Work Text:
“Ekko, why are you dragging us down to your workshop again?” Vi asks with a sigh.
Her hand is intertwined with Caitlyn’s as they walk down the sunny Zaun street. On her other side is Jinx, her hands wrapped around Ekko’s upper arm.
“Because you’re a good friend and you’re going to help me finish the project I’ve been working on,” he replies.
Jinx leans conspiratorially towards Vi. “He’s been saying he’s nearly finished for weeks now.”
Caitlyn snorts with laughter next to her.
“Hey!” Ekko protests. “It is nearly done. Plus, it’s been ages since the four of us hung out like this.”
Caitlyn leans forward so she can look towards Ekko at the end of their line. “What is the project, Ekko?”
He huffs. “See Vi, that’s how you show interest in a friend’s work.”
Vi waves her hand in the air in response. “Yeah, whatever.”
Ekko ignores her. “It’s a new catalyst to help energy balances across the city – never been done before.”
Vi can feel her eyes glaze over. She’s never understood the inventions Ekko and Jinx work on.
Jinx cackles. “More like it can’t be done – the numbers don’t add up.”
Ekko sighs. “The numbers don’t add up yet. That’s what’s changing today.”
Vi gets a spike of defensiveness for Ekko. “Hey, if my boy Ekko thinks it can be done, it can be done.”
Jinx gives her a wry smile. “Oh yeah? Wanna bet on it?”
“You bet I do! Loser is buying dinner and drinks tonight. Which will be you. Because you’re going to lose. Isn’t that right, Ekko? We got this.”
Ekko’s look of uncertainty doesn’t fill Vi with hope. “Sure, I’ll take that bet, I guess,” he replies.
Vi gives Caitlyn a nudge. “What about you, cupcake? Which side are you on?”
Jinx grins and gives a double thumbs up at Caitlyn.
Caitlyn gives Vi and Ekko an apologetic smile. “I’m going to have to side with your sister on this one.”
Jinx hollers in victory as Ekko clutches his chest in mock-betrayal.
Caitlyn looks apologetically at him. “Sorry Ekko, but Jinx tends to be right about these things.”
Jinx leans up and places a kiss against Ekko’s cheek. “Doesn’t mean you’re not a wonderful inventor, though.”
He laughs. “Don’t try work your way back into my good books – you’ve chosen your side.”
In the time it’s taken them to have their conversation they’ve arrived at the workshop. Ekko grabs the base of the garage door and pulls it up, dust cascading off like rain as it slides upwards.
Vi’s heart sinks as she sees a sight of pure chaos on the other side. Some kind of contraption is in the centre of the dusty space, the floor surrounding it full of tools, gearing and scrap metal.
She scratches the base of her neck. “Hey, err, Ekko? This isn’t filling me with confidence.”
Jinx giggles. “No take backsies, sis.”
Caitlyn gives her smile that nearly melts her on the spot as Caitlyn’s finger playfully traces along her jaw. “Guess I know who’s buying dinner tonight, then.”
Ekko is walking into the workshop. “Give a guy a chance, jeez! C’mon Vi, you going to help or what?”
Vi shakes her head clear and accepts her fate as she follows Ekko. “Whatever you say, little man.”
She looks back at Jinx and Caitlyn as they clear a space for themselves on one of the workbenches before hopping up to sit on it. Jinx has her legs spread wide while Caitlyn is sitting with her back straight and one leg crossed over the other.
Vi huffs. “I take it you’re not helping then?”
Caitlyn brushes some dust off of her knee. “It’s called giving moral support, my love.”
Jinx holds her hand out and Caitlyn slaps it without looking.
Vi rolls her eyes and looks towards Ekko. “Alright, what are we dealing with?”
Ekko proceeds to walk her through what needs to be done. Something about recalibrating the power flux inductor. The theory goes way over her head, but he’s able to direct her to start bringing seemingly random scraps to the machine and holding them in place as he tinkers and welds them.
The afternoon begins to slip away as they work. She’s worked up a sweat and pauses hefting another hunk of machine to glare at her sister and Caitlyn. Jinx is lounging, playing with a small cog on the rough workbench, while Caitlyn is sitting like a goddess from a painting she would find at Caitlyn’s estate.
She wipes her brow. “You sure you don’t want to help, princess?”
Caitlyn arches her brow. “I’ve said this before, Violet – just because my family has a seat on the council does not make me a princess.”
“You sure act like one,” Vi grumbles to herself.
A mischievous grin spreads across Caitlyn’s lips and she leans in to whisper something to Jinx, her sister echoing Caitlyn’s grin as she listens.
Ekko looks up towards the pair, wrench in hand, and looks at Vi. “What are they whispering about?”
Vi sighs. “Your guess is as good as mine. Probably plotting something.”
Ekko rubs his temple with the back of his hand and throws down the wrench. “They don’t need to, I can’t get it to work! I don’t understand it – it’s like something is blocking the system.”
Vi walks round to him and grips his shoulder, her eyes deadly serious. “Don’t give up on me, there is no way we’re letting them beat us.”
“How’s it going over there? Looks like you’re having trouble,” Jinx calls behind them, her voice dripping with innocence.
“We got it covered!” Vi calls back.
Jinx looks at Ekko and giggles. “Baby, I told you – the numbers don’t work out.”
“They don't work yet,” Ekko retorts before looking back at Vi. “Alright, thirty more minutes. I’ve got something else we can try. It’s getting late – any longer and your girlfriend will start getting hangry.”
Vi’s eyes go wide as she nods too quickly. “Yeah, yeah, let’s definitely avoid that.”
She’s interrupted from returning to work by Jinx. “Hey Vi,” she calls. “You see that lever? Give it a pull, maybe that will fix it.”
Vi narrows her eyes at her sister.
“Nothing else has worked,” Caitlyn adds. “Why don’t you give it a go?”
Ekko rolls his eyes and returns to tightening a bolt on the other side of the machine.
“And why would I pull a random lever that you want me to pull?” Vi asks suspiciously.
Ekko looks up over the machine at her, his goggles over his eyes. “Yeah – don’t pull that lever, Vi.”
Jinx looks like the picture of innocence. “What? It’s getting late and I want to help.”
Vi looks out the front to the rapidly darkening sky.
“Ah, what the hell,” she sighs.
She reaches towards the lever and Ekko looks up with a horrified expression.
“Wait, no, Vi, stop!”
Ekko starts rushing around to try and stop her but he’s too slow.
With a thunk and then a boomf, a massive plume of smoke explodes out the top of the machine, sending Vi and Ekko stumbling backwards and coughing as they become hidden in a cloud of black soot.
The space is large enough that Caitlyn and Jinx are safe from the plume as they both collapse into laughter.
As the smoke begins to dissipate and Vi stops coughing up her lungs, she’s able to glare at the pair on the workbench.
“I didn’t think you would actually pull it,” Jinx wheezes.
Caitlyn is using Jinx to hold herself up, laughter still bubbling from her chest. “Oh, Vi. Your face – it’s covered.”
Vi runs her hand over her face and sighs when it comes back covered with soot.
Ekko emerges from the dissipating smoke cloud, waving his hand in front of his face. “Vi! What the hell! I told you not to pull it!” He pulls his goggles off his face so he can more effectively glare at her.
The effect would have worked if not for him now having a perfect set of soot-free goggle marks on his otherwise soot-covered face.
At the sight of him, Jinx and Caitlyn completely lose it. Tears of laughter stream down Caitlyn’s face as she collapses against Jinx.
Her sister has doubled over clutching her chest. “Stop, stop, you’re going to make me pee myself!” she wheezes.
Vi and Ekko take a second to look at each other and, after a moment of appreciating the absolute state they’re in, they break into laughter too.
Vi’s clutching Ekko’s shoulder to support herself as she turns towards her sister. “You would deserve it if you did,” she laughs.
Ekko grabs a couple of nearby clean rags and passes one to Vi which she uses to wipe down her face. Once she’s cleaned the worst off she bundles it up and throws it at the pair on the workbench. Caitlyn deftly dodges, but Jinx is still recovering from her laughing fit and it hits her squarely in the face, causing her to yelp in surprise. Vi mockingly blows a kiss as Jinx glares at her.
She turns back to Ekko who’s finishing wiping his own face. “What did I even pull?”
“You triggered the exhaust system, ejecting all the air in the central cavity. I didn’t realise it was so dirty in there.”
Vi sighs. “Think we might need to call it quits, little man. Your girlfriend might have been right.”
Jinx, now seemingly recovered, cheers behind her.
“Stupid machine, I can tell I’m so close!” Ekko replies, kicking the base of his invention.
There’s a clunk as his foot makes contact.
And then a whirring sound.
Suddenly, cogs start to slowly turn and pistons begin to haphazardly rise and fall.
Vi’s mouth falls open. She turns to Ekko. “Is that good? That sounds good!”
Ekko whoops.
“It’s more than good!” he replies. “It might actually be working!”
Jinx’s cheering is silenced as Ekko starts hurriedly twisting and adjusting various knobs around the machine. With each adjustment, it seems to settle into a rhythm until it is humming with potential energy.
Ekko starts laughing. “Vi! You did it! You actually did it! You cleared out the manifold, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. It’s working!”
Vi whoops and pulls him into a hug. “I know you could do it, little man. Yes!” She turns to Caitlyn and Jinx. “And you doubted us. Ha!”
Jinx is smiling as she hops down from the table and moves towards Ekko. She puts her hands on either side of his face and pulls him into a kiss.
“I always believed in you, baby – you just needed the encouragement.” Her smile widens. “You got the numbers right!”
Ekko wraps his arms around her and lifts Jinx, now giggling, into a hug. “I told you I would,” he replies with a triumphant grin.
Vi heads over to Caitlyn who is still sitting like a damn princess on the weathered wooden workbench. It’s Vi’s turn to run her finger playfully under Caitlyn’s chin. “Looks like I’m not the one buying dinner, cupcake”
Caitlyn arches an eyebrow at her before bowing her head with a gentle tilt, accepting defeat with grace. Caitlyn holds her hand out and Vi takes the hint, taking it and helping Caitlyn hop off the table. Caitlyn’s smiling at them all, the sight making Vi’s heart feel full.
“Regardless of who’s paying,” Caitlyn starts. “I am starving. Ready to get going, Ekko?”
Vi wraps her around Caitlyn’s waist as Ekko nods and starts to close down the workshop. This time Jinx helps. Vi smiles – her sister likes to tease him, but Jinx is Ekko’s biggest supporter.
With the workshop closed off, they begin to head to The Last Drop.
As Jinx is telling the group a long-winded joke, Vi smiles to herself.
Ekko was right – it has been too long since they all hung out like this.
They find one of the booths at the back of The Last Drop, Ekko and Vi facing Jinx and Caitlyn across the table.
Ekko rubs the side of his temple, huffing as his fingers still come back with soot on them. He is going to need a long shower after this to get properly clean.
They have plates of food and full tankards in front of them, paid for by Jinx and Caitlyn of course, and Caitlyn is in the middle of telling a story.
He takes a swig of his drink before sighing and leaning back contentedly against the cushioned booth, a lazy grin spreading across his face.
Good food, good drink, the best company and progress with his work – it’s been a good day.
Jinx notices he’s gone quiet and gives his foot a gentle kick under the table before mouthing, “you okay?”
He gives a reassuring smile. “I’m good,” he mouths back.
Her eyes flick to his smile and she replies in kind, her smile lighting up the dingy corner of the well-loved tavern. She blows a quick kiss in his direction before launching back into the conversation with Caitlyn and Vi.
He shakes his head in happy disbelief – he doesn’t know what he did to earn Jinx’s love but it’s the most precious thing in his life. She’s wild, energetic, intelligent and fiercely loyal – he’s never known a love like it. It sits right in his chest. Like a comforting weight, keeping him grounded. She’s his foundation – she gives him the strength to push himself. If he fails, he still gets to come home to her at the end of the day. With a constant like that, there is no failure anymore – just days where less progress is made than others.
He leans back again, soaking in the atmosphere. The place is busy, most of the tables full of patrons. His eyes find Vander’s behind the bar. Vander gives him a friendly nod and Ekko raises his tankard in reply.
It’s Jinx’s turn to tell a story, although he hasn’t been paying attention to the details. He does notice, though, that Vi is slowly playing her fingers over Caitlyn’s hand in the middle of the table. They both seem absorbed by Jinx’s words. Vi and Caitlyn have become so effortlessly comfortable with each other, and he’s glad to see it.
Caitlyn’s good for Vi. At the very least, Vi’s hardly ever the grumpy ass she used to be before Caitlyn. That’s a win in Ekko’s book.
He lets out a contented sigh – he’s happy, he realises. Very, very happy.
He’s with his people.
He’s more than simply good.
He’s never been better.