed a chain necklace and a  toned chest, and Jinx traced the delicious angles of his collarbones until they disappeared under the fabric.

Jinx’s breath hitched as his eyes finally met hers. A few beats of tension passed between them, the silence only broken by the beeping and whirling of the hospital around them.

“You did an excellent job, doc,” Ekko finally said, ending the silence that felt like an eternity. “You’re an incredible surgeon.”

Jinx tried to say something witty or biting, to dismiss the man that had led her to embarrass herself in front of Viktor, but she could form no words. The gears in her mind whirled rapidly as her every muscle tensed and loosened under his intense gaze.

“Listen, I-”

“I need to examine my patient,” Jinx said curtly, cutting Ekko off.

Ekko shrugged, stretching like a cat. Jinx caught the barest slim of his midriff as he stretched, the lines of his abs peaking out from under his scrub top.

How, Jinx thought to herself, is this man so fucking hot?

“Of course, baby blue,” Ekko said.

The way he said it, with such a playful, toying inflection, as if challenging her to push back more, made Jinx’s knees buckle. The hairs on the back of her neck stood erect, her mind suddenly filled with absolutely filthy thoughts, as Ekko placed his stethoscope back around his broad neck.

“I’ve missed you, Pow- Jinx,” Ekko corrected himself as he passed her. Jinx breathed in the smell of his cologne, a deep sandalwood, that stood in stark, welcome contrast to the chemical odor of the hospital. “I hope we have many more cases together.”

Jinx could barely formulate a thought as Ekko sauntered away. She longed to call out to him, to explain her absence in his life, to apologize for all the years she’d neglected their once intimate friendship, to explain that she’d only rejected him out of her fear of being abandoned.

But here he was, dropped back into her life again. His words dripped with yearning, his voice as intoxicating as whiskey, his body as tantalizing as every one of her fantasies combined. Even if she tried, she wouldn’t be able to explain the hurricane of emotions raging within her at this very moment.

Zeri, the PACU nurse, leaned over the desk to face Ekko as he approached. She twirled her hair, biting her lip as he said something inaudible to her. She giggled as Ekko placed his broad arms on the desk. A sly grin appeared on her lips, her eyes hooded, as she looked up at his face.

Jinx’s throat closed, her eyes finally glancing away from Ekko. A new emotion charged into the hurricane of feelings within her heart, an emotion she was not expecting – jealousy. She closed the curtain as Zeri continued to giggle at Ekko’s jokes, her fingers tracing the sculpted muscles of his arms.

It was then, after hours of denial, that Jinx finally realized her predicament. She had graduated at the top of her class, matched at one of the best surgical programs in the world, and been invited to operate within her first month of residency. She would have been unstoppable, she realized. But there was one, terrible problem - she’d fallen in love with her scrub nurse, and her oldest friend.

A good surgeon is bedmates with trouble, indeed.

Chapter Text

Jinx didn’t even realize her breakfast had gone cold. Her sunken eyes, hooded with shadowy bags under them, watched the sun peak out from behind the downtown Piltover skyline. Despite it being ungodly early, the hospital cafeteria was already packed with doctors, nurses, and patients. She stifled a yawn, rubbing her face with icy hands that barely emerged from her Zaun State hoodie. The weeks of long hours and night shifts were finally catching up to her.

It didn’t help that whenever she finally laid down to rest, she wouldn’t be able to get him out of her mind.

Jinx had seen Ekko nearly every day since her first time in the operating room. He was Viktor’s favorite scrub nurse, and for good reason – he was excellent at his job. The surgeries he worked were always smooth and steady, without so much as a hiccup. Jinx would already be bored, she knew, if she wasn’t absolutely obsessed with him.

Jinx played with her pancakes, now cold and soggy with syrup, as she grumbled under her breath. At first she blamed her luck – what were the odds that Ekko was both her chief’s favorite nurse and the subject of her every dream, her every fantasy? What were the odds that she’d fallen in love with both her coworker and the boy she’d grown up with?

But as time went on, she began to realize that maybe she herself was to be blamed for her bad luck. She reciprocated his flirty quips and lingering gazes, sometimes shocking herself with the words that slipped from her lips behind the mask. But despite all the suggestive innuendos and palpable tension, she was too scared to take the next step.

She hadn’t called or texted him, hadn’t talked about their complicated past, hadn’t even acknowledged how fucked up it was that she dropped out of his life without so much as an explanation. Whatever this was between them, as maddening as it was, was easier than facing the past.

Guilt ate at her as she reduced her pancake to a syrupy mush. She knew he owed her nothing. She knew he probably didn’t even want to hear her excuses or even be her friend again. She’d left him, after all. He was probably like this with everyone. So why, Jinx asked herself, did it sting so much to see him flirt with other women?

Jinx’s eyes caught a pair of dual yellow fox-tails in the crowded cafeteria. She watched Zeri smile at the cashier as she checked out her coffee and breakfast sandwich. Her eyes were vibrant and far too joyful for 5AM. Jinx grumbled again, wondering if she was so cheery because she’d been taken home by Ekko.

Maybe they’d gone on a date, and gotten tipsy on a bottle of wine? Maybe he’d taken her home to his apartment, torn the clothes from her body, and fucked her exactly how Jinx dreamed he’d do it? Maybe he held her close all night, running his hands through her hair, telling her he loved her? Telling her he forgives her? Telling her he doesn’t blame her for the accident, for Vander? Telling her –

Jinx snapped out of her trance. Her breakfast had been reduced to a disgusting porridge by her absentminded forking. She pushed the plate away, scowling. She wasn’t hungry, anyway.

Jinx’s phone burst to life in her scrub pocket as she tossed her uneaten food into the trashcan. She wondered who would be calling at such an early hour – surely only Vi. When Jinx read Caitlyn’s name on her phone, she realized her guess was close enough.

Against all odds, Jinx had actually come to like Vi’s fiancé, now a third year psych resident at Piltover Memorial. They were absolutely nothing alike; while Jinx loved the blood and chaos of the operating room, Caitlyn preferred the quiet, calm, and candle-scented world of psychiatry. Vi and her had met when they played on opposing teams during the college basketball championship a few years back. Piltover University may have lost the title that year, but as Vi always joked, Caitlyn won the lottery when Vi asked her out after the game.

“Hey, toots,” Jinx rasped into the phone. “You sure you’re calling the right Lane sister?”

“Good morning, Jinx,” Caitlyn’s said, her tone prim and melodic as always. “Can’t call my future sister-in-law without a reason?”

“Yuck,”  Jinx said, a coy grin appearing on her lips. “Don’t remind me.”

“Ha, ha,” Caitlyn faked a sardonic laugh, and Jinx could practically hear her eyes rolling through the phone. “But to your point, I am actually calling with a question.”

“Shoot,” Jinx said as she sauntered out of the cafeteria, her braids trailing behind her. “Anything for my sister’s cupcake.”

“Want to come to the Resident Association happy hour tonight?” Caitlyn said, and Jinx’s ears perked up. “The hospital is covering the tab. You could bring a date.”

“I don’t know about you psych people,” Jinx started. “But I’m usually here until long after most happy hours end.”

Jinx heard a knowing hum through the line, and the sound of tea being sipped from a mug.

“All the more reason to come,” Caitlyn said. “Vi’s told me how hard you’ve been pushing yourself. And Viktor has told me all about your time in the operating room.”

Jinx froze, her eyes widening. She felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment. Was she that obviously infatuated with Ekko that Viktor knew?

“What did he say?” Jinx asked, her tone almost frantic. “What does he know?”

“Just that you’re a first year already in the operating room?” Caitlyn offered quizzically, sounding taken aback. “That’s insanely impressive, Jinx, but I can imagine it’s a huge amount of responsibility.”

“Oh,” Jinx said, relief washing over her. “Yes, uh, it’s definitely been… distracting.”

“Is there something… else you’d like to talk about?” Caitlyn asked, her tone guarded. Jinx scoffed, trying to regain her composure.

“Not at all, toots,” she said, doing her absolute best to feign nonchalance. Jinx had been to her fair share of shrinks, and she’d be damned if Caitlyn became one of them.  “Didn’t know you knew Viktor, is all.”

“I mean, he’s married to one of my best friends from college,” Caitlyn said. Jinx could tell by her tone that she was still suspicious, but was fighting her urge to pry. “I just had them for dinner last Thursday.”

“I’m glad you’re feeding him,” Jinx said as she bobbed and weaved through the crowded hospital lobby. “I’ve never seen Viktor eat anything but energy bars and coffee.”

Caitlyn chuckled through the phone.

“You surgeons are a unique breed, indeed,” she laughed. “But please, consider my offer. I hope to see you tonight.”

Jinx agreed half-heartedly before disconnecting the call. She wondered how much she’d given away when she’d panicked about what Viktor had shared with Caitlyn, and if she’d be getting a worried call later from Vi. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain to her sister how she’d fallen head over heels for the kid they’d grown up with.

As Jinx entered the elevator, pressing the button for her floor, her blue eyes locked on to a head of tousled white locks within the crowd. Her breath hitched as Ekko came into her view, navigating the busy lobby of the hospital. He was dressed in work-out clothes, likely coming from the staff gym.

His skin glistened with beads of sweat, and his breaths were still heaving. A tight tank top clung to his chest, the lines of his abs made visible by his sweat. His biceps tensed as he pulled his AirPods from his ears, his hazelnut eyes catching the sun’s early light through the lobby windows.

Jinx continued to stare at him, her lips slightly parted, her face impossibly hot. It was the most naked she’d ever seen him, save the times they’d skinny dipped as kids in Zaun. And even through all her confusion, her guilt, her regret, her yearning, one thing was very clear to her – she needed him.

“Uh, ma’am?” a voice came from behind Jinx.

Jinx’s eyes fluttered, startled. She hadn’t even realized someone was in the elevator with her. The stranger looked at her pleadingly, glancing down at the elevator panel. Jinx winced as she realized her finger had been planted on the ‘open door’ button this whole time, preventing the elevator from closing.

“You waiting for someone?” the stranger asked.

Jinx shook her head, rapidly pushing the ‘close door’ button until the doors closed shut. Ekko’s eyes caught hers through the crowd, stopping him mid step, just as the elevator doors met.

“No, I’m not waiting for someone,” Jinx said, pursing her lips. It wasn’t the truth – she was waiting for someone.

But she wasn’t ready to face whether or not he was waiting for her.

…⚕️…

Jinx was nearly late for grand rounds. She slipped into the lecture hall from the rear entrance as Dr. Heimerdinger climbed up to the podium, his white coat dragging on the floor behind him. She scanned the audience, spotting a head of blonde hair catching the dim light of the auditorium a few rows from the back. Jinx squeezed through the rows of narrow seats before collapsing into the chair next to Lux.

Lux didn’t look much better than Jinx did. She had long abandoned her black headband, now tying her hair back in a messy ponytail. The bags under her eyes gave Jinx’s a run for their money, and in place of her typical white coat she now sported a mint green Piltover University sweater and stained scrub pants.

Jinx was glad she wasn’t the only one getting her ass kicked by residency.

“Hey, Lux,” Jinx whispered to her friend. Lux jolted in her seat, startled, and Jinx realized she’d interrupted a much needed nap.   

“Oh, fuck,” Lux whispered back, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “How long was I asleep?”

Jinx shrugged, a coy grin appearing on her lips.

“Luxanna Crownguard, sleeping through grand rounds?” she gasped, clasping her heart dramatically. “What will Heimerdinger say?”

Lux nudged a finger into Jinx’s ribs, a smile appearing on her face as Heimerdinger’s voice droned on.

“I could care less what the old yordle says,” Lux groaned. “He’s been kicking my ass on trauma surgery. I’ve barely gotten an hour of sleep this month.”

“You and me both, girl,” Jinx cooed back at her. She sipped her coffee, fighting back a yawn of her own. “I guess we knew residency wouldn’t be a cake walk.”  

“How has the OR been?” Lux asked. “Is Viktor still letting you assist?”

Jinx’s eyes fluttered to the floor, the smile disappearing from her lips. She hadn’t told another soul, not even her sister, about her secret love in the operating room. She knew some of her fellow residents were jealous that she had been invited to operate so early by Viktor. What would they think if they found out she had an insatiable crush on a nurse, who might just be playing her for a fool with his overtures?

Then again, Lux didn’t know Ekko and wasn’t from Zaun. She was probably the most impartial friend Jinx could confide in. Jinx bit her lip, weighing her words carefully.

“Can you keep a secret, Lux?” Jinx said, her voice barely a whisper. Lux nodded, her eyebrows knitting in curiosity.

Jinx filled her best friend in on everything – how she’d met Ekko again after years apart, how forward and flirtatious he was before and after he’d recognized her, how she was paralyzed to address her feelings for him and the ghosts of their shared past.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Lux,” Jinx said, picking her fingernails nervously. “We haven’t even had a real conversation yet, and I’m in love with him.”

If Jinx wasn’t so preoccupied with her thoughts, so deprived of sleep, she might have noticed Lux’s face fall for a fraction of a moment. Her eyes scanned Jinx’s frame, lingering over the narrow lines of her collarbones disappearing under her hoodie.

“You two have a complicated history, that much is clear,” Lux replied, her eyes at last darting away. She was suddenly very interested in her coffee. “But it seems like you have your solution, already.”

Jinx looked at her quizzically, her brows furrowing, and Lux rolled her eyes.

“You have to talk to him, Jinx,” she huffed. “You just said you haven’t had a real conversation yet. You’ll never know what his true feelings are if all you do is flirt at work.”

“We talk all the time,” Jinx protested. Lux shot her a knowing look, her eyes narrowing.

“Foreplay in the operating room doesn’t count as talking, Jinx,” she said, fighting back a chuckle. “You need to put all your cards on the table. Otherwise you’ll be stuck in this game forever.”

Jinx considered her advice as Heimerdinger’s voice continued his lecture in the background. She was right; the game of cat and mouse she was playing with Ekko showed no signs of slowing down. She either needed to escape in one piece or accept his claws – and she didn’t know which was the better option.

“The happy hour,” Jinx whispered to herself. “I’ll take him to the happy hour.”

“The resident association happy hour?” Lux asked, her eyebrows raising. “That’s perfect, Jinx. Invite him and talk things through over a few drinks. He owes you at least an explanation, especially with how much of a tease he’s been.”

“I’ll ask him after our case today,” Jinx said. She looked to her friend, realizing her eyes were again wandering over the curves of her body. “Thanks, Lux.”

Lux’s cheeks flushed red as the lights came back on in the lecture hall, bathing the residents in a warm, yellow light. She offered Jinx as smile as she began to collect her things.

“Don’t mention it,” she said. Her brows furrowed as her eyes landed on someone behind Jinx. “But don’t thank me yet – I might need to bail you out of this one, too.”

Before Jinx could realize what Lux was talking about, she felt a long finger tap her shoulder. She turned around to see Kayn towering over her, his white teeth flashing within his dangerous grin. His messy, fuchsia hair framed his chiseled face and jaw, and his heterochromic eyes lingered over Jinx hungrily. His scrubs were so fitted and tight against his muscular form that Jinx thought he must have intentionally bought a smaller size just to show off his body.

“Hey,” he said with such a nonchalant inflection that it sounded rehearsed. “You’re Jinx, right?”

“That’s me!” Jinx said, offering an insincere smile as she started to pack her things.

“I’ve seen you around,” Kayn continued. He ran a hand through his hair, doing his best to flex his bicep as he did. Jinx rolled her eyes.

“I’ve seen you around, too,” Jinx huffed. “Tends to happen when we work at the same place.”

Kayn laughed, deep and boisterous. She hated this guy’s whole vibe, but at least his laugh was sincere.

“Fair enough,” Kayn purred. “But I’d like to see even more of you.”

He handed Jinx a folded piece of paper, the digits of a phone number obviously scribbled within it. Jinx glanced back at Lux before taking the paper.

“Give me a call sometime, baby blue?” Kayn said, biting his lip. Jinx cringed, her nails digging into the lecture hall chair – only one man was allowed to call her that.

“I’ll consider it,” Jinx shrugged, regaining her composure. “But don’t get your hopes up, buster.”

Kayn, however, was already celebrating his victory. He sauntered away from Jinx, back towards the exit of the lecture hall where his friend Ezreal was waiting for him. Ezreal’s gaze danced between Jinx, Kayn, and Lux, grinning devilishly, and Jinx couldn’t tell who he was undressing with his eyes fastest.

Jinx chuckled dryly as she and Lux rose from their seats.

“Seems like everyone’s looking for love at PMH, huh?” she laughed as she elbowed her friend.

“More than you know, Jinx,” Lux giggled. She studied Jinx’s lithe frame as she walked away, her eyes hooded and dreamy. “More than you know.”

…⚕️…

“Excellent job, Jinx,” Viktor said as she finally freed the patient’s infected appendix from the colon. She delivered it on to a sterile tray, steadying her trembling hands as she turned back to face her chief resident.

“That son of a bitch put up a good fight,” Jinx said, a cheeky smile appearing under her mask. “Didn’t want to be evicted.”

 Even though she was nearly shaking with nerves, she couldn’t help but feel proud. That was the most Viktor had ever trusted her to do on her own during a surgery.

“You’ve improved significantly,” Viktor said. “I had every confidence you’d know exactly what to do.”

Jinx glanced at Ekko, standing across from her. With a gloved hand, he passed her a suture and needle-driver. Their eyes lingered over each other as Jinx took the instrument from his hand, his fingers tracing the sensitive skin of her palm.

“Thank you, Viktor,” Jinx said, but she knew her cheeks weren’t burning because of his words.

Viktor stepped back from the patient, removing his sterile garments with silent grace as he always did.

“Let me know if you have any issues closing the abdomen,” Viktor said as he turned to leave the OR. “And please, check up on this patient in the PACU, as always.”

Jinx nodded as she watched him leave. She loved closing after surgery – the slow, methodical placement of stitches, bringing everything back together where it belongs, was almost therapeutic for her. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to the brief time she and Ekko could be alone together.

“You blushed so much when he complimented you,” Ekko finally purred as Jinx started placing lines of neat sutures. “I’ll have to remember that you like to be praised.”

Jinx swallowed, briefly glancing up at her scrub nurse as she continued to stitch. Jinx knew she had to break this cycle eventually, or she’d never be happy. But as she studied him, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple to his mask, his fingers caressing the cold steel of her surgical instruments, she couldn’t resist jumping in.

“You think I like to be praised, little man?” she purred back at him. He had hated that nickname in their childhood, but Jinx had discovered he liked to be called that during their flirtatious duels in the OR. “You think Viktor made me weak in the knees?”

“I don’t think he praises you quite like I would like to,” Ekko said, his voice a delicious whisper.

“And how would you like to praise me, Ekko?” Jinx said, her cheeks continuing to burn as she turned back to her suturing.

“Oh, Dr. Lane,” he said, his tone sending an excited shiver down Jinx’s spine. “I could lose my job if I said what I wanted to say to you here.”

“I wouldn’t like that very much,” Jinx replied. Her words, however suggestive, were laden with truth – hardly a moment of her day was spent not looking forward to seeing Ekko. “I’d miss you.”  

“Besides,” Ekko continued after a tense beat, their eyes dancing over each other in the bright surgical lights. “My love language is physical touch, which we can’t be doing much of in the operating room.”

“We can’t?” Jinx heard herself asking, her tone low. Ekko’s eyes locked with her, a ripple of surprise lighting up his masked face.

“We can’t break the sterile field, Jinx,” Ekko cooed. He handed her a fresh forcep as she continued her work, his fingers brushing hers.

“My lips aren’t sterile,” Jinx said, pausing her suturing. Her chest fluttered as she watched Ekko’s breath hitch. “And neither are yours.”

Ekko threw his head back in a chuckle as a coy grin appeared under Jinx’s mask.

“Damn, Jinx,” he mused between breathy laughs. “You’ve gotten as bold as I am.”

Jinx swallowed, glancing again at her scrub nurse as she continued to stitch. Lux’s words, which had been resonating in the periphery of her mind, suddenly rang loud and true. Foreplay in the operating room didn’t count as talking. She couldn’t keep doing this to herself. She wanted him. She wanted more. She needed more.

“Are we going to do this forever, Ekko?” she asked at last, in place of her usual witty retort or barbed flirt. For once, Ekko seemed to be caught off guard.

“Do what, baby blue?” he asked. He handed her a fresh suture, and this time it was Jinx’s fingers that lingered.

“Flirt, endlessly?” Jinx answered. “Continue to tease each other until one of us finally cracks?”

“I didn’t know it was bothering you so much,” Ekko said, but Jinx could tell by the smile in his eyes that he wasn’t telling the whole truth. “I can stop, if you’d like.”

“No,” Jinx said, perhaps too quickly. They both froze, the sound of the patient’s heart monitor syncing with their own heartbeats. “Don’t stop.”

Jinx stared deeply into his hazelnut irises, flickering in the bright surgical lights. She tried to pour all of the words she longed to say to him, all of the regrets she harbored, all the thoughts of a future together she’d dreamed, from her eyes into his.

She realized only then that Ekko was holding her hand, for once without a piece of sharp steel between them. Jinx’s breath hitched as his gloved fingers wrapped around her delicate wrist, the heat of his palm somehow making the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

“I wanted to apologize, Jinx,” Ekko finally said. Jinx’s eyes fluttered from their intertwined hands to his eyes.

“For what?” she asked.

“For your first case,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I distracted you in front of Viktor and embarrassed you. I’m sorry.”

Jinx felt her lips gently part, her eyes remaining glued to his. She knew he hadn’t meant to distract her, to embarrass her. And yet, she longed to apologize to him for everything – for leaving him behind, for never reaching out, for waiting this long to finally tell him her feelings.

“I have to ask you something,” Jinx said, trying to steel her shaky breath. “Meet me in the PACU, later?”

Ekko squeezed her hand. His usual cockiness seemed to melt away, and Jinx detected the hint of something in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in years – was he… nervous?

“Of course, Powder,” he said, swallowing. Her real name flowed off his tongue so softly, so passionately, that she didn’t even register he had used it. “Anything.”

Jinx smiled warmly under her mask as she turned back to her work. Ekko watched her intently, his heartbeat quickening, as she sutured the patient closed with elegance and precision. The surgical lights illuminated her pallid skin and beautiful eyes from above in such a way that she appeared perfect, ethereal, even angelic. For once, it was Ekko who was at a loss for words.

“End of case, 3:12PM,” Jinx said. She looked up at Ekko, who had been staring at her, hypnotized, his lips parted under his mask.

“I, uh,” Ekko stammered. His cheeks turned red. “Sorry.”

Jinx winked.

“Stop case timer,” she purred. She stripped her sterile gown and gloves from her supple frame, and Ekko’s eyes traced the curves of her body and the cloud tattoos of her skin until they disappeared under the fabric of her scrubs. “Thanks, Ekko. See you soon?”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Ekko said, his tone almost reverent, like a prayer.

As Jinx closed the OR door behind her, she grinned ear to ear, her chest filling with butterflies.

He was waiting for her, after all.

…⚕️…

Jinx could feel her heart beating in her chest as she approached the PACU, despite how much she’d cranked up the volume of her AirPods. Even though she had rehearsed exactly what she was going to say in her mind a hundred times, she was still nearly trembling with nerves. Despite the weeks of flirting, of lingering glances, of wandering hands, she had no idea if he’d reject her. She had no idea if he would forgive her. She had no idea if he even wanted to resume their friendship, no less become something… more.

Jinx bit her lip as she badged into the PACU, same as always. Zeri sat at the desk, scrolling through TikTok mindlessly, before catching Jinx’s glance. She offered a wide smile at Jinx as she walked by.

“Your patient’s in room 2! On the left,” the nurse said cheerily, gesturing behind her. Room 2 was essentially just behind Zeri’s desk. “He looks good, I just drew his post-op labs.”

Jinx nodded a thanks before continuing forward, taking her AirPods out. She stood before the curtain and took a deep, shaky breath. It was time to put all her cards on the table, as Lux had put it.

Jinx pulled the curtain back and walked into the room, but Ekko wasn’t here yet. Her patient, still asleep from the anesthesia, rested peacefully in his hospital bed. Jinx’s eyebrows furrowed, checking over her shoulder and peeking out from behind the curtain. Ekko was nowhere to be seen.

Jinx checked her watch. He usually beat her here and would be halfway through his own post-op check before she’d even start. She checked her phone for missed texts or calls, but there were none. She felt her heart begin to sink into her stomach as she poked her head out from behind the curtain again, scanning up and down the hallway for any sign of her nurse. The only other person here, besides her patient, was Zeri.

Jinx pursed her lips, swallowing hard. She realized what she feared most was true; Ekko didn’t want anything to do with her. She’d hurt him too much with her absence, or worse still, he never cared. Their little game of cat and mouse was nothing more than that – a game.

Jinx scowled as she placed her stethoscope in her ears, examining her sleeping patient while grumbling under her breath. As soon as she was satisfied with her work, she turned on her heels.

Before she could snap the curtain open and storm out, she heard the familiar sound of the PACU doors opening. Jinx froze, relief washing over her, as she spotted Ekko walking through the double doors from the gap in the curtain.

Zeri immediately leaned over her desk to greet Ekko as he approached.

“Hey, Ekko,” she said dreamily, her finger finding its way to her lips. “Still excited for our date tonight?”

Jinx felt as if the floor dropped out from underneath her. Her every muscle seemed to tense as nausea washed over her.

Our… date?

“Hey, Zeri,” Ekko said. His voice was rich and sweet – too sweet for her. “Actually, I meant to talk to you about that-”

“I picked a great little wine bar,” Zeri continued, cutting him off. “I hope you like an oaky Chardonnay.”  

Jinx watched as Zeri’s hand fell into Ekko’s. Her fingers traced the lines of his palm, just as Jinx had in the operating room. The cruel difference, Jinx realized, was that Zeri could hold his naked hand, feel his warmth and his pulse, without a thin barrier of latex separating them. As Ekko squeezed her hand back, Jinx’s eyes snapped away, hot tears stinging her waterline.

“Wait, Zeri, about tonight-”

Jinx snapped the curtain back, startling both Ekko and Zeri. Ekko’s eyes locked on Jinx’s, the color draining from his face.

“Jinx,” he started. His brows furrowed, his face filled with worry.  “Hey, I’m sorry, I was running late.”

Jinx bit the inside of her cheek. Ekko surely could see the tears welling in her eyes, surely could see the hurt on her face.

“You, uh,” Ekko stammered. His hands had snapped away from Zeri, to her dismay. “You wanted to talk?”

“Not anymore, Ekko,” she snarled, her lips quivering. She marched to the PACU exit, turning her head away from him as she passed.

“Jinx, wait,” Ekko called after her. “Please.”

“Enjoy your date, Ekko,” she growled, her voice dripping with venom. “Hope you like an oaky fucking Chardonnay, too.”

She slammed the doors behind her, barely making it into the elevator at the end of the corridor before releasing a shuddering sob. She knew it was too good to be true; all of it. Ekko wasn’t waiting for her at all. He hadn’t just stood her up, he’d moved on. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she realized he’d left her behind, just as she left him behind all those years ago. She deserved this. She knew it.

Jinx pulled her phone out of her pocket, her vision blurred with tears, as she began to dial her sister’s number. But as her fingers fumbled, a folded piece of paper fell to the elevator floor. Jinx wiped her eyes, her mascara smearing across her cheeks, as she reached to pick it up. She unfolded the paper, reading the number, weighing the decision she was about to make.

She took a deep, steadying breath as she punched Kayn’s number into her phone. He picked up far too quickly.

“I was hoping you’d call-”

“Tonight. Pick a place,” Jinx said shortly, her eyes snapping shut. “Preferably a place that doesn’t serve wine.”  

…⚕️…

Jinx fumbled with her keys, swearing as she dropped them to the hallway floor. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning, filled with one too many whiskey sours. She finally found the correct key and twisted the knob, nearly falling into her dark, empty studio apartment as she swung the door open.

The date was awful. Kayn had taken her to some downtown country bar that was full of Piltover University students with fake IDs. She could barely hear what Kayn was saying to her over the blaring, twanging music, and she was luckier for it. They didn’t connect whatsoever. By her second drink, she knew there was no chance she was sleeping with him. By her fourth, she was ready to call it a night.

Kayn tried every method in the book to go home with her – offered to continue the night at his place, offered to walk her home, offered to open the $400 scotch Ezreal had gotten him as a gift for matching. Jinx declined every time. If she learned anything tonight, it was that there would be no second date with Kayn, and that she really, really hated country music.  

After her fifth drink, she was on her way home, alone.

Jinx stumbled into her dark apartment, nearly knocking over her bedside lamp as she turned it on. She collapsed into her mattress, burying her face in the pillows as the room continued to spin around her. The bed was colder and emptier than she had hoped after tonight. Her hands ran along the fabric of the sheets, reaching for someone, for anyone. She flipped over, groaning in frustration, as she remembered why she had gone out with Kayn in the first place.

Jinx checked her phone, squinting at the time. 10:39PM – earlier than she thought she’d be home. Ekko and Zeri were probably still drinking their oaky chardonnays, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears at some cozy wine bar. Or, worse still, there were already in bed together.

Jinx sat up, her frustration boiling over into anger. Who does Ekko think he is? He thinks he can drag her along for weeks, flirt with her non-stop, but go on dates with other women? Just because he’s fucking beautiful? Just because he knew her growing up? Did he think, for a moment, that maybe her feelings would be hurt? That maybe she thought of him as more than a friend?

She opened her phone, scrolling to Ekko’s number. She texted him half a drunken essay before scoffing, deleting all of it and tossing her phone to the foot of her bed.

Jinx flipped on her side, scowling at the bedside lamp bathing her in a golden glow. She was so frustrated she could punch a hole in her thin apartment wall. She needed a release, or she was going to explode. Her eyes landed on the table below her lamp, its drawers stuffed with an amalgamation of socks, chargers, screwdrivers, and batteries.

But shoved in the very back of the drawer, hidden away from any prying eyes, was a little device only she knew about. She hadn’t used it since residency started, and if life was going to keep fucking her, she figured she might as well fuck herself, too.

Jinx had a usual ritual when her urge would arise. She usually needed to be in a good headspace for it, which could sometimes take days in the making. She’d turn her phone off, light a candle or a soft light, and make sure there would be absolutely no interruptions. She usually liked to put on a vinyl, not necessarily to listen to, but to keep her mind focused on something rhythmic and soothing.

There was usually a fair amount of build up before even arriving at her womanhood – slowly taking her clothes off, tracing her thighs with her fingers, teasing her nipples until they were hard and sensitive. She usually wouldn’t think of anyone in particular – man or woman, crush or ex – but she knew exactly who she wouldn’t think of tonight.

Tonight, Jinx realized, was a night she needed to skip most of the pleasantries. She fumbled with the button of her jeans, pulling them to her ankles before tossing them across the apartment. She let her legs fall open as she fumbled within the drawer, her fingers wrapping around a familiar piece of smooth silicon. She prayed the battery had enough juice in it as her other hand absentmindedly wandered between her thighs.

“Anybody but Ekko,” Jinx muttered to herself as she switched the vibrator on, her fingers tingling with its familiar hum. “Anybody but Ekko.”

Jinx brought the vibrator to the apex of her thighs, drawing light, gentle circles over the lace of her panties. She took a deep breath, her opposite hand disappearing under her shirt, as she alternated between fast and slow circles, teasing herself with small crescendoes in pressure. A soft moan escaped her lips as her opposite hand dove under her bra, palming the soft, cool flesh of her breast.

Her eyes snapped shut, her breaths becoming more ragged and shaky, as she continued to run her vibrator over her sex. She felt the lace becoming wet, the silicon of the toy becoming slick with her arousal, as she continued to increase the pressure and speed of her strokes. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she pulled the fabric of her panties to the side and slipped the vibrator within her folds, her entire body tingling deliciously with anticipation.

As she rolled her nipple between her fingers, the strokes of her vibrator becoming faster and deeper, her mind wandered. A glimpse of white locks danced across her vision. Skin slick with sweat from a morning work-out appeared in her mind’s eye. A pair of hazelnut eyes stared at her intensely, passionately, with an almost feral hunger blazing within them. A set of full lips spoke to her, praising her, telling her he was his, that she was taking him so well –

Jinx’s eyes snapped open, her hands freezing. The great wave of bliss that was building within her subsided back to a gentle lapping.

“Anyone but Ekko,” Jinx begged herself as she built her pace back up. She stripped her shirt from over her shoulders, and finally tossed her panties, wet with her arousal, to the floor. “Anyone but Ekko.”

Kayn? Jinx pictured herself under him, feeling his chest, tearing at his stupid, red hair – nothing, back to gentle lapping.

Ezreal? Jinx would have to ride him, surely. Still, he was pretty, lithe, hairless – no, the fire continued to die within Jinx’s core.

Lux? She would at least know what she was doing. She imagined grinding against her, running her sex against her thigh, her hands lost within her long, blonde hair – something, Jinx thought, but not enough.

None of them could excite her like she dreamed Ekko could. Like she knew he would.

Fine, Jinx thought, determined not to give Ekko the satisfaction of her orgasm, even if he’d never know. I’ll think about nobody.

Jinx brought her fingers to her wet heat, slipping within her warmth as her vibrator danced over her clit. She felt the familiar wave of her orgasm building again as she worked magic on herself. Her hips bucked instinctively against her hands, grinding against the vibrator in desperate search of release. Jinx bit her lip, her back arching, as she trembled with ecstasy.

You’re doing so good for me, baby, that raspy voice echoed in her mind. You’re taking all of me so well.

Jinx’s tempo only increased, becoming rapid, irregular, desperate. Her hips were basically levitating off the mattress.

“Ekko,” she heard herself say, her voice a breathy moan. “Fuck, Ekko.”

I’ve wanted you for so long, Jinx, he said to her.

Jinx’s mind’s eye explored his body, finally naked for her. The angles of his jaw meeting the lines of his broad neck. His toned chest tapering to his set of sculpted abs. His hard cock, throbbing for her, slick with her arousal as it slid in and out of her to the rhythm of her fingers.

I fucking need you, Powder.

“I need you, Ekko,” Jinx whispered. Her neck arched back, her teeth sinking into the fabric of her pillowcase as her moans became louder and hoarser. Hot tears began to sting her eyes as her fingers became relentless.

Come for me, baby, his voice called to her, as sweet and intoxicating as her whiskey sours. Come for me.

“Oh, fuck,” Jinx gasped.

Every muscle of her body tensed as her orgasm crashed within her. Her mind seemed to melt as she saw stars, her thoughts reduced to a paralyzing, wet haze. Her legs trembled as wave after wave of ecstasy rippled from the nape of her neck to the tip of her toes.

She felt as if she’d melt into her mattress. Her hips descended against a cool, slick puddle that had formed on her sheets. Her body, now gleaming with sweat, heaved as her breathing finally began to slow. She traced her naked body with her fingers, savoring each aftershock of ecstasy as it electrified her every nerve.

As she slowly and gently returned to Earth, running a hand through her disheveled, blue hair, she couldn’t help but crack a bitter laugh.

“Of course,” she scoffed to herself. “Of course I could only come to you.”

She sat up, rubbing her face, as the bliss of her orgasm was slowly replaced by the spins of her whiskey sours. She squinted, looking for her phone. As she picked it up, the screen illuminated with the time. 11:12PM.

Jinx typed a quick text, her eyes barely focused on the screen. She had to tell Lux just how shitty her night had gone.

11:12PM

If you’re wondering how bad my night was, it started with a date with Kayn and ended with me fantasizing about fucking Ekko…

Delivered 11:12PM

Jinx chuckled, wondering if it was too much information to share with her best friend in residency. The liquor was clearly still having an effect on her. She grinned as she checked for a reply, knowing Lux was surely still up.

The smile immediately disappeared from her face. Jinx’s eyes widened as she grasped her phone with both hands, her knuckles turning white. She had to be misreading the name on the screen. There’s no way –

“Fuck,” Jinx whispered, her heart beating into her throat. The whiskey in her blood seemed to melt away from her mind, a sickening sobriety taking its place. “No, no, fuck! No…”

But it was true, despite her protests. Jinx hadn’t texted Lux.

Jinx had texted Ekko.

Jinx watched, her breath hitching, as the text’s status changed from ‘delivered’ to ‘read’. Her heart pounded in her chest, her forehead cold with sweat, as a text bubble appeared then disappeared, only to appear again.

Jinx remembered Lux’s words to her as Ekko’s call finally came, his name filling her phone screen for the first time in years.

You need to put all your cards on the table, she had said.

Whether Jinx meant to or not, she had done just that.

Chapter Text

Jinx sat perfectly still on her bed, her naked legs crossed under her, as her phone continued to buzz in her hands. She tried to take a deep breath, but she felt as if she’d been frozen in time, as if her body had fused with the soft, cool mattress below her. She read the name on her phone screen over and over again, as if her intense stare could somehow change the letters.

But despite her quiet, frantic prayers, it was Ekko who was calling her. It was his voice just a button away. It was his eyes that had just read her confession.

The irony of her mistake was not lost on Jinx. She and Ekko had been locked in a dance for weeks – neither willing nor able to make the first move, to crack the surface, to dive in. Jinx had built walls around herself, always cloaked in her sterile gown, her face concealed behind a mask, her blue braids tucked under a scrub cap.

But here she finally was – her skin still gleaming with sweat, her breaths still heaving, wearing nothing but a bra that barely clung to her breasts. She was laid bare for him, in body and spirit. And all she had to do now, after all these years, was let him in.

Jinx answered the call, just before it went to voicemail. The call timer on her phone began counting up, each second an eternity of silence. Jinx felt her eyes sting, felt her ears burning with fiery heat, as the painful quiet stretched on. Her trembling finger fluttered over the ‘end call’ button, quickly becoming an unbearable temptation.

“Hey, Jinx,” Ekko’s voice at last rasped through the phone, piercing the tense silence like a hot knife.

Jinx felt a breathy sigh she didn’t even know she was holding in escape her lips, a flood of tension escaping her body like a burst dam. It really was him on the other end of the line.

“Hi,” Jinx replied, her voice nearly a whisper. She didn’t like how small she sounded, how vulnerable she felt. He wasn’t even physically with her, yet she’d never been more naked in front of him.

“That text wasn’t for me, was it?” Ekko asked, his tone guarded. Jinx heard the shuffle of fabric in the background of the call, heard his breath brush against the speakers of his phone. It was quiet, wherever he was.

“No,” Jinx answered curtly. She felt her upper lip curl into a snarl, her eyes flashing. “Obviously not.”

A tense silence stretched on for a lifetime. Jinx continued to reread the letters that formed his name on her phone, the name she had moaned in ecstasy aloud only moments before. Her bedside lamp bathed her near naked form in a yellow glow, but she felt no warmth.

“I’m sorry I read it, then,” Ekko spoke, his tone hushed. “If you ask me to, I’ll forget I ever read it. No questions asked.”

Jinx hovered over her phone, her blue eyes narrowing.

“Oh, yeah?” Jinx hissed, her words dripping with venom. “Since when do you care if I’m embarrassed? If I’m made a fool of?”

Ekko drew a sharp breath. Jinx could tell her words stung him.

“Of course I care, Jinx,” he said. His usual bravado had melted away, and Jinx thought he sounded almost like he had as a kid – insecure, timid, mousy. “I never wanted to embarrass you-”

“Did you care during your date with Zeri?” Jinx spat back, her temper threatening to burst in to full blown anger. “Didn’t seem like you cared in the PACU.”

Jinx thought it would feel good to hurt him, to twist the knife, but as the pregnant silence stretched on, Jinx only felt the pit in her stomach grow. She heard another rustle of fabric through the speaker, heard a breathy sigh escape Ekko’s lips, and for a brief moment she feared he would hang up.

“I didn’t go on the date,” he finally admitted. Jinx felt her brows unknot, felt her jaw relax. “I cancelled on her.”

“You didn’t go on the date?” Jinx repeated, enunciating every syllable, more to herself than to Ekko. She had to say it aloud to hear it, to believe it.

“She was pissed,” Ekko mused, his voice low and raspy. “She’s had a crush on me since I started working here. I finally agreed to a date, but I cancelled last minute.”

“Why?” Jinx demanded, her single word piercing the air like a needle. “She’s beautiful. Smart. And anyone with hair as ridiculous as hers is probably great in bed.”

Ekko chuckled, his laugh deep yet gentle. For the briefest moment, Jinx felt all her emotions – her anger, her guilt, her insecurity – melt away. She felt her body, which had been subconsciously wound into a tight ball, unwind ever so slightly.

“Jinx, I cancelled for you,” he said, his voice returning to its typical, maddening cadence – a deep, alluring rasp that was as frustrating as it was seductive. “You, Jinx.”

Jinx at last released her knees from her white-knuckle hug. She leaned backwards, her head resting against her cool pillows, as she brought her phone to her bare chest.

“I don’t understand-”

“I didn’t even think you liked me,” Ekko continued, his words piercing Jinx to her core. “I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with me. Of course I would clear my fucking schedule to see you.”

A shocked laugh bubbled out of Jinx’s throat, her brows knitting in disbelief.

“You didn’t think I liked you?” she giggled, practically scoffing. “Ekko, I’ve practically been begging for you for weeks. How could you think that?”

“Because you disappeared,” Ekko replied shortly, nearly a whisper. Jinx heard his voice quiver, his breaths becoming shaky. A nauseating wave of guilt coursed through her naked body. “I lost you for years, and one day you suddenly dropped back into my life. I didn’t know how to act. I still don’t.”

“Ekko –”

“It’s been easier to flirt,” he continued. “To only touch through latex gloves. To only see your lips behind a mask. To only know your body under a surgical gown. But, at the same time, pretend we were just as close as we would be if you hadn’t… hadn’t left.”

Jinx felt her stomach knot in nauseating twists. Her thoughts and fears about their relationship were almost exactly mirrored by Ekko. It was easier to flirt and tease than to face their past.

The dance they danced in the operating room, the game of cat and mouse they played – it was frustrating, aimless, endless, and they both knew it. It was no better than building walls of stone between them. Jinx swallowed, her throat dry, as she wondered how many stones she added to that wall tonight.

“I’m so sorry,” Jinx whispered, her breath shaky. She felt tears stinging in her waterline. “I should have called you sooner. I should have sent a text, explained myself, anything.”

“We’re both at fault, Jinx,” Ekko replied. “I shouldn’t have dragged you along all these weeks. And I should have reached out sooner, all those years ago, after the accident.”

“It was too hard,” Jinx said, her body beginning to tremble. “It hurt so much. For all those years, I felt like I had to hide away, to isolate, to protect the people I loved from myself-”

“You don’t owe me an explanation for what happened,” Ekko said, his voice soft and tender. “You don’t owe me an apology for any of it. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Then let me give you something,” Jinx whispered. She rubbed her wet eyes, her mascara smearing over her cheeks. His absence – his warmth, his smile, his lips –was suddenly unbearable. “Let me give you anything.”

“Just give me your words, Powder,” Ekko said softly, his voice as soothing as summer rain. Jinx froze, realizing only then how comforting her old name sounded on his lips. He probably hadn’t realized he’d used it. “Give me your laugh. Give me your wit. Give me you –the gift that is being with you.”

Jinx’s eyes snapped shut. The vice that had been clasped around her heart was at last released. She felt her body relax against the sheets of her mattress, her every muscle loosening as if she was turning into liquid. As the seconds continued to tick by on the call, his voice so close yet so distant, Jinx at last realized the truth.

Through all the years, the distance, the pain, Ekko had never left her behind. He had never left her side.

The silence that ensued was gentler than the last. It was peaceful, sweet, soothing, like the coolness of the air after a violent thunderstorm.

“So, how was it?” Ekko finally asked. Jinx sighed, startled out of her trance, her eyes fluttering open.

“Honestly, amazing,” Jinx replied dreamily. “I haven’t used my vibrator in a while, and to say I was under some stress at work would be an understatement-”

“Oh, uh,” Ekko stammered. “I meant the date.”

A beat passed before a bout of hysterics emerged from Jinx’s mouth.

“Oh, my, god,” Jinx muttered, squeezing the bridge of her nose with her hands. “You were asking how the date was.”

Ekko laughed, and Jinx could practically hear his grin through the phone. Jinx’s cheeks were beet red, but she couldn’t help but smile, too.

“Well, if your night ended the way you said it did,” Ekko cooed, chuckles escaping his lips. “The date probably didn’t go well.”

“You sound relieved, little man,” Jinx mused, a coy grin on her lips. “You worried Kayn would sweep me off my feet?”

“Dr. Lane,” Ekko purred, his words slow and deliberate. Jinx’s eyes widened, his voice sending a shiver from the nape of her neck to her sex, still naked and sensitive. “Once you let me have you, you’ll never think about another man again.”

Jinx chewed the inside of her lip, her breath hitching, as she brought a knuckle to her mouth.

“So come take me,” Jinx rasped, her voice already ragged. “Make me yours.”

“Trust me, I want to,” Ekko said, his voice nearly a growl. “I’ve wanted to for weeks. But it has to be done right.”

Jinx threw her head back, scoffing.

“Done right?” she pouted, her fingers subconsciously exploring the curves of her chest and torso. “What does that mean?”

“Well, for starters, you deserve a proper first date,” Ekko responded.

“You think you know what I deserve?” Jinx teased, her fingers twirling a long, blue braid that had started to unravel. “Rather bold of you.”

“I know exactly what you deserve,” Ekko rasped back, deeply, hungrily, dangerously. “I know exactly what you need.”

“What do I deserve, Ekko?” Jinx purred, biting the inside of her cheek. She glanced at the vibrator on her mattress, now still and cool, and swallowed hard. “What do I need?”

“You deserve to be treated like the goddess you are,” Ekko answered with finality, as if he’d known the answer to her question for months. “You deserve to be romanced like the goddess you are.”

“And what do I need?” Jinx asked, her voice breathy.

“What you need,” Ekko began, his voice so deep Jinx felt it in her core. “Is to be fucked like the goddess you are.”

An audible gasp escaped Jinx’s mouth. She felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, her every nerve aflame. What Ekko had done with a handful of words had taken her nearly half an hour with her fingers and toys combined.

“Fuck, Ekko,” Jinx whimpered. Her fingers danced over her sex, already throbbing, overstimulated, begging again for release. “I need you.”

“I need you, Pow,” Ekko rasped back. “More than you can imagine.”

“Then what are you waiting for, little man?” she purred, bringing a knuckle to her lips. “Come fuck me like the goddess I am.”

She heard Ekko draw a deep breath, heard a soft moan escape his beautiful lips. Her mind wandered, picturing how he looked on the other end of the line. Was he in bed, same as her? Was he naked? Was he touching himself, too?

“You’re drunk, Pow,” he said at last, as Jinx pouted in response. “Let me take you out this Friday. We’ll do this the right way – my way.”

“You’re treating me more like a brat than a goddess right now, mister,” she mused, a grin lighting up her face.

“Then I’ll fuck the brat out of you,” Ekko responded quickly, his voice a low rasp. Jinx felt an excited gasp escape her lips. “I’ll fuck you exactly how I’ve been dreaming of doing it for weeks.”

Jinx could barely contain her giddiness.

“I’m impressed, little man,” she purred. “I’m naked in bed already. I just touched myself thinking about you. I’m wet just hearing your voice. And you’re willing to wait a week?”

Ekko hummed deliciously into the phone.

“I’ve waited for years, Powder,” he said, his voice a hungry growl. Jinx grinned ear to ear. “I can wait a week more.”  

…⚕️…

Jinx felt the familiar tap of a cane against the back of her leg, snapping her out of her trance as she waited in line for her coffee. She’d been lost in thought, her mind swimming in the warm haze of Ekko’s words, as her eyes met those of her chief resident. His scrubs hung loosely to his narrow frame, and his brown curls were tucked under a Zaun State scrub cap.

“You look well rested, Jinx,” Viktor said, a large latte in his hand. “What’s your secret?”

An orgasm, Jinx wanted to answer honestly, but she opted for a more subtle response.

“I had a phone call with an old friend last night,” Jinx said, her voice still dreamy. “It was good to… catch up.”

Viktor smiled at her. He handed the barista his credit card, hushing Jinx’s protests, as he paid for her coffee and breakfast.

“Please, buying you a coffee is the least I can do,” he mused as he handed Jinx her scalding hot beverage. “Especially since I won’t be seeing much of you now.”

Jinx’s eyebrows furrowed. The smile dropped from her face as she realized what he was talking about. It was the first Monday of a new month, which meant Jinx was starting a new rotation today.

“You’re not rotating to transplant surgery, too?” Jinx asked. Viktor shook his head.

“No, unfortunately we have different schedules,” Viktor said as he pursed his lips. “I’ll be staying on general surgery and will be keeping my scrub nurse.”

Jinx bit her lip as her fear was realized – she wouldn’t have Ekko in her operating room this block.

“Oh, uh,” Jinx stammered, her face falling. Viktor studied her, brows knitting. “That’s too bad.”

Viktor sighed, shooting her a knowing glance.

“You’ll be operating with me again soon, Dr. Lane,” he said, leaning against the counter. “But you will definitely be missed these next few weeks.”

Jinx tried to keep a steady face as her heart dropped. It was just her luck, she thought, that the moment she had a breakthrough with Ekko they’d be separated again. Viktor continued to study her intently, offering her a pained smile.

“May I share a… personal story, Jinx?” he asked, his grey irises fixed on Jinx as he sipped his latte.

“Of course,” Jinx nodded.

“When I met my husband, I was still in medical school in Zaun,” Viktor started. He glanced out of the café windows as the morning sun began to illuminate the city skyline. “Jayce was finishing his master's at Piltover University.”

“Long distance, huh?” Jinx hummed. Viktor nodded.

“Indeed,” he said. “Between the distance and our schedules, we hardly had a chance to see each other. Sometimes it could be months before we could find a weekend to visit the other.”

“That’s rough,” Jinx said. “Good thing you two were star crossed lovers.”

Viktor chuckled dryly.

“Well, it sure as hell didn’t feel like that sometimes,” he said. “There were nights apart that I desperately needed him. And nights together that I couldn’t stand him. It was a terrible balancing act, and sometimes I wondered if we’d make it through together.”

Jinx watched as her chief resident sipped his coffee, glancing over her shoulder. His eyes suddenly looked dreamy as he stared off into the distance.

“But after I matched here, after we moved in together, I realized something,” he started. “It was during my time apart from Jayce that I truly fell in love with him.”

Jinx watched as Viktor’s face relaxed, his eyes glistening, his cheeks turning a rosy red.

“I loved the way his pillow smelled after he’d leave,” Viktor continued. “I loved finding the notes he’d leave me in my textbooks. I loved eating the leftovers he’d cook for me, because Janna knows I’d live on instant ramen otherwise.”

Jinx snorted a laugh as Viktor continued his list.

“I guess what I’m saying is this,” Viktor concluded. “I learned what I loved most about Jayce in his absence. And that made his presence all the sweeter.”

Jinx felt a lump grow in her throat as she watched her chief resident wipe his misty eyes. She wondered if Viktor knew how important he was in bringing her back to Ekko, after all those years of absence.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, eh?” Jinx said at last. “You really are a fortune cookie.”

Viktor threw his head back in a laugh as the couple walked through the hospital lobby, already crowded and bustling, with their coffees in hand.

“Fortune cookie, that’s a new one,” he chuckled. He separated from Jinx’s side as he stepped into his elevator, turning to face her. “I wish you the best of luck today, Dr. Lane. The transplant attending can be a real asshole.”

Jinx shot Viktor a toothy smile as the elevator doors began to close.

“I’ll be alright, Vik,” she said, sipping her coffee through her grinning lips. “Say hi to your scrub nurse for me. And let me know what he learns he loves about me while I’m gone.”

…⚕️…

Viktor wasn’t lying. Dr. Salo was a huge fucking asshole.

The platinum blonde Piltovan looked like a vampire, and acted like one, too. Working with him was agonizing. The constructive feedback she had come to appreciate from Viktor was replaced by pedantic, shallow criticisms about the way she talked and how she dressed. He barely acknowledged her in the operating room, and Jinx could tell by the way he looked at her that he didn’t think she belonged there. He was everything that Jinx hated about Piltover, personified – arrogant, classist, privileged.

And he made his disdain toward Zaun well known.

“Scalpel, Grayson,” he sighed, his eyes narrowing on his next target within the patient’s abdomen. The matronly scrub nurse handed him a blade which he snapped out of her hand thanklessly.

Jinx looked to the scrub nurse who sighed under her breath. She had actually come to like Grayson. The grey-haired woman was clearly a veteran nurse, and excellent at her job. Jinx would obviously prefer to have Ekko here with her, but she and Grayson had bonded over their shared, silent loathing of the blonde, angular attending.  

“I’m surprised this patient was even approved for a new liver,” Salo grumbled, his sharp eyes cartoonishly magnified under his loupes. “Where was he from?”

“The Lanes, I believe,” Grayson answered, her voice a silky rasp. Salo hummed, clicking his tongue.

“He’ll probably end up destroying his new liver, too,” he sighed. “All they do there is drink and use Shimmer, anyway. What a waste.”

Jinx bit her tongue as she felt her blood boil. How could he talk about his own patient like this? Salo definitely knew she grew up in the Lanes, as well. She wanted to do nothing more than tear off her sterile gown and scream every swear word she knew at him.

But she knew Salo wanted to get a rise out of her, to make her act out, so he’d have an excuse to kick her out of the operating room. Jinx steadied her shaky breath, determined not to give him the satisfaction.

“Not all Zaunites use Shimmer,” Jinx finally hissed, her words dripped with venom. “And Zaun wouldn’t have so many health problems if the Council actually funded our free clinics and needle exchanges.”

“Our?” Salo chided, glancing over his loupes at Jinx. “You’re at Piltover Memorial now, Dr. Lane. It’s a privilege to be here. Perhaps you should reassess what you consider yours if you’d like to stay.”

Jinx snarled at him under the mask, her teeth gritted. She felt her knuckles tighten under her sterile gloves, the thin latex tensing against her fingers. Grayson shot her a warning glance, as if to say not now, not yet.

The heavy tension was at last cut by a familiar beeping. Jinx’s pager was buzzing next to her phone on the circulating nurse's desk. The nurse read the message aloud: a new consult in the emergency room.

“Not a moment too soon,” Dr. Salo hummed. “Dr. Lane, go see that consult. I expect a call in 30 minutes with your plan and assessment.”

“But,” Jinx began to protest, gesturing down at the patient’s open abdomen before her. “The surgery-”

“You heard me, Dr. Lane,” he said, barely looking up. “Or should I tell Dr. Heimerdinger that our prodigious resident from Zaun is unable to follow instructions?”

If Jinx could say ‘fuck you’ with her eyes, she did. She stepped away from the patient, tearing her sterile gown and gloves from her lithe frame as Salo continued to poke and prod within the patient’s belly. She knew she was on thin ice with him, but that didn’t stop her from slamming the door on the way out.

…⚕️…

Jinx continued to grumble and swear under her breath as she descended the stairways towards her destination. The emergency room was busier than usual today. She navigated the crowded corridors of the department towards her consult, dodging grumpy nurses and vomiting patients in hallway stretchers.

She reread the message on her pager as she walked.

ER Room 44

Heart Failure Transfer, eval for transplant – MM MD

“Anyone call surgery for room 44?” Jinx asked, peering over the half wall into the doctor’s workstation. A handful of doctors sat at tiny computers, frantically typing orders into their patient’s charts and taking urgent phone calls from EMTs in the field.

But one doctor sat perfectly calm, like a lighthouse in the middle of a stormy sea. Her black hair was beautifully braided into a high, voluminous bun. Her gold jewelry perfectly complemented her dark skin, and a set of well-fitted, pastel scrubs accentuated her hour-glass figure. She looked so majestic, so ethereal, that Jinx could barely believe the vulgarity that was coming out of her mouth.

“I have four patients in my department that are intubated, on vasopressors, and circling the drain,” she said. “And you’re telling me there aren’t any fucking ICU beds available?”

The woman rolled her eyes as whoever was on the other end of the line hammered out an excuse. Her light hazel eyes appeared almost golden as she looked up at Jinx.

“I have to go, surgery is here for my other patient,” she said as she ended her call with a huff. She rose to greet Jinx, towering over her as she did. “Are you the transplant surgery resident?”

“That’s me,” Jinx said. “Are you MM?”

The ER doctor nodded. “Mel Medarda, pleasure to meet you.”

Jinx gestured over her shoulder towards room 44 across the hall.

“You have a consult for me?” Jinx asked. Mel nodded.

“Transfer from Zaun State,” Mel said, pursing her lips. “Pretty sad story. He’s an advanced heart failure patient who will likely need a heart transplant.”

Jinx felt a pit form in her stomach as Mel continued to tell her about the patient. Heart transplant approvals were rare, and the success of the surgery was even rarer. She also knew that Salo would have plenty to say about giving a new heart to a Zaunite.

“Alright, thank you,” Jinx said, checking her pager and grabbing a pen from her scrub pocket to take notes. “I’ll let you know if I have any other questions.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Mel called to her as she stepped across the hall towards her patient’s room. “Take care to keep his case private. He has family that works here, and he specifically asked that they not be informed.”

Jinx knocked lightly on the door before slipping in. The room was dark. A large man with a round belly sat in a hospital bed, his breaths labored. His chest was covered in monitor wires, and Jinx could hear the faint hiss of the nasal cannula delivering oxygen to his nose. He wore a pair of small, round glasses, and the features of his ruddy face were barely visible under his bushy sideburns.

 A faint love song, crackling from the speakers of the patient’s cell phone, serenaded them through the beeping and buzzing of the monitors. The melody felt familiar, but Jinx couldn’t place it.

“Who is it?” the man barked. Jinx could hear him wheezing between words.

“Hi, sir, I’m Dr. Lane,” Jinx said, her voice taking on the typical cadence she used while speaking to patients. “I’m from transplant surgery-”

“Lane?” the man barked again, cutting her off. He coughed violently, the bed shaking. “You from Zaun?”

Jinx paused, her eyes narrowing. Despite his coughing and wheezing, the man’s voice sounded almost familiar, like a faint memory from home. The love song continued to serenade them.

“I am,” she said. She stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing, desperately searching for any recognizable detail in the dark.

“Thank Janna,” he grumbled. “Was worried I’d have to deal with a bunch of arrogant Pilties the whole time I was here.”

He shuddered with another bout of violent coughs as Jinx’s fingers fumbled against the wall for the light switch. As she switched the fluorescent lights on, bathing the room in a sterile, white glow, Jinx felt a silent gasp escape her lips.

Her patient was Benzo.  

“By Janna,” Benzo said, his lips parting. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to get a better look at her. “Is that you, Powder? Powder Lane?”

Jinx felt her eyes begin to sting. She stepped towards the hospital bed, her hand grasping his. She hadn’t seen Benzo since Vander’s funeral, when she was so paralyzed with guilt and fear that she could barely look at him. It had been a long time since that day, but it looked as if he’d aged a lifetime.

“Benzo?” Jinx asked, her voice small. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat as she tried to compose herself. “What happened?”

Benzo sighed, offering her a half smile before coughing again.

“Heart failure got bad, I suppose,” he said, and Jinx could tell he was trying to sound cheerier than he was. “About a week ago I started to feel like I couldn’t breathe, and now I’m being told I need a new heart.”

Jinx suddenly felt nauseous. She wondered how many people she could have helped, how many lives she could have saved, if she had stayed in Zaun. Seeing him here, with her Piltover Memorial badge and Piltover Memorial scrubs, felt like a bitter betrayal.

“I’m so sorry, Benzo,” Jinx’s voice cracked as she continued to squeeze his hand. “We’re going to fix you. We’re going to make you better, I promise.”

Benzo squeezed her back.

“I’ve missed you, kiddo,” he said, a pained smile on his lips. “I hadn’t heard much from you since… well, since I last saw you. It’s good to see how much you’ve accomplished.”

Jinx had to turn away to brush tears from her eyes. He never looked much like Vander, she thought, but he sure as hell sounded like him. She was sure that Benzo hated her – it was her actions that had directly led to the accident, to Vander’s death. But here he was, offering her the same steady reassurance and gentle encouragement that Vander had. Treating her as if she was one of his kids –

“Ekko,” Jinx said as she snapped back to face him. “Does he know?”

Benzo pursed his lips, his face darkening.

“He knows I’m sick, Powder,” he said. “But he doesn’t know how bad it’s gotten. And he can’t know.”

Jinx’s brows furrowed, her face falling, as Benzo continued.

“He shouldn’t have to worry about me,” he said, his voice again labored and ragged. “He’s accomplished so much. He’s made a career for himself. He can’t afford to be distracted.”

Jinx wanted to protest, to tell him that was ridiculous, to ask how he could keep this from the boy he’d raised since he was orphaned as a baby. But she kept her lips sealed, swallowing hard. She had to respect her patient’s wishes for privacy.

“He even said he met a girl,” Benzo said, the faintest grin appearing on his weathered face. “I’m so proud of him, Powder.”

Despite the growing pit in her stomach, she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter in her chest. The feeling was fleeting, however, as Jinx realized the reality before her – she would have to save Ekko’s father, and she couldn’t even talk to him about it.

“I’m proud of him too, Benzo,” Jinx finally said, chewing her chapped lip. “We’ll get you better, I promise.”

Benzo smiled genuinely, but Jinx could tell in his eyes that he didn’t truly believe her.

“Thanks, doc,” he said. He squeezed her delicate wrist once more before letting go. “Vander would be proud.”

Jinx stepped backwards, smiling weakly, as tears flooded her waterline. She whispered a farewell before turning the lights off again and slipping through the door back into the busy emergency room. As the tears started flowing, her quiet cries avalanching into full throated sobs, she felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder.

“Jinx?” a voice asked. Jinx looked up to see Mel towering over her, her eyebrows knitted in concern. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Jinx answered softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But you were right. It’s a sad story.”

…⚕️…

Friday arrived before Jinx realized. She had spent nearly every hour of every day that week working to secure a heart for Benzo. She called Viktor first, before they escalated to the transplant approval committee, and finally to Dr. Heimerdinger himself. Miraculously, the transplant was approved, and a match was found. Dr. Salo had been assigned to the case, and despite his protests, the heart transplant would be scheduled on Friday morning. Jinx had demanded to be scrubbed in for this case – she didn’t trust Salo would take good care of Benzo alone.

Jinx arrived at the hospital that morning a little after 5AM, after a night of fitful sleep. To say she was stressed would be an understatement. This would be the longest, most challenging surgery of her career so far. And worse still, she wasn’t able to talk to Ekko about it at all.

Jinx was in line for coffee, her AirPods playing old love songs instead of her usual 90’s dad rock. Her trance was broken as she felt a broad hand on her shoulder, tracing the lines of her upper back through her scrub top. The odor of burnt coffee and cheap pastries was in an instant replaced with the smell of rich sandalwood.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Jinx felt her body unwind under his touch. She felt the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck and longed to lean into it, to submerge herself in his embrace.

She resisted.

“Hi, Ekko,” she said, guarded.

She could barely meet his eyes. Ekko immediately sensed her discomfort, his brows knitting over his soulful hazelnut eyes. He leaned against the café counter, a mesh gym bag under his free arm. He had clearly just showered – his skin was damp under his teal scrubs, and his white locks hung heavy over his forehead.

Gods, he’s beautiful even when he doesn’t try to be.

“Something the matter, Pow?” Ekko asked. “Not having second thoughts about our date tonight, I hope?”

Jinx felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. She hadn’t forgotten about it – quite the opposite. But how was she supposed to enjoy a date when she’d operated on his father hours before? How could she sleep with him if, Gods forbid, the surgery went wrong, and Benzo didn’t make it?

Jinx felt a hurricane of emotions battling within her mind as her lips parted, desperately trying to form words.

“No, of course not,” she said, at last meeting his gaze. “It’s just I have a… complicated case today. Might run over.”

Ekko offered her a warm smile. His hand traced her waist to her hipbone. Jinx felt her knees nearly buckle as his fingers lingered.

“You’re ready for whatever the operating room can throw at you,” he said, his voice lighting fireworks in Jinx’s core. “I’ve never met a more talented, compassionate surgeon.”

Jinx chewed her lip. She wanted nothing else but to crash against his lips, run her hands under his scrubs against his damp skin, to take him right here on the café counter. She wanted to tell him she loved him, she’d always loved him, that she knew everything would be okay so long as they were together. But it could never be that easy – nothing ever was with her.

“Besides, Viktor has a bunch of surgeries scheduled this afternoon,” Ekko continued. “I’ll probably be here late, too. Text me when you’re free?”

Jinx nodded, doing her best to swallow her nerves.

“I will,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. “I promise.”

Ekko smiled the same toothy grin she’d always known, that she’d fallen in love with time and time again. He gave her waist one last squeeze before sauntering away, whistling the same, familiar love song that Benzo had been listening to days ago.

…⚕️…

Benzo’s surgery kept getting pushed back and back. Jinx watched as the day passed, the pit in her stomach growing with every hour that ticked by. By the time Benzo was finally wheeled up to the operating room, it was nearly 3pm.

Grayson and the circulating nurse helped position Benzo onto the operating table. He looked awful, even worse than he had when Jinx had met him in the ED earlier that week. His face was slick with sweat, his breathing labored even at rest. He offered Jinx a weak smile as he settled himself on the hard, unforgiving table.

“Thank you, Powder,” he said to her between wheezes. “Of all the doctors here, I’m glad it’s you.”

Jinx bit her lip as she squeezed his large hand, tremulous and wet with sweat.

“We’ll take good care of you, Benzo,” she said, trying her best to smile.

“I know you will, kiddo,” he whispered back to her. “You’re Vander’s baby girl, after all.”

Jinx felt unshed tears sting her waterline as the operating room doors swung open. Dr. Salo, his narrow face pinched in disgust, studied the scene before him.

“He’s not even asleep yet?” he whined. Jinx looked up at him, barely hiding her snarl. “Dr. Lane, this little charity surgery of yours is taking too long.”

Jinx felt her temper erupt, her teeth clenched so tightly she was sure she’d crack them. Benzo squeezed her hand, grounding her against the storm of her own rage.

“Just, hurry it up,” Salo hummed flippantly, checking the nails at the ends of his long, spindly fingers. “I have a dinner reservation this evening that I refuse to miss for something like this.”

He spun on his heels and disappeared, the operating room door swinging closed behind him. Jinx steadied her trembling breath as Grayson muttered an apology to Benzo on Salo’s behalf. The anesthesiologist rose from behind the curtain above Benzo’s head as he prepared to put him asleep for surgery.

Jinx took a deep, calming breath, trying to force out all of the emotions that plagued her. It was time to focus – not just for Benzo, but for Ekko.  

As Jinx made her way to scrub in for the surgery, the droning voice of the anesthesiologist was interrupted by an alarmed question.

“Benzo, sir?” Grayson asked, her silky voice tinged with panic. “Benzo?”

Jinx spun back around. The anesthesiologist had paused, his hands frozen over his instruments. The circulating nurse stared in confusion, her eyes darting between Jinx and Grayson.  Benzo was still, too still. Jinx’s eyes locked with the monitor, and she felt a silent gasp of horror escape her throat. The cardiac monitor was a flatline.

Benzo’s heart had stopped.

“Cardiac arrest!” Grayson cried. She pressed the code blue button and immediately began CPR. She looked at Jinx expectantly as the anesthesiologist appeared to panic.

The sounds and chaos of the operating room around Jinx in an instant melted away. She raised her hands and studied them. They were no longer the hands of a surgeon. They were those of an 11 year old – small, bloodied, covered in soot. The operating room was no longer bright, clean, and sterile – it was her childhood home, filled with thick smoke, fire licking under the closed doors.

Jinx’s horrified eyes at last landed on Benzo, or at least where Benzo had been. Taking the place of Ekko’s father was another man; younger, with broad shoulders, a scruffy beard, and giant arms that gave the best hugs. He laid lifeless on the floor of her childhood home, dying from the fire that Jinx had accidentally started.

 Jinx looked at her hands again. These were the hands that had failed to save Vander. The hands that changed her life forever. The hands that made her a jinx.

“Dr. Lane!” Grayson’s voice echoed through Jinx’s mind as she continued to study Vander’s dying body in front of her, as flames threatened to engulf them all. Jinx couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, suffocating under the weight of years of guilt, of anger, of heartbreak. She wasn’t able to save Vander. She won’t be able to save Benzo. She was a jinx.

A vision at last cut through the smoke and flames within Jinx’s mind. A young boy, scrawny and white haired, stepped next to Jinx within the inferno. His tiny fingers intertwined with Jinx’s, his hand pouring warmth, strength, and steadiness directly into her soul. Jinx locked eyes with the boy, his big hazelnut eyes filled with wonder and pride.

“You can do it, Powder,” he said to her. He smiled warmly at her, his toothy grin as endearing then as it is now.  “You can save him.”

Jinx sprung into action as the white light and sterile air of the operating room crashed back into her vision.

“Continue CPR, Grayson,” Jinx commanded, her voice urgent yet steadying. “Anesthesia, secure an airway. I need a crash cart, stat!”

The nurses rushed to carry out her orders as Jinx administered rescue breaths to Benzo. The anesthesiologist quickly placed a breathing tube in his mouth as Jinx and Grayson alternated between giving CPR.

“Push epinephrine,” Jinx ordered. “Continue chest compressions. Someone grab me a pair of gloves, I’m putting a line in his femoral vein.”

Jinx rapidly and expertly placed a catheter in his groin. The nurse administered the life-saving medications through the line as Grayson continued CPR.

“Pulse check!” Jinx ordered. Grayson stopped her compressions, sweat dripping from her prominent brows and hooked nose. Jinx felt desperately for a pulse, but could find nothing. “Continue CPR. We need more help here!”

As if on cue, the operating room doors swung open. In rushed Viktor, his jaw slacked open in shock as he took in the chaotic scene around him. Behind him was Heimerdinger, his breaths panting.

“Dear Janna,” Viktor muttered. He rushed to Benzo’s side to start CPR, finally relieving Grayson as sweat dripped down her face. Heimerdinger expertly placed an additional IV in Benzo’s arm and administered more medications.

“Pulse check in 10 seconds,” the nurse called. Each second was an eternity. Jinx felt as if time had slowed to a near standstill, the heroic actions of her colleagues playing out in slow motion before her. Despite the violence of the chest compressions, the snapping of ribs, the blood oozing from his IVs, Benzo looked calm, tranquil, at peace. He looked just as Vander had looked, all those years ago.

“Pulse check!” the nurses voice cried out again. Time seemed to freeze entirely, and the operating room was plunged into a dead silence. Viktor felt for a pulse in his neck as sweat dripped from his face. Heimerdinger and Jinx felt for pulses elsewhere.

“I have a pulse,” Viktor said at last. Jinx felt a sob she didn’t know she was holding in escape her lips. She felt it too. “I have a pulse.”

The cardiac monitor burst back into life. Jinx could feel her heart pounding within her chest, the adrenaline roaring in her ears, as she shakily stepped backwards from Benzo. He was alive. She had saved him.

“Powder?” A small, familiar voice called from behind. She felt a hand slip into hers, however this time the fingers were long, the palm broad and calloused.

She turned to face Ekko. His face was drained of its color, his eyes brimming with tears. Jinx watched his lips quiver as he let out a shaky breath.

“Pow, is that…” Ekko started, his voice cracking. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. “That’s… my dad?”

Jinx felt her breath hitch as she watched Ekko’s emotions overcome him. He stepped forward towards Benzo, reaching out for him, before freezing in place. His eyes danced over the breathing tube in his mouth, the bruises on his chest, the blood on his hospital gown.

“Oh, Gods,” Ekko said, a ragged breath escaping his lips. He brought his hands to his face, fighting back sobs.

Jinx wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and she felt him immediately relax. He leaned into her embrace, practically melting against her narrow frame, his body shuddering with every swallowed sob.

“Powder,” he gasped as Jinx held his head against her chest, her fingers intertwining with white locks. “I… he didn’t tell me, why didn’t he tell me?”

Jinx held him tight as she felt her shoulder wet with his tears.

“I’ve got you, Ekko,” she whispered into his ear, tears of her own stinging her waterline. “It’s going to be okay.”

The scene around her seemed to melt away as she gently rocked him. She was no longer in her home, burning and suffocating with smoke and regret. She was no longer in the operating room, filled with chaos and blood and white, unforgiving light.

At this moment, she was with her Ekko, and he was with his Powder – that was all she knew, all she cared about, and all she needed.

The door to the operating room swung open. Dr. Salo gasped, the matcha frappuccino in his hand dropping to the floor with a sickening plop.

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing on Jinx. “Why you stupid, useless-”

“Dr. Salo!” Heimerdinger growled. In all her weeks as a resident, she had never heard him raise his voice. He was practically bristling with rage. “Where were you?”

“Cecil,” Salo stammered. He clearly hadn’t seen the old yordle when he walked in. “I can explain, I-”

“You left your operating room,” Heimerdinger snarled. “You left a first year resident, as talented as she may be, alone with a critical patient. You better have quite the explanation.”

“This is all a terrible misunderstanding-”

“My office,” Heimerdinger growled. “Now.”

Heimerdinger followed a scorned Salo through the operating room doors. Jinx couldn’t help but feel vindicated as Viktor approached her and Ekko.

“Dr. Lane,” he said, his calm voice a stark contrast to the ongoing chaos of the scene. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she said, meeting his inquisitive grey eyes. “Thank you for your help.”

“A first year resident should have never been alone with such a sick patient, no less a cardiac arrest,” Viktor said, his voice dripping with frustration. “Dr. Salo will be reprimanded, surely.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jinx said. She glanced at Ekko as he finally parted from her, wiping tears from his wet cheeks. “What matters is that Benzo is alive. That he’s safe.”

“He’s alive thanks to you,” Viktor said. “Your quick thinking saved a life today.”

Jinx felt her chest flutter as Ekko’s hand slipped into hers, yet again. Viktor put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it warmly.

“You should have never been in this position, Jinx,” he said. “But I’m glad it was you.”

Jinx felt unshed tears sting her eyes, her face beaming with pride. She wondered if what Benzo had said to her was true – that Vander would be proud of her. For the first time since the accident, a part of Jinx’s heart thought that maybe he was, after all.

“Is he going to be ok?” Ekko asked Viktor, his voice cracking. “Is he going to live?”

Viktor’s face dropped, his thin lips pulling into a frown.

“I’m not sure, Ekko,” he answered truthfully. “He’ll need to be stabilized in the ICU before we can even think about trying this surgery again. Tonight will be the biggest test for him.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Ekko said with finality, standing straight. “No chance in hell.”

Viktor smiled, a knowing sigh escaping his lips.

“I figured as much,” he said. “Luckily you’re more than welcome to stay with family overnight. Two guests per patient, per hospital policy.”

He winked at Jinx before turning on his heels, silently leaving the OR.

“Will you stay with me?” Ekko at last asked. “Tonight?”

Jinx turned to face him, their hands linking. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, his cheeks still damp. His eyebrows furrowed and relaxed under Jinx’s gaze, his lips parting invitingly. Jinx could see his chest rise with every uneven breath, could see his pulse bounding in his neck.

The man before her was far different than the man she’d met in the operating room months ago. He was even more different than the boy she had grown up with. But as Jinx looked into his eyes, studying every angle and line of his face as if to memorize it, she realized what she had known all along.

She loved every and any version of him. He was the sun to her moon, the blessing to her curse, her boy savior.

Jinx linked her hands behind Ekko’s neck. Before she realized it, her lips met his. Jinx felt him gasp against her mouth before relaxing, twining his arms around the small of her back and pulling her close. She felt her every nerve ignite as he at last kissed her back, deeply, passionately, with such reverence it felt like worship. It was a quick kiss, but while it lasted, it was an eternity of bliss.

“I’ll stay with you tonight,” Jinx said as they parted. She cupped his face with her hand, tracing his high cheekbone with her thumb. “I’d stay with you forever, if you asked me.”

Ekko brought her hands to his lips. He kissed her fingers, the warmth of his breath sending ripples of excitement through her entire body.

“Thank you, Pow,” he said, his voice shaky. “Thank you, for everything.”

…⚕️…

It was a little after midnight as Jinx walked through the quiet corridor of the ICU. She had changed into a pair of baggy sweat pants and an old crop top; a leisurely outfit she luckily kept in her locker for overnight call. Her supple arms, cold from the icy air, were overflowing with candy bars, sodas, and bags of chips. She had barely spent any of her call money this semester, and figured tonight was a better night than most to raid the vending machines of their best snacks.

She finally turned the corner to the last room on the right, where Benzo had been brought. She opened the door slowly, careful not to spill her pillaged snacks all over the floor as she did. Benzo slept peacefully in his hospital bed, a breathing tube still within his mouth. The whistles and whirls of the ventilator and his many IV pumps formed a discordant symphony in the background. But at least, Jinx thought, he looked peaceful. He looked comfortable. He was alive.

Ekko had pulled the recliner as close to the hospital bed as it could get. He sat forward, his brows knitted, his hand wrapped around his father’s like he would never let him go. He barely noticed Jinx as she stumbled in, delivering their midnight snacks in a messy mound on the counter.

“Got you the last Dr. Pepper,” she said to him with a smile. “I know it’s your favorite. And if we can find a microwave, we can make this popcorn.”

She turned to face Ekko, smiling, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off Benzo. Jinx saw tears again forming in his waterline, his hand brushing his father’s arm.

“I know it’s tough to see anyone like this,” Jinx said, pursing her lips. “Especially someone you know, someone who’s family-”

“Why didn’t he tell me?” Ekko finally said, looking up at Jinx. “How could he suffer so much, be so sick, and leave me in the dark?”

Jinx walked to him, perching herself on the arm of the recliner. She felt a pang of guilt grip her chest as she watched him, realizing that Benzo’s answer to this question was not unlike her own.

“Sometimes, it’s easier to isolate yourself,” Jinx started, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s easier to cut people out. It’s lonely, but at least you don’t hurt the people you love that way.”

“But that’s the wrong way of thinking about it,” Ekko protested. “Why shoulder all that hardship, all that grief, alone? When you have people who love you? Who cherish you?”

Jinx ran her hand through his locks, now loose and lazily falling over his face and ears. His hand grabbed her thigh, the warmth of his skin palpable even through her sweatpants.

“You’re right,” Jinx admitted. “By trying to protect the one’s we love, we end up hurting them more.”

Ekko squeezed Jinx’s thigh before resting his head across her lap. He let out a long, shaky sigh, his eyes at last closing.

“I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’m not a saint. I don’t know why anyone would think they would have to cut me off to protect me.”

Jinx brought her lips to his temple, planting a long, sweet kiss against his skin. She felt Ekko exhale, his body loosening under her arms as she held him.

“Benzo knows you’re with him, and he’s happier for it,” Jinx said. “I know I’m happier with you, too.”

He glanced up at her. A warm smile appeared on his face – the first traces of the Ekko she knew that she’d seen in hours.

“I had a whole date planned for tonight, you know,” Ekko started. “We were going to get dinner at Jericho’s. I found a rooftop bar downtown that serves margaritas to die for.”

Jinx grinned at him.

“We’ll have to reschedule,” she cooed, stroking his hair. “Sounds like an amazing time.”

“I wanted to show you my place,” Ekko continued. “I still have the GameCube we played MarioKart on.”

Jinx giggled, and Ekko couldn’t help but grin.

“I’m sorry, Pow,” he said. “I promised you a great first date, yet here we are.”

Ekko turned in her lap to face her. Jinx leaned down again, touching her forehead to his. As she pulled away, she jiggled her soda and a bag of chips in her hands.

“We’ve got food, drinks, and each other,” she said with a warm smile. “It’s a weird first date, but still a date in my book.”

Ekko turned back towards Benzo. He sighed shakily, tears again brimming in his eyes.

“Will he be ok, Pow?” Ekko asked, his voice small.

Jinx honestly didn’t know the answer to that question. She had no words of comfort for Ekko, no statistics on survival nor prayers to offer. But one thing stood out to her, in this whirlwind week like no other.

She had finally placed the love song that Benzo had played, that Ekko had whistled. It was an old song, a favorite of Vander’s. He had said that her mother used to dance to it in his bar, long before she or Vi were born. She had nearly forgotten the lyrics, like a dusty memory nearly lost in time. But after today, the words to the song had never been clearer.

“Like Sunday, I’ll pray, our love will always stay pure,” Jinx sang quietly. She felt Ekko shift in her lap as she continued to run her hands through his hair. “While the world turns around, he holds me down for sure.”

Ekko looked up at her, his hazelnut eyes glistening. The same, toothy smile she’d known since she was a kid appeared on his lips.

“Our love, is a bubbling fountain,” he sang, his voice quivering with emotions. “Our love, that flows into any sea.”

“Our love, deeper than any ocean,” they sang together, as Jinx held him tight.

“Our love, for eternity.”

Chapter Text

Jinx’s eyes fluttered open as streaks of early morning light peaked through the blinds. She lifted her head, briefly unsure of where she was, before the familiar beeping and buzzing of the ICU slowly resumed in her ears. Her eyes, still half-lidded and blurry from sleep, narrowed on Benzo. He slept peacefully in his hospital bed, his chest rising with every breath delivered by his ventilator. Jinx’s gaze wandered over the various infusions and heart monitors before landing back on her sleeping patient.

He’s getting too much propofol, she thought. Can probably wean sedation today, see how he does. Maybe we can extubate him later this week–

Then, a gentle sigh.

Two arms tightened around Jinx’s body, as if to protest her stirring. Her eyes widened as she felt a warm breath on the back of her neck, the smell of rich sandalwood filling her nose.

Jinx hadn’t realized that Ekko was cuddled against her, his nose nuzzling into the bare skin of her shoulder. At some point in the night, they had fully laid back the recliner and fallen asleep together. He was pressed so close to her that she could feel his heart beating in his chest, feel the warmth of his every breath against her skin.

One arm was wrapped under Jinx’s neck, supporting her head as she slept. Another held her hips against his. Ekko’s long, muscular legs perfectly cupped Jinx’s from her thighs to her toes. It was as if Ekko had subconsciously tied himself to her in his sleep, as if to never let her go again.

Another quiet sigh in protest as Jinx again stirred. Her cheeks reddened as he pulled her closer still, his breath deliciously hot, his lips brushing the soft skin of her nape. She let out a whispered giggle, her breath hitching, as Ekko tenderly kissed behind her ear.

Is he kissing me in his sleep?

Jinx couldn’t help but grin as he planted another gentle kiss against the curve of her ear. She pressed herself even closer against him, interlacing her fingers with his. He was warm, so warm – the kind of warmth that felt like a favorite blanket, a fresh cup of coffee, a summer morning on the beach. He held her as if he’d done it a thousand times, cradling her in the perfect way. Despite being in a recliner in the middle of the ICU, she’d never felt more comfortable. More at home.

More loved.

Jinx could sense, however, that her blissful, peaceful morning was coming to an end. The quick footsteps of nurses echoed throughout the hallways beyond their room. The muffled sounds of rounding ICU residents filled her ears. She gently untangled herself from Ekko, doing her best not to wake him. He groaned, his eyebrows furrowing, yet his eyes never opening. Jinx felt her heart flutter as he reached for her, his fingers gingerly brushing the coolness of her arms like a painter on his canvas.

She looked down at his sleeping face, a faint grin appearing on her lips. He looked nothing like he did last night – distraught, scared, tearful. He looked nothing like he did in the OR – smug, cocky, yet so intoxicatingly attractive that Jinx could barely control herself.  

Instead, he looked as he had when they were kids. Every muscle in his face was relaxed, as if he was a carefree 11-year-old again. The tiny gap in his teeth, Jinx’s favorite part of his smile since childhood, peaked between his lips with every breath. His hair was loose and tousled, framing his sleeping face in white locks.

She loved him then, Jinx thought.

And she loved him now.  

Jinx leaned down to place a sweet, lasting kiss on his temple before stroking his cheek. He moaned something indecipherable before falling into a deeper sleep, his arms stretching over the warmth of where Jinx had just been. She pursed her lips, fighting the urge to fall back into his arms, to sleep the morning away with him, to be held and cradled and loved.

But she was a physician, and Benzo was her patient.

She stroked Ekko’s cheek once more, her thumb tracing the fullness of his lips, before silently stepping across the hospital room. Jinx felt her heart lurch as she peeled away from him, from his warmth, from his comfort. She glanced back at him once more, before her eyes landed on Benzo in his hospital bed.

“Sleep well, you two,” she whispered tenderly, before at last slipping into the hallway beyond the door. “Please.”

Janna knows they both would need it.

…⚕️…

The water in the call room showers never got hot enough. Jinx tried to scrub the stress of last night away, lathering herself in the communal body wash again and again, but nothing seemed to cut it. Her mind’s eye replayed the terrible scene in the operating room last night – the blood, the breaking ribs, the lifeless body.

But it was the fire that haunted her the most.

The flames that had tormented her for over a decade had at last reared their ugly head. Jinx hadn’t had a flashback that bad in years, and for a while she wondered if the meds and therapy had finally worked. But after she’d left Ekko, she swore she could smell the acrid odor of wood smoke again, swore she could hear the sound of flames licking at the doors as she passed them.

And Benzo.

He looked just like Vander had – limp, still, as if he was holding his breath. She couldn’t get him to wake up. She couldn’t get him to breathe. He was just sleeping, she thought, even as the firefighters arrived and the ambulance took him away. He’d wake up, he’d come back for her, he’d tell her it was all okay, that it wasn’t her fault –

“Hello?” a voice called, just outside the shower curtain. “Is someone still in there?”

Jinx’s eyes snapped back open. The shower water was now icy cold. She had no idea how long she’d been in her trance.

“I’m trying to get a shower before rounds,” the voice came again, a little impatient. “It’s been like fifteen minutes-”

Jinx turned the water off. She poked her head out from behind the shower curtain, her eyes meeting a pair of deep ocean blues.

“Oh, I uh,” Lux said, stammering. Her eyes darted away, her cheeks turning beet red. “Sorry, Jinx.”

Jinx blushed as well. She disappeared behind the curtain, ringing water from her braids before wrapping herself in a towel.

“Sorry, girl,” she called as Lux rocked on her feet, looking anywhere but at the shower curtain. “Had a… rough night.”

“I heard,” Lux said, grateful for the change in subject. “A cardiac arrest in the OR? And with Salo, of all people.”

Jinx swallowed, her eyes becoming glassy again. She blinked hard as ghostly flames danced in the corner of her vision.

There’s no fire, she tried to reassure herself. It’s not real.

“The patient was Ekko’s dad,” Jinx whispered, her voice barely louder than the sound of dripping water. “He’s in the ICU.”

Lux peeled back the shower curtain, her eyes filling with worry. Jinx could barely turn to face her.

“Ekko’s dad?” she repeated incredulously. “Gods above, does Ekko know?”

Jinx nodded, as the smell of smoke stung her nostrils and burned her throat.

It’s not real it’s not real –

“He does,” Jinx said. “I spent the night with him. Here.”

Lux’s eyebrows furrowed in knots, her lips parting to speak. Jinx blinked hard, her breaths uneven, her fists clenching and relaxing as if she was preparing to fight or flee.

“Jinx, are you alright?” Lux asked, her tone guarded. “Did you get much sleep? Do you need me to cover your shift for you –”

Jinx didn’t even feel the tears coming. As if a dam broke, a series of shaking sobs shook her to her core. She leaned her forehead against the cool, wet tile as she cried, her trembling arms wrapping tightly around her chest.

Jinx felt a warm hand rub her back, covered only by a damp towel.

“Let it out, Jinx,” Lux cooed. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“He… he looked like my dad,” Jinx said, choking back sobs. “When his heart stopped, when he stopped breathing, when he…”

Lux continued to console Jinx as her sobs shook her.  

“Come on,” Lux finally said, as Jinx’s tears at last began to slow. “Let’s get you dressed. I’m taking you to my favorite place in the hospital.”

…⚕️…

The elevator climbed endlessly. Jinx wasn’t sure where Lux was taking her, but it was surely on one of the top floors of the hospital. She stood silently, her eyes fixed on the elevator panel, as the floor counter continued to tick ever upwards.

“I discovered this place during my trauma rotation,” Lux said as she squeezed Jinx’s icy hand. “They gave me access to it as the trauma resident, but never took it away.”

The elevator doors opened, revealing a short, windowless corridor. Jinx’s ears popped with the altitude change as Lux led her down the hallway towards a set of imposing double doors.

“Hope you’re okay with heights,” Lux said with a cheeky grin as she badged open the doors.

Jinx caught her breath as the doors swung open. Before her was the helipad, high above the ground on the roof of the hospital. They were nearly 30 stories in the air, towering hundreds of feet over downtown Piltover. The morning air was just brisk enough to cut through Jinx’s scrubs, a subtle chill rippling across her still damp skin. The sun had at last crested over the horizon, and beams of light refracted through the Piltover skyline in brilliant golds and yellows.

“Holy shit,” Jinx gasped, a grin appearing on her lips. “It’s spectacular.”

Lux smiled at her as she skipped to the edge of the empty helipad. She sat, dangling her feet over the side, before sitting back and taking in a long, deep breath of morning air.

“It’s quieter up here than you’d think,” Lux started. “It’s a good place to be alone with your thoughts, especially at dawn.”

Jinx sat next to her, hanging her legs over the edge as well.  She peered down at the busy streets far beneath them, her heart jumping into her throat.

“Don’t look down,” Lux said, as if reading Jinx’s mind. “Just watch the sun.”

Jinx looked on as the sun cut through the early morning mist, bathing the girls in a golden glow.

“It’s so beautiful,” Jinx said, barely a whisper. “Everything looks so small.”

“It helps me put things in perspective,” Lux said. “My hopes, my fears, all of it.”

Jinx said nothing, replying instead with a deep, shaky breath. She continued to stare across the Piltover skyline as the sun slowly climbed into the sky.

“Do you… want to talk about last night?” Lux at last asked.

Jinx could feel Lux’s gaze against her face. Her lips parted slowly, a lump forming in her throat.

“Where do I even start?” Jinx said, her voice small and cracked.

She felt a warm hand squeeze her own. Blue eyes met blue.

“Wherever you’d like,” Lux said with a faint, warm smile. “I’m here for you.”

Jinx took a deep breath.

“I knew the patient last night,” she started. “Benzo. He owned a pawn shop down the street from where I grew up. That’s how I know Ekko – we were neighbors as kids.”

Lux said nothing as Jinx chewed her lip, weighing her next words.

“Benzo was good friends with my foster dad, Vander,” Jinx continued. “He was always at his bar. They were about the same age, or would have been, if–”

Jinx felt her throat close, her words stolen from her lips.

“…if he was still alive,” Lux said, finishing Jinx’s sentence. It was more of a realization than a question. “Oh, Jinx, I’m so sorry–”

“It was my fault,” Jinx spit into the wind, her words dripped with bitterness.

“How–”

“I started a fire,” Jinx heard herself saying, her words muffled in her own ears. She rarely thought about the events of that night, no less spoke them. “It was an accident, but it was all my fault. It started in my room, spread to my curtains and my bed. The smoke, I can still smell it.”

Lux pursed her lips as she noticed tears brimming in Jinx’s waterline.

“He scooped me up, brought me outside to safety,” Jinx continued. “Vi was still at basketball. I tried to call her, but she didn’t pick up. He went back into the bar to try to stop the fire, to save his career, our livelihood, but –”

Jinx steadied her breath, her eyes shut tight.

“He didn’t come back out,” she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. “I waited and waited, called Vi again and again, until I finally went back in myself. The smoke was so heavy I couldn’t see my own fingers. I can still feel the heat on my face, can still smell my own hair burning. And then I found… him.”

Lux’s lips parted, her brows knitting.

“Jinx –”

“He wasn’t breathing,” Jinx whispered, her voice quivering. “He was still. I don’t know how I dragged him outside, but I did. He wouldn’t wake up. I didn’t know what to do. I just… froze.”

“You were eleven –”

“I let him die,” Jinx said, her voice almost a growl. Her words stabbed into the morning air like a knife, twisting with every syllable. “He’s dead, because of me. The ambulance took him away, and I never saw him again. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

“And Vi?” Lux asked. “Your sister?”

Jinx winced, as if wounded.

“When she finally found me, she hurt me,” Jinx said, her expression darkening. “She called me a jinx. She hit me. She regrets it to this day, hates herself for it, even took the fall for me and went to juvie for starting the fire. But the damage was done. And deserved. I am a jinx.”

The couple sat in tense silence as the red light of dawn gave way to the brilliant yellows of morning. The breeze continued to cut through Jinx’s scrubs, but she didn’t feel cold. She felt, in that moment, close to nothing.

“You need to save people,” Lux said slowly, her every word delivered with tenderness. “This is why you became a surgeon. Became a doctor.”

Jinx nodded, a shaky sigh she didn’t know she was holding in escaping her chapped lips.

“I studied as hard as I could to get into the best schools,” she said. “I didn’t want to let anyone down like that, ever again.”

“That’s very admirable,” Lux said. “You should be proud of what you’ve achieved.”

“I guess,” Jinx muttered with a shrug. “But when I became Jinx, I left behind nearly everything from my old life. I used to tell myself it was so I could focus on my studies, but now I know why I did it – I was ashamed. I couldn’t look Benzo in the eye at my own dad’s funeral. I couldn’t talk to Ekko without bursting into tears. It was just… easier to cut them out.”

“But here you are, back together with Ekko again,” Lux said. “You may have cut him out, but you’ve been stitched together once more.”

Blue eyes met blue. The gentle breeze seemed to stop, as if holding its breath for Jinx.

“But here I am,” Jinx repeated, a weak smile at last appearing on her purple lips. Her eyes were misty in the morning light. “I found my way back to him, and he found his way back to me, even if we didn’t expect it. For so long, I thought we were too far gone to be stitched back together. I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”

She locked eyes with Lux.

She truly was beautiful, Jinx thought. Her blonde hair looked golden in the morning light, and her blue eyes matched the hue of the morning sky almost perfectly. Her hourglass figure was enticing even under her faded, baggy surgical scrubs.

“I know your heart belongs to Ekko,” she said, as if reading Jinx’s mind. Lux offered her a half smile as her cheeks reddened. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I want you to know I support you all the same.”  

Jinx’s eyes fluttered as Lux continued.

“He’s beautiful, he’s excellent at his job,” she said. “He’s a huge flirt, maybe, but probably the sweetest person I know. He’s a great guy, Jinx. I’m so happy you’ve found him, again.”

Jinx felt tears stinging at her waterline. In an instant she enveloped Lux in a tight hug, a surprised giggle erupting from her friend’s lips.

“Thank you,” she said as Lux melted into her hug. “Thank you for sharing this place with me. Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t mention it, blue,” Lux replied. Her hands lingered over Jinx’s frame for an extra beat before at last parting from her. “If it means I never have to witness the disaster of Kayn asking you out again, it’s worth it.”

Jinx snorted a laugh as Lux grinned ear-to-ear.

“Don’t you worry, blondie,” Jinx giggled. “I’m more into nurses these days, anyways.”

…⚕️…

Time seemed to slow to a painful crawl. Ekko hardly left Benzo’s side, spending nearly every moment of the following days with him. He didn’t ask Jinx to keep spending the night with him – he didn’t need to. At the end of her every long, brutal shift, a tired Jinx would sneak back to the ICU to be with Ekko. They’d taken over the pullout bed in Benzo’s hospital room, turning it into a little nest of comfort and safety in a sea of uncertainty. They would exchange few words, only quiet hugs and unspoken promises, before at last falling asleep in each others' arms.

They both knew that Benzo might not make it, that he may never wake up or breathe on his own again. Every hour of doubt, as agonizing as it was, was also a gift – another chance to squeeze a father’s warm hand, to recall stories from Ekko’s childhood, to be with his oldest friend again.

Viktor let Ekko take as much time off as he needed. Jinx continued on with her transplant surgery rotation, now led by Dr. Heimerdinger. The details of Salo’s leave of absence were not shared with the residents, but Jinx had a pretty damn good guess as to why he was suspended. The old yordle was brilliant, and entertaining in his own way, but nothing could quite capture the spark of operating with Viktor.

And above all, she missed his scrub nurse.

“Excellent incision, Dr. Lane!” Heimerdinger cooed at Jinx as her scalpel expertly dissected tissue. He stood on a stool, his surgical gown comically large on his small frame.  “Your technique is better than some of my senior residents!”

Jinx smiled under her mask as Grayson handed her a pair of cold, steel clamps.

“Thanks, Heimy,” she replied through her cheeky grin. “I learned from the best.”

Heimerdinger glanced up at Jinx, his eyes all but hidden behind his hilariously oversized goggles.

“How is our critical patient in the ICU?” the yordle asked. “Mr. Benzo?”

Jinx pursed her lips, her hands freezing for the briefest moment within her patient’s abdomen.

“No updates since this morning,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone unreadable. “Status quo.”

Heimerdinger hummed under his mask, his goggled eyes intently studying his resident’s expression.  

“And his lad?” he asked. “Our nurse, Ekko?”

“He’s… doing ok,” Jinx said, chewing her lip. “As well as he can with a dad who’s intubated and critically ill.”

A brief silence stretched on between them, broken only by the sound of Grayson organizing the steel surgical instruments.

“These can be difficult times, Dr. Lane,” he said at last with a sigh. “If you’d like to request some time off to be with your partner, I’d be happy to cover this service on my own.”

Jinx’s eyes widened, her cheeks turning a flaming red. Grayson had to stifle a chuckle.

“My partner?” Jinx said, her voice a full octave higher than usual. “Ekko and I aren’t, uh, together.”

If the yordle could blush through his fur, he did.

“Oh, good heavens, my apologies!” he huffed. “I just assumed, since you’ve spent all those nights with him in the ICU–”

“Just, good friends,” Jinx said, her face feeling impossibly hot. “Old, good friends.”

“I see, right, of course,” Heimerdinger stammered. His goggles frantically darted over the patient’s abdomen, desperate to find a change in subject. “Ah, would you look at the size of that gallbladder? Quite the specimen!”

Despite the heat of her embarrassment, Jinx couldn’t help but grin under her mask. If even the old yordle knew about her and Ekko, she thought, then they hadn’t been subtle at all.

“Yep, Heimy,” she giggled coyly. “Quite the specimen, indeed.”

As if on cue, the operating room door swung open. The light from the hallway beyond was brilliantly bright, momentarily blinding Jinx. But she didn’t need her eyes to know who had just entered the dark operating room – she could tell by the cadence of his steps, the sound of his breath, the rich smell of sandalwood permeating the sterile air.

“Powder!” Ekko’s voice called, hurried and excited. “He’s awake!”

Jinx felt a silent gasp escape her, nearly dropping her surgical instruments to the floor. Ekko stood before her, dressed in his scrubs, a surgical cap hastily placed over his white locks.

“Benzo?” Jinx asked, nearly a whisper. Her eyes started to sting. “He’s… awake? He’s alright?”

“Yes, Pow,” Ekko replied, his voice quivering. He reached for Jinx’s hand, clad in a sterile glove, but stopped short. “My dad… he’s going to be okay.”

“Oh, thank Janna,” Jinx said, a ragged breath escaping her. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week.”

Ekko looked deeply into her blue eyes, his expression softening, a faint smile appearing on his lips. His gaze was intense yet familiar, hungry yet comforting – his very soul laid bare for her through his eyes alone. Jinx wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms, to squeeze him tight, to press her lips against his. It was suddenly very warm under her surgical gown.

“You’ve, uh, got something,” he finally said, gesturing at her face. Jinx felt a bead of sweat traveling down her forehead towards her eye, carrying with it a strand of damp blue hair.

“Oh, I, um,” she stammered. “I can’t get it, I’m scrubbed in –”

“Here,” Ekko whispered. “Let me.”

Ekko stepped forward slowly, deliberately, not taking his eyes off of Jinx. With a bare thumb, he stroked the strand of hair behind Jinx’s ear, tucking it back up under her scrub cap. His hand lingered over her face, the pads of his fingertips gingerly caressing her cheekbone, the angle of her jaw, the sensitive skin of her ear. Jinx felt her breath hitch, her eyes darting between his hazelnut irises and his full lips.

“Ekko,” was all she could manage. She felt herself instinctively lean towards him, her lips parting under her mask. She was now painfully aware she was in surgical attire – so close to feeling him, to knowing him, to having him, yet unable to do so.

Ekko’s fingers slipped behind her neck, tickling the skin of her nape, before at last parting. Jinx immediately felt a pit form in her stomach, felt a deep longing in her core for his touch. Their eyes never parted.

“Well!” Heimerdinger’s voice called, startling the pair out of their trance. He cleared his throat, glancing knowingly at Grayson. “What excellent news, my lad!”

“Thank you, Dr. Heimerdinger,” Ekko said, looking across the operating room to the old yordle. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but I had to tell the doctor that saved my dad. The doctor that saved his life.”

Jinx felt her heart soar as Ekko turned back to her, a warm smile lighting up his face.

“I’ll be up as soon as I can, Ekko,” Jinx promised. “I just need to finish this surgery –”

“That won’t be necessary, Dr. Lane,” Heimerdinger said, raising a tiny, gloved hand. “I have been a surgeon for nearly three centuries. I can surely finish this case on my own.”

Jinx looked at her attending, her eyes widening. A smile crept into her face as she realized what he was allowing her to do.

“Are you sure, Dr. Heimerdinger?” she asked.

“As sure as I’ve ever been, Dr. Lane,” he replied. He glanced between her and Ekko, a sly smile appearing on his face. “Go, be with your patient. And your… old, good friend.”

…⚕️…

Jinx could hardly keep up with Ekko. He raced ahead of her, his hand in hers, as he rounded the corner of the ICU corridor. After dodging busy nurses and teams of rounding doctors, the couple finally arrived at Benzo’s room.

Ekko threw open the door, shepherding Jinx inside. Her eyes landed upon her patient, still laying in his hospital bed. He was awake, the breathing tube finally out of his throat. The color had returned to his face, and as he turned to face his son, Jinx had never seen a brighter smile.

“My boy!” he exclaimed. He tried to sit up but winced, grasping his side. “Damn, still hurts.”

“Look who I brought, Benzo,” Ekko said. He turned to face Jinx, his fingers lacing with hers. Jinx felt her heart flutter within her chest.

“The little lady!” he said, his voice as jovial as it was boisterous. He winced again. “Curse these broken ribs.”

“Sorry about that, Benzo,” Jinx said, a coy grin on her lips. “Good CPR usually means breaking a few ribs.”

“I think a few broken bones is worth being alive,” Benzo said with a smile. “You saved my life, Powder.”

“I had help,” Jinx started. “Grayson, Viktor, Heimerdinger – I don’t deserve all the credit.”

Benzo shifted in his hospital bed, grimacing as he turned to face her. He adjusted his glasses with a broad, hairy hand, before locking eyes with Jinx.

“Vander raised you and your sister well,” he said. “Not an arrogant bone in that body of yours. Gods, I wish he was here to see you now.”

Jinx felt Ekko’s hand squeeze around hers, in silent, unspoken reassurance. Jinx steadied her breath, bracing for fire and smoke – but for once, none came.

“I do too, Benzo,” Jinx said, her voice small. “Almost every day.”

Jinx felt Ekko’s broad hand tenderly drift up her arm and around her waist. He pulled her closer, wrapping her in a hug she didn’t know she needed, burying his nose in all that blue and breathing her in. Jinx melted into his embrace, her eyes closing, her fingers tracing his chiseled arms around her waist.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw no flames – only a pair of hazelnut eyes and a familiar smile.

“You deserve all the credit in the world, blue,” he said to her, his voice soft and reverent, as if she was the only other person in the room, the only other person in the world. “You deserve so much.”

Jinx felt unshed tears stinging in her waterline.

“Ekko,” she breathed, nearly a whisper. She felt her breath hitch as his hands pulled her even closer. “Ekko, I –”

But Jinx’s words were cut off by a sniffle and quiet sob from her patient’s hospital bed. Ekko and Jinx looked in tandem at Benzo, who pinched tears from his eyes, his glasses in hand.

“Benzo?” Ekko asked worriedly. He parted from Jinx, and she immediately felt a pit form in her stomach. “Are you ok? Are you in pain?”

Benzo shook his head as he wiped tears from his reddened cheeks. He offered the couple a sweet smile, a shaky sigh escaping his lips.

“It’s nothing, my boy,” Benzo said, his voice low. “It’s just… I haven’t seen you kids together in a long, long time. Warms my sick old heart, is all.”

Jinx stepped behind Ekko, wrapping her lithe arms around his waist. She leaned into him, resting her chin on his sculpted shoulder.

“We’ve got years to catch up on, Benzo,” Jinx said, grinning against Ekko’s back. She felt his breath hitch as she placed a secret kiss against his shoulder blade. “I’d get used to having a warm heart, because we’re going to be together a lot.”

…⚕️…

It wasn’t long before Benzo was ready for surgery, again.

Dr. Heimerdinger himself performed the operation, with Jinx as his first assist. It was a grueling 10 hours in the operating room, interrupted only by Ekko’s occasional visits. He could barely look at his father on the operating table, and Jinx didn’t blame him. Instead, he focused only on her – dabbing the sweat from her eyes, adjusting her mask, tightening her surgical gown.  Jinx couldn’t tell if it was his nerves or his way of saying thanks, but he was absolutely doting on her.

Benzo recovered from surgery in record time. In just a handful of days, he walked out of the hospital as a new man, with a new heart. Jinx knew the road ahead would be rough – she wasn’t sure if she’d given him a month, a year, or a decade. But in the end, she realized, it didn’t matter. She’d saved a life. She’d saved a piece of her past. She’d saved Ekko’s dad.

She wondered if Vander would be proud, after all.

Jinx was so busy on Ekko’s first day back that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to see him. He’d been home in Zaun with Benzo for almost a week, and after spending nearly every free moment with him, after spending every night wrapped in his arms, the separation was agonizing, offensive, unbearable.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to crave the softness of his touch, the feel of his fingers on her skin, the warmth of his breath against her neck. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the deep rasp of his voice and the joy of his laugh, his every sound music for her soul. She wanted him, needed him – wholly, desperately, eternally.

And it was just her luck, she thought, that she’d be stuck taking care of inpatients instead of operating when Ekko finally returned. 

“What?” Jinx grumbled into her phone, her pager going off in her other hand. She leaned against the wall of the busy hospital corridor as the nurse on the other end of the line rattled off a list of complaints. “Well, of course he’s in pain, I took out his gallbladder yesterday.”

Jinx scoffed as the nurse continued to protest.

“Fine,” Jinx muttered. “I’ll increase his morphine to every 2 hours. Make sure he’s getting his PRNs.”

As soon as she disconnected the call, her phone burst to life again. Jinx groaned as she answered the call.

“Yes, hello?” she demanded. “Patient in 307 can’t pee? Well, has he tried?”

Jinx pinched her nose as a garbled response blared through her phone’s speakers.

“Alright, alright,” Jinx said. “Sounds like he has acute urinary retention. We’ll need a bladder scan. I’ll put a Foley catheter in him, give me a minute.”

Jinx disconnected the call, and it miraculously didn’t ring again, at last giving her a moment of peace. She checked her watch.

9:47pm.

She sighed as she realized it was going to be another late night – and that Ekko was likely long gone for the day.

Jinx trudged up the stairs towards the well-stocked supply closets on the operating room floor. The hallway was dark and empty, her every footstep echoing against the linoleum with a melodic tap. The sun had long set, and Jinx was illuminated only by the dim overhead lights and the downtown skyline of Piltover shining through the windows.  Most of the hospital, she realized, had gone home for the day.

Jinx continued towards the supply closet, her feet dragging with every step. Her every bone ached as the hours of the day at last caught up with her. She checked her phone, praying for no new pages or missed calls. She rounded the corner of the hallway, her bleary eyes glued to her screen.

I’ll put in this damn foley, she thought to herself. Then I’ll check on my post-op patient, then I’ll finish my charting and sign out for the night –

She collided with a warm, broad chest, her phone nearly falling to the floor. Her eyes darted up, meeting a pair of brilliant hazelnut. She felt her breath hitch, her knees nearly buckling, as a familiar smile lit up the hallway like sunlight.

“Dr. Lane,” Ekko rasped, his voice already beginning to melt her. “What’s the rush?”

He was still dressed in his scrubs, his bag of belongings lazily hung over his left shoulder. His white locks were loose and tousled, the sign of a long day. He had clearly just gotten out of a surgery that had run over.

“Ekko,” she said, drawing a deep breath. The exhaustion in her bones seemed to melt away. “You’re here late.”

Ekko shrugged, stretching his arms over his head. Jinx chewed her lip as she caught a glance of his midriff, sculpted and cast in shallow shadows by the dim light.

“We had a real bitch of a colectomy tonight,” he said with a sigh. “Viktor was wrestling with that patient’s colon for hours. Surgery ran over.”

“Wish I was there to help,” Jinx said, leaning against the wall. She tried to act aloof, but her heart was pounding in her chest. “Sounds like a fun case.”

Ekko chuckled, his laugh a maddening, delicious melody that ignited a fire deep within Jinx.

“We missed you in the operating room today, Pow,” he said, low and deep. “I missed you.”

Jinx caught her breath, her gaze darting between his eyes and his full lips.

“I missed you too, Ekko,” she said, leaning closer. “But Viktor had me running the floors today. And now I’m here late, dealing with bullshit and looking for foley kits.”

Ekko chuckled again.

“Looking for one thing, but found me, instead,” he said. He was close now, so close that Jinx could feel his breath, smell his cologne, watch his pupils dilate. “Funny how that works.”

His hand traced the slimness of her waist, palming her hip bone and drawing her in. Jinx bit her lip, a coy grin lighting up her face.

“Real funny, little man,” she purred. Her fingers flitted over his chest, tracing the deep V of his scrub top. “But tell me, what are you looking for tonight?”

She watched as Ekko took a ragged breath, his face flushing, his eyes locking on her lips.

“You’re gonna make me say it, blue?” he whispered, his gaze intense. His fingers may have been on her hip, but his voice felt like a hand between her thighs. “Here?”

Jinx’s fingers wrapped around the fabric of his scrub top, dragging him by his collar until their faces were inches apart. She felt his hands link behind the small of her back, pulling his body against hers.

“Don’t tell me, then,” Jinx whispered, her lips parting, her breath bated. “Show me.”

Ekko’s lips crashed against hers. Jinx immediately sensed that this kiss was different than their first – tonight’s was needy, hungry, desperate, raw. Her mouth parted for him, his tongue in an instant against hers, weaving together in a wet, hot haze. His hands on her were gentle yet strong as they wandered – tracing, exploring, worshipping her every curve as if it was all he’d ever wanted to do. He swallowed her every whimpered moan, her every delighted gasp, as if he was a man starved.

“Ekko, fuck,” Jinx breathed into him, her hands behind his neck, her fingers tugging at his locks. She bit at his lip as he continued to devour her. “So much.”

“Need you,” Ekko moaned, his voice low, almost a growl. Jinx felt her every hair stand erect, felt her mind begin to melt into a wet, dizzy heat. “Need all of you.”

“Closet,” Jinx said, nearly gasping for air between kisses. Her fingers fumbled for the doorknob. “Closet, now.”

The couple stumbled into the supply closet, their lips never parting. It was dark and cramped, with barely enough room for them both. The light shining from under the door was hardly enough to illuminate their silhouettes and the glints of their eyes. But Jinx didn’t care. She didn’t need to see – she only needed to taste. 

Ekko’s lips at last parted from Jinx’s as he delivered a line of hot, heavy kisses along the lines of her neck, drinking in the soft flesh of her supple collarbones. Jinx’s head fell back with abandon, a ragged breath escaping her, as her fingers flitted under the fabric of his scrub top.

Ekko separated from her for a fraction of a moment, throwing his shirt to the floor, before embracing her again. The feel of his bare skin on her at last was indescribable, and a whimper slipped from her lips as her fingernails dug into the flesh of his sculpted back.

“What, baby?” Ekko asked, amused. She could tell he was grinning between kisses in the dark. “Too much for you?”

Jinx accepted his challenge, biting down on his lower lip until he groaned in pleasure. He lifted her leg against his thigh, grinding against her, as Jinx’s fingernails left trails of red across his skin.

“Not even close, little man,” she purred as her tongue traced the angle of his sharp jaw to the sensitive curves of his ear. “You’re gonna have to do a lot more than that.”

Ekko inhaled sharply, a near growl erupting from his throat as his lips met Jinx’s again. He scooped her up by her thighs, lifting her into the air as if she weighed nothing. A breathy giggle bubbled out from Jinx as he laid her back on a storage bin, her legs parting invitingly. His broad hands fumbled with the drawstring of Jinx’s scrub pants as their lips continued to dance in the dark.

“Fuck, Ekko,” Jinx gasped as he pulled her scrubs to her ankles, the dim light of the closet illuminating her supple, pallid thighs. Her back arched instinctively, her body already quivering in anticipation.

Ekko’s fingers gingerly traced higher and higher toward’s Jinx’s sex before finally arriving at her lacy finery. She felt him grin against her thigh as he left behind a trail of hot, needy kisses.

“Powder, are you wearing lingerie?” he asked, chuckling. His thumb traced slowly up and down along the lace, teasing her, no doubt feeling how wet she already was for him.

“What, a surgeon can’t feel sexy at work?” she purred through a coy grin. But she knew he knew the truth – she’d worn them for his first day back. She’d worn them for him.

Ekko’s chuckle against her thigh sent ripples of pleasure throughout her entire body. His broad thumb continued to trace circles over the lace of her panties, now slick with arousal.  Her hips bucked against his hand in desperate search of release.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Ekko cooed, his cadence maddening. “What’s the rush, blue?”

“Ekko,” she whined. Her fingers interlaced with his locks, driving him deeper between her legs. “Not fair –”

Jinx felt the heat of his mouth against her panties, his teeth nibbling at the lace. He kneeled between her legs, as if in worship, as he reverently eased her open. Jinx whimpered and bucked against him, the warmth of his breath on her sex melting her mind into a filthy, ruined mess.

“Use your words, Dr. Lane,” Ekko whispered against her. “Tell me what you need.”

Jinx tugged on Ekko’s locks, just hard enough to claim his attention. She could see the glint of his eyes in the dim light, see the white of his teeth within his intoxicating smile as he looked up at her from between her thighs.

“I told you to show me,” Jinx purred, her fingers so tight around his locks her knuckles turned white. “Not tell me.”

The lingerie quickly joined the growing pile of clothes on the closet floor. Jinx’s entire body shuddered as Ekko’s mouth was finally against her naked sex. He ran his tongue up her folds, slowly, deliberately, as if to savor every drop of her, before at last arriving at her clit. Jinx felt her breath hitch, her words stolen from her, as he continued to taste her.

“So good,” Ekko breathed, his voice muffled, his tongue relentless. “So good for me.”

He knelt between her legs, easing her open gently, reverently, as if he’d rehearsed this moment a thousand times in his dreams. He steadied her trembling thighs with his hands before his fingers at last joined his tongue, spreading her folds and slipping within her.

“Ek-ko,” Jinx gasped, her voice already hoarse and ragged. Her hands grasped blindly in the dark for anything in the closet to steady herself against. “It’s –”

“It’s perfect,” Ekko moaned into her, his tongue and fingers a sweet, sinful symphony against her wet heat. “You’re fucking perfect.”

Jinx’s mind melted as her ankles knotted behind Ekko’s neck, pulling him even deeper. He was better at this than even her deepest, darkest fantasies had predicted. Her hips bucked against his lips, her thighs tensing and loosening as his fingers danced within her.

“Oh-h, gods.” She already sounded pitiful. She didn’t care. “F-fuck.”

Ekko said nothing as he continued to devour her. His tongue rolled and twisted against her clit, her every whispered gasp seeming to feed him. His long fingers knew exactly where to press, where to tease, where to flutter – as if she was a knot only he knew how to untie, a lock only he knew how to open.

“Ek –”  She was close now, her every muscle tensing, her skin tingling as if aflame. Beads of sweat glistened in the dim light on her forehead.  

“I know, baby,” Ekko moaned against her wet heat, his voice alone enough to bring Jinx to the edge. “Come for me.”

Jinx’s entire body shuddered as a great wave of pleasure crashed within her. Her mind ignited, her every synapse firing, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Her arms went rigid against the storage shelves, sending a cascade of medical equipment tumbling to the floor. Her jaw tensed and loosened, her teeth clenching against the fabric of her scrubs, her cries of ecstasy muffled.

“So good for me,” Ekko purred, his tempo slowing but hardly stopping. “You’re doing so good for me, baby.”

His praise awoke something deep, hot, almost primal within her core. Her legs tightened around Ekko’s neck as aftershocks of her orgasm rippled within her. Ekko continued to relentlessly pleasure her, his tongue and fingers worshipping her sex, now throbbing and absolutely drenched.

“More?” Jinx gasped, a ragged giggle erupting from her throat. A broad hand traveled up her toned navel to her breasts, the roughness of his callouses igniting her every nerve like a bolt of lightning.

“You told me to show, not tell,” Ekko said as he, for the briefest moment, parted from her sex. “Let me show you how I love you.”

Ekko’s tongue was against her again, her clit aching yet already begging for release. Jinx threw her scrub top to the floor, pulling the lace of her bra to her collar, as Ekko caressed her petite breasts, rolling her pierced nipples until they were hard and sensitive. Jinx’s toes curled, her jaw clenching, her bottom lip disappearing under her teeth.

“So much,” she gasped, her heart pounding in her chest, her breaths uneven and ragged. She felt another familiar wave of ecstasy building in her core already. “Too much –”

But Ekko didn’t stop. His tempo against her only quickened, his passion against her sex building to a crescendo that brought tears to Jinx’s eyes. She spasmed again under him, the next wave of pleasure within her coming to a crest.

“Say it,” Ekko commanded, as if reading her mind. Jinx could barely hear him against the ringing in her ears. “Tell me.”

“I love you,” she cried out, far too loud. But as her next orgasm crashed within her, she didn’t care who heard. “F-fuck, I love you.”

Jinx’s every muscle went rigid, her skin now slick with sweat. He steadied her as she trembled and squirmed beneath him, their bodies now all but intertwined together. Jinx’s hand found his against her breast, squeezing, grasping, as if his fingers were the only thing tethering her to earth.  

Ekko’s tongue continued its dance, his instrument of worship against her altar, as she came again, and again, and again for him. Her wet heat throbbed and ached for him, insatiable, raw, dripping. Jinx had never felt such bliss, never been so truly undone, never been so utterly ruined.

He hadn’t told her he loved her, she realized. But he’d shown her, all the same.

Ekko at last parted from her when her legs went limp against his shoulders, all but spent. He rose, gently finding her lips in the dark, enveloping her in a needy, breathless kiss. Jinx tasted the sweetness of her own arousal on his lips, felt the slick of the sweat on his skin as she cupped his face.

“Let me love you, baby,” she whispered into his cheek, her free hand fumbling for his waistband. “Let me love you, too.”

Her hand dove under his waist, her fingers tracing the impressive, throbbing bulge under his boxer briefs. But they were both startled as Jinx’s pager burst to life in her scrub pants pocket, still under a heap of fabric on the floor.

 “Fuck…” Jinx groaned, her lips parting from his. The pager continued to buzz, every ring an irritating reminder of reality.  

“It’s okay, baby,” Ekko chuckled. He guided Jinx’s delicate fingers out of his pants, bringing his lips to her collarbones. “No rest for the weary.”

“We have time,” Jinx whined, her legs wrapping around his waist, her hips rutting against his thigh. The pager continued to buzz, clearly in disagreement. “We can make it fast –”

But Ekko stopped her, his hand wrapping around her delicate wrist as she traced the ridges of his abs. Her eyes, glassy and smeared with mascara, met his in the dark.

“I told you I’d fuck you like the goddess you are, Pow,” he said, his voice a delicious purr. “A goddess doesn’t get quickies in the closet.”

Jinx giggled as he kissed up the lines of her neck to her ear.

“Such a gentleman, little man,” she said with a laugh. “I get my rocks off, but you don’t?”

Ekko parted from her, his eyes lingering over her sweaty, half-naked frame. He brought his lips to her breasts, kissing and caressing, his fingers rolling her nipple until she nearly whimpered.

“Seeing you like this, all because of me?” he said, his voice low. “This is more than enough for me.”

When he at last untangled himself from Jinx, his sculpted back again hidden under his scrub top, Jinx felt a pit form in her stomach.

“So, I, uh,” she started, her voice meeker than she intended. “I’ll see you at work?”

Ekko’s eyes met hers. The confidence in his expression seemed to melt away before her eyes, and he appeared almost timid.

“Actually,” he started. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“I, um,” he stammered. “I really liked sleeping with you. Even in the hospital, it was the best sleep I’ve gotten in months. I haven’t slept well since Benzo left the ICU, since you stopped joining me on that ridiculous little pull-out bed.”

Jinx was glad it was dark, because her cheeks erupted in flames. She grinned ear to ear.

“I was hoping you could spend the night at my place?” Ekko asked. He shifted on his feet. “I can drive us to work tomorrow, make you some breakfast –”

Jinx cut him off with a long, passionate kiss, her hands wrapping around the nape of his neck. Ekko relaxed into her embrace, his arms holding her, swaying her gently from side to side.

“I’d love to, Ekko,” she said through her smile. “But fair warning – I let you get away with your snoring in the hospital, but I won’t be so kind when there are no witnesses.”

Ekko chuckled, bringing her hand to his lips.

“Deal,” he said, kissing her wrist. Hazelnut met blue. “I’ll wait for you?”

Jinx grinned at her man, her pager continuing to beep and buzz incessantly.

“I know you‘ll wait for me.”

Chapter Text

“I know you’ve never met her, Tuff-Tuff. But I really think she’s the one.”

Jinx rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stumbled down the dark hallway, ever closer to the kitchen and the dulcet sound of Ekko’s voice. The sun had barely crested over the horizon, yet his apartment was already filled with the smell of hot breakfast and the sound of indie rock.  

“You’re not a fan of overnight guests, huh?” Ekko’s voice asked from the kitchen. “I know it’s been a long time since I’ve had a girl spend the night.”

Jinx paused, her eyebrows knotting quizzically. She didn’t remember Ekko mentioning a roommate. She crept silently towards the doorway to the kitchen, her lithe frame still hidden in the shadows of the early morning. She adjusted her shirt – Ekko’s shirt – which sat loosely over her narrow shoulders, the gentle dip of her supple collarbones all but exposed.

“You’ll like her, I promise,” Ekko said again, the crackle of frying eggs filling the air. “Just give her a chance.”

Jinx poked her head around the corner, her loose, unbraided hair falling in cascades to the floor. The kitchen was warmly lit, modern, and sleek. A high-top table with stools sat in a nook of windows, already set for breakfast. Pictures, postcards, and letters from over the years almost entirely covered the refrigerator door. A small, weathered speaker continued to play indie beats from the kitchen counter

Jinx felt her breath hitch as her eyes landed on Ekko. He stood with his sculpted back to her, facing the stove. His locks were lazily combed forward, dancing over his forehead as he cooked. He wore an apron fastened around his bare back, a pair of navy boxers… and nothing else.

He turned around with a piece of sizzling bacon in his hand. He gingerly presented it to the tubby, orange cat that sat on the kitchen counter beside him. The cat devoured it thanklessly, licking its chops.

“There, a little bacon bribe to be nice to her,” Ekko said to the cat, who looked on at him, unimpressed. “Promise, Tuff-Tuff?”

Hazelnut met blue as Ekko glanced up, at last locking eyes with Jinx. His cheeks turned red as his gaze traced her body, concealed by nothing more than his t-shirt.

“Powder,” he said. He paused, his lips parting as if struggling to form the right words. “You look –”

“Sexy in your clothes?” Jinx cooed, a sly grin appearing on her lips. She sauntered into the kitchen, her hands knotting behind the small of her back. “But sexier if the clothes were on your floor?”

“No,” Ekko said firmly. Jinx paused. “Powder, you look fucking beautiful.”

His words stopped Jinx in her tracks. He looked at her as if she was a famous piece of art come to life – his gaze softening, his lips parting in quiet, unspoken awe. His eyes traced her from head to toe, taking in her gentle curves under his baggy shirt, her loose curls of voluminous hair, her deep blue eyes still hooded and bleary with sleep. She hardly looked her best, she thought, but Ekko looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

A pregnant silence stretched on between them, broken only by music crackling through the old speaker. A burning egg on the frying pan finally demanded Ekko’s attention, his gaze begrudgingly parting from Jinx.

“Ah, shit,” Ekko muttered as he rescued his breakfast. Jinx cackled as she stepped behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against the warmth of his naked back.

“You didn’t need to make me breakfast, Ekko,” she said, planting a kiss against his cheek. “We’re going to be late for work.”

“But I promised before bed,” Ekko protested with a smile. “Remember?”

The events of last night flooded Jinx’s memory in an instant. Ekko had waited for her, as he promised, while she finished her work at the hospital. It took her until well after midnight to finish her tasks for the day and finally sign out to the night shift resident. When it was at last time to leave, an exhausted Jinx was driven home by Ekko. The ride to his place was short, yet felt impossibly long – after their time together in the closet, Jinx wanted to do nothing more than tear the clothes from Ekko’s body, throw him onto his bed, and ride him til he saw stars.

She would have, too, if she hadn’t fallen asleep the moment her head hit his pillows.

“You were exhausted last night, blue,” Ekko said, as if reading her mind. “I basically had to change you into your pajamas myself.”  

“Always my boy savior,” Jinx purred as Ekko handed her a plate of eggs and toast. She tried to sound nonchalant, but the thought of him getting her ready for bed made her heart absolutely soar. “What would I do without you?”

“Skip breakfast, like you always do,” Ekko replied with a maddening smirk. He gestured at his high-top table. “Now eat, before it gets cold. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Jinx sat and began to eat her breakfast, still steaming from the hot stove. It was hard to focus on her food, however, as the nearly naked Ekko continued to cook for her, his frame now cast in early morning light from the windows. The muscles of his back rippled as he moved, his biceps tensing as he flipped the sizzling contents of his frying pan.

Jinx’s dreamy gaze was interrupted as a small, furry creature jumped from under the table into her lap. Four tiny paws pressed into her thighs, and a pair of wide, golden eyes looked up at her expectantly.

“Oh hello, mister,” Jinx said with a smile. She offered her hand, which the cat nuzzled its entire face against. “Looking for seconds?”

Ekko briefly turned away from the stove, his eyebrows knitting in a scowl.

“Tuff-Tuff, you little grub,” he grumbled. “Please don’t feed him, Jinx, the vet told me he needs to lose weight.”

“But he’s asking so nicely!” Jinx laughed. She waited until Ekko had turned around before sneaking a piece of toast into the cat’s mouth. “I’ll be honest, Ekko, I didn’t take you for a cat person.”

Ekko laughed as he flipped pieces of sizzling bacon in his frying pan.

“Neither did I, to be honest,” he said. “But when my buddy Scar and I found him in the dumpster, I didn’t have the heart to give him up. He was abandoned as a kitten I think – so small he could fit in the palm of my hand.”

Jinx looked down at the tubby cat in her lap, now purring against her chest.

“Guess I have a soft spot for stories like that,” Ekko continued as he ground pepper over his steaming eggs. “Always wanted to help those that can’t help themselves. Probably why I became a nurse.”

Jinx smiled as her eyes traced Ekko, her fingers massaging Tuff-Tuff’s soft, furry head.

“A man who loves cats, has a bleeding heart, and likes to cook for me naked?” Jinx cooed, bringing her hand to her chest dramatically. “You’re lucky I don’t have a ring in my pocket, Ekko.”

Jinx watched Ekko’s cheeks redden, a quiet smile appearing on his face as he cooked.

“Yeah,” he said, almost wistful. He paused for the briefest moment, as if holding his breath. “Lucky.”

Jinx’s cellphone burst into life, her sister’s name lighting up the screen. She brought the phone to her ear as she forked a big piece of runny egg.

“Good morning, sis,” she said as she took a bite, her mouth full. “You’re up early?”

“It’s the only time I know you’ll be free to chat,” Vi responded. Jinx could hear a faint echo and the sound of a car’s engine in the background. “You’re on speaker, by the way. Cait is dropping me off at the office.”

“Good morning, Jinx,” Caitlyn’s voice sounded through the speaker, cool and prim as always. “Viktor told me about Benzo. I’m so, so happy to hear he was discharged home in good shape.”

“You and me both, toots,” Jinx said with a sly grin. She sipped her coffee, her eyes never parting from Ekko’s half-naked form as he cooked for her. “It was good to see Benzo though, despite everything. Like running into an old, good friend.”

“Speaking of old good friends,” Vi started. “Have you caught up with Ekko? He must have been worried sick. Does he know you were Benzo’s surgeon?”

Jinx felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn’t told Vi that she had reconnected with Ekko yet, in more ways than one. At this point, it felt like almost too much to explain over the phone.

“Not yet,” Jinx lied. “He’s been so busy with work, and we only see each other in the operating room –”

“Want bacon with your eggs, baby?” Ekko called from the stove absentmindedly. He glanced over his shoulder. “There’s more coffee too, if you’re still thirsty –”

He froze instantly, realizing what he’d just done. Jinx felt her eyes widen, her cheeks suddenly aflame with heat. The other end of the phone was silent, aside from the purr of Caitlyn’s Lexus.

“Only see each other in the operating room, huh?” Vi finally said. Jinx pinched her nose, her face burning. She could practically hear Vi’s shit eating grin through the phone. “And tell me, do nurses cook surgeons' breakfast in the operating room, too?”

“Vi…” Jinx muttered as she glanced up at Ekko, who had buried his face in his hands.

Caitlyn snorted so loudly it sounded like the engine backfired.

“Sounds like they definitely caught up at his place, Violet,” she gasped between laughs. Both Vi and Jinx groaned.

“It’s not like that! We didn’t even have sex,” Jinx protested, her voice cracking. “Actually, you know what, I don’t owe either of you an explanation.”

“Just tell Ekko that I’m going to have a nice, long chat with him when I see him next,” Vi said. She tried to sound like the stern big sister, but Jinx could tell she was still grinning. “And that he better be a damn good cook.”

Jinx shot Ekko daggers as he sat across from her, but she couldn’t stay mad. Vi had to find out eventually, she realized. And in his defense, Ekko was a damn good cook.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my delicious breakfast in peace,” Jinx grumbled as Ekko bit his lip, desperately trying to not smile. “Before I’m late for work.”

“Talk to you later, sis,” Vi said cheekily. “Hope you got some sleep!”

“They are so cute, I wonder if –” Caitlyn’s voice was cut off as Jinx ended the call, slapping her forehead.

“I’m really sorry, Pow,” Ekko said as he ate. “I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t even realize you were on the phone with Vi.”

“She was bound to find out, eventually,” she said with a sigh, staring out the windows at the streets below. “Might as well have come from you.”

“Were you keeping us a secret?” Ekko asked as he sipped his coffee through a grin. His hazelnut eyes peered over the mug at her, sparkling in the morning light.

“Just hadn’t gotten around to it,” Jinx smiled back. “Didn’t think my sister needed to know my childhood best friend gave me the best orgasm of my life in a hospital closet.”

Ekko nearly snorted coffee through his nose.

“Best orgasm of your life?” he scoffed. He draped his arm over the back of the chair. “Careful, I might start getting cocky.”

“Cooks naked, loves cats, and eats pussy like his life depends on it,” Jinx purred. “Only fucking problem is his big, loud mouth.”

Ekko threw his head back in a laugh. Jinx’s eyes danced over the lines of his neck, the broadness of his shoulders, the angles of his chest, concealed only by a flimsy apron. He was like a drug to her – his smile, his laugh, his body – and she couldn’t get enough of it. She technically told the truth to her sister – they didn’t have any sex at his place – but Janna knows she was tempted to make it a lie right here on his kitchen table.

Ekko at last looked at her before glancing at his clock. His smile dropped.

“Ah, fuck,” he muttered. “We’re going to be late.”

Jinx checked the time on her phone – 6:32am. Even though she had a late first case today, she was usually almost at the hospital by now.

“Shit, you’re right,” she said, shoveling the last of her breakfast into her mouth. Her loose hair fell into her eyes, and she gasped. “Oh my gods, my braids! It’ll take me forever.”

Ekko finished his coffee in a swift swig. He rose, his eyes narrowing in determination.

“Let’s get started, then,” he said. He practically carried her to the adjacent bathroom, switching the lights on and producing a comb.

Jinx stared at his reflection in the mirror, her jaw slacking open in surprise, as Ekko began to gently brush the length of her thick, blue hair. He placed the comb in his mouth, his eyebrows knitting with focus, as his fingers parted the strands and began to braid.

“Are you…” Jinx breathed, her eyes twinkling in the bathroom light. “How do you –”

“You taught me how to do this when we were kids, remember?” he said, placing the comb from his mouth onto the vanity. “I’ll braid this side, and you can take the opposite. We’ll finish in half the time.”

Jinx felt a lump form in her throat, her heart swooning in her chest. She gave him a small nod before beginning to braid the opposite side of her hair. As if on cue, the speaker shuffled to the next song – Our Love, by Curtis Harding.

“Hmm, our song,” Ekko mused as he placed the comb back between his lips. His fingers continued to run the length of her hair, lingering, caressing, stroking. Jinx felt her breath hitch, her bottom lip disappearing under her teeth.

‘There’s a girl in town and word’s gone around, she’s just fine…’

They braided in silence, under the soft hum of the vanity lights, half-naked, with bellies full of food made with love. Jinx had kissed Ekko’s lips, held him as he slept, felt his tongue against her sex – yet nothing they had ever done felt more intimate, more passionate, more right than this very moment.

“I love you, Ekko.” The words slipped from her mouth before she even realized she said it.

Ekko’s eyes locked with hers in the mirror.

‘So I don’t worry my head ‘cause I know her heart is tied to mine…’

“I love you too, Powder.”

…⚕️…

The operating room was warmer than usual today. Jinx’s skin felt damp under her surgical gown, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, stinging her eyes. It didn’t help that she and Ekko had basically sprinted from the parking lot to make it before her first case.

And every time she looked at her scrub nurse, his skin glistening with sweat, she swore the operating room got hotter.

“…and I hope you plan on going?” Viktor continued. He was nearly elbow deep in their patient’s belly, wrestling with loops of small intestine. “The resident retreat?”

“Hmm?” Jinx hummed. Ekko handed her a hemostat, his fingers lingering over hers as they always did. “Is that coming up already?”

“Next weekend,” Viktor nodded. “Crazy how time flies when you’re operating every day.”

“What happens at resident retreat?” Ekko asked, stealing subtle glances at Jinx as she stretched.

“It’s a highlight of the year,” Viktor said. “A night of dancing, a catered dinner, a boatload of booze, a free night at a hotel.”

“I don’t know how much of a dancer I am, Vik,” Jinx said as she expertly tied off a sputtering blood vessel. “But free food and booze? Count me in.”

Viktor chuckled, his amber eyes sparkling under the surgical lights.

“It’s at the Pilt River Club this year,” Viktor continued. “Fancy hotel owned by the Kiramman’s, I think. Everyone gets a plus one, too.”

“I can bring a date?” Jinx said, a coy smile appearing under her mask. She locked eyes with Ekko. “Guess I should start thinking about who to bring.”

Viktor smirked, his eyes darting between his resident and his scrub nurse.

“You’ll get to finally meet my husband,” he said. “And I think Caitlyn will be in attendance, with your sister.”

“That’s probably what she was calling to tell me this morning before she was…” Jinx glanced at Ekko, a sly smile on her face. “…interrupted.”

Viktor sighed knowingly as he stepped back from the patient.

“And on that note, I’ll let you two finish the case,” he said as he stripped his sterile garments from his narrow frame. “Before I interrupt anything myself.”

“You’re never interrupting us, Vik!” Jinx called playfully as her chief resident stepped towards the operating room doors. “We’re just good friends.”

“Good friends, right,” Viktor hummed with amusement. His eyes landed on Ekko, tracing the lines of his neck above the collar of his sterile gown. “By the way, I’d recommend ibuprofen every 6 hours and ice packs for that lesion. Doctor’s orders.”

Jinx saw it before Ekko realized what was happening. Her face burned with embarrassment, but she couldn’t help but smile.

How had she not noticed the hickey she’d given him until he was under the surgical lights?

“My what –”

“It’s quite alright, Ekko,” Viktor said as he made for the operating room door. “I used to come in to work all the time with them when I first started dating Jayce. It’ll be gone by retreat.”

He exited the operating room with a chuckle as Ekko turned bright red, from head to toe. Jinx snorted a laugh as the door finally closed behind him.

“Oh my gods, Jinx,” he groaned as she started to suture her patient closed, steadying her hands as she laughed. “A hickey? Really?”

“Good thing I’m a doctor,” she giggled. “You’ll need my care, or you may never recover.”

“Thank Janna,” he said with a smirk, his voice a low purr. “But I’ll need you around the clock, doc. Night and day.”

“Anywhere, everywhere?” Jinx purred back as she continued to place rows of neat stitches.

“My place, your place,” Ekko continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. “In the bedroom, in the shower, on my kitchen table. Any way you want me, blue.”

Jinx felt her breath hitch, the sound of his voice sending a ripple of excitement from the small of her neck to the apex of her thighs. She chewed her lip as she met his hungry eyes, peering over his mask.

“How about the Pilt River Club, this weekend?” she asked. “You and me?”

Ekko looked almost bashful, a subtle grin appearing behind his mask.

“Dr. Lane, are you asking me on a date?” he said, bringing his gloved hands to his heart in feigned melodrama. Jinx rolled her eyes, smirking back at him.

“It’s a work function, don’t get too excited,” she said as she placed her final sutures in her patient’s abdomen, wiping her bloodied gloves dry. “But yes, a date. What do you say?”

A beat passed between them, their breaths bated, their sweaty faces glistening, their eyes never parting. After a brief silence, Ekko cocked his head, a satisfied hum escaping his lips.

“I’d love to, Pow,” he said at last, his eyes smiling. “I’d love nothing more. Truly.”

Jinx smiled as she stripped her sterile garments from her lithe frame, stepping towards the OR door.

“It’s a date, then,” Jinx said, her eyes tracing Ekko’s figure from head to toe. “Hope you’re a good dancer.”

Ekko chuckled, his head tilting back almost invitingly. Jinx felt her breath hitch, her bottom lip disappearing under her teeth.

“Oh, Dr. Lane, I’ve been dancing with you since our first day in the operating room,” he said. His voice was an intoxicating rasp, his words as delicious as his tongue between her legs.

“Yeah?” Jinx purred back, her fingers freezing over the operating room door. “Am I really that hard to keep up with?”

“If only you knew, Pow,” Ekko replied. Hazelnut met blue under the hot, surgical lights.

“It’s always a dance with you.”

 …⚕️…

Jinx usually didn’t mind night shifts. She had always been a night owl, and being one of the only residents in the hospital overnight came with its perks. But the transition to night shifts this week was brutal for one reason, and one reason only – she couldn’t be with Ekko.

Jinx continued to crash at his place while he worked the day shift – sleeping in his bed, smelling his scent on his pillows, feeling the softness of his sheets against her naked skin. They would pass each other like ships in the night each morning and evening, sharing a quick kiss as the other rushed out the door. It was sweet, romantic, and painfully domestic, yet Jinx could feel herself craving him more and more with each lonely night.

The resident retreat couldn’t come fast enough.

Jinx’s pager burst to life in her scrub pocket, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up from the sofa in the resident lounge, her eyes landing on the mounted clock on the wall – 1:07am. She sighed, reading the message on her pager. One of Viktor’s patients in the PACU was due for another post-op exam. She rose begrudgingly, zipping up her jacket, and stepped silently into the dark, cold hallway of the hospital.

The PACU was even quieter than usual. Most of the lights had been turned off to help the few patients there overnight get some sleep. As Jinx rounded the corner deeper into the unit, she noticed the nurse’s desk was empty, a cup of coffee still steaming next to the computer. Jinx’s brows furrowed as she looked for whoever had paged her.

“Hello?” she called into the quiet corridor, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Jinx shrugged and continued to walk deeper into the PACU, closer and closer to her patient’s room. She froze mid-step as she heard a shuffle behind one of the nearby curtains, the sound of two hushed voices whispering through the air.

“…you’ll be a good girl for me, too?” Jinx could barely make out a familiar voice from just ahead.

Jinx’s eyes widened, her lips curving into a coy smirk, as she heard the sound of wet kisses and a whimper from behind the curtain.

“Fuck, Lux,” another voice whispered between moans. “Yes, yes, I’ll be so good for you.”

“That’s right, baby girl,” Lux’s voice sounded again. Jinx felt her cheeks erupt in heat, her jaw slacking open with a mix of guilt and curiosity. “You just wait until resident retreat, Zeri. I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to see straight –”

Jinx’s heart stopped as her pager went off, its thunderous ring echoing down the hallway. The couple behind the curtain froze, now silent as the grave.

“Um!” Jinx stammered, her eyes darting everywhere but towards the direction of the voices. “Just the night resident, here for a post-op check! Don’t mind me!”

A pair of wide, olive eyes appeared from behind the curtain, beneath two foxtails of bright yellow hair. She hastily wiped smeared, red lipstick from her cheeks and neck.

“Hi, Jinx!” Zeri nearly squeaked. “Sorry, it was me that paged you for the patient in room 16! Was just, uh, restocking supplies in here.”   

“Hmm, mmhmm,” Jinx hastily agreed. “Well, I’ll be on my way –”

“Oh, fuck it.” Lux pulled back the curtain.

Her blonde hair was tousled and messy, and a purple hickey was forming on her narrow neck. Zeri looked like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes darting between the two surgeons. Jinx bit the inside of her cheek, trying desperately not to smile.

“Hi, Jinx,” a defeated Lux sighed.

“Hey, girl,” Jinx replied as her friend’s cheeks turned bright red. “I, uh, didn’t know you were working tonight.”

“Picked up an extra night shift,” Lux said. “Have you met Zeri?”

“I have,” Jinx said, doing her best to keep her tone unreadable. “I haven’t seen her since –”

“Since Ekko cancelled on me,” Zeri said. Jinx pursed her lips, shuffling awkwardly. The nurse’s eyes widened. “It’s okay, I promise! It’s just, well… it hurt.”

An awkward silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

“I’m sorry, Zeri,” Jinx finally started. “I lost my temper with Ekko that day, and didn’t even think about your feelings. You didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire like that.”

Zeri nodded, and a small, thankful smile appeared on her lips.

“I really appreciate that, Jinx,” she said. “But you don’t need to apologize. Ekko’s heart belongs to someone else, and I can’t fault him for that.”

Lux looked between Jinx and Zeri, a subtle grin appearing on her lips still smeared with lipstick.

“Funny, I came to a similar realization recently, as well,” she said to Zeri, but her eyes never parted from Jinx. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Jinx watched as Lux brought her lips to Zeri’s cheek, planting a long, sweet kiss against her skin. Zeri’s cheeks flushed red in an instant.

“I met Lux a few weeks ago,” the nurse said. She wrapped her arm around Lux’s waist, drawing her in. “We hit it off well. She’s taking me to your resident retreat this weekend!”

Jinx felt a silent sigh of relief escape her lips. She knew that Lux had feelings for her, and hell, if she didn’t have Ekko, she wouldn’t have minded being in Zeri’s place tonight. But she couldn’t give Lux the love she wanted, just as Ekko couldn’t give Zeri the love she wanted. But instead of resenting them for it, it seemed Lux and Zeri had found something even more special in each other.

“I’m so happy for you both,” Jinx said with a warm, genuine smile. “Truly. We’re going to have a fucking blast this weekend.”

“I’m so excited!” Zeri said. She was interrupted, however, as her pager buzzed in her pocket. “Ah, shit, one of my patient’s hit their call bell. I gotta go.”

Zeri rushed off, her gaze lingering on Lux until she rounded the corner, out of sight. Lux sighed and leaned against the wall, a dreamy expression on her face.

“Sorry you had to see that,” she said, the faintest smirk on her lips. “You probably think I’m crazy for hooking up in the hospital.”

Jinx’s breath hitched. She tried to keep her expression neutral as her mind wandered to the supply closet.

“Eh, you’d be surprised,” Jinx said, before returning her smirk in kind. “Remember what you said to me at orientation? That we wouldn’t have time to date, no less fuck?”

Lux threw her head back in a hushed laugh.

“I’m glad I’ve proven myself wrong,” she said. “I’ve had time for both, and it seems like you have, too.”

Jinx raised her eyebrows, amused.

“What makes you say that?”

“I saw Ekko when I was getting in for my shift tonight,” she started. She pointed at the darkening bruise in the shape of a kiss over her collarbone. “Boy’s got a hickey that’ll put mine to shame. I can only guess it was your handiwork.”

Jinx blushed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I told him to ice it,” she grumbled, her face buried in her hand.

“People in healthcare make the worst patients, you know that,” Lux said with a giggle.

Jinx felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up, blue eyes meeting blue.

“I’m glad you’re doing better, Jinx,” Lux said through a soft smile. “I’m glad Benzo is home and that you’ve found Ekko, again. I’m glad we’re still friends. I’m… proud to call you my co-resident, Dr. Lane.”

Jinx felt her eyes brim with tears. She squeezed Lux’s hand on her shoulder, offering her a smile in return.

“I’m proud to call you my co-resident too, Dr. Crownguard,” Jinx replied. “And lucky to have you as my friend.”

Lux clicked her tongue against her teeth, her smile turning mischievous.

“But you owe me,” she purred. “You don’t want to know where my hands were before you so rudely interrupted us.”

Jinx laughed as she started for her patient’s room.

“By the way, the call rooms are always open,” she chided. “And, you know, a little more private?”

“Hmm, too obvious,” Lux called back coyly. “Besides, we’ve been using the supply closet on the OR floor. Nobody’s ever up there.”  

Jinx froze mid-step, her eyes widening, her jaw slacking open in disbelief. She turned around just in time to catch Lux wink at her before she disappeared beyond the corner of the hallway.

“See you at retreat, Jinx!” she called back, giggling. “And remind Ekko to use those ice packs!”

…⚕️…

It was warm and cloudless the evening of retreat. Golden rays of afternoon light streamed through the windows of Jinx’s studio apartment, illuminating her as she grumbled and wrestled with her outfit for the night. Jinx hated wearing real clothes – scrubs were basically pajamas for work, and she realized it had been weeks since she’d worn anything actually fashionable from her wardrobe. Even though she was running late, and had slept right through the happy hour she had promised to meet her sister and Caitlyn at beforehand, she couldn’t help but marvel at how well she’d dressed up for the night.

She had picked one of her favorite dresses for the night – its color midnight blue, its fabric silky smooth, with a deep cut and an open back. On her feet she wore a pair of matching stilettos that she had hardly broken in, and Jinx could already feel the blisters forming on the back of her ankles. Her long blue hair had been braided into a high, messy bun, with her trademark bang still over her right eye. She’d spent far too long on her makeup, painting her eyelids a smokey hue and concealing the bags under her eyes from a week of night shifts. Her fingernails, painted in brilliant, alternating blues and pinks, flashed in the afternoon light as she fumbled with the backings of her dangling, silver earrings.

She stepped back, taking in her appearance from head to toe, a faint grin appearing on her red lips. She felt exhausted, uncomfortable, and freezing – but damn, she looked hot.

 Her phone buzzed on her bed, its screen bursting to life. Ekko had texted her that he was here, right on time. While she cursed her luck that she’d have such a punctual man in her life, she couldn’t help but smile. She’d missed his bed today – and she’d missed him more. She fired back a text in reply and was quickly out the door.

It was maybe the last warm day of summer before the cool of autumn would arrive. Jinx felt the sun warm her exposed shoulders and back, the blue of her tattoos almost perfectly matching the hue of the afternoon sun. She squinted as she stepped into the sun to the curb, her ankles already protesting the tight straps of her heels. Her dress felt too tight, and she was already sweating. She would have been miserable, she realized, if she hadn’t already laid eyes on Ekko.

He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. He leaned against the hood of his old green Jeep, his hands casually in his pockets as he looked off into the distance. He wore a fitted, light grey suit that perfectly captured his every angle and curve, from the broadness of his shoulders to the slimness of his waist. The top few buttons of his brilliant white dress shirt were left open, the smooth skin of his toned chest inviting even from this distance. He wore no socks with his pointed loafers, and a golden watch adorned his wrist. His white locks were pulled into a high, handsome ponytail. When he finally spotted her, his eyes hidden behind a sleek pair of ray-bans, his smile nearly swept her off her feet.

 “I know, I know, I’m late,” Jinx started. She picked up her pace, a little unsteady in her heels, as she stepped towards the car. “I was exhausted from night shift. Took me like an hour to do my make-up and these damn shoes are going to kill me –”

“Powder.” Ekko’s voice cut her off, low and warm. He took off his glasses, his eyes widened with awe. “You’re gorgeous.”

Jinx froze a few paces before Ekko as he took her in. A nervous chuckle rolled out from his lips, his hand covering his mouth as if in disbelief. She was a truly beautiful woman, he knew well enough, but never had he seen her look this perfect, this idyllic, this… angelic. She was a beauty he could not put into words; a beauty he felt, in that moment, that he was unworthy of. Her every feature, her every detail – her vibrant doe eyes, her voluminous hair, her irresistible figure – seemed to sing to him like a siren’s song. She was spectacular, in every sense of the word, and before Ekko could realize it, he had pressed his lips against hers.

“Where did that come from, lover boy?” Jinx giggled, her fingers teasing his chest as their mouths at last parted. “Missed me already?”

Ekko took her hands in his, holding them over his chest.

 “Just feeling lucky,” he said, his words like honey. “Feeling lucky to have been in the operating room on your first day. Feeling lucky to have found my best friend again.”

Jinx brought her lips to his cheek, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck. She breathed him in – his scent, his sweetness, his love – in one deep, intoxicating breath. She felt Ekko melt against her, his every muscle seeming to loosen within her embrace.

“I’m feeling lucky tonight too, Ekko,” she said, the beginnings of a coy grin appearing on her lips. “We’ve had to reschedule this date a few times already.”

Ekko chuckled, the white of his teeth flashing in the afternoon sun.

“I’m just glad we can finally have some time together,” he said, his voice dropping to a deep rasp. “Just you and me.”

“And my chief resident,” Jinx said with a smirk. “And my co-residents. And my sister. And her psychiatrist fiancé, who’s definitely going to try to psychoanalyze us tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ekko cooed, returning her smirk in kind. “You get my point.”

He led her around the car, opening the passenger door for her. Resting on the seat was a bouquet of flowers, a vibrant array of reds, oranges, and cremes.

“Flowers?” Jinx asked, barely a whisper. Ekko blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

“I couldn’t let it be our first date and not get you flowers,” he said almost bashfully. “Consider it thanks for putting up with my flirts and teases in the operating room for all those weeks.”

Jinx took the bouquet in her hands, a lump forming in her throat. She tried to say something witty, but her heart was swooning in her chest.

“I think we’re even, little man,” she said at last. “Besides, I’ll be needing to get you flowers after you see how badly I dance in these heels.”

“You can always dance barefoot,” Ekko suggested with a grin.

“You know how long it takes to take off these shoes?” Jinx protested as she sat in the car, her screaming feet at last relieved. “You’ll be waiting for hours.”

Ekko rested a forearm at the top of the doorframe, the other sweeping his white locks off his face. Jinx felt her breath catch as she looked up at him, suddenly reminded of how devastatingly hot he looked in this suit.

“Take all the time you need, baby blue,” he said, his voice sending an excited shiver down Jinx’s spine. “I’m yours, all night.”

 …⚕️…

The Pilt River Club wasn’t as big or fancy as Jinx had imagined, despite being owned by the Kirammans. It was about 20 minutes outside of the city, at the top of a gentle hill overlooking the river. The grounds around the hotel were immaculate and expertly manicured, and rows of neatly trimmed pine trees lined the gravel road up the slope to their destination.

“Still a little too pretentious for me,” Jinx hummed as she leaned her face against the car window. “Why couldn’t we have done this at some dive bar in Zaun?”

“Well, if it sucks, I’ll take you to whichever dive bar you’d like,” Ekko said. He hid his eyes behind the visor as the evening sun glared through the windshield. “But I have a feeling it’s going to be a good night.”

Jinx felt his hand land on her leg, the warmth of his palm on her exposed thigh exciting her more than she’d care to admit. Her breath hitched as she stole a glance at him, his posture relaxed, his opposite arm draped casually over the steering wheel, the gold of his wristwatch flashing in the evening sun.

“I hope you’re right,” Jinx cooed, a subtle smile appearing on her lips.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he pulled to a stop in the tree-lined parking lot. He locked eyes with her, bringing the back of her wrist to his lips.

“Ready to show me off to all your friends, Dr. Lane?” he asked through a grin.

“Hell no,” she purred, as Ekko delivered a line of kisses along the back of her hand. “You’re all mine, tonight.”

The short walk to the hotel was lit with candles. The lobby of the hotel was cozy, filled with earthy-toned sofas and low, mahogany tables. Jinx and Ekko were directed by the well-dressed staff deeper into the hotel, where the retreat was being held. Jinx could hear the beat of the music before they even reached the imposing double doors of the event space.

The retreat was held in a great hall, with tall, gilded ceilings and a full wall of windows overlooking the river. The space was already packed with a sea of familiar faces, all dressed to the nines. Tables with pressed white tablecloths lined the periphery of the hall, and a dance floorwas already full in the middle. A live band stood on a stage before the windows, and a particularly beautiful, pink-haired vocalist serenaded the crowd with their favorites.

“Looks like we’re late,” Jinx hummed, suddenly reminded of how much she hated stuff like this. It was far too loud and far too hot already. 

Ekko’s hand slipped into hers, steadying her with a gentle squeeze.

“It’s better to not be the first to the party, anyway,” he said. He gestured towards the sea of bodies in the dance floor. “And look, a familiar face!”

Lux emerged from the crowd, grinning ear to ear. She wore a pale blue dress that accentuated her figure deliciously, and her bright blonde hair had been perfectly styled in soft, loose curls. Behind her was Zeri, her eyes dreamy, her cherubic face already covered in Lux’s red lipstick.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Lux shouted over the music. She was out of breath from dancing, and beads of sweat glistened at her brow. “Thought you’d never show up.”

She stumbled into Jinx with a tight hug, and Jinx could tell that she was already a few cocktails into her night. Ekko and Zeri shifted on their feet, greeting each other stiffly.

“You know I hate shit like this, blondie,” Jinx said. “I’ll need a few drinks in me before I’m dancing as well as you are.”

Lux threw her head back in a laugh, the hickey on her neck still quite visible through her concealer.

“Then go get a few drinks!” she giggled. She flipped curls of hair over her shoulder, framing the lines of her neck in cascades of blonde. “Open bar til 10pm. They make a damn good martini!”

The couples said their goodbyes before Lux and her date disappeared back onto the dance floor. Jinx couldn’t help but grin as she caught a glimpse of her co-resident’s hands trailing to places on Zeri that made even Ekko blush.

“So, Lux and Zeri?” asked Ekko as Jinx led him through the crowds. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

Jinx laughed as she adjusted her grip on Ekko’s hand, their fingers interlacing.

“Everyone’s looking for love at Piltover Memorial,” she said with a wink as they arrived at the crowded bar. “Some are lucky enough to find it.”

Ekko ordered them both a cocktail of Jinx’s choosing. As the busy bartender mixed their drinks, Jinx looked out over the crowd for any familiar faces. It wasn’t until she felt the tap of a cane on her leg that she realized she was standing right next to one.

“Dr. Lane,” Viktor’s voice cut through the music like one of his scalpels. “You look beautiful this evening.”

Jinx hardly recognized her chief resident at first, standing at the bar beside her. He wore a black suit that sculpted his narrow frame, complete with a matching bowtie. He swirled a glass of red wine in his hand as his amber eyes jumped between Jinx and her date.

“Vik!” Jinx exclaimed, burying him in a hug. Viktor went rigid, clearly surprised by her affection, but quickly melted into her embrace.

“It’s good to see you too, Jinx,” he said with a smile. His eyes then landed on Ekko, letting out a low whistle as he looked him over. “And your date sure knows how to clean up, too.”

Ekko clinked his glass against Viktor’s in response, the two taking quick sips of their drinks. Viktor’s eyes lit up, as if he had suddenly realized he had forgotten something.

“How rude of me,” he started. He turned around, tugging on the sleeve of the man standing behind him. “Jayce, please meet some of my favorite people from work.”

Jinx didn’t know what she was expecting Jayce to look like, but whatever she had imagined was far from the truth. Jayce towered over the bar like a giant, with arms the width of Jinx’s torso and legs like tree trunks. He was devastatingly handsome, like an old movie star, with tan skin and a pearly white smile. He wore a crème-colored suit and red tie, a far cry from Viktor’s stiff, formal attire. His face lit up like a kid on Snowdown when he locked eyes with Jinx, his great arms opening in a warm welcome.

“My gods, it’s Jinx!” His voice was boisterous and filled with joy. He declined Jinx’s extended hand, instead scooping her up in one of the best hugs she’d ever received. “Thanks for keeping my guy sane all these weeks, he fucking loves working with you.”

 Jinx felt every part of her back crack as Jayce hoisted her into the air before delivering her gently back to the floor. Viktor scoffed, exasperated, as he nursed his wine.

“Jayce, what did we talk about?” he chided as he peered over the crystal of his long-stemmed glass. “Picking up strangers without their permission?”

“But she’s not a stranger, babe!” Jayce protested. He was built like a linebacker, but his voice was gentle, his eyes soft. “She’s Jinx, the one you’ve told me so much about! The Jinx, in the flesh!”

Jinx felt her cheeks redden, and she noticed Viktor’s had done the same.

“You’ve come up in conversation a fair few times,” Viktor admitted bashfully. “How impressed I am with you as a surgeon. How you saved a patient’s life essentially on your own. How you’re probably the only person to make me laugh at work.”

“And?” Jayce said, his perfect smile flashing from high above Jinx’s head.

“And,” Viktor continued, a subtle smile appearing on his thin lips. “I want you to be chief resident, after I graduate in the spring. I can think of no one more deserving than you.”

Jinx felt her knees nearly buckle. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Chief resident!” Ekko exclaimed as he buried Jinx in a hug. “Powder, that’s amazing!”

“I, I don’t know what to say,” Jinx stammered, her voice cracking. “Thank you, Viktor. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, Dr. Lane,” Viktor said. He glanced at Ekko beside her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. “Plus, as chief resident, you get to pick your own OR staff. I trust you won’t have any trouble finding a scrub nurse you like to work with.”

Jinx grinned as Ekko delivered a secret kiss on the tender skin behind her ear.

“I’ll keep my eyes peeled for a good one, Vik,” she replied with a smirk. Ekko chuckled, gently pulling her against him until their bodies were pressed together.

Viktor clinked his glass against Jinx’s, raising his hand in a toast before taking a generous sip.

“Now go, enjoy yourselves,” he said, shooing them from the bar. “This night is for you.”

Jinx smiled warmly once more before parting from her chief resident and his date, entering the crowd with Ekko in tow. After they were well out of earshot, Jayce turned to Viktor, a sly grin on his face.

“So, they’re like, crazy in love, right?” he asked with a laugh.

“Most definitely,” Viktor cooed, finishing his wine and signaling for another. “Absolutely head over heels.”

…⚕️…

Jinx led Ekko out of the crowded dance floor, arriving at a sea of sparsely occupied white tables. At last, her eyes landed upon the person she had been looking forward to seeing the most all night. She sat at a table next to Caitlyn, who was dressed in an elegant, high collared gown, her ears adorned with pearls that no doubt cost more than Jinx’s annual salary.

“It’s quite alright,” Caitlyn assured the concierge standing at their table, doting over them. “Please, I’m just a guest here tonight. I don’t need any special attention, aside from my one special request –”

“Pow!” Vi’s face lit up, and she stood from her chair so quickly the entire table rattled. She wore a handsome linen suit that complimented her cropped red hair perfectly, her extensive back tattoos all but hidden under the fabric.

Jinx rushed to her sister. As Vi embraced her, one hand wrapping around the back of her head, Jinx couldn’t help but let out a shaky sigh, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Janna, I missed you, Pow-Pow,” Vi said as she gently rocked her sister. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I missed you too, sis,” Jinx said. She hastily wiped the unshed tears from her eyes as she peeled away from her sister, a mischievous grin appearing on her face. “It even smells like you showered for this.”

“Oh shut up,” Vi grumbled, playfully punching her sister’s arm. “I happen to bathe frequently, thank you very much.”

Both sisters laughed.

“For real, Vi, you look beautiful,” Jinx continued. “And so does your cupcake.”

Caitlyn stepped to the sisters, the fabric of her purple gown trailing behind her. She hugged Jinx before linking arms with her fiancé.

“Good evening, Jinx,” she said, her voice as elegant as her appearance. She held a skinny glass of champagne by the stem, her other arm clasped over a purse. “And good evening to you, Ekko.”

Vi’s eyes widened, her brows raising with surprise.

“Ekko?” she scoffed as she took in the man standing behind her sister. “Holy shit, you’ve grown up. Not so little anymore, huh, little man?”

Ekko shuffled on his feet, appearing almost timid. He extended his arm to offer Vi a handshake.

“It’s been too long, Vi – hey!”

Vi pulled him by his hand, wrapping her arm around his neck and grating her knuckles against his head. Jinx’s shocked expression quickly turned to unabashed giggles as Vi wrestled with her date, as if they were kids again.

“Think you’re getting away with just a handshake, lover boy?” Vi said through a mischievous grin as Ekko laughed and squirmed against her. “After all those years?”

Vi finally released Ekko, burying him in a warm hug. Ekko was bright red, his hair a tousled mess, but he grinned from ear to ear.

“I guess I deserved that,” Ekko chuckled as he at last parted from Vi.

“Deserved that, and more,” Vi said with a laugh. “Imagine how I felt when I found out my baby sister was dating the little shit that wouldn’t let us play Super Smash Bros on his GameCube.”

“Ugh, that was one time, Vi,” Ekko groaned, rolling his eyes. “I let you play that game so much I thought you’d break the damn controller.”

But Jinx had stopped listening after she had heard a particular word that froze her in place.

Ekko and I… dating?   

Caitlyn noticed Jinx turning red before anyone else. Her eyes snapped to Ekko, her champagne continuing to bubble in its flute.

“Ekko, mind if I have a word?” she said, trying her best to keep her tone unreadable. “I have a surprise from the hotel I’d like to share with you.”

Ekko looked back at Jinx for permission before nodding his head, stepping away from the sisters with Caitlyn. Vi led Jinx to her table, offering her a seat before sitting herself. She took a long swig from her beer bottle, her eyes locking with her sister’s.

“Quite the party you’re throwing, Pow,” Vi said as she laid her muscular arm over the back of her chair. “And quite the man you’ve picked.”

Jinx’s eyes trailed to Ekko, speaking to Caitlyn just out of earshot. Even at a distance, the flash of his smile made her heart flutter in her chest.

“He’s quite the man,” Jinx repeated dreamily, unable to part her eyes from Ekko. “He’s my man.”

“Do you love him?” Vi asked, short and straight to the point. Sometimes even Jinx could forget how blunt her sister was.

“I do,” Jinx replied. Blue eyes met blue. The mischief in Vi’s face had all but disappeared, replaced with something else entirely – a subtle sadness, mixed with pride.

“I’m happy for you, Pow,” she said, taking another sip of her beer. “You seem… different than the last time we met.”

“How so?”

“Like you’ve left behind something that was weighing you down,” Vi started, leaning forward. “You seem freer. More confident. More like… Powder.” 

Jinx bit her lip, her brows furrowing. Her eyes snapped shut, the briefest flicker of flames dancing across her vision.

“Do I?” Jinx asked, her voice small. “Things still feel… broken inside. I still see the bar fire, sometimes. I still see dad. I still feel like what you called me, that night - a jinx.”

There was no venom in her tone, not an ounce of anger or bitterness, yet Vi’s face immediately dropped, her eyes brimming with tears.

“What can I do to help you, Pow?” Vi asked, her voice cracking. “What else can I say to tell you I’m sorry? That I forgive you? That I’m the proudest woman in the world to call you my sister?”

Vi’s hand found Jinx’s on the table, squeezing hard.

“I love you Vi, truly,” Jinx whispered, tears stinging her waterline. “But the person that I need to hear that from is long gone. And no matter what I do, no matter how many lives I save, I’ll never know if I was enough for him.”

Vi looked as if she’d been wounded. She stared into her sister’s eyes with such intensity that Jinx couldn’t bare to look away.

“Enough for Vander?” Vi asked, her brows knitting, her powder blue eyes glistening with tears. “Enough for dad?”

Jinx nodded, swallowing hard. She brushed an unshed tear from her eye.

“I need to hear him say it,” Jinx said with a shaky breath. “But I can’t. And I never will, because of me –”

“Powder,” Vi breathed. “Dear Janna, Powder. You never needed to make him proud. He was always proud.”

A ragged breath escaped Jinx’s lips, a tear streaming down her cheek.

“Vi –”

“You didn’t need to graduate at the top of your class,” Vi continued, her voice small yet strong. “You didn’t need to go to medical school. You didn’t need to train at the best hospital. You didn’t need to save Benzo’s life. You were always enough for Vander. He was always proud of you.”

Jinx’s eyes snapped shut, drawing in a silent gasp. She felt as if a chain around her ankles had been cut loose, as if the weight of the world had finally been lifted from her shoulders. When she opened her eyes there were no flames, no smoke, no grief, no regret – just her sister and the man she loved, just behind her.

“You believe that, Vi?” Jinx took a deep breath in, steadying and calming.

“With my whole heart,” her sister replied, squeezing her hand once more. “He loved you then, and he loves you now. I’ve never doubted it.”

Jinx leaned back, looking up at the gilded ceiling. She couldn’t tell if it was the conversation, her emotions, or her cocktails, but the room was suddenly spinning.

“I needed to hear it from you, I think,” Jinx said after a brief silence. “I needed to hear him through you. So I could finally… fix it.”

Vi’s brows knit in confusion.

“Finally fix what?”

“The part of me that’s broken,” Jinx said, her eyes closing, a weak smile appearing on her red lips. “The broken heartstrings that I didn’t think I was worthy of fixing.”

Vi leaned back. Her expression was almost unreadable, but her eyes smiled.

“You’ve always been worthy, Powder,” she said, the faintest grin appearing on her face. “Besides, you’re a surgeon, now – you know exactly how to fix your broken parts.”

Jinx laughed, warmth returning to her face.

“I’ll need stitches for my heartstrings, I suppose,” she mused as she took a sip of her cocktail. Her eyes locked with Ekko’s as he walked back to the sisters, shoving something in his jacket pocket.

“And a good nurse at my side.”

Ekko stepped behind Jinx, placing his hands on her shoulders. His eyebrows knitted in concern, no doubt noticing the red puffiness around her eyes.

“Blue, is everything ok?” he asked. Jinx’s hand found his on her shoulder, her cheek pressing against the fine white dress shirt over his chest.

“Everything’s… exactly as it should be, Ekko,” she said, looking up at him with a smile. “What were you and Caitlyn talking about?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said. His cheeks flushed red, a cheeky grin spreading across his lips. “You’ll find out soon.”

“Well, now I’m nervous,” Vi huffed, leaning back and crossing her arms. Caitlyn floated behind her, placing a long, sweet kiss against her temple.

“Don’t worry, Violet,” she said. She peered up at Ekko, giving him a wink. “Just had to make sure Jinx and her date had comfortable accommodations tonight.”

The band’s song finished then, as if on cue. The beautiful, pink haired vocalist waved and thanked the crowd for their applause, before approaching her microphone stand again. The sun had set behind her, the wall of windows now dark as night.

“Thank you, thank you, residents of Piltover Memorial!” she said, her voice melodic and bubbly. “This next song will be a real test of my university French. Please enjoy!”

The band burst into lively music as the starry-eyed songstress began to sing in near perfect French.

“Je t'aime, je te hais, je t'aime, je te hais…”

Jinx felt Ekko’s hand slip into hers. She looked up at his face, his eyes soft, filled to the brim with love and something else she couldn’t quite place. He smiled the same, toothy smile she’d always known as he hoisted her up from her seat.

“Dr. Lane, may I have this dance?” he asked.

His fingers trailed along the exposed skin of Jinx’s back, gently, longingly, as if he would never get the chance to touch her again. Jinx’s hands linked behind his neck, drawing him closer until their faces were inches apart.

“I’m not the greatest dancer,” she said through a smile. “But for you, Ekko? I’d dance the night away.”

Ekko led Jinx into a empty pocket of space within the dance floor. It was dimly lit and sweaty, and Jinx felt like she could slip at any moment on the slick floor. But when Ekko placed his hand against the small of her back, his fingers tracing her skin until it disappeared under the silky fabric of her dress, all of Jinx’s discomfort was gone in an instant. Her heart fluttered in her chest as his opposite hand linked with hers, their fingers interlacing, their bodies now moving as one.

“T'es la meilleure chose qui m'est arrivée, mais aussi la pire chose qui m'est arrivée…”

Jinx felt the heat of Ekko’s breath against her neck as they danced, the white of his smile illuminating the crowded dark around them. She dug her fingers into the back of his suit jacket, the thin layer of fabric between her hands and his skin suddenly unbearable.

 “La pire des bénédictions, la plus belle des malédictions…”

Ekko’s hands traced lower and lower along her back, his fingers hungry on her bare skin already beaded with sweat. Jinx’s lips traced the lines of his broad neck, longing to kiss, to suck, to bite. She held him close, impossibly close, their hearts beating against the other’s – yet it wasn’t close enough.

“Tu sais c'qu'on dit, sois près d'tes amis les plus chers…”

“Ekko, baby.” Jinx felt her mind becoming numb, her fingers and lips driven by a deeper, hotter instinct. Ekko grinned against her cheek, teasing, tempting, as she rutted her hips against his.

“You’re better at dancing than you thought, blue,” he purred into her ear, the heat of his breath sending ripples of pleasure across her skin. “It’s like our bodies were made for each other.”

Jinx’s eyes flashed before she placed a long, passionate kiss against his lips, the tip of her tongue brushing his. The taste of him was delicious, intoxicating, almost addicting – yet left her craving for more.

“It’s like you said, little man,” she said, chewing her lower lip, her voice low and hungry. “Always a dance.”

“Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c'est toi, fuis-moi, le pire c'est toi et moi…”

Ekko spun Jinx around, a surprised giggle bubbling out from her lips. He pressed her hips against his, grinding against her, his hands wandering the length of her lithe frame. His lips traced the sensitive skin behind her ear as he breathed in all that blue, a low moan escaping his mouth. He held her like she was his and his alone, like they were always meant to dance like this, like their bodies truly were made for each other’s.

“Ekko,” Jinx whispered, her hands guiding his over her every curve, her head falling back as if to offer herself to him. She pressed her hips harder against his in slow, teasing circles, the fabric of their clothes the only thing between them now. Ekko buried his face in her supple neck, his lips teasing the softness of her flesh, his tongue tasting the sweetness of her skin.

“You’re fucking perfect, Powder,” Ekko said. His words dripped with lust, yet he spoke reverently, as if in prayer. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c'est toi, fuis-moi, le pire c'est toi et moi…”

Jinx’s eyes fluttered open as Ekko continued to plant sweet kisses along her neck. She smiled wide, her face filled with bliss, her heart soaring in her chest. Her dreamy eyes landed on Lux and Zeri among the dancers, their arms entangled, their tongues wrestling in wet, heavy kisses. She spotted her sister and Caitlyn farther away in the crowd, gently swaying and giggling to each other. Just beyond them were Jayce and Viktor, watching the dancers while whispering sweet nothings into the other’s ear.

Jinx wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, the music, or the man she loved pressed against her, but in that moment, she felt completely, wholly happy. She was surrounded by bliss, sweat, and love – love she at last felt she deserved.

“Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c'est toi, fuis-moi, le pire c'est toi et moi…”

As the song came to an end, the crowd erupting into applause, a sweaty Jinx turned to face Ekko. She brought a hand to his damp face, stroking his cheek, before kissing him again.

“Still think you want to hit a dive bar, instead?” he said with a grin, pressing his cheek against her palm. “I‘m good to drive.”

Jinx could barely keep her hands off him, caressing his face and teasing the buttons of his shirt, now wet with sweat. A coy grin spread across her red lips, her blue eyes flashing in the cool, dim light of the hall.

“I don’t think it matters where we go now, Ekko,” she purred, her face inches from his. “I think we both know how tonight ends.”

“And how does tonight end, baby blue?” Ekko asked, the faintest smile lighting up his face.

“It ends with you and me, together,” she replied, her fingers trailing down the ridges of his abs, now visible through his wet shirt. “How it was always meant to be. How it always should have been.”

Ekko took her face in his hands, kissing her passionately, as if to pour all the love he’s ever had for her directly into her soul.

“I love you, Powder,” he said, his eyes glistening.

“So let me love you, Ekko,” she whispered into his ear, her bottom lip disappearing under her teeth. She felt his breath hitch, his mind running wild with the delicious fantasies. “Let me show you how I love you.”

“Soon, baby,” Ekko cooed with a maddening smile. Jinx whined as he peeled away from her, her fingers lingering over his chest. “Besides, I have a little surprise for us –”

“Jinx!” A grating voice cut through the crowd, just as the next song began.

Jinx spun around to see Kayn stumbling towards her, a concerned Ezreal closely behind. Her eyebrows knit in annoyance as her clearly drunk co-resident approached, swaying with his steps. She felt Ekko’s body tense against her’s, his jaw jutting forward.

“You – hic – want to dance, baby girl?” he said, his words slurring together. Jinx’s lip raised in a snarl as her eyes darted between Ekko and Ezreal, the latter shooting her an apologetic look.

“Kayn,” Ezreal hissed, pleading. “She clearly has a date.”

“Yeah – hic – and?” Kayn replied. His eyes lingered hungrily over Jinx’s body, his unwelcome stare causing her to recoil. Ekko scowled, his fists clenching at his sides.

“No thanks, Kayn,” Jinx said shortly, turning away from the fuchsia-haired man. “Not interested.”

“Oh, come on, baby,” he whined. “You called me that one time, remember? And – hic – you really want to spend your night sleeping with some Zaunite nurse?”

“The fuck you just say?” Ekko snarled, his temper flaring. He stepped forward until Jinx’s hand slipped into his, holding him back.

“Kayn, please, let’s go,” Ezreal begged.

“I’m from Zaun, too, Kayn,” Jinx spat bitterly. “Maybe you would’ve remembered that if you weren’t just trying to fuck me.”

Kayn shrugged, his eyes glassy, a shit-eating grin on his increasingly punchable face.

“Give me a chance, blue,” he said, continuing to sway on his feet. “Whatdya say?”

Ekko looked back at Jinx. His face said more than words could express – he knew she loved him, and he knew she hated Kayn – but it was her decision to make, always.

Jinx smiled, her arm linking with Ekko’s.

“Like I said, Kayn,” she said with finality. “Not. Interested.”

As she turned from him, there was a shuffle. An unwelcome hand was suddenly on her shoulder, followed by a flash and the rustle of fabric. Ekko tried to steady her, but it was too late – her stiletto gave out and her ankle exploded into white, hot pain.

“You fucking asshole!” Jinx groaned as she saw stars. She stumbled to the floor, catching herself on outstretched hands.

Ekko’s eyes ignited with outrage. He looked like he was ready to beat the shit out of Kayn, and he would have, too, if a red-haired, tattooed woman hadn’t stepped between them.

 “My sister said she’s not interested, buddy,” Vi said, her head held high. She had taken her suit jacket off, her sculpted arms and tattoos visible beyond her sleeveless blouse. “And I think you’ve had enough to drink.”

Kayn stumbled backwards, his eyes nervous and beady, as Vi massaged her knuckles and glared at him. He swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the scene he had caused.

“I’m – hic – fuck, I’m sorry –”

“Why don’t you head home, doc,” Vi growled, shooting him a confident, challenging stare. “Before this Zaunite puts you to bed, early.”

“Come on, Kayn,” Ezreal hissed with a scowl, his face tomato red. “You fucking idiot.”

Vi turned to face her sister as Kayn and Ezreal disappeared back into the crowd. Jinx sat on the dance floor, blinking back tears, as Ekko examined her ankle.

“You okay, Pow?” Vi asked, kneeling at her side.

“These fucking heels,” Jinx growled as she hissed in pain. “I knew I was going to fall.”

“Looks like it’s just a sprain,” Ekko said as he intently examined her ankle. “Will need rest, ice, and elevation.”

Jinx smiled coyly as she looked into Ekko’s hazelnut eyes, glistening in the low light.

“Good thing I have such a talented nurse to take care of me,” she said. The smile on her face disappeared, however, as soon as she tried to stand on her bad ankle. “Ah, fuck, that hurts.”

“Let me get the first aid kit,” Ekko started as he began to rise.

“No, it’s fine,” Jinx said, catching his hand as he stood. He paused, their eyes locking. “I think I just need to lay down.”

Ekko cocked his head, studying her intensely. Strands of loose hairs fell over her forehead, her teeth intermittent clenching in a painful grimace. Yet even now, as she swore and scowled, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

“You sure, blue?” he asked, his voice soft and gentle. A subtle, knowing smile appeared on Vi’s face, no doubt recognizing the true love in his voice.

“She’s sure, little man,” Vi said, patting Ekko’s back as she rose. “Take good care of her. I know you will.”

Ekko nodded as he hoisted Jinx up, draping her limber arms over his broad shoulders. Jinx winced as she rose, but as she leaned against her man, the pain in her ankle at last began to subside.  

“Let’s get you to our room,” Ekko said as they hobbled together out of the dance floor.

“And, Ekko?” Vi’s voice cut through the music, stopping the couple in their tracks. Ekko turned around to face her as Caitlyn came to her side, a soft smile on her face. “Thank you.”

Ekko could tell that this ‘thank you’ was for more than just taking care of Jinx’s ankle.

“For her, Vi?” he said with a smile before disappearing with Jinx into the crowd. “Anything.”

…⚕️…

By the time they arrived at the door to their hotel room, Ekko had swept Jinx off her feet – both figuratively and literally. It was easier and faster for Ekko to carry her the last stretch to their suite, and even though Jinx’s ankle was already feeling better, she didn’t protest. Her heart thumped in her chest as Ekko adjusted his firm yet gentle grip on the back of her thighs, her narrow arms wrapped lazily around his shoulders.

“Didn’t think you’d be literally carrying me over the threshold tonight, lover boy,” Jinx teased as she tickled the back of his neck with her fingers.

“Just wait til you see the surprise Caitlyn got for us,” Ekko said as he readjusted his hold on her, producing a keycard from his jacket pocket. The door clicked as it unlocked. “Perks of owning the hotel, I guess.”

Ekko carried Jinx across the threshold of the door into the dark, spacious suite. She gasped, a giggle bubbling out from her lips, as Ekko flipped on the lights.

Before them was the most luxurious hotel room Jinx had ever seen. A massive, king-sized mattress occupied most of the room, its crème colored sheets as fluffy and inviting as clouds. A bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket on a low glass table next to two, long-stemmed glasses. A heart-shaped box of chocolates was placed on the cozy armchair opposite the bed. A trail of rose petals formed a pathway guiding them from the doorframe to the mattress. Jinx giggled, her cheeks erupting in red heat, as she noticed the heart-shaped mirror mounted to the ceiling above the bed.

“Is this what I think it is?” Jinx said as Ekko laid her gingerly on the mattress, her body sinking within the heavenly comforter.

Ekko smiled at her as he took his jacket off, the angles of his sculpted chest and torso barely concealed through the fabric of his dress shirt.

“Caitlyn thought it would be funny to give us the honeymoon suite,” he said as he poured Jinx and himself a glass of champagne. “Vi, on the other hand, didn’t think it was funny at all.”

Jinx threw her head back in a laugh, her legs lazily draping over the side of the mattress. Ekko handed her the glass before sitting in the armchair, scooting it to the foot of the bed.

“Here, let me take a look at that ankle,” Ekko said.

Jinx bit the inside of her lip as she presented her foot to Ekko. He held her ankle gingerly in his lap, his fingers tracing the straps of her stiletto. His eyes slowly traced the length of her legs, lingering over her hips and breasts, before finally meeting her gaze.

“Does it still hurt?” he asked.

“Not when you touch me,” Jinx heard herself saying, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

“We should probably take the stilettos off, then,” he said, his eyes never parting from Jinx’s. “Give your ankle a rest?”

Jinx said nothing, instead uncrossing her legs and parting them invitingly. She watched as Ekko attempted to steady his breath, his lips parting, his pupils dilating.

“I think I’ll keep them on,” she said with a mischievous grin. “I need to break them in.”

Ekko leaned forward to stand, but Jinx brought her stiletto to his chest, easing him back. His eyes had a hungry, almost feral glint to them, but he shot her a maddening smile.

“Eager, are we?” Jinx purred as she slid forward, keeping her foot planted against his chest.

Ekko leaned back, his fingers digging into the arms of the chair with anticipation. She watched as his mind began to melt, his breath quickening, his eyes darting between hers and the stiletto pressed against his white shirt.

“You’re going to make me work for it, aren’t you?” he said, his voice a low, delicious rasp.

Jinx bit her lip as she watched Ekko twitch and tremble with desire. While keeping her foot planted against his chest, she shimmied her lacy panties down from her hips to her thighs. Ekko’s face reddened, his eyes widened with awe, as Jinx expertly slipped out of her lingerie, dangling it from her ankle against his chest.

“The supply closet was your turn, baby,” Jinx said. She felt Ekko’s breaths become uneven and ragged against her heel. “Tonight is my turn.”

Jinx rose from the bed and stepped to Ekko, straddling his muscular thigh. She felt a silent gasp escape her lips as her naked sex pressed against the fabric of his pants, the warmth of his leg sending ripples of excitement throughout her entire body.

“Fuck, baby,” was all Ekko could manage as Jinx rutted against his thigh, quivering and moaning. He tried desperately to lean forward, to take her, to bring his lips to hers, but she kept him pressed against the back of the chair with an outstretched hand. Jinx’s breath quickened, her eyes fluttering, the friction between his thigh and her pussy sinfully divine.

Ekko’s hands met Jinx’s hips, holding her, caressing her, guiding her as she rode his thigh. His fingers flitted under her dress, at last grasping the midnight blue fabric and pulling it up and over her head.

“Holy fuck.”

Ekko fell back against the chair, his pupils dilating, his breaths panting, as he took in the view before him. Jinx was naked aside from her stilettos, her cheeks reddened, her eyes already glassy with ecstasy. She rubbed and bucked against his thigh, a wet stain forming on the fabric of his suit pants. She shuddered, her eyes snapping shut, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his arms, as ripples of pleasure electrified her every nerve.

“Ekko,” she moaned, her head falling back with abandon, her tempo against his leg quickening. She felt his hands run the length of her body, grasping her hips, tracing her navel, palming her breasts, teasing her pierced nipples.

“I need you, Powder,” Ekko groaned, his eyes hungry, his tongue running the length of his full lips. “I fucking need you.”

He slowly unbuttoned his shirt from top to bottom, his eyes never parting from hers. Jinx ran her fingers along the toned, smooth skin of his chest, flitting over the ridges of his abs as she continued to wet his thigh. Her breath hitched, her pupils dilating, as her gaze landed on the bulge between his legs, the imprint of his impressive, hard cock all but visible through his suit pants.

“Are you going to come for me?” Ekko said, his voice a low growl, an intoxicating smile on his lips. His hands were on her again, teasing, caressing, exploring. “Just from riding my thigh?”

Jinx wanted to scoff, to say something witty or biting in response, but his voice alone was enough to make her unravel. She felt a familiar wave of ecstasy building within her core, her muscles tensing, her sex quivering against the fabric of his suit now drenched with her arousal.

“F-fuck, Ekko,” she gasped, her body trembling, her eyes rolling back, her bottom lip disappearing under her teeth. She grasped the angle of his jaw, her thumb hooking the inside of Ekko’s cheek, her rhythm becoming desperate and uneven.

Her every muscle went rigid, her thighs spasming against Ekko’s thigh, as her first climax crashed within her. She moaned and whimpered his name as waves of bliss crashed within her, her breaths ragged, her naked body already glistening with sweat. Ekko grasped her arm to steady her, sucking and licking her thumb in his mouth, as aftershocks of pleasure coursed through her from head to toe.

“Such a good girl,” Ekko purred as Jinx’s body relaxed, the stars in her vision fading. “You’re so good for me.”

Jinx bit her lip, a new, carnal fire alit in her core by his praise. Her lips crashed against his, weaving in desperate, passionate kisses. Ekko swallowed each of her gasps and moans like a man starved as she fumbled with his belt buckle. She dismounted his thigh, kneeling between his spread legs, as her fingers pulled his throbbing cock from his suit pants.

Her eyes locked with his as she peered up at him, his shirt open and unbuttoned, his breath held with trembling anticipation. Jinx ran her tongue slowly, maddeningly, up his entire length, feeling its heat and turgor, before flitting over the tip already dripping with pre-cum.

“Oh fuck,” Ekko whimpered, squirming and tensing, as Jinx teased the head of his cock against her mouth, lapping the arousal from his tip with the faintest touch of her tongue.

“Am I still being a good girl for you, Ekko?” Jinx asked, running his every inch against her smiling lips. Ekko shuddered, his eyes snapping shut, his hips instinctively bucking for her mouth in desperate search of release.

“Yes, gods, yes.” His head fell back with abandon, his hands clenching into fists. “Please, baby.”

He didn’t need to ask twice. In an instant, Jinx’s lips were around his cock. She bobbed her head slowly at first, savoring his every inch, tasting the salt of his sweat and the sweetness of his arousal on her tongue. Ekko’s hand found the nape of her neck, the other digging so deeply into the chair arm that his knuckles turned white.

Jinx, however, needed no encouragement or guidance from his hand – she had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in her every dream and fantasy. Her pace quickened, her fingers wrapping around his shaft already dripping with spit, her eyes watering but never parting from Ekko’s.

She held her breath, swallowing as much of him as she could within her throat. He was large, excitingly so – challenging yet tantalizing between her lips. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she reached his base, and Ekko moaned her name through clenched teeth.

“Little man!” she gasped as she pulled away with a pop, continuing to pump him with her drenched fingers. Strings of spit hung deliciously between her lips and his cock.  “Not such an accurate nickname anymore, is it?”

Ekko, however, was too mesmerized to chuckle, smirk, or even react. He stared at Jinx, his eyes glassy, his breathing rapid, his body squirming as Jinx ran her thumb teasingly over his most sensitive parts.

“F-fuck, baby,” he groaned, as she swallowed him again, from tip to base, her head bobbing ever faster. “So good for me. You’re so fucking good for me.”

Jinx felt him start to rut his hips against her, syncing with her rhythm. She gripped his wrists, her fingers so tight they left marks, as he buried himself deeper and deeper against the back of her throat. Her eyes burned with tears, her urge to cough and gag unbearable, but the whimper that escaped Ekko’s lips made it more than worth it.

“Had enough, Ekko?” Jinx purred, panting, mascara beginning to run down her cheeks. Ekko, however, looked at her intensely through hooded, hungry eyes.

“Never.”

In an instant Ekko lifted Jinx from her knees, laying her back on the heavenly bed behind her. She brought a finger to her lips, grinning with anticipation, as Ekko stripped the shirt from his shoulders and dropped his pants to the floor. Her breath hitched as the man she loved stood before her, naked at last – his eyes soft yet filled with desire, his cock throbbing with his quickened pulse, his every muscle gleaming with sweat.

“Gonna fuck me like the goddess I am?” Jinx recalled his words through a cheeky grin, running her stiletto against his bare chest as he climbed to mount her.

Ekko paused, his brows knitting, and for the briefest moment Jinx thought she may have said something wrong.

“No, Powder,” he said. He brought a tender hand to her face, gingerly caressing her cheek as he stared into her soul. “I’m going to make love to my best friend.”

Jinx’s eyes widened, her breath catching, as Ekko gently eased into her wet heat, already dripping and eager for him. He was slow at first, tender and reverent, as he pressed the entirety of his length within her. Jinx let out a breathy moan as his pace steadily quickened, his lips weaving with hers in hot, breathless kisses.

“Oh, fuck,” Jinx moaned against his cheek, her fingernails digging into his scalp. Her legs fell further open, her stilettos bobbing in the air with his every thrust. “Ekko, baby.”

Ekko wrapped his arms around her, holding her close against his sculpted chest. His lips traced the lines of her jaw to her neck, sucking, biting, claiming, as the passionate heat between their legs crescendoed. Jinx felt her mind melt with his every thrust, felt tears brimming in her eyes every time he buried himself to the hilt. Her toes curled in her stilettos as his tempo increased in intensity, his breath hot and wet against her neck.

“Ek-ko.” Jinx’s eyes snapped shut, her back arching, her skin slick with sweat. He was becoming insatiable, his every inch driving Jinx closer to the edge. “F-fuck –”

“You feel so fucking good, baby,” Ekko whispered against her cheek, his free hand grasping her hip. “You’re taking me so well.”

“More,” she breathed between breathless kisses, strings of spit linking their lips. “G-gods, more, Ekko.”

Ekko’s hands found the back of Jinx’s thighs, raising them both up over his shoulders. He folded her legs back and pressed his full length within her, deeper than he’d ever felt before. Jinx saw stars, and didn’t even realize she was moaning his name, until she caught her reflection in the ceiling mirror.  

As she watched herself in the mirror, she thought she may have died and gone to heaven. The view from above was sinfully spectacular – Ekko’s muscular back rippling with his every thrust, his chiseled arms holding her legs high above her head, her stilettos still strapped to her ankles and hanging on for dear life.

“Baby, I love you,” Ekko groaned as white locks fell over his sweaty forehead. Jinx stifled her cries with a fist as he continued to pound into her, her mind unraveling into a hot, filthy mess. “I fucking love you.”

Jinx, however, could form no words other than his name. Sweat from his brow dripped onto her face, and tears streamed from her eyes. Her quivering sex throbbed and squeezed around his cock, insatiable, dripping, and a slick puddle of arousal had formed between her legs on the sheets. She was in true ecstasy – her mind, body and soul fully melded with Ekko – yet he showed no signs of slowing down.

“I’m… close.” Jinx could barely speak, her jaw slacking open, her vision blurred with tears of ecstasy.

Ekko answered with a deep passionate kiss, his tongue overwhelming hers. Jinx wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him even closer.

“I know, baby,” he whispered against her cheek, pressing his weight against her legs, burying himself within her even deeper than before. Jinx whimpered, her eyes snapping shut, her fingernails leaving trails of red along his muscular back. “I’ve got you.”

Ekko’s thrusts became uneven, rapid, almost desperate. He groaned her name against her cheek again and again as he pounded into her, his mind reduced to primal, carnal instinct. Jinx felt her every nerve ignite as if aflame, her every muscle tensing underneath him as waves of bliss began to crest within her.

“Oh, Powder, f-fuck,” Ekko cried out, his back arching, his eyes snapping shut with a grimace.

Jinx watched in the mirror as Ekko’s body shuddered, his chest heaving, his every muscle tensing in climax. She dug her fingernails into his back as her own orgasm crashed within her, her breath all but stolen away as Ekko buried himself deep inside her. His cock pulsed within her wet heat, again and again, as he gasped and exhaled, his grip on her legs so intense he left bruises. Jinx felt a new heat growing between her legs, dripping out from her sex, and joining the growing wetness on the sheets. There they remained frozen for what felt like an eternity of ecstasy – their heartbeats syncing, their bodies entangled, their eyes never parting.

Ekko collapsed beside her, panting, sweat dripping from his face, his heart pounding within his chest. Jinx stroked his cheek, kissing him tenderly, as the paralyzing bliss of their orgasms slowly faded. Rose petals framed their naked, exhausted bodies on the bedsheets, and the faint sound of music from the retreat below filled their ears again.

“I’ve wanted this since I first laid eyes on you in the operating room,” Ekko finally said, wrapping his arms around Jinx and holding her close. Jinx nuzzled her cold nose against his collarbone, drawing in a deep breath.

“Was I worth the wait?” Jinx asked, grinning against his skin. Ekko ran his hands through her hair, her messy bun all but undone.

“I waited for years, blue,” Ekko said, bringing his forehead to hers. “And I’d do it all again, if it meant being with you.”

Jinx brought her fingers to his chest, still damp with sweat from their sex. She chewed the inside of her lip, her eyes fluttering up to meet his. Ekko’s brows furrowed in concern as he noticed tears welling in her eyes.

“Are you alright, Pow?” he asked, sitting up.

Jinx nodded, smiling, as she blinked back the tears that stung her waterline.

“It’s just… what I talked about with Vi,” she whispered as Ekko stroked her cheek. “About Vander. About what I needed to fix my broken heart.”

Ekko stared at her intently, his brows furrowing, his eyes studying her every feature.

“What did you need?” he asked, his voice soft and caring.

Jinx smiled, holding his beautiful face between her hands.

“I needed stitches for my broken heartstrings,” she whispered. “And a good nurse at my side.”

Ekko’s eyes glistened in the dim, warm light. His fingers traced the swirling clouds tattooed on her skin, his touch light and gentle.

“If you’ll have me, I’ll be that nurse,” he said, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. “I love you, Pow – deeply, wholly, eternally. I’ll always love you. I’ll always be with you.”

Jinx took a deep, shaky breath in, her heart soaring within her chest.

“You promise, Ekko?” she asked, but deep down she had known the answer to this question her whole life.

Ekko said nothing at first, instead replying with a passionate, breathless kiss.

“I promise you this, Powder,” he said with finality, as if it was a truth he’d always known. “I will never leave your side.”

Jinx enveloped Ekko in a deep embrace, holding him so tightly against her chest that she felt his heartbeat. A mischievous grin appeared on her lips as they at last parted.

“You’re stuck with me, then,” she cooed, her smile contagious. “Doctor’s orders, you hear?”

Ekko laughed, warm and boisterous. He rolled onto his back, staring at his reflection in the mirror, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips.

“I can still hear the party downstairs,” he said, the faintest smirk appearing on his face. “Would hate to keep you from your friends if you want to head back?”

Jinx rolled over, straddling his thighs. She blew strands of loose hair out of her forehead as she looked down at him with a dangerous glint in her eye.

“What I want, Ekko,” she started. “Is to eat that whole box of chocolates myself, and then fuck your brains out til the sun comes up.”

Ekko chuckled, chewing the inside of his lip, his broad hands tracing up Jinx’s thighs to her hips.

“Is that a doctor’s order, too?” he purred, his eyes hungry and hooded.

Jinx brought her mouth to his, her teeth nibbling on his lip until he groaned out in pleasure.

“Just how I’d like to spend my evening with my best friend,” she said with a coy smile, rutting the apex of her thighs against his hips. “Unless you’d rather leave me?”

Ekko kissed her back, the intensity of his passion surprising even her.

“I already told you, Dr. Lane,” he started, his voice deep, his heart pounding against Jinx’s within his chest.

“This nurse will never leave your side.”

…⚕️…

Epilogue – 12 months later

The operating room was darker and warmer than Orianna had expected. The new resident’s heart thumped within her chest as she studied her patient’s open abdomen before her, illuminated by the bright, hot surgical lights. She tried to steady her nerves as she looked up at her blue-haired chief resident, her lithe frame all but concealed under a surgical gown. This had been a challenging, long case, yet despite the palpable tension in the room, the blue-haired surgeon was a steadying presence, a confident pillar in a sea of uncertainty.

“And what is the most common cause of cholecystitis?” the chief resident asked, her blue eyes locking with the new resident. She gulped, wracking her memory for the answer.

“Cholelithiasis, Dr. Lane,” she answered. “Gallstones.”

“Very good, Orianna,” the chief resident said, smiling under her mask. “And please, call me Jinx.”

“Jinx,” Orianna repeated. “Thanks.”

The handsome scrub nurse to her left handed Orianna a suture and needle-driver, which she used to tie off an oozing blood vessel within the patient’s abdomen.

“Incredible technique, Dr. Reveck,” Jinx commended, smiling at her intern. “You’re doing exceptionally already. Keep this up and you might be considered for chief resident.”

Orianna’s cheeks erupted into flames, her eyes widening.

“Like you?” she said, her voice cracking. “That would be a dream come true.”

The scrub nurse handed Jinx a scalpel, his hand lingering in hers. Orianna had only just met them, yet the chemistry between her chief and the scrub nurse was palpable.

“How do you do it?” Orianna heard herself asking, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“Do what?” her chief resident hummed, glancing up from her patient’s abdomen.

“Stay so steady and so confident,” Orianna started. “Real surgery is nothing like the textbooks. It feels like trouble could happen at any time.”

Jinx smiled, glancing at her scrub nurse. Their eyes lingered over each other as he handed her a blue sterile towel, which she used to dab the blood and viscera from her hands. Orianna noticed the thin imprint of an engagement ring on Jinx’s ring finger, it’s diamond pressing against the latex of her glove.

“Someone very close to me gave me this advice when I was in your shoes,” Jinx said, a smile appearing behind her mask. The scrub nurse’s fingers interlaced with hers.

“A good surgeon is bedmates with trouble.”