#vanilla107writes

Jinx hummed softly as the oven dinged, and she opened the door to retrieve the cupcakes. They were a perfect golden brown and she smiled as she put the tray on the cooling rack.

“Icing…icing…icing,” she muttered before retrieving the butter dish and opening it. She inspected the butter, a pale yellow, and she smiled before shaking the whole block into a bowl. She got out the icing sugar and vanilla essence before eyeballing the measurements and whipping the mixture together until a fluffy white icing formed. She flicked some icing with her index finger and licked it off, tasting it before nodding happily.

"He doesn’t like sweet things!" yelled Mylo from her left side.

“Shut up,” she mumbled and the voice was quiet.

She took out the cupcakes from the cupcake pan, placed them on the cooling rack, and giggled, her tiny confectionaries all lined up. Jinx hopped to her food colouring collection and rolled a few of the tiny bottles in her hands before deciding on the green.

The colour of Firelights.

The colour of his hoverboard.

The colour she associated with him the most.

She mixed the colour in till it was bright green, eye twitching in concentration. She wrestled with a piping bag as she spooned icing into it and groaned in frustration when it popped.

“Sevika, I keep telling you to get the good quality baking shit! This is why I don’t like you!” she yelled, even though Sevika was far from her lab.

She transferred the icing into another bag with a little more caution and sighed in relief when it didn’t pop. She put the icing in her mini-fridge, waiting for the cupcakes to cool and she strolled to the other side of her lab to tinker with a grenade.

It was almost laughable how she was making cupcakes, sweet treats for anyone to enjoy, on one side of her lab but on the other, she was making weapons of mass destruction. An hour passed and she stretched before heading back to check on the cupcakes that were now cool enough to be iced. She got the icing out of the fridge, twisted the piping bag, and cut a hole at the tip before starting on the first cupcake. The pattern she was going for was a little wonky but she was out of practice so she shrugged her shoulders and moved to the next one. As Jinx iced each cupcake she got lost in concentration to get perfect swirls of sweetness. She debated adding sprinkles because she wasn’t sure if he’d like sprinkles before rolling her eyes.

“Who the hell doesn’t like sprinkles?” she laughed before grabbing her pink and blue sprinkles and gently tapping a few on each cupcake.

"Maybe he doesn't like sprinkles. Maybe you don't know him at all", whispered Mylo and she shook her head, ignoring him.

She gazed at her cupcakes proudly, giggling at the vivid green icing against the vanilla sponge and she grabbed the one that had wonky icing and took a bite.

“Oh, shit!” she mumbled, forgetting that the cupcake had a paper wrapper on and was greeted by a mouthful of paper and cake.

She slowly removed the paper from her mouth and peeled the rest of it away before taking a proper bite. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the counter.

Part of her felt stupid for continuing the tradition but another part of her felt it was necessary. She had been friends with Ekko for years before Silco adopted her and had celebrated his birthday with him almost every time. His parents always managed to scrape together enough money to buy him a cupcake and he shared with her every single time, much to her protests. The cake was usually dry and the icing too sweet but she was happy he always chose to share with her. She’d stick her tongue out at Mylo when he’d complain about it because he annoyed her and it felt nice to not be teased or made fun of for once.

The last time she had celebrated with him, he didn’t show up with a cupcake. He said that his parents couldn’t afford one that year and she was sadder for him because it was the one thing he always looked forward to on his birthday.

That had stuck with her, even after Silco told her it was them against everyone else.

Even after Sevika threatened to kill Ekko when they got into a fight and Jinx had nearly shot her right then and there.

Even after Ekko told her that they were on different sides and that because she was working with Silco, they were enemies.

She still baked him cupcakes every year.

She baked at least nine because nine was better than one, and the cupcakes they had when they were younger were dry and too sweet and she made them perfectly.

He deserved cupcakes that were perfect on his special day.

“Make me a cupcake!” Mylo taunted her and she gritted her teeth before finishing off the first cupcake and grabbing another one, ripping off the paper wrapper and throwing it behind her.

She aggressively bit into the soft sponge cake and buttery icing, Mylo’s words louder than before.

“You’re not even friends anymore! Quit fooling yourself. This was a waste of time!”  

"Stop it," she hissed.

The cake became a pasty mush in her mouth and for a moment she struggled to swallow it before she rolled her shoulders back and tried to still her shaking hands.

"You’re the enemy to him! Enemy! He doesn't give a shit about you! Why would he care?"

Jinx only crammed another cupcake into her mouth, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks and the sweetness on her tongue only tasted bitter.

She hated that he could be right. She was the enemy to Ekko…but he still cared, right? She swore at herself because she didn’t need self-doubt.

Not on such an important day.

Stupid idiot Mylo. Stupid, annoying Mylo who made fun of her and everything she did. Claggor was quiet but he never spoke up when Mylo said mean things. He was too quiet in her opinion.

"Admit it. You miss him. You miss what you once were with him," Mylo said and this time, he sounded like he pitied her which only made her feel worse.

So she cried. She cried until her throat was raw and her eyes were swollen.  

She allowed herself to cry, to scream, and to miss the one boy who showed her kindness before feeling slightly sick after all the sweetness she consumed. She dragged herself to the sink to drink a glass of water, hoping it would somehow make her feel better, and washed her face to get rid of the tears.

Jinx stared at the cupcakes on the counter, each one shining under the lights and she sighed before packing the remaining ones in a box with wax paper. She didn’t know why she cared so much. It was dumb and stupid but if she didn’t do anything, it would only nag at her until she was taking out the ingredients to make the cupcakes.

She left her lab, the smell of vanilla fading until she was underneath the night sky of Zaun, the first few stars peeking out.

She ran across rooftops, carefully balancing the cupcake box in her arms before landing a few hundred meters away from the Firelight base, on a rooftop of an old factory. She knew if Sevika and Silco ever found out she knew where the base of the Firelights was, Sevika would most definitely kill her, but it was her little secret and she could keep it that way.

She never knew if Ekko found the cupcakes. For all she knew, she could be baking them for a ghost but the cupcakes were always gone when she went back the next day and she always left them pretty close to the Firelight base, so it would be nearly impossible for him to miss.

Part of her wanted to stay, to see him and to halve one cupcake and share it like they had when they were kids, to laugh underneath the stars and point at the constellations. She had always made up her own whereas he'd correct her and she'd roll her eyes because he thought he was so clever but he was. The only difference was that they were older, not really friends but not loathing each other entirely, and the cupcakes wouldn't be dry or too sweet because she had made them for him.

Those days felt like a million years ago and she held back her tears as she gently placed the box down.

"Happy Birthday, Boy Savior," she whispered.

She knocked on the box twice as if she was knocking on a door before turning around and sprinting into the darkness and not looking back.

~~~

Ekko watched the blue braids disappear into the night and he stepped out of his hiding spot. It was his birthday and he knew what she did on his birthday. She always remembered and without fail, delivered every year.

He opened the box and his heart ached as he looked at the cupcakes, each one lined up in neat little rows, with bright green icing and pink and blue sprinkles.

He remembered how confused he was the first time it happened. He came home from a long day of recruiting people for the Firelights and was about to pass out on his bed when he saw a box of wonky-looking cupcakes sitting on his bedroom windowsill at his parent's place. Jinx had signed her name in crayon with a note attached simply reading ‘Happy Birthday’ and at first, he thought it was a cruel prank. But the handwriting was proof and he remembered how he had shared his birthday cupcake with her every year. The only other people who had known about that were Mylo, Claggor, and Vi and it was safe to say that they wouldn’t have spread that information to anyone.

And so, like clockwork, every time his birthday rolled around he’d find a box full of cupcakes.

Initially, he thought that maybe she was trying to poison him but after halving one of the cupcakes and running various tests on it, it was poison-free. He had so many questions to ask her yet all he did that evening was eat two cupcakes in silence.

This tradition was between Ekko and Powder. Not Ekko and Jinx.

But then again, he had always shared his cupcake with Powder on his birthday. But she was Jinx now and instead of his parents buying a cupcake for him to share with her, she baked at least nine...all for him.

Was she trying to tell him something?

And he always felt conflicted but he couldn’t help but look forward to it and every year, she managed to outdo herself.

One year, she had made chocolate cupcakes but to his surprise, she had added an insane amount of chilli to the cupcake and no matter how hard he tried to stop the heat traveling from his tongue to his throat, it felt like his body was on fire for the rest of the evening.

Another year, she had rigged a glitter bomb to go off as he opened the box. He had glitter on his hair for weeks. At least Scar and the children found it funny and the cupcakes were still good.

He inspected the green cupcakes in front of him before looking back at the empty space that Jinx had left a mere few minutes ago and the same questions that plagued his brain every year when he was in this position.

Did she ever check if he got the cupcakes? Or was she just hoping he’d find them by chance?

She made them every year and dropped them off relatively close to where he lived or was at a specific time…so was she just hoping he’d see what she had done?

Did Silco or Sevika know about this?

Wasn’t this crossing some sort of boundary?

Then, like he did every year on his birthday when Jinx would leave him cupcakes, he ushered his thoughts away before picking up a cupcake and nibbling the sponge and icing, checking for any sort of surprise. He found that it tasted like a regular cupcake (and not like chilli or anything suspicious) finally took a  bite into it, chewing thoughtfully, before sitting down on the factory rooftop overlooking the skyline of the Lanes.

He was surprised to find that these cupcakes were probably the most normal she had ever made. It wasn’t until a firelight landed on his knee, the neon green lighting up his pants, that he realised that the bright green icing was representing that.

“Firelights, huh?” he smiled before eyeing the pink and blue sprinkles.

Was that supposed to represent her? He knew her nails were often painted pink and blue.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't sense  

“Cupcakes from your girlfriend?” Scar asked, and Ekko froze as Scar took a seat next to him.

“I can explain-”

“-That she delivers cupcakes every year on your birthday?”

Ekko was quiet, his stomach rolling in anxiety. Scar was a comrade who he greatly respected. What was he supposed to say now that he caught him?

“Look, I know I shouldn’t be giving into my feelings of teenage angst and eating cupcakes from Jinx. I know that I’m dumb for having feelings for a girl that works for Silco. I know she’s killed so many of us…” Ekko whispered, guilt creeping up on him. “But this is the one time of the year when I feel that…she still cares and it’s not just bombs and bullets with her.”

Scar hummed and Ekko looked at the cupcake in his hand, icing slightly lopsided because of his first bite.

“If she really wanted you dead, she would’ve put more chilli in the buttercream that one year,” Scar said with a small smile and Ekko’s jaw dropped open.

“You…you knew about the chilli cupcakes?” he yelled.

“Yeah, you were really bad at hiding your pain so I did some snooping in your office for medicine and then I came across the box of cupcakes on your desk. Didn’t take my nose long to realise that the cupcakes were tampered with for a lack of a better word. I knew none of the kids had made you cupcakes so I put two and two together.”

Ekko laughed loudly before finishing off his cupcake.

“Thanks for looking out for me...and for keeping this a secret.”

“You look out for all of us Ekko and I know you’ve had it rough. I am concerned about this… thing you have with her, but I trust that you know what you’re doing.”

Ekko didn’t have the heart to tell him he had no clue what he was doing but he nodded. He offered Scar a cupcake and he declined. They talked for a little about strategy and organising a soup kitchen for the hungry in Zaun before Scar left him to go back to the base.

He could only wait and see what Jinx did and he knew it wasn’t going to be pretty or sweet like the cupcakes he was eating but he could count that at least count on his birthday every year, she cared enough to bake him cupcakes as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

He took a third cupcake and stared at it, the icing and sprinkles dim underneath the moonlight before he carefully halved it with his fingers. He put the other half down in its paper wrapper next to him before looking at the stars and taking a bite of his half. He remembered how many birthdays he had spent with her, sticky sweet icing on their tongues and light in their eyes as they talked about everything and anything.

He had thought about grabbing her arm as she walked back into the darkness and asking her to stay. He wanted to share his birthdays with her again. She was all he ever wanted...but there was too much at stake at this point.

"Are you sure this isn't a bit...much?" Ekko asked, raising his arm and feeling the soft fabric against his skin, and Heimerdinger laughed.

"Of course not, my boy! This type of finery is completely normal at the Piltover New Year's Eve ball."

The suit was nothing short of extravagant. It was a white two-piece suit with a cape and gold embroidery adorning the shoulders and back. There was a large sun motif on the back of the cape that matched his gold shoes and rings. It was minimalist enough to not draw too much attention but enough to blend in with the other guests.

Ekko only stared at his reflection in the mirror before rolling his shoulders back and sighing. He was beginning to regret accepting the invitation from Heimerdinger as his plus one. He was aware of the annual Piltover New Year's Eve Ball and remembered his mother paging through the old magazines displaying the pictures of the guests arriving when he was growing up.

It was practically a fashion show and one of the biggest social events of the year, with celebrities, socialites, and leaders from all around being invited. Every year there was a theme and people who were invited went all out with their outfits. Ekko never thought he'd be one of the guests though, so standing in a Piltover boutique wearing a suit that surely cost more than his life, was surreal.

Heimerdinger had received his invitation a month prior and initially planned to not go but for some reason changed his mind last minute. He had begged Ekko to go with him and at first,  Ekko had rejected the invitation. He despised Piltover and everything they stood for, so why would he go to a fancy ball that celebrated everything Piltover was when he knew that they didn't give a shit about Zaun?

But Heimerdinger opened up to him about Jayce Talis and Viktor and Ekko felt pity for the old professor. He could imagine how hurt he felt by Jayce's betrayal and in a moment of empathy, he accepted the invitation.

But standing in a Piltover boutique getting the last fittings done, it felt all sorts of wrong to go to a Piltover event as the leader of the Firelights.

"I don't know Heimerdinger...I don't know if I should do this," he mumbled.

Heimerdinger paused before ushering the fashion consultant out of the room. Once they were alone and double checked to make sure no one was eavesdropping, Heimerdinger lowered his voice as he turned to face him.

"What are your concerns about tonight, Ekko?"

"I...it just feels wrong. I'm the leader of the Firelights. I hate how topsiders treat us. I should be representing them. Not...not Piltover. And going to a fancy ball that’s reserved for the elite…I feel like a fraud," Ekko said with frustration.

Heimerdinger walked onto the platform and looked into the mirror at their reflections. He also wore a white suit with gold thread, the design simple in comparison to Ekko's suit, before standing up straight.

"I know this is hard for you and if you choose to back out, I won't be upset, but this isn't about representing Piltover at all. This is about representing you. You will be asked for your name and where you're from at the staircase and they will announce who you are. You aren't representing Piltover, Ekko. You're representing Zaun at a Piltover Ball. See this as an opportunity to show them who you are and what Zaun means to you. I would never ask you to represent a city that has let you down."

Ekko let Heimerdinger's words sink in before shaking his shoulders.

You're representing Zaun and what Zaun means to you.

He nodded and took a deep breath in before exhaling. He gazed at his reflection before grinning at Heimerdinger.

"Okay. Let's go to this fancy ball then."

~~~

Ekko was sweating under the bright lights as he walked towards the staircase. He didn't know how Heimerdinger was fine with his fur and the heat of the lights but he focused on relaxing. He was thankful that Hiemerdinger had chosen to skip the red carpet and avoid the paparazzi and cameras. He didn't need the Firelights to see him in the tabloids even though the likelihood of that was low.

You're representing Zaun. You'll be fine. Just schmooze your way in.

They walked to the announcer where Heimerdinger gave their invitation with their names scribbled on the top before the announcer turned to face the ballroom.

"Introducing Cecil B. Heimerdinger from Piltover and Ekko from Zaun."

It was as if the entire ballroom froze as their names were mentioned and Ekko's heart thudded in his chest as he felt the stares on him.

"Just be calm, my boy. You know who you are," Heimerdinger whispered as they descended down the stairs.

They walked down and Ekko took in the sight of the room. It was a marble and gold masterpiece with high ceilings and Piltover decor. There were white curtains along the sides of the walls and intricate centerpieces on the buffet tables. There was an orchestra softly playing music in the front and a few people swaying as they spoke but no one was dancing yet. Ekko figured that people would start dancing as the evening went on. He could hear the whispers of 'Zaun? That man is from Zaun?' and 'Heimerdinger? Wasn't he voted off council?' as they walked to the buffet table like filled with the most food he had ever seen.

This could feed the Firelights for at least a week.

He watched Heimerdinger take a plate and choose his food before following. Ekko wasn’t sure what he was looking for, so he grabbed a few things that look appetizing. They walked off to the side to watch other people mingle and he eyed Heimerdinger.

"Well that was…"

"Embarrassing?" finished Heimerdinger and Ekko chuckled. "I didn't expect a reaction like that to happen. I should've known about it with my status as an ex-council member and how some people here thrive off of gossip. I'm sorry."

"It's no problem. I'm used to large crowds staring at me with speeches to the Firelights," he said softly and Heimerdinger gave him a smile.

Ekko ate his food, his mouth in heaven as he tried the different finger foods. He wondered if this was everyday food for Pilties before taking another bite. He picked up a piece of fish (at least he assumed it was fish) and chewed it experimentally before nodding in bliss.

“If there’s one thing Piltover can do, it’s throw a good party,” Ekko hummed and Heimerdinger laughed as he bit into a mini sponge cake.

"Ah, Heimerdinger! So glad you could make it!" a voice said and Ekko looked up to see a beautiful woman in a halter-neck gold dress that reached her ankles. Her braids were loose and her sharp brown eyes took in his appearance.

"And you’re plus one from Zaun. Ekko, correct?"

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Councilor Medarda."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise and smiled, her expression softening almost instantly.

"The pleasure is all mine. I must admit when you responded to the invitation, Heimerdinger, I was surprised that you included a plus one and to hear that he's from Zaun was certainly not my expectation.”

“I wasn’t sure anyone would want to talk to me if I went alone so I asked Ekko to accompany me. He’s a brilliant inventor.”

Mel laughed and Ekko eyed her curiously. All the information he could find on her was sparse. All he could gather from research was that she was from Noxus and came to Piltover where she became part of the council a few years later.

Other than that, Mel Medarda was a mystery to him.

“Of course he’s an inventor!” she said as she regained her composure before focusing on Heimerdinger.

“Heimerdinger, I'd like to think that you aren't an outcast just because you're no longer on the council. While I came here to greet you, the real reason I’m here is because I don’t want any bad blood between us. I know a lot has happened but I do hope we can be civil. I don't want you to cut all ties with the people you've build friendships withjust because you aren't on council anymore."

Ekko watched as Heimerdinger nodded his head.

"No hard feelings Mel. I understand why Jayce made that decision."

Ekko wasn't sure if that was a lie or truth. While Heimerdinger had looked sad when retelling the tale to him, he seemed to be more at peace with the situation now. But then again, he didn't really know the feelings of the Yordle.

Mel turned her attention back to Ekko and he swallowed uneasily. He knew how powerful she was with her ties from Noxus and he stared back at her.

"Ekko, how did you and Heimerdinger meet? I will admit I haven't kept tabs on him but I am curious as to how your paths crossed."

Hemierdinger looked panicked for a second but Ekko knew how to answer.

"We met on the streets in Zaun. I was tinkering with an invention and Heimerdinger was inquisitive. We talked for a bit and shared ideas before he offered me an apprenticeship. I was hesitant at first but after a few lessons, I couldn’t say no.”

Ekko knew that was far from the truth considering that Heimerdinger found him off the side of the bridge with his ankle busted but the less Mel knew about him, the better.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I hope some great inventions come from this apprenticeship and who knows, you might find yourself another Viktor or Jayce within Ekko."

"Ekko's his own person, Mel, no need for any comparisons. I have no doubt he'll create something marvelous," Heimerdinger said with a jovial tone.

"Of course. Apologies, Ekko I assure you I didn't mean it like that," she said and Ekko nodded his head in understanding.

"I'd love to ask more questions but I do have to see to the other guests. eimerdinger, you must come over for tea next week. I'd love to catch up with you,” she said, shaking Heimerdinger's hand and giving Ekko a nod.

Mel walked away and Ekko watched Heimerdinger exhale slowly before shooting him a smile of relief.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned that you’re able to lie so easily but I am happy you managed to make up such a believable lie at the drop of a hat.”

“Living in the Undercity will do that to you,” Ekko replied, taking another bite of food and Heimerdinger nodded before surveying the crowd.

“You don’t need to stay by my side the entire evening, Ekko. I assure you I’ll be fine as there are people here that I know. Mel was right that I shouldn't just cut everyone off just because I'm not on council anymore. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from my past students and friends here. Remember, think of this as an opportunity to show off what Zaun really is about,” Heimerdinger said and he discreetly pointed to a group of girls.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind talking to you.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?” Ekko asked in confusion.

“Well, they haven’t stopped staring at you since you walked in and you look rather dashing tonight so I’m not surprised,” Heimerdinger laughed. “Oh, look! One of them is walking over right now!”

Ekko didn’t expect to be approached so soon and he quickly eased his nerves before putting down his plate. He only acknowledged the girl when she was close enough to him and he looked at her curiously. She was a blonde with hair piled high in a up-do and wearing the most poufy pastel pink evening dress he had ever seen. Her strong perfume nearly had him sneezing before she greeted him.

“Sorry to disturb you! My name’s Eva Starling and my friends and I were wondering if we could have some of your time to talk to you. We’re especially interested in your outfit. It’s gorgeous!” she gushed.

Ekko was stunned for a moment. Did topsiders really initiate conversations like this? It felt so…formal but he shook off his bias before responding.

“I don’t mind. I got this ensemble at Ophelia’s on the edge of Piltover,” he said smoothly as he walked with her.

From the corner of his vision, he could see Eva’s friends giggling as they walked across the ballroom to them and once Eva introduced him to them, he was pulled into a deep conversation about fabrics and fashion. He inwardly thanked his parents for working briefly at the fabric factories and for retaining the knowledge as he smoothly maneuvered the conversation from fabrics to Zaun. He answered their questions lazily at first, not wanting to give them too much information about Zaun because he felt that the interest had to be authentic.

He didn't want to come off as a preacher.

Gradually the conversation spirled to the factories in Zaun and Ekko launched into one of the stories his mom and dad had told him after their shifts at work. Eva’s friends all gasped as he told them about the underpaid workers, his parents, and the factory conditions.  

“That’s so horrible! How could the factory managers allow that?” Talia, one of Eva’s friends, exclaimed.  

“Underpaid workers mean that there’s always a demand for money so they will work in those conditions to put food on the table.”

“Why can’t they just get better jobs?” asked Eva with a shrug of her shoulders and Ekko had to restrain himself from snapping at her.

Get better jobs? He had never heard of such ignorance in his entire life.

"Eva! You can’t just ask people to get better jobs!” Talia exclaimed.

“Most people in Zaun don’t receive a proper education as children because there’s a severe lack of funding for it. Without education, there’s no way a person is able to get a better job without those qualifications,” Ekko responded carefully.

They all gasped again and soon, Ekko was dragged to a couch on the side of the room, the girls sitting around him as he told them stories of Zaun. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to engage with them but also remembered Herimerdinger’s words.

They haven’t stopped staring at you since you walked in and you look rather dashing tonight.  

Did that mean the only reason they were giving him the time of day was because he looked good?

Well he knew he looked good and if Pilties were only going to listen to him if he looked good in a suit, then so be it. He continued to talk to them, all nodding at his words, as if he was a king and them his subjects.

“I’ll definitely donate to the cause! You poor Zaunites shouldn’t have to suffer like this!” Eva cried as she wrapped her hand around his bicep and he chewed on the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from pushing her away.

Zaunites didn’t need pity. They needed a government that actually gave a shit about their city instead of prioritizing Piltover constantly and ignoring Zaun.

Ekko had noticed that Eva had taken quite a liking to him over the last two hours. She was fluttering her eyelashes, making eye contact whenever she could, and was practically on top of him on the couch. He knew that if the other Firelights had to see this, he would be teased endlessly.

He was sure Eva was a sweet girl, despite her not being the smartest one there, but he wasn’t interested in any sort of romantic relationship. His main priority was the Firelights and making sure that Zaun thrived. He didn't mind the attention, if anything, his ego was flying amongst the clouds but he was out of his element. Just because some upper class topsider women were showering him with attention, didn’t mean anything.

He had seen some of the other girls catch his eyes and blush but then they would look away. He realised that Eva was their leader. She had the most influence in the group and he realised that they were there with him because she was there.

He continued his conversations with the girls, the topics moving freely from Piltover technology, Zaunite street food, the tensions between Noxus and Ionia, and the Shimmer factories. Ekko managed to mix in lighthearted stories and humor with heavy topics to avoid giving lectures and casually complimented the girls on their outfits from time to time. He finally complimented Eva, who giggled at his words.

“I begged my dad to increase my budget for this dress because I wanted a pink one for tonight,” Eva explained as she smoothed down her bodice.

“I’ve been meaning to ask why pink? Isn't the theme sun and moon?” he asked.

“Because the sun is red and orange and pink is just a lighter shade of red!” she said with a dazzling smile. “It’s also my favourite colour and I didn’t want to wear a dress from last year like Talia. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same clothes.”

It was at that moment, Ekko realised he found Eva insufferable as he watched Talia's expression fall and look away in embarrassment. It was one thing to be ignorant but to be a bully and humiliate someone in public?

That was cruel.

“I think your dress looks gorgeous Talia,” he said nonchalantly and he watched her slowly face him, her cheeks red, as she looked down at her red evening gown.

“Thank you, Ekko,” she said softly.

“I don’t see the big deal in always having new clothes. If it’s comfortable and makes you happy, then go for it. Maybe things are different in Piltover but…” he gave her a once over and smiled, “I think you look dazzling, especially your hairpiece.”

Talia touched it self-consciously before giving him a smile and he could tell Eva was seething from not being the center of attention anymore because her grip on his arm tightened.

“Ekko, how about we go dance?” Eva asked but he didn’t hear her.

He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Surely that wasn't her? He focused on the staircase and he inhaled sharply, his stomach dropping as he saw the girl.

She was dressed in shades of blue, an unusual color for the theme but still somehow blending with everyone. He sat up straight and leaned forward, convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him but the blue hair was unmistakable.

Jinx was at the Piltover New Year’s Eve Ball.

Jinx...the girl who had tried to kill the same the councilors just a few months ago, who were present at the Ball.

"Presenting Miss Juliet Raelik from the Kasserak islands," announced the presenter.

Ekko knew that was a lie. While she carried herself with grace, he recognised her walk, her movements and watched as she descended the staircase before making her way over to the buffet.

“Ekko? Hello? Ekko!”

He snapped out of his trance to find all the girls looking at him, some of them failing to hide their laughter and others looking away with knowing grins on their faces. Eva was the only one who looked irritated.

“Sorry…I need to get a refill,” he said quickly before getting up, shaking off Eva’s iron grip, and walking towards the buffet.

He walked over to the buffet table only to find Jinx had vanished. He groaned before someone whispered in his ear, “Looking for me, Boy Savior?”

He turned around and there she was, in all her mischievous glory.

Ekko took in her appearance, her hair in a voluminous up-do with tendrils framing her face and light makeup. Her dark, long-sleeved, navy blue dress was bedazzled with tiny diamonds along the round neckline that gradually faded into the skirt in a lighter blue that looked almost white. He couldn't see her shoes from all the layers of abric but he figured she was wearing high heels with her being taller than him by a few centimeters.

He was temporarily stunned by her appearance and she grinned as she took a bite of a breadstick.

“Cat got your tongue?” she purred and he shook his head before the full force of the realisation hit him.

She was in the same room with the same people she tried to blow up just months ago and the only reason why all the councellors were alive was because Mel's armour saved them. They all needed hospital attention but healed over the months. Piltover amped up security and while no Zaunite ratted Jinx out purely out of loyalty to Zaun, they recognised that she had nearly started a war with Piltover. He hardly saw her these days but he refused to let her out of his sight tonight.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jinx said as she ate a mini cake before her eyes widened and grabbed two more from the table and shoved them in her mouth.

He watched her in disgust and partial amazement as she grabbed another one and attempted to fit it into her mouth.

"Uh…my plus one invited me and will you please chew before putting another cake in your mouth? I know they're good but you’re going to choke if you-"

"-Hmph, found yourself a Piltie? I knew you'd follow Vi's footsteps," Jinx said as she swallowed her cake and he was surprised to hear a trace of bitterness in her voice.

"What? No, I'm here with Heimerdinger."

"The rat thing?"

"He's a Yordle and you know that."

“You know I meant to say that. So you’re officially a Piltie now? Wow, three months was all it took to leave it all behind?” she said with sarcasm and a raised eyebrow.

“This has nothing to do with Piltover… I’m representing Zaun tonight,” he argued.

He saw Jinx’s eyes widen and she put her empty plate down on the table before rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

“Okay so if you are representing Zaun and trying to make peace with the Pilties-"

"-I'm not making peace with them-!"

"-Why is an entire group of girls glaring at me from across the room?”

Ekko froze and he stared at her before she rolled her eyes and looked away, allowing him to quickly turn his head and see Eva and her friends glaring from across the room.

“They’re glaring at you…? Oh…they are. They’re…uh…I met them a few hours ago and spoke to them. I promise they're nice-”

“Oh, I'm sure they're nice to eligible bachelors who they've never seen before at their other little gatherings. Breaking Piltie hearts already? From Firelight Leader to Piltover heartthrob in an evening,” she chuckled and he watched her survey the dance floor before grabbing his hand.

“Jinx- what?”

“It’s Juliet Raelik from the Kasserak islands for the evening. Now, just dance with me."

She only giggled as she pulled him to the dance floor and they clicked into place as the orchestral music sang through the air. He inwardly thanked Heimerdinger for giving him waltz lessons as his one hand on small of her back and the other holding her hand in a waltz. She was in his arms, dancing in a gorgeous gown and it felt like something of a fantasy. There was a part of him that wanted to dance with her forever but he knew what Jinx was capable of and if he could prevent the evening from whatever she had planned, that was a priority.

"What is going on…Juliet?” he asked again sternly. ”If you're planning something-"

"-Why do I always have to be planning something?" she interrupted.

“Because the last time I heard of you, you had blown up the council headquarters, which by the way, has every member here present tonight,” he whispered furiously. "How did you even get in here?"

Jinx blinked at him before shrugging her shoulders.

“Ekko, I want one evening to feel pretty and wear a nice dress. Can you please shut up?”

But you’re pretty all the time, his brain screamed but he stared at her in confusion as he registered her words.

Did she just call him by his name?

Not Boy Savior.

Not Little Man.

Ekko.

Did that mean she really didn’t have anything planned after all? He was speechless as they danced and after he got over the shock of her using his real name he cleared his throat.

"Um…you look nice," he said softly and she peered up at him, a small smile on her face.

"You don't look too bad yourself."

He couldn’t help but chuckle at her words and he spun her in a circle before bringing her back to face him.

“Got yourself quite a fan club,” she murmured and he cocked his head in confusion before shaking his head with a laugh.

“I'm sorry they're not being welcoming...they were nice to me,” he mumbled and she sighed.

“It's just because you're an attractive, eligible bachelor so I'm not taking it to heart. Although...some of them are glaring at me like I murdered their parents! Especially that blonde girl. Do you know her name?”

“Eva? Does she have her hair in an up-do and wearing a pink dress?”

“Yeah and...her dress doesn’t even match the theme! And before you say ‘Juliet, your dress doesn’t match the theme either!’, it does. It represents the tides and how the moon controls them so therefore the moon is represented! Plus, people have hints of blue in their outfits too but none has pink, so she’s the only one who looks like a walking fashion disaster.”

Ekko’s shoulders shook with laughter and Jinx grinned.

“She’s…definitely something.”

“That only tells me that you dislike her intensely. Spill the beans. How awful is she?” she asked mischievously, leaning forward as if he was about to tell her priceless information.

Ekko watched her in fascination at how normal this all seemed. It didn’t feel like he was the leader of the Firelights and she was the girl who he had lost. They were two people just dancing and gossiping about topsiders. He decided to indulge her.

“When I was talking to her earlier…she told me how Zaunites needed to get better jobs if they were being overworked. She also insulted one of her friends for wearing the same dress as the year before and has been flirting with me all evening. I suspect she likes me more than I anticipated.”

Jinx’s jaw dropped and shook her head before rolling her eyes.

“Pilties and their privilege. Sounds like a spoiled brat to me. And she was flirting with you? Ew, you could do way better. Wait…do you wanna piss her off? Get a little revenge?” she asked, her eyes bright with mirth.

“I’m not doing anything illegal-”

“-No! No no no no…okay, just…just hold me, okay?” Jinx said, stifling her giggles, and she removed her hands from his shoulder and his hand before wrapping them around his neck. “Now wrap your arms around my waist,” she murmured.

They were only a few centimeters apart and Ekko felt his heartbeat skyrocket. He placed his hands on her waist and he heard her laugh softly.

“You should see her face. She is furious,” she murmured.

As they turned, Ekko pulled Jinx into him, so that their bodies were pressed together and he watched her eyes widen in surprise.

“There…now it’s not just one-sided,” he whispered and he took in her magenta eyes.

So unfamiliar but familiar at the same time.

“It’s like you want to cause a riot with some Pilties,” she said with amusement, looking down with a small smile on her face.

“I was never on their side. I’m here to represent Zaun. No one else.”

Their gazes met once more as the song ended but there was a clinking sound that echoed the room and they all turned their heads to see Jayce Talis tapping a champagne glass from the front of the room.

“Good evening everyone! Just a quick announcement from me. Thank you all for attending the annual Piltover New Year’s Eve Ball. We know that a lot has happened this year but I assure you that the council will do everything in its power to keep the City of Progress thriving.”

Ekko watched Jinx roll her eyes in annoyance from his peripheral vision.

“City of Progress my ass,” she grumbled.

“Now, without further ado, please enjoy the rest of your evening. We have cuisine on the tables over there to suit any palette, a beautiful orchestra to dance into the night and don’t be afraid to chat to new faces!”

Ekko applauded as everyone else did and Jinx slow clapped in annoyance. The orchestra began to play again and Jinx led him off to the side.

“All that dancing has me thirsty. I need something to drink,” she said and Ekko had no choice but to follow her. They stopped at the drinks table, a large bowl of a cocktail in the middle with glasses of water around it. Ekko grabbed himself a glass before Jinx dumped some liquid into the bowl from a flask.

“What are you doing?” he sputtered and she grinned.

“Having fun! You should totally try some!” she said as she poured herself a glass.

“If you poisoned it-”

“I said I wanted a normal evening, did I not? And why would I poison myself?” she shot back, glaring at him before taking a gulp of the drink.

He was about to ask what she had spiked the cocktail with but her face lit up in a fake smile. It was unnerving to say the least.

“Oh my gosh, hi! Your dress is so beautiful!”

Ekko’s brows furrowed in confusion before he realised that Jinx wasn’t talking to him but to someone behind him. He spun around and came face to face with Eva and her friends. Eva gave him a sickly sweet smile before extending a hand to Jinx.

“Thank you. I don’t think we’ve met before. My name is Eva Starling. My dad is the owner of Starling Enterprises, which I’m sure you know already.”

“I’m Juliet Raelik and I didn’t know that about your dad but thank you for telling me,” Jinx said as she ignored Eva's extended hand and Ekko bit on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.

“How do you not know?” Eva asked, lowring her hand immediately, a flash of anger on her face before looking shocked and her friends giggled behind her. “I thought everyone knew. It must be because you’re from one of the islands right? They probably don’t teach you about the major contributors in Piltover.”

Ekko felt anger burn in his stomach at Eva’s words. He knew that Eva was just trying to humiliate Jinx or…Juliet? Whatever, she was Juliet for the evening.

“Well the islands are quite advanced Eva. I’m sure you didn’t know that my mother is queen there,” Jinx said, her sweet tone hiding the fury in her eyes. “And besides, I’m sure I read somewhere that Starling Enterprises was in danger of going bankrupt. It was all over the news a few weeks ago.”

Ekko raised an eyebrow at the information and looked at Eva, who had gone scarlet from her neck upwards.

“That was a rumour!” she said a little too loudly and Jinx glanced at her nails before Eva changed the subject.

“Oh and your mother is a queen? So you’re a princess! That’s impressive! Do you have any suitors?” she asked and Ekko wasn’t sure how much longer Jinx could hold up her lie.

“I’ve rejected all of them. None of them really clicked with me,” Jinx shrugged. “But there’s quite a few people here who seem to be possible candidates.”

Ekko watched as Eva’s friends all gasped and he found himself watching the conversation in awe.

“Oh? Anyone caught your eye ?” Eva asked, her voice cracking.

“Hmmm, I better not tell. Don’t want to go into the New Year telling everyone who I think is attractive,” Jinx said with disinterest.

“Well give us a hint please!” asked one of Eva’s friends and Eva glared before Jinx laughed.

“Alright…um…they’ve chosen to dress as the sun counterpart for the theme this evening,” she said, shooting Ekko a wink and he watched as Eva’s friends comically squealed and Eva gritted her teeth.

He realised that Eva was not good at hiding her emotions well at all and decided to try and diffuse the situation somehow before pouring her a glass of cocktail and handing it to her.

“Oh, thank you, Ekko. That’s so considerate of you,” she said giggling too much and he saw Jinx only grin before remembering that she had spiked the same bowl just a few minutes ago.

He watched in horror as she downed the entire glass and prayed that she wasn’t a lightweight. Ekko had no idea what Jinx had put in there but the alcohol seemed to hit her almost instantly as her face turned a rosy colour.

“Ekko! We should go dance!” she said a little too loudly, causing some heads to turn their way. “We were so rudely interrupted the first time round so I’m sure we could-”

“Eva! Keep your voice down,” Talia said quickly and Eva glared at her friend.

“Excuse me? Keep my voice down? I’ll speak as loud as I want!” she yelled.

“Eva Marie Starling, will you be quiet!” a voice hissed and Ekko tensed up as a woman wearing a floor length silver dress strode up to them, her presence radiating authority. She took one look at the glass in Eva’s hand before taking it out of her grasp.

“We agreed that you’d go steady on the alcohol! What is this?” her mother demanded and Eva blinked as if her thoughts were foggy.

“Ekko offered it to me and-”

“Oh no, you are not blaming someone for giving you a drink when you know you could have declined. No one is forcing you here to drink, Eva!”

“But…but Juliet must’ve spiked it!” Eva said accusingly, pointing a finger at Jinx, who looked back in faux shock.

“But Eva…I’m drinking the same thing as you…see?” she said as she drank the spiked beverage and put her cup down. “I’ve had two glasses and I’m fine. Maybe you’re a lightweight?”

Eva’s mother glared at her daughter before huffing and grabbing a glass of water from the table.

“You are going to sit with me until you’ve sobered up young lady!” she said and Eva struggled against her mother.

“But mom-!”

“No buts! You can return to your friends once you’re in a better mind space.”

They watched as Mrs. Starling dragged her daughter away and as if a spell had been broken, most of the girls walked away to the dance floor or to the buffet. A few of the others stood back, to talk to each other but only Talia stepped forward.

“I apologise…she usually isn’t this…wild,” she said softly and Jinx grinned.

“It’s okay, a party isn’t a party until someone gets a little drunk. Oh, Ekko, why don’t you dance with Talia? I’m sure you’d love to show off your dance moves while I…uh…go to the bathroom and...freshen up.”

Ekko didn’t have time to ask what that even meant because Jinx ran off into the crowd. She was willingly allowing him to dance with a topsider? Did that mean she liked Talia? Or was she only going to cause more mischief? While he wanted to go after her, it felt rude to leave Talia when she was the only one who seemed to be genuinely nice to him the entire evening.

“Uh…may I have this dance?” he asked Talia and she fidgeted with her hands.

“I don’t think Eva would like that…” she mumbled and he shook his head before grasping her hand and leading her to the dance floor, and he could hear some of Eva's friends giggling behind them.

They walked to the middle of the dance floor as the orchestra played another song and they glided effortlessly across the floor.

“You shouldn’t let Eva control your actions, Talia. I don’t know if it's a Piltover thing but…she’s not the boss of you,” he said and she averted her gaze.

“I know…it’s just easier to let her get what she wants. We had another friend…she usually stood up to Eva but then Eva managed to make her life a living nightmare and she became a social outcast. Thankfully she moved after we graduated from high school but still…her influence is terrifying.”

“You’re joking.”

“Unfortunately not…Eva has a lot of power especially because of her dad. No one has stood up to her since…well since today. Juliet is quite the feisty one,” she laughed.

“Yeah…she is,” Ekko said.

Juliet was more than feisty when she needed to be and if only Talia knew who she really was.

“Do you two know each other? You seem awfully close and if there is something between you two I wouldn’t want to intrude...” Talia asked quickly.

“Oh no. There’s nothing between us. She noticed how uncomfortable I was with Eva and she wanted to be a menace. So she stole me away for a dance.”

“Ah, a menace." Talia chuckled. "I must admit…I was a little surprised when she brought up Starling Enterprises going bankrupt.”

“Why?”

“Eva knows that the majority of her influence is because of her dad’s business. If she loses that, she’d be nothing but empty threats. When that article was published she was hellbent on making everyone believe it was a rumour.”

“How do you know if it’s true or not?”

“I don’t but the way Eva was acting…I could tell she was nervous and she’s hardly nervous. I felt like she was hiding something so I drew my own conclusions.”

“Are you close with Eva?” he asked, aware how serious their conversation had become and tried to not look too interested in learning information about one of the most influential topsiders, and she sighed.

“We were close a few years ago but I don’t know what shifted. I still care about her deeply but I hate the way she treats people.”

“So why do you hang out with her?”

“It’s easier to be friends with her than not to be friends at all. It’s all about connections in Piltover and with her dad being so influential, I’d rather stay quiet.”

“But surely your parents have connections too?”

“Sure we’re wealthy but Eva is in a league of her own and standing up to her wouldn’t be wise. I know it’s nothing in comparison to your life in Zaun but there’s different ways to sink or swim in Piltover and being enemies with Eva is the easiest way to sink. She has the connections to control our futures or completely destroy our reputation...I can't risk it.”

“A blonde who has rich parents can do that?”

“Surely you know someone like that in Zaun?” she asked and Ekko was quiet as he thought of Silco, the most powerful man in the Undercity and all his underlings, the Shimmer factories and his influence over Jinx.

“I understand,” he mumbled sadly and she gave him a sad smile.

“She has her good moments but I don’t know how anyone’s supposed to change her. The only person she can change is herself. And I don’t think she wants to at this moment.”

They swayed before Ekko saw the flash of blue hair in his peripheral vision and watched as a waiter offered Jinx a glass of champagne that she accepted. He watched her take a sip before wincing. She didn’t seem to be up to anything too chaotic so he could afford to relax but then he saw Eva walk up to her. He watched them exchange words and from the looks of it, Eva was getting angrier with every passing second.

“Oh no,” he whispered and Talia turned her head to see what he was looking at.

“This is not going to end well,” she whispered as they slid out of the dance floor.

Talia tried to make her way to Eva but Ekko stopped her, holding her wrist.

“Talia, I think we should stay out of this,” he said cautiously.

While he believed Jinx wanted a normal evening, he didn't trust Eva's emotions. He knew Jinx could handle herself but he didn't want Talia to be caught in the fray because she didn't deserve it.

“But…what if something bad happens?” she said gesturing to Jinx and Eva, who only seemed to be getting more red with every passing minute.

“You can’t babysit Eva all the time. Remember what you said to me? The only person she can change is herself. She is never going to learn if you keep softening the situation for her.”

Talia looked at him incredulously before nodding and taking a step back.

“So we just...watch?” she asked.

“If things get crazy we can intervene-”

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

He saw Jinx grin before whispering something into Eva’s ear and he knew she had said something that caused Eva to snap. He watched as Eva turned red with rage, screamed in fury, and she lunged at Jinx, who only stepped out of the way, and crashed into the one buffet table. Unfortunately for Eva, that buffet table had the chocolate fountain and he watched in horror as Eva screamed as the warm chocolate got all over her gauzy pink dress and hair.

“My hair! My dress!” she shrieked.

Her mother and some of her friends ran to her aid, as did security personnel and Jinx darted out of sight. Jayce ran up to her and Eva cried as she was escorted out of the ballroom, leaving a trail of chocolate behind her. Mel walked to the front of the room, tapping a champagne glass hastily before smiling brightly.

"Apologies everyone! Just an accident. We'll have Miss Starling all cleaned up in no time. Please, eat, drink and dance! Only half an hour from the New Year," she announced.

Talia was frozen next to him with her hands to her mouth but Ekko realised she was hiding her laughter.

"Oh my...I should've helped her...but wow she looked...hilarious," she snickered and Ekko smiled at her.

"Maybe she'll learn to not lung at people next time?" he said and she struggled to conceal her laughter.

Ekko would’ve laughed because finally some karma but knowing that Jinx was behind the whole thing had him worried for her safety. Usually he wouldn’t be concerned but knowing that she wanted a normal night (at least that’s what she said when they were dancing) he felt oddly protective over her in a room full of topsiders.

"Are you concerned about Juliet?" Talia asked and he groaned.

"I can't help but feel partly responsible for her. I'm from Zaun...she's from the Kasserak islands...I'm not sure if it's her first time at this Ball but...I feel oddly protective of her," he lied.

Protective my ass. I need to make sure she doesn't get caught by security.

"Say no more. You clearly care about her and I suggest you find her before Eva blabs enough to get security involved. I don't think Juliet needs that kind of angst into the New Year. I'll cover for you and her. I should go comfort Eva and I'll keep her distracted for as long as I can."

Talia was about to turn away before turning back to face him.

"Thank you for the dance and for talking to me about Zaun...I didn't know it was that bad."

"Most topsiders don't know how bad it is but now you know. Do with that information what you will," he murmured.

She squeezed his shoulder before lowering her voice, "And thank you for sticking up for me earlier. I appreciate it, really."

"Thank you for being real with me," he said, giving her a genuine smile and she shook his hand before walking out the ballroom and following the trail of chocolate that was almost cleaned up by staff.

Ekko looked around the room for Jinx but he couldn’t find her until he spotted a curtain gently blowing in the breeze on the other side of the ballroom. Curtains didn’t move without wind which meant there must be a door behind it. He looked around, making sure Eva hadn’t come back, before slipping through it and found himself on a balcony. There were sconces providing light above him and realised that he was looking into the gardens of the venue. He spotted various rose bushes and the scent of them floated to his nose before looking across the rest of the balcony, where he found Jinx pouring the champagne out the glass onto the grass below.

“So…you want to tell me what just happened with Eva?” he asked hesitantly and she placed the glass down on the windowsill.

“She was being annoying,” Jinx said with a twirl, the skirt of the dress flaring out and Ekko watched the moonlight hit the diamonds on the neckline.

“I saw Jinx…you said things to her too and she ended up lunging at you.”

“She needed to be put in her place. No one disrespects you or Zaun,” Jinx said, as if it was the easiest answer in the world.

Ekko didn’t know how to respond for a minute. Eva had disrespected him? And Jinx stood up for him? If he had known how this evening was going to go, he would’ve prepared himself to not be stunned into silence whenever Jinx spoke.

“She disrespected me?” he managed to say after a moment and he saw her jaw tense.

“Bitch said some shit like 'she saw you first and that I needed to keep my hands off of you', like a spoiled child. We both know that no one tells me what to do and I hated that she was making assumptions that you actually wanted to be with her. Then when I defended you, she said how Zaun was dirty and only thieves came out of that city and that the Kasserak islands have nothing to offer like Piltover does. So I put her in her place.”

Ekko watched her lean against the balcony, the moonlight bathing her in silver and she looked ethereal.

“I told her that she was a two-faced Pilitie bitch and who had the blandest personality based off of the two minutes that we spoke. I told her that you’d never date….court… whatever Pilties say when they date people, because she was too ugly from the inside. And that if she wanted a shot at dating you, she needed to actually have worked a day in her life and not rely on her daddy’s money which might be non-existent considering the company is bankrupt.”

“You called Eva Starling a two-faced Piltie bitch?”

“And I’d do it again!”

Ekko heard some applause from the ballroom but he didn’t care if someone was giving a speech. He could watch Jinx here and no one would get hurt…but then again she had only caused minor chaos this evening.

"I have two questions for you," he said to her and she looked up in acknowledgement.

"How do you know so much of the Kasserak islands? And what did you use to spike the cocktail?"

Jinx threw her head back and laughed before responding, "Did a little research on the Kasserak islands before getting this dress. Wasn't hard to research and I spiked the cocktail with Fire's Breath."

"Fire's Breath? But that's not too bad unless you have three glasses."

"Yeah so poor little Eva was a light weight," Jinx said with a strech of her neck before facing the gardens.

They watched the gardens and the fountain water trickle from the balcony and Jinx sighed before closing her eyes, as if she was savoring the moment.

“Did you really mean what you said inside?” Ekko asked.

“Mean what?”

“The whole ‘you wanted to feel pretty and wear a nice dress for this evening’ thing.”

He watched her open her eyes and she looked at him before pushing down her skirts and gliding her hands over the fabric.

“We never got this kind of stuff in Zaun. I just wanted to experience it just this once,” Jinx murmured.

A melody floated out of the ballroom and Ekko watched as she swayed to the music. It was a slow song, the violins humming and he rolled his shoulders back before taking a few steps towards her.

“May I have this dance?” he asked, cringing at the awkwardness of words and Jinx snorted in laughter before accepting his hand.

“Who would I be to turn down the most eligible bachelor of the evening?” she said through giggles

"Oh, shut up," he groaned and they slowly danced under the stars.

Ekko wasn’t sure when his hands wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck but it felt so natural to place them there. She laid her head on his shoulder as they swayed from side to side.

“Who taught you how to dance?” she asked.

“Heimerdinger. Took a couple tries to nail the waltz but I got there.”

“The Yordle taught you how to waltz?”

“Well, who did you learn from?”

“I taught myself!” she said proudly.

“Bullshit,” he muttered and he felt her snicker into his shoulder.

He couldn't help but notice how she seemed protective of him and he couldn't help but ask her.

“What if I told you that I wanted to date Eva?”

He felt her tense up and for a moment regretted asking her but she only laughed.

“That’s hilarious, Boy Savior.”

“Why? What if I actually liked her?” he asked jokingly.

“You’d be bored of her in two weeks and she’s the most uninteresting person I’ve ever met,” Jinx said bluntly and Ekko couldn't hold back his laughter.

“So what you’re saying is that I need someone interesting?” he asked once he caught his breath.

“Someone who…keeps you on your toes. Someone who keeps you guessing and your mind going. It can’t just be anyone though."

She paused as if listening to someone in her head before nodding.

"You’re the leader of the Firelights and they obviously have to know about that…so yeah you’re a lost case, Boy Savior. No dating Pilties for you,” Jinx said with a nod, as if satisfied with her answer.

“Guess I’ll have to date a Firelight,” he said.

“Guess so but that could be messy if you break up.”

“It’s like you don’t want me to date anyone,” Ekko grumbled.

“It’s not my fault you chose to be the leader of the Firelights,” Jinx said dramatically. “Maybe if you weren’t, you’d actually have a shot at dating someone.”

“So being the leader of the Firelights is limiting me right now? That’s your conclusion?”

“Yep!” she said, before holding him tighter, as if that was supposed to silence him.

It did silence him and he wondered if this was her way of saying that he should only date her.

She said that he should date someone who wasn’t a Piltie, which she wasn’t. She said he should date someone who knew he was the leader of the Firelights but not an actual Firelight because the break up could be messy and if they still had to see each other everyday, it would be even worse. So if he wanted to date someone, they had to be a Zaunite who knew he was the leader of the Firelights but not be a Firelight who kept him on his toes and was interesting.

She met the description but with their messy history…was there even a possibility?

He decided he was over-thinking her words and decided to enjoy the moment with her instead. They swayed in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company before he cleared his throat.

“Was this everything you thought it would be? Despite Eva and the chocolate fountain colliding?” he asked her eventually and she raised her head off his shoulder.

“Everything and more! And Eva being covered head to toe in chocolate was the cherry on top!” she grinned as she looked into his eyes.

Ekko heard some footsteps from inside and voices gradually rising as they stopped outside the curtains. Ekko prayed the wind didn't pick up otherise the curtains would blow and giveaway their hiding spot.

“Where is Ekko? I must find him!” roared Eva and they tensed up.

“We’ve looked everywhere for him, Eva. Maybe you should give it a rest? And you still have chocolate in your hair,” Talia said and Eva only screamed in frustration before the group of girls walked away.

Ekko and Jinx laughed and the voices inside got louder before Ekko realised the people inside were chanting a countdown.

Shit, it was New Year's Eve.

He had forgotten after all the chaos that had happened that evening.

"Five!"

It was tradition to kiss someone.

"Four!"

And a Jinx was in his arms. He could kiss her if he wanted.

But was it what she wanted?

“Three!”

He was the leader of the Firelights. She was...she wasn't on the right side...but if anything, tonight showed she didn't have to cause that much chaos to have a good time. It made him feel oddly content. Part of him felt that kissing her into the New Year was a bad idea on every level possible but the other part of him that had dreamed a life like this with her was riding on a high from how they had danced together.

“Two!”

“Jinx…I don't know if now is the right time but-” he began but she cut him off with an index finger to his lips.

"Pucker up, Boy Savior," she whispered and pulled him closer.

“One! Happy New Year!”

Ekko was sure there was applause and cheering but all he felt was the soft fabric under his fingertips as he held her waist and her lips on his.

He felt her sigh into the kiss and he tilted his head to deepen it. He swiped his tongue against her bottom lip teasingly and she giggled before granting him access. Ekko wasn't sure how long they kissed for but it was everything he could've wanted.

It was slow and soft as if they were making up for lost time. He gripped her waist so tightly, he thought he was leaving bruises. The thought of his bruises on her only made her hold her tighter. She only tightened her arms around his neck in response. When they broke apart Jinx only chuckled before sliding her hands down from his neck to his chest, her lips pink and her face flushed.

"Happy New Year, Boy Savior. Thanks for sharing that with me. Unfortunately, I should get going," she said breathlessly.

"What? Why?" he asked, still dizzy from the kiss.

"Let's just say...I didn't buy this dress," she grinned before giving him a final kiss on his cheek and jumping over the balcony.

He watched her land and sprint off into the gardens, looking like a princess from a fairytale, when someone cleared their throat from behind him. Ekko spun around, ready to make up an excuse to a girl jumping over the balcony and running into the gardens, when he registered who was standing in front of him.

"Vi," he breathed and she raised an eyebrow at him before gesturing at the retreating figure in the gardens.

"You...idiot!" she yelled, her anger flaring and he winced. "Did you seriously kiss Jinx? Tell me right now what I saw was a hallucination!"

He didn't know what to say to her. He was so dead.

"Yeah, I kissed Jinx," he said finally, realising that he should just come clean.

They stared at each other for a minute before Vi's facade broke and she snorted before dissolving into peals of laughter.

"Little Man all grown up, huh?" she asked and he blushed as she laughed again. "C'mon, it's better that you say that you were out here for fresh air than kissing Jinx, who stole Juliet Raelik's dress and left her knocked out in a closet."

Ekko was too dazed to comprehend Vi's sentence as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and dragged him back into the ballroom. He was surprised she wasn't upset with him. Those thoughts vanished when he saw Eva talking to a group of Enforcers tearfully in a corner.

"Some context would be great right now, Vi," he said nervously and she sighed.

"Juliet Raelik was found in her closet, tied to a chair and gagged. She explained that someone knocked her out in her hotel room and stole her dress, shoes, and her invitation to the New Years Ball. She woke up in darkness, gagged and bound to a chair. A concerned hotel resident said they heard noises from her room and Enforcers found her banging her chair on the closet door, trying to escape. The only reason I know about this is because Caitlyn got an Enforcer alert and demanded we stop by at the hotel to assess the situation. We came here as soon as we found out."

Ekko remembered what Jinx said about the dress and he watched the Enforcers leave Eva and exit the ballroom.

"No wonder she managed to get into the Ball so easily. She was lucky to get out when she jumped over the balcony. Enforcers probably know the dress description and now they'll have a description of Jinx from Eva," he said solemnly and Vi nodded.

"This is worrying as this might put Jinx on Enforcer alert because Juliet is royalty but it's honestly not the worst case. You want to tell me what happened to her?" Vi asked, glancing at Eva who ran out the ballroom to follow the Enforcers, and Ekko retold her the whole saga with Jinx and Eva.

"I usually don't condone Jinx's actions...hell I'm still getting over her blowing up the council quarters but…maybe I'll let this one slip. No one says shit like that about you or Zaun…even if she did steal a dress worth thousands and knocked out Kasserak royalty," Vi said and Ekko noticed the small smile on Vi’s face as well as her outfit.

She wore a subtle gold suit with white trimming on the cuffs and high heeled boots. Her hair was slightly curled and he swore he smelt perfume on her skin.

“I’m surprised you’re wearing those shoes,” he said and Vi rolled her eyes.

“Blame Caitlyn. I lost the bet and I have to wear these for the rest of the night. They’re not bad just…if something happened, I would break a leg first before helping anyone. What are you doing here anyway?” she asked.

“Here with Heimerdinger. He’s been really nice though and has let me mingle with other people.”

“Anyone to your liking? Like a girl with blue hair…?” she teased and he glared at her as she laughed.

“No comment, Vi. Are you here with Caitlyn?”

“Yeah, we ran late and only got here a few minutes ago but I still got my New Year’s kiss before the Enforcers arrived and so did you,” Vi grinned.

"You're never going to let this go are you?"

"Not a chance, Little Man."

They walked over to Heimerdinger who was talking to a thin man with brown hair before he beamed upon seeing Ekko.

“Ah! Ekko! Just the man I was talking about! You must meet Viktor! He was my assistant but is now the co-creator of Hextech!”

“Thank you Heimerdinger. I appreciate the praise but it is not needed. And you must be Ekko. I’ve heard a lot about you and from one Zaunite to another, I’m happy Heimerdinger has seen potential in you,” Viktor smiled and raised his hand and Ekko grasped it and shook it, aware of how boney Viktor’s hands were.

“Completely coincidental but I’ve learnt a lot from him in this short space of time,” Ekko said.

“That’s no surprise to me. I’d love to see what you’ve worked on another day-”

“-Viktor! Oh, thank goodness that debacle has been sorted- oh. Uh…Hello Heimerdinger,” Jayce said, faltering for a moment before straightening himself.

“Hello Jayce. I must say, you have gone all out with the decor this year,” Heimerdinger said and Ekko could feel the awkwardness between the two.

Jayce looked nervous but Heimerdinger seemed fine.

“I think I’ll give you two some time to catch up-” Ekko began before the Yordle interrupted him.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. We have much to do tomorrow, Ekko, and I think it’s time we take our leave,” Heimerdinger said and Ekko nodded, not phased at the party being cut short.

He knew it would’ve been a different story if Jinx had still been there but he was fine to leave then. He had schmoozed with all the people he needed to and if Eva tried to talk to him again, he surely would not make it out.

"Tell Caitlyn I say hi. Sorry I missed her," he said and Vi squeezed his hand.

"I'll pass it on. Get home safe."

He said his goodbyes to Viktor and Jayce before following Hiemerdinger.

They left the ballroom and walked through the corridor to the carriage waiting for them outside. The plush velvet seats were heavenly as the carriage started moving to take them back to Zaun. They were quiet for a few minutes and Ekko was about to fall asleep before Heimerdinger tapped him on the shoulder.

“I do apologise for making things awkward just now. I suppose I wasn’t in the right frame of mind tonight to see Jayce,” Heimerdinger said as he fiddled with his hands.

“It’s okay. You seemed fine with him and Viktor. You acted well.”

“Viktor didn’t vote me off the council but they are partners. I can imagine Viktor must’ve felt torn too when he found out but I can’t make assumptions. Thank you for attending with me though. I got to catch up with some old students and council members. I do appreciate it.”

Ekko smiled, relieved that Heimerdinger had a decent evening after all.

“You seemed to have an eventful evening too. I saw your little group around you,” Heimerdinger said in amusement and Ekko chuckled.

“Yeah, that was quite an experience I’ll be glad to never have again. Piltover women are…intense.”

Heimerdinger laughed loudly and clapped his hands, “Intense one word to describe them! Do you feel you represented Zaun the way you wanted to?”

“I think I did the best I could under the circumstances. I think I might have gotten through to at least one person,” Ekko said, thinking of Talia and how similar their situation was.

He hoped that she would somehow distance herself from Eva but she could only change herself after all.

“Oh, before I forget! I managed to take this photo of you and that girl on the dance floor. I hope I didn’t overstep.”

Ekko thought he was getting a picture of him with Talia but his heart skipped a beat when he saw the blue hair. It was a photo between him and Jinx and they were smiling at each other with his hands on her waist and hers around his neck, and their clothes shining under the light.

"You seemed quite smitten with her all evening. I know there was some drama but I didn't have to worry myself in it. I'm not on council anymore so I don't need to!" he laughed and Ekko grinned.

This must’ve been taken when she was trying to piss Eva off.

"Happy New Year, Ekko. May this year be one of success and victory."

“Thank you Heimerdinger. Happy New Year,” Ekko murmured, eyes locked on the photograph.

He knew that photograph could be the only photographic evidence against Jinx since the dress description matched the one from Juliet but he wasn't planning on sharing it with anyone. He wasn't sure if Heimerdinger would ever ask him to give the photo to Enforcers as evidence but he would lie. Say he lost the photo or something. He needed to keep the memory of the Piltover New Year's Eve Ball and his time spent with her alive in every way possible.

Happy New Year, Jinx. I'm glad I got to into the new year with you.

He tucked the photo into his blazer pocket and watched the bright lights of Piltover dim into the neon ones of Zaun, before closing his eyes and dreaming of the sun and moon dancing together.

~~

A/N: Happy New Year everyone!

I know it’s the end of January, but I had this fic in my head since mid November and only really had time to start writing it on New Year's Eve LOL. (Also it wasn't supposed to be this long but I kept writing and writing and...here we are 10k later).

I want to thank Kissun13 for inspiring this idea! She said in the Timebomb discord server something along the lines of how Ekko and Jinx are yin and yang and how they're the sun/moon, day/night, and light/dark to each other. She said that they should wear fancy clothes because they deserve it and I was like YES A FANCY PILTOVER BALL LET'S GO. She then proceeded to send me a whole visual concept of their clothes and the way I could see their clothes in my mind told me that I had to write this fic. It was my first idea that I fleshed out in the server when the server was still quite small so I feel weirdly sentimental about the fanfic. So thank you Kissun13! 

The biggest of virtual hugs to you.

Also the Island Juliet is from doesn't exist so...yeah do with that information what you will.

He could feel her gaze on him and he tried to ignore how frustrated it was making him feel. He needed to get back to the base and she wasn't making his job any easier.

He knew how stealthy she was so the fact that he could feel her gaze was annoying to say the least. It's like she wanted him to notice her and he didn't have time to entertain him. What he didn't expect was for her to drop out of the shadows and fling her arms around him as if they were the best of friends and not enemies.

Well, maybe one-sided enemies. Jinx clearly felt like she could talk to him whenever she wanted even if he told her to fuck off.

It was irritating but...comforting and he hated that he felt that way.

After Vander died everything changed. The Undercity changed and after searching for Vi for weeks before accepting the bitter defeat that she was no longer with them, Ekko nearly cried when he saw Powder in the streets. He had ran up to her and hugged her tightly as if she would disappear any moment and told her that he had a small team of people who were surviving now that Vander had past. She had only blinked at him before he saw a tall, muscular woman exit the store opposite them and Powder only told him to leave, her expression one of seriousness.

Confusion hounded him for days.

Who was that woman? And why had Powder told him to leave? Wasn't she happy to see him? Mylo, Claggor, Benzo, Vander, and Vi were all dead so surely she'd be relieved to see a familiar face?

He saw Powder again two months later while scouting a rumored Shimmer factory and his heart had frozen in his chest when he saw who she was with.

Silco. The reason Benzo was dead.

And Powder was with him?

It felt like a slap in the face when she saw her giggle at something the seedy man said and watched as they walked away together.

Maybe he had brainwashed her? Maybe she was under some sort of trance?

He had stalked her for days after that but that older woman was always by her side. One day, an opportunity rose and Powder separated herself from the older woman once she went into a dingy looking house. He finally cornered her in an alley and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him.

"Powder! Are you aware you're working with Silco?" he demanded.

"Don't call me that. It's Jinx now."

She had said it so harshly that he was frozen in place, not used to Powder being so assertive.

"What? Jinx? I don't understand-?"

"Look, Silco adopted me after Vander…" she trailed off, her eyes going glassy before she screamed and held her head in her hands.

He gasped and tried to reach out to her bit she only hissed at him.

"Don't ever say his name!"

"What? Van-?"

"Shut up!" she screamed and he put his hands up in surrender and after a few minutes her breathing evened out and she stood up straight.

He had no idea what was wrong with her. Sure, she was prone to anxiety but Vi had always known how to deal with it. He had never seen her react like that before. Did Silco even know about it?

"Sevika will kill me if I'm not waiting for her once she's done. I need to go," she said and turned around to walk back but he couldn't let her go again.

"Powder! This is insane! Silco has killed so many people and you're just...okay with that?"

She stopped before turning her head slightly towards him.

"He cares about me. My name is Jinx. Don't ever call me Powder again. This is your last warning."

He watched helplessly as she walked away.

It was six months later when Shimmer was the most addictive drug in the Undercity and Ekko cursed knowing that Powder was associated with the man who caused all of it. He started training more, recruiting people and after years, he could proudly call himself the leader of the Firelights. It was a responsibility he was willing to bear. Finish what Vander and Benzo dreamed of.

But it was hard to ignore Jinx.

When they started meeting on the battlefield, Silco's men killing Firelights while she only stood back and watched…he couldn't believe it was the same girl he crushed on. But then she started visiting him, actively looking for him, starting conversations and cracking jokes as if everything was normal. He hated that he started looking forward to them.

This was the same girl he was supposed to hate.

So with her arms around him, he gritted his teeth before pushing her off and she pouted, her blue braids swaying with her.

"Someone's in a bad mood," she mumbled and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because you fucking shot me!" he said, pointing to his shoulder that was freshly bandaged.

"The bullet grazed you!"

He glared at her before continuing his walk and she followed.

"Okay, I'm sorry for grazing you but at least you aren't dead!" she said and he said nothing.  "Oh, the silent treatment? Really? Sevika already plays this game with me and it's getting super boring so please just say something."

"We have nothing to discuss, Jinx. Run back to Silco," he said gruffly.

She seemed hurt at his words and he felt his heart ache once more. He missed her. He missed her laugh, her smile, the way she'd show him drawings of her and Vi and he missed her playful presence. He had gotten so strict and serious after assuming the role of the leader of the Firelights that having Jinx around was sort of a stress reliever but her actually firing a bullet at him today was enough to know that they were on opposite sides.

"I didn't mean to shoot you...I'm sorry you got hurt," she whispered. "I was aiming for the wall behind you when someone bumped into me."

"But why were you aiming my way?" he yelled and he saw her flinch before he quickened his pace.

"Look, Silco felt like I could start handling guns and stuff and I needed to prove that I could and-"

"Do you not hear how fucking wrong that sounds? Jinx, you're not supposed to be handling guns!"

"Like you're not supposed to be the leader of the Firelights?" she shot back.

"Did you really think that Silco giving you a gun is some sort of protection?"

"He wants me to be safe!"

"Because you're on the wrong side! Why would you need a gun if you're on the right side? "

"Enforcers have guns and we all know they're supposed to be the good guys, idiot! And please, like you guys are any better!"

"We are better because we're not flooding the streets with Shimmer to the point that people are addicted. We're not killing innocent people! And we're not telling children to work in Shimmer factories!"

"Wow, you sound just like a Piltie!" she mocked. "Besides, Shimmer is just a drug! People can quit anytime they want!"

He laughed humorlessly before answering her.

"You know that's a lie. Let me guess, Silco told you that?"

"He doesn't lie to me!"

"Oh really? Does he tell you bedtime stories too?" Ekko spat.

"He looks after me! Sure he's intimidating but he's kind to me and gets me crayons and-"

"Oh my God, Jinx! He's using you! You're nothing but a pawn in his game!" he shouted.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about Silco!"

"Like you do? He's a manipulative liar who only looks out for himself!"

"You're wrong! He doesn't think I'm a screw up! He loves me!"

Ekko felt his stomach sink. Love? Silco loved her? A drug lord? Love the girl who had lost everything that one night? That felt like a punch to the gut.

Ekko loved her. He did. He only wanted the best for her. He wanted her to heal and take her somewhere safe, away from Shimmer and Silco. He loved her and she couldn't see that.

"Silco? Are you sure we're talking about the same guy here? He loves you? Ha, don't be naïve," he said.

"Yeah, is that so fucking hard to believe? Or am I not capable of having someone love me?" she growled.

Crap, that's not what he was trying to say. He cursed himself before trying to rectify the situation.

"That's not what I meant, I-"

"-Then what did you mean Boy Savior? C'mon, I'm dying to know," she smirked and he stared at her, the frustration and anger building inside him.

"I meant that you are fully capable-"

"-Didn't sound like that!"

"Can you just let me finish?!"

"I don't know, are you just going to insult me again?"

"You are insufferable!"

"Oh, so I'm not capable of having someone love me and I'm insufferable?" she laughed bitterly.

He closed his mouth, knowing that Jinx would simply twist his words over and over, and his frustration bubbled over. His body was moving on its own. He grabbed Jinx's wrist and pulled her in, her anger dissipating into confusion before he cupped her cheek and kissed her. Her lips were dry but soft and he ignored the rational part of his brain screaming at him to stop kissing the enemy.

He was supposed to hate her.

He heard her make a noise of surprise before she slowly relaxed into him and his back hit the brick wall. His hands moved to her waist and he felt her arms wrap around his neck. She deepened the kiss and he kissed her back with just as much vigor.

He was pissed.

Pissed at Silco, pissed that she wasn't with him, pissed that she was on the bad side and she didn't seem to know it.

But he could only tell her so many times before getting tired and losing hope.

Their kiss became messy, their mouths and tongues constantly moving for more contact and he realised just how much he didn't want it to end. The rest of the Undercity melted away and it was only her and him. No Silco. No Firelights. Just the two of them in their own world.

But they needed to come up for air eventually and Ekko stared into her blue eyes, her pupils blown wide and a light pink dusting her cheeks. She was staring right back at him, breathing hard and her lips pink and slightly swollen.

"I love you too," he whispered and he couldn't help himself by giving her one more kiss. It was a slower, sweeter one and he prayed that she could feel how much he truly cared and loved her, before letting her go and unwrapping her arms from his neck.

She looked dazed and took it as his cue to walk away away as fast as he could without any sort of confrontation.

He was thankful that she didn't follow him because he didn't hear her footsteps or feel her gaze on him like before, because that would only make it worse.

His heart was racing and he had kissed her holy shit.

He had kissed her.

How had he let his emotions get the better of him? Him, Ekko, the leader of the Firelights. He was smarter than that, yet he had been frustrated and angry.

He sighed as he made a sharp right then left.

Had Silco really made her believe he was the only one capable of loving her?

The thought made his blood boil but he couldn't do anything.

If Jinx believed that, he couldn't do anything, but there was a part in him that hoped that now... maybe she realised that it wasn't just Silco.

It didn't have to be only Silco that loved her.

He wanted her to believe someone else loved her.

Someone like him who had known her for years. Before Vander died. Before Silco adopted her. Before everything changed.

Because she deserved to be loved.

He walked into the base of the Firelights where the children waved at him and Scar gave him a nod. He waved back before going to his office and replaying the kiss with Jinx. He sat down in his chair, sighing deeply and trying not to beat himself up too much.

He replayed what he had told her after the kiss.

I love you too

But was that the truth? Did he still love her with her guns and bullets and bombs? Did he love the girl who had shot him today? Or did he actually love Powder and not Jinx because he had a crush on Powder? But weren't they the same people? Yes? No?

He put his head in his hands, trying not to overthink his decisions. As a leader he needed to be sure of his actions otherwise what was the point? The setting sunlight was warm through the window and he closed his eyes, the exhaustion of the day weighing him down.

THIS IS FOR MY WONDERFUL FRIEND @bbbijou. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRLLLL. I hope you like this and I hope you are having an amazing day! <3

********************

Adora rolled around in her bed, frustration slowly getting to her.

“I just want to sleep. Why is that so difficult? Can’t I have just one night?” she whined as she sat up and switched on the light next to her.

She put her head in her hands and sighed. This wasn’t the first time she couldn’t sleep. Sometimes nightmares of the Horde plagued her and other nights, like tonight...she couldn’t sleep a wink. It wasn’t bad, just more of a nuisance since she was tired but she just couldn’t fall the frick to sleep. She yawned and swung her legs out and walked out her room.

“Hot chocolate...yes. That will help,” she murmured as she made her way to the kitchen. This was almost a routine for her. Get up after three hours of tossing and turning, get a warm beverage and then try again (only to get two hours of sleep). She dragged her body through the palace and to the kitchen where she began to make her beverage. She looked at the moon from the kitchen window and groaned.

“It must be at least one in the morning,” she groaned.

“Actually it’s two in the morning but you’re not far off,” came a voice from behind her.

Adora spun around quickly but relaxed when she saw Catra leaning against the doorway.

“Catra...what are you doing here?” 

“I could be asking you the same thing but...I think we both know,” the feline replied and walked towards the blonde, her tiredness showing in her steps.

It had been almost six months after the Horde had been defeated, Shadow Weaver was dead and Hordak imprisoned, as well as seven months after Catra had left the Horde to fight alongside the rebellion. It had been a huge turn of events with heavy questioning from Angella but after Catra proved herself on the battlefield, she had become an important part of the alliance.

The war had been devastating but Brightmoon had won and peace was restored to Etheria. But even though the world was free of the Horde’s clutches, didn’t mean that the memories stopped plaguing the minds of the young soldiers. Even though Adora and Catra had both dealt with their problems, spent time together by making up lost time and mended their friendship slowly but steadily, it didn’t stop the flashes of the Black Garnet in their nightmares or the visions of how Etheria could’ve been if Hordak had won.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Adora asked and the brunette nodded as she rested her head on the counter.

“For the third day in a row.”

“That bad?”

“If anything, it’s just getting annoying now,” Catra groaned loudly and Adora gave her a small smile.

“Hot chocolate?” 

“Yeah, you know how I have it.”

Adora nodded and took out another cup and began to make the second cup, omitting the milk, knowing that Catra would react badly to it if she had to consume any of it.

“What about you? Nightmares?”

“No, I can’t sleep. I just can’t fall asleep.”

Adora didn’t realize that she had tears of frustration dripping down her cheeks until Catra gently wiped them away with her thumbs.

“Hey...I know it sucks but...we could...if you want to...I could stay with you? I know it’s unlikely that we’ll fall asleep but...It would be nice to talk to someone instead of staring at my ceiling for the next couple hours.”

The offer was tempting but they hadn’t shared a bed since the Fright Zone and the suggesting terrified Adora. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Catra with her. It just felt so personal now and after fighting against each other for so long to then fighting alongside each other...it made her want to say yes and no at the same time.

But it was either yes or no.

And Catra was right...having someone to talk to beat staring at her ceiling until dawn broke and her mind was more concerned of sleeping than her feelings towards her friend at that moment.

“I...I’d like that,” she said, her eyes lowered as she handed Catra her mug.

They walked back to Adora’s room in silence and Catra sat at the edge of the bed, her tail wrapping around herself as she sipped her hot chocolate. Adora sat down and nursed her mug until she broke the silence.

“Do...do you still dream of the Horde?”

Catra nodded.

“Yeah...mostly Shadow Weaver, which is a pain in my ass because even though she’s dead, I still can’t get her to leave me alone,” Catra laughed bitterly and downed the last of her hot chocolate before setting the mug aside on the desk next to them.

Adora, out of habit, reached over and gently began scratching Catra’s neck and she felt a warm sensation bloom in her chest as she heard the gentle purring start.

“I’m sorry...I wish I could help,” she whispered and Catra blinked slowly.

“Well...I’m not dreaming right now because I’m here with you...so you are helping.”

Adora hummed in response and set aside her now empty mug. She felt her body sag and patted the spot next to her.

“If you want me to keep scratching you, you can’t be at the foot of the bed,” Adora said sleepily.

“Oh wow, inviting me under the covers? What other plans do you have?” Catra teased and Adora mumbled something along the lines of “Shut up.”

Catra got under the duvet and sighed as she smelt the familiar scent of her friend. The thoughts going through her head were ones she had locked away for months. The ones she knew would be too sensitive to talk about to Catra. But in her sleep deprived state, her brain was foggy and she had no filter.

“You know..there are days when I thought that I’d never get you back…” Adora murmured, the first secret spilling out out her mouth.

Catra laid there silent, her eyes bright in the darkness, waiting. 

“I thought it would end with one of us dead on the battlefield...Catra...I was so scared.”

Second secret out.

"The day that you came to Brightmoon...that same morning, I was breaking down. I was screaming and crying because I knew that everyone expected me to save Etheria. I knew that in the worst case scenario...I would have to kill you. The thought made me physically sick.”

Adora felt Catra’s hand on hers under the covers and she clutched it tightly.

“When you walked in with the guards, I was shocked and relieved to see you. I saw you limping and I just knew Hordak had something to do with it.”

“That’s why you ran to me and asked if I was hurt?” Catra asked softly.

"Yes...I was worried.”

Catra’s signature laugh echoed her room and she moved in a little closer to the princess.

“You’re still the same...always looking out for me.”

Adora exhaled heavily.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Yeah…?”

“Did...did you ever miss me? After I left? After the visions we saw in the ruins?”

Third secret out and pain flickered in Catra’s eyes.

“I did miss you. I was in denial most of the time to be honest. I kept thinking ‘Adora can’t be a princess. This all some weird dream!’ and then...I would be angry. I would hate you for leaving me so easily to people that you hardly knew. And you just...threw everything we had away like it meant nothing to you.”

“Catra…” Adora whispered softly but Catra placed an index finger on her lips.

“Let me finish. I missed you until the ruins. The ruins solidified the feelings of anger and hate towards you. I felt like you never truly needed me and I was just case aside. I had a goal now and I could aspire to be something bigger. With Shadow Weaver losing her spot in Hordak’s good books…I was second in command and was ready to lead but…”

Silence enveloped the room for a minute and that could be heard was their soft breathing.

“I still thought of you from time to time. At first it angered me because you hurt me and all I felt was pain. But after a while...I began to accept the sadness and if I ever thought of you...all I felt was longing.”

Adora was quiet and she squeezed Catra’s hand.

“Why did you come to Brightmoon that day?”

Catra was quite for a long time and Adora immediately backpedaled.

“If you don’t want to tell me-”

“No...it’s fine...I’m just a little surprised Angella never told you.”

“I...I asked her not to tell me. I knew if she did I probably would’ve killed Hordak.”

“I don’t doubt you,” Catra snorted. “Hordak called a mass assembly. He called me up and said how much progress we were making and how we could take on Brightmoon in the next few weeks. The cheering was insane. He turned to me and asked me one thing. He knew I was loyal but he told me...he said he wanted me to kill you.”

Adora stopped breathing for a minute. “He wanted you to-?”

“Yes. He wasn’t thinking of imprisonment or torture. He wanted you dead because the thought of you alive still made it likely for She Ra to protect Etheria.”

“And...what did you do?”

“My brain froze. I was at my peak. I was finally getting the respect I deserved but said no, that there must be another way. I said that we could imprison you, keep you in the cells and make sure you never got out. Possibly get you back with the Horde. Hordak...he said I was weak. He said I still cared about you and that I was just as much of a traitor for not not wanting to kill you. He had been using me the whole time, using my anger and hatred for you to fuel his plans and when he saw that I couldn’t do it, he wanted me imprisoned. I fought back and got through the vents. I escaped and fled to the Whispering Woods. I ran blindly and somehow ended up at Brightmoon. You know the rest...”

“So...you got cast out of the Horde because you didn’t want to kill me?”

“Yes Adora! I thought I hated you but I...I don't like the thought of you not breathing.”

“I think you mean to say ‘I can’t imagine a life without you, Adora’ but whatever floats your boat,” Adora said with a grin.

“No! Well...maybe! Stop talking!” Catra sputtered and the blonde laughed.

“I missed this…” Adora said, her brain slowly slipping from reality into dreamland as she resumed scratching Catra’s neck and the purring began once more.

“Yeah...me too…” Catra said with a yawn, her eyes slowly closing.

Adora could feel her eyes droop and she tried to keep them open.

Why am I suddenly sleepy when Catra is here?

She didn’t have time to answer her own question as her eyelids fluttered closed.

*************************

Adora woke up the next morning, warm and still sleepy but feeling ten times better than she had over the last few months.

“Wow…” she murmured softly as she noticed Catra’s arms were wrapped around her mid section, the feline’s body pressing against hers.

She tried to turn her body as slowly as possible to get into a more comfortable position and to not wake the brunette, but her blue and yellow eyes opened sleepily as Adora turned to face her.

“Adora? What’s goin’ on…?”

“Shhhh...it’s okay. I...I think it’s morning but...I’m going to sleep some more.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

The two cuddled close, Catra’s purring being the perfect lullaby and Adora’s soft breathing allowing the couple to have their first proper sleep in months.

“Adora?”

“Hmmm?”

“Can we do this again sometime? I think this...this might be the only way I can sleep,” Catra admitted, her blush prominent on her face.

“How about tonight?” Adora smiled, gently kissing the brunette’s forehead, her eyes closing.

Even though her eyes were closed, she could tell Catra was smiling.

*********************************

“Your majesty! A Horde soldier approached the palace. What must we do with her?“ the guard said to Queen Angella.

“Bring her in,“ Angella said with a stern voice, the rest of the Princess Alliance quiet at their table. They had been in the middle of a meeting when the guard had made the announcement.

Adora’s hairs stood on end as her thoughts were going 100 miles an hour.

Horde soldier?

It...it couldn’t be....

Is it possible that Catra is here?

Her heart deflated a little when she saw Scorpia but the look on her face made her stomach knot. Scorpia looked up at Angella but before the queen could say anything, she spotted Adora.

“Adora! Catra needs you!“ she blurted out.

It felt like a kick to the stomach. Catra needed her? 

“W-what do you mean, Scorpia,“ the blonde asked, her voice unsteady

C’mon Adora! Now is not the time to be worried!

“Why would Catra need me? She made it very clear-“

“-Hordak is...he’s torturing her,“ Scorpia whispered, her face twisted in pain and Adora felt her heart stop.

It was silent for a moment before Adora broke the silence.

“No...s-she...she was his right hand. He wouldn’t-”

“Shadow Weaver escaped. And...Catra is the reason for it.” Scorpia finished looking down at the ground.

All at once Adora’s world began to crash around her.

“No! You’re lying!” she screamed and the princesses gasped at Adora’s reaction and Angella was speechless.

“For all we know, you could be doing this to trick us. To lure us into a trap! Why should we believe you?” she growled. 

“I...I have proof.”

Scorpia reached into her backpack and took out a pad and switched on the screen. 

“I managed to leave a spy bot there before i left. This...this should be enough.“

Adora grabbed it out of her pincers and watched, in horror, at Catra on all fours. struggling to breathe, with Hordak calling her a traitor. She watched Catra get dragged away and saw Hordak turn back to face his invention in the sanctum before the screen went black.

“Adora, you have no reason to trust me. You can throw me in the dungeon and let me be your prisoner but please...save Catra. She is in danger and doesn’t have a lot of time-”

Scorpia never got to finish her sentence as Adora fell to the floor and screamed, long and loudly. 

“Adora!“ Glimmer and Bow exclaimed and rushed to her side. 

“Why...? Shadow Weaver? Catra!“ she screamed, her sentence not making any sense. 

I...I don’t know if I can get her back...Hordak is so strong...I don’t have a plan...a plan good enough to work...

Adora looked up at Scorpia, tears dripping down her cheeks and the white haired Princess’s eyes widened in realization. 

***********************

“Stupid training exercise! How am I supposed to be an amazing hero if I’m not improving?” she exclaimed, hitting her desk in frustration.

“Woah, Uraraka, it’s just one training exercise...you’ll do better next time,” Izuku said gently and she turned to face him sharply, her expression murderous.

“There isn’t another next time Deku! If a civilian dies and I can’t save them, then it’s on me!”

Her outburst had caused the whole class to look at the situation unfolding, looks of sympathy and concern on her friends’ faces.

“Uraraka-san, it’s okay. It was one exercise. Aizawa-sensei said there would be more this week. You’ll have time-” began Iida but she stopped him.

“Don’t Iida-kun. Just...don’t,” she said in a defeated tone and he backed away.

The other students from class 1-A began to give separate pieces of their own advice, hoping to cheer her up.

“Don’t be sad Uraraka-chan! Maybe something sweet will make you feel better?” suggested Tsuyu.

“I can make us all a cake? I have time and I have been meaning to try out a new chocolate fudge recipe…” said Sato with a small smile.

“Sato, you forgot that we ran out of flour yesterday after making that creamy chicken for dinner. We need to buy more this afternoon and by then it would be too late,” murmured Jirou with a thoughtful expression.

“Wait isn’t there that new cafe down the road? I heard that their cakes and desserts are quite affordable for all of us. We could go there after class today!” Hagakure squealed.

“Yeah, you’re right Hagakure-chan! We can all go check it out!” Ashido said as she wrapped an arm around Uraraka’s shoulders and gave her a bright smile.

“That’ll be nice, right Uraraka-san? We can have a good time and forget about the exercise,” grinned Kaminari and Kirishima nodded.

“That sounds like a great idea everyone. We leave once classes end! But Uraraka-san...don’t put yourself under so much pressure. You’ll do better next time-” Yaoyorozu began but was cut off by the brunette.

“I can’t relax! I need to be at my best!” she snapped and the class froze.

It wasn’t like Uraraka to lash out at anyone, and if anything, she was the last person to lash out.

The class was quiet as she got up from her desk and shrugged on her blazer.

“Uraraka? Where are you going-?” Izuku asked her, his voice laced with worry. But she didn’t answer him as she walked out the door.

*************************************

The afternoon sun was beating down on her as she stomped back to her dormitory.

Uraraka knew that Aizawa-sensei was probably going to give her some sort of punishment for skipping classes, especially her Hero class with All Might but she just didn’t feel up to it.

“Stupid training exercise. I should be improving! Why am I not improving!” she hissed to herself as she made her way across the school.

“I just need to work harder...but I am! Why is there nothing-”

She was cut off as she felt a hand wrap around her mouth and waist and yank her into the greenery on the side of the path. She tried to scream but it felt like her lips were sewn shut and her arms were pinned securely behind her back.

She was pushed roughly to the floor, the dust making her sneeze. She felt a heavy weight on top of her and she tried to move her body but to her surprise, she felt frozen in place.

What the hell…? I can’t move or speak..?

“Hello Uraraka. My name is Flink and you are going to tell me everything I need to know.”

She gasped as she felt a cold blade underneath her neck.

“You’re probably wondering why you can’t move or talk. My quirk is Binding. I can bind anything together and that includes body parts and so on. I wouldn’t pull too hard to free yourself...you might rip your skin off…” he chuckled and she began to panic.

She had never been in a situation like this before and she couldn’t touch him to try to escape.

No! I have to try!

She struggled against his grip, trying to touch him with the pads of her fingertips but she let out a muffled scream when she felt excruciating pain from her leg. Tears immediately began to pour from her eyes and she collapsed on the ground in pain.

“I don’t have time for you trying to be heroic. My quirk allows me to bind as well as unbind. I can unbind bones,” he chuckled and Uraraka whimpered in pain.

“You have many more bones in your body and that was only the first one. So, be a good girl and you won’t have to feel anymore pain.”

She couldn’t get a clear view of him from the way she was positioned but the way he spoke made her blood run cold. Uraraka figured he was quite cocky to attack a student in broad daylight at UA, especially after the USJ Incident that happened a few months prior but this villain...he was something else.

Is he part of the League of Villains?

She was completely powerless against him and with her broken leg, she couldn’t get away.

“Now, you’re going to tell me exactly what I need to know about UA High and Class 1-A. You will not scream unless you want to die today. Am I clear?”

She had to cooperate.

She couldn’t say no.

No! Keep fighting! You are a hero, you can’t give up now!

She thrashed against him , her motivation pumping adrenaline through her body. She felt his weight lessen on her back and she desperately trying to touch him with her fingers but she let out another muffled scream as he broke her other leg.

“Poor, poor girl. Look, you’re cute and I really don’t want to hurt you anymore than I have to but you are making my job incredibly difficult-”

She tried to yank her arm out of his grasp, interrupting his speech and he growled in anger. Losing his patience, he placed a hand on her arm and broke it, and she felt her body give out and collapse on the floor. Her tears soaked the soil and she whimpered in pain.

“-There...now that you’re all relaxed and comfortable, we can talk right? Unless you want me to break a few more bones…?”

She breathed heavily and he smiled.

“Good girl. Finally co-operating. You’ll tell me everything I need to know okay? Any funny business or screaming will make me have to break your other arm. Okay?”

She nodded helplessly and felt more tears drip down her face. He laughed and she felt her mouth relax, his quirk removed.

“Now, begin by explaining-”

Suddenly the weight was off her and she was free. She saw a blur of green energy and she knew it was Deku. Her hands were still bound and she tried rolling onto her side.

Is he alone? Crap, this villain is strong. If he ends up breaking Deku’s bones-

She felt a shock of pain against her head, Deku screaming her name as her vision went black.

***********************

She had put herself in danger and even the whole school at risk.

Ugh, I let my guard down! I should’ve seen him coming! Oh my gosh, I was completely defenseless. I nearly told him information about the school...I can’t believe I was taken down so easily-

"Now, most of your friends wanted to see you but I told them that your injuries were too severe and I needed to concentrate. That crazy villain really did a number on you. I’ve never had to do such intensive work on a student besides your classmate, who always broke his bones. I don't know if any of your friends are still outside because it's late but..." Recovery Girl said walking to the door and snapping the hero out of her daze.

Uraraka closed her eyes as her cheeks burned with shame.

Idiot! How could you get so riled up that you didn’t even see the villain coming?

"Oh! Hello Midoriya! Yes, she's all better now. Come in." Uraraka cursed and tried to calm herself down but her thoughts were in overdrive.

Why of all the people here, it's him?! Deku should've just gone home! I don't want him to see me like this! And...he...he fought Flink...he saved me. He put himself at risk...

"Here she is young man. Now, I'm sure you need to get going too as it is late but I'll give you time to talk. I'm going to go to the office to report to your teachers with regards to her injuries." The old lady walked out the room, leaving the two young heroes alone.

"Hey Uraraka, how are you feeling?" the green haired boy asked gently, a small smile on his face.

"I...I'm fine..." she began not registering the tears dripping down her face before breaking down into sobs, the emotions too much for her to bear.

"Woah, Uraraka-!"

"I'm sorry Deku. I'm so sorry!"

"W-what? Why? You're the one that's hurt! You got attacked!"

"I was angry...and I let my guard down and the villain got me. I...made everyone worry and put the whole school at risk-"

She stopped when she saw the bandages peeking out from under his shirt collar.

"You got hurt....because of me...I was reckless and wanting to prove myself. I was so sick of not improving that I didn't even notice the villain-."

"Uraraka...please don't blame yourself."

"Deku are you not hearing me? You got hurt! You came after me and...and you got hurt."

She collapsed into tears again, trying to wipe them away from her face with her hands. Deku was quiet for a while before sitting down next to her.

"Look...I know about wanting to improve. That's what most of my training is with trying to control my quirk. But Uraraka...you don't need to prove yourself to anyone. Even your parents say that as long as you’re happy...you’ll be fine. You're amazing already."

“But-”

“I know you feel guilty but what if it had been some other person? It could’ve been anyone who was attacked but you fought back.”

“Y...you saw that?”

“Yeah, as soon as you left the class, I went after you. I was worried and even if you didn’t want to talk, I didn’t mind keeping you company or trying to convince you to come back to class,” he said scratching behind his head with a small smile. “You struggling gave me enough time to form a plan and then he broke your leg and I might’ve...seen red...All Might said I got carried away...”

The brunette looked up and saw that he was blushing slightly and she let out a giggle.

“So protective, huh?”

“You were crying! And in pain!”

“I’m just messing with you!” she laughed, the sound filling the open space of the room, the white curtains fluttering in the late afternoon breeze.

"Thanks Deku...I guess it gets to my head sometimes especially with wanting to help my parents...it...it’s been rough at home. My dad hasn’t been getting much business for the past few months and I guess it just...got to me today."

"I’m sorry to hear that, Uraraka. But...I’m sure your parents would be distraught to hear that their daughter walked out of school...and got attacked by a villain because you felt that you weren’t improving. We’re only first years and even though you want to help them, you need to focus on you, on being the best hero you can be.”

“I know...I guess it...it gets to me. Especially since I’m surrounded by classmates who keep pushing themselves no matter the consequence,” she murmured, not meeting his eyes.

Izuku’s grinned faltered for a second and he nodded thoughtfully.

Yes, Deku...I compare myself to you because you’ve got this drive that no one else has.

“Well, how about we begin training together? You can improve as well as go up against me. I might not be on Todoroki-san’s level but...if that makes you feel better then we can do that? " he asked with a smile, the determination bright in his eyes.

She smiled and wiped away the rest of her tears.

“Thanks Deku, that sounds great! I wish we could start right away but now I have to wear this stupid cast! Recovery Girl said that it’s already healed but for safety measures, it needs to be in this thing for a couple more hours." she moaned as she gestured to her legs and her left arm.

"Hmm....how about we draw on them? Y’know like they do in those movies? I have a few markers in my bag if you want?"

She brightened at the suggestion and nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! I'd love that! Even if it’ll be cut off in a few hours.”

Deku took out his markers from his bag, sat down and examined her casts.

"What would you like on your casts?"

"I don't really know. I mean 'Get better soon' is kinda pointless since I am better already...Why don't you just go nuts? You draw whatever you want, I'm sure you'll surprise me!"

Izuku's eyes widened.

"You...you sure? You’re giving me a lot of creative freedom..."

"Yeah! Go ahead! I’m sure you’ll make something great!" Izuku began to draw on her left leg and she watched him, a small smile on her face.

"Oh I forgot to ask...did the villain get caught?" she asked softly.

"He did. After I went after him, I alerted the group and the message eventually got to the teachers but All Might stopped him! It was surprising because it looked like he was on his way to teach us when he saw me fighting the villain. He still fought in his non-hero form and it gave the teachers enough time to help. It was amazing Uraraka! The villain put up quite a fight but he was taken down. He’s been detained and currently in interrogation."

"You really admire All Might, huh?" laughed Uraraka.

Deku’s expression softened as the marker went up and down on her cast, his eyes never leaving her leg.

"He's my inspiration. He's the whole reason I wanted to be a hero in the first place. Coming to UA and having him as my teacher...it's a dream come true. He’s done so much for us and even saving Kacchan...I owe him and I want to make him proud."

Uraraka felt her heart beat a little faster as her face grew warm. She really liked how open he was about his admiration for All Might. He had already achieved so much and she couldn't help but be happy for him. She watched him move from her left leg cast to her right one and she could just make out the figures of some people in their class.

"I'm really happy for you Deku. You've already come so far. I remember you saving me in the entrance exam and how you did so well in the semi-finals in the sports festival. You might not see it but...you are improving so much. You inspire me."

Uraraka immediately closed her mouth and her face went red. She made eye contact with him and saw that he had gone a cherry red too.

"I- Oh my gosh I didn't mean for that to come out!"

"No- It's...It's okay Uraraka!" he choked out. “It...It means a lot! I...I've never been anyone's inspiration..."

"You haven't? But you're one of the smartest in the class! You analyse every single hero! You are so strong and you keep pushing yourself! How can you not inspire people?" she laughed.

"I...I never thought about it like that before..."

"Well you are, Izuku Midoriya. No matter what anyone else says."

He looked up, and gave her a smile.

"Thanks Uraraka...really."

She smiled back, her cheeks still red but smiled anyway. He went back to drawing, this time on her left arm cast and after a few more moments of silence, he put the caps back on his markers and admired his work.

"Done! I...I hope you like it..."

"Deku...this is amazing! Is that the whole class?"

He had drawn every single person from their class on her casts as well as Aizawa-sensei and All Might. He added a few of All Might’s catchphrases and a few sketches of mochi.

"Yeah, everyone was pretty worried about you. Even Bakugou. A lot of them had to go back to the dorms because of the test tomorrow and they were sorry. I studied already and wanted to see if you were okay."

"That's...really sweet. I'll thank them all tomorrow- wait we have a test?!" she screeched, scaring Izuku so much that he fell off the bed.

"Yeah, that big test Aizawa-sensei was talking about since two weeks ago," he said as he rubbed his backside and stood up.

"Oh crap! I haven't gone through the last section! Dammit today was just the perfect day to get kidnapped by a villain and get totally K.Oed!" she groaned.

“Well considering the state you’re in...do you really think Aizawa would still let you write? I mean you were attacked...” Izuku mumbled.

“I’d rather be safe than sorry. Heroes still save people when they’re injured so I have to do the same.”

He nodded before opening his bag and taking out his notes.

"I still have all my notes on me. I can teach you the last section if you want?"

"Please! My grade depends on it!"

For the next hour, the two young heroes studied together and by the time Recovery Girl came back, Izuku had just finished quizzing her.

“Done! You’re all prepared!” he announced and she sighed in relief.

“Yay! Thank you so much! I really owe you one Deku!” she grinned and Recovery Girl smiled as she walked up to them.

“Hello you two, sorry I took so long. Principal Nezu and All Might wanted me to fill them in on your injuries oh-! I see you’ve been busy,” she noted admiring Uraraka’s casts, the class of 1-A displayed brightly.

“Deku drew it for me! I love it!” she smiled.

At that moment, a familiar blonde haired superhero burst into the room, his signature smile making his presence known.

“I am here!” All Might bellowed before blood spurted out of his mouth and he deflated to his normal form. Uraraka’s jaw dropped and Izuku looked a bit shocked but smiled. Recovery Girl hit All Might on the head and Izuku screamed.

“All Might! What have I told you about using your hero form?” she yelled and he rubbed his head in pain.

“I know I mustn’t use it-”

“But you keep using it! Stop otherwise you’ll drain yourself!” she warned and he sighed.

“Sorry Recovery Girl.”

“Hmph! Anyway, I need to go see Principal Nezu again with regards to your scans. Uraraka, you may leave, dearie. The cast should come off tomorrow morning so pop in before class starts. All Might, no more hero form!” Without another word, she walked out the room and closed the door.

“Sorry about that! Recovery Girl has been quite strict with me but anyway...”

He took a seat next to her bed.

“I wanted to catch you before you left. Uraraka, I wanted to check if you were okay. Recovery Girl told me you suffered quite a few broken bones and a blow to the head.”

Uraraka flushed and looked down shyly. Even in his skeletal state, his concern for her was heart-warming and to be asked by All Might himself, if she was okay made her embarrassed.

“I’m okay All Might-sensei. It was just a shock that’s all.”

“According to Midoriya, you put up quite a fight! I expect nothing better from a fine young hero like yourself,” he grinned and ruffled Izuku’s curls, the younger boy sputtering in embarrassment.

“I-it was nothing! I...I almost told him what he wanted to know…” she whispered and All Might sat down on her bed.

“Young Uraraka, you displayed bravery today. I can only imagine you were terrified but your wounds show how much you put up a fight. Young Midoriya saw you and you bought him some time. You may think you only put the school at risk but I assure you, you did exactly what a hero would do. I don’t know if your parents agree...especially since they were worried about you when we called them this afternoon, but they are happy you’re safe.”

All Might looked at the casts, a smile forming.

“Oh, I see you’ve drawn on them! Is this the whole class of 1-A? And is that me?”

“Yeah! Deku drew them for me!” Uraraka beamed with pride and Izuku blushed.

“A hero and an artist? Midoriya, my boy, you are full of surprises. Well, it’s getting late and since the breach security, Principal Nezu has increased the security once again. Every student is required to have a teacher escorting them too and from their dorms to the school building or at least be in a group of five. It may be annoying but that’s what we need to do. I am here to escort the two of you back to your dorm.”

Uraraka nodded and she slowly got out of bed with the help from Izuku. He picked her up and gently lowered her into a wheelchair. The walk back to the dorm was filled with chatter from Izuku talking to All Might about the fight with Flink. How they subdued him and if he was related to the League of Villains. Uraraka was only half listening but her mind kept drifting back to the words All Might had said to her.

Young Uraraka, you displayed bravery today. I can only imagine you were terrified but your wounds show how much you put up a fight.

She smiled wide at his words and before she knew it, they were at class 1-A’s dorm. Izuku and All Might picked up either side of the wheelchair and placed her on the stoop and opened the door. They were met with 17 pairs of eyes and the whole dormitory burst into a cacophony of noise.

“Uraraka-chan! “You’re okay!”

“We were so worried about you!”

“Midoriya-san said you were seriously injured!”

“Hey your casts look really cool- Holy crap is that me?!”

“Is that the whole of our class, ribbit?”

“Aizawa-sensei looks so accurate with his sleeping bag!”

“Whoa, there’s All Might!”

“Everyone! As Class Rep, I ask you to give Uraraka-san space! She just came out of surgery!”

The noise died down and everyone took a step back.

“Sorry Uraraka-san...when we heard of the attack from Midoriya-san...we didn’t know what to do. We were all worried,” said Yaoyorozu, eyeing the casts.

“When we heard what the villain had done to you, some of us nearly went after him,” admitted Kaminari with a grin and Jiro hit him on the side of his head.

“Yeah, like a dumbass! Uraraka’s injuries were severe and Midoriya-san just bought the teachers enough time too! One shock of electricity and you’re an idiot!”

“But Jirouuu!” he moaned as he rubbed his head and Shoji chuckled.

“But thankfully All Might and the teachers handled it,” Tokoyami said and he sighed in relief.

“Oh please, if Deku could handle it, then so could I,” Bakugou said with a smirk.

“Hmmm, you could totally handle a guy who’s quick binds bones together,” Todoroki murmured.

“And what does that supposed to mean Icyhot?!”

“I mean that even though you are good with your fighting skills, if he touched you, you would be helpless.”

Todoroki’s gaze shifted to Uraraka and he nodded.

“Even though Uraraka could’ve stopped him easily, he bound her and she couldn’t do anything since her quirk lies in her fingertips. So she did the next best thing. She stalled, giving Midoriya-san enough time to figure out a strategy.”

Uraraka’s eyes widened.

“Jeez Todoroki-san...you’re talking like you saw the whole thing!” she exclaimed.

“Well, all that matters now is that you’re safe,” said Koda and she smiled gratefully at him.

“Can we please eat the cake now? We’ve been waiting for hours!” exclaimed Aoyama dramatically.

“The...the cake that was decorated a few minutes ago? That didn’t take too long to bake Aoyama,” Ojiro said and the class laughed.

“Since you got attacked, the school went on lock down and we had to say in our dorms for two hours. We kept complaining to Aizawa-sensei that we wanted to make cake and I think he may have gotten irritated and bought us flour to shut up,” giggled Ashido.

Izuku wheeled Uraraka to the common area and on one of the tables sat a chiffon cake topped with fresh cream and strawberries. The girl gasped as Koda cut a slice and presented it to her on a plate.

“We all know you like cake and we wanted to make you feel better so Sato made you some.”

Uraraka took a bite of the cake and her eyes lit up in happiness.

“Guys, thank you. I...I also want to apologize for how I acted earlier. I wasn’t in a good space and I took it out on all of you. I am deeply sorry,” she said as she bowed, as best she could in the wheelchair, and when she looked up she was met with smiles.

“It’s okay Uraraka-chan. We can’t all have good days all the time,” said Tsuyu.

“Yeah, we’re here for you and besides we can’t have another explosive attitude like Bakugou here,” laughed Kirishima.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean you fucker?!” the blonde screamed and there were a few giggles from Ashido and Hagakure.

“Well, let’s cut up the rest and wish for your speedy recovery!” said Kaminari.

“Hey All Might-sensei, you should have a slice too!” said Midoriya as he offered the hero a plate.

“Well....I supposed one slice won’t hurt me,” he said with a grin and everyone gathered to sit in the common area.

Aizawa wasn’t surprised to see the students with All Might, eating cake when he entered the dorm. He was doing his last round of check ups before settling down for the night and tried to not let his tiredness show. He had been told that afternoon that there would be at least one teacher assigned to a dorm for security reasons. Even though he had a soft spot for his class, he knew that they were still teenagers who got up to mischief. His room was already set up and he was ready to hit the hay and call it a night when he saw All Might surrounded by his class. He expected him to be there with the new rule of teachers escorting students back to their dorm but it was getting late. Even pro heroes need sleep but All Might looked happier than a mother seeing her baby for the first time.

“Aizawa-sensei! Come join us! We have cake!” Hagakure said happily from the floor, and even though it was expected as she was invisible, Aizawa found it comical that the cake just disappeared off her fork as she took a bite. He was about to protest and give some sort of excuse but he caught All Might’s eyes and sighed.

“Fine. One slice and then everyone needs to settle down for the evening. We still have classes tomorrow as well as the test.”

He took a plate from Ojiro and sat down on the opposite couch where Jiro, Tokoyami, Kaminari, Koda and Shoji were sitting. He spotted Uraraka, sitting next to Midoriya and All Might, in the couch opposite him and nodded towards her.

“You still feel fit to write the test tomorrow? I wouldn’t usually give this as an option but you were attacked and your injuries were out of the ordinary. I don’t mind giving you a makeup test next week-”

“-Sorry to interrupt but it’s okay, Aizawa-sensei. I studied and I’m ready for tomorrow.”

“Seriously Uraraka-san? You’d still write the test even though Aizawa-sensei is granting you permission to skip it?” droned Aoyama.

“Well...it’s what a hero would do right? Heroes still need to be able to get up and fight when they’re down and not functioning at their best. Even though this is only a test, I still need to push through. Besides, I know my work. Deku studied with me when I woke up after surgery,” she blushed and Aizawa hid a smile.

You will make a great hero Uraraka.

“That was very generous of you Midoriya-san,” commented Iida and he smiled, blushing slightly.

“It was nothing really. Uraraka is a fast learner so it was easy.”

Aizawa nodded, “Very well then.”

There was a knock from the front door and the whole class froze. It was unusual for someone to be out at that hour and after the villain incident, they were all a little paranoid. A villian, attacking a student in broad daylight, on campus grounds? It was a ballsy move but it was enough to make the whole school stand on edge. Aizawa got up and walked towards the door, his guard up and he opened it, ready to fight, when he came face to face with Principal Nezu.

“Oh, good evening Aizawa-san. May I please come in?”

Aizawa moved so that the principal could come in and the students collectively let out a sigh of relief when they saw him.

“Good evening children.”

“Good evening sir!” Class 1-A responded, all of them bowing their heads.

“Ochaco? Can I please speak with you in private? Midoriya, Aizawa and All Might, please join me so that we can discuss today’s events.”

They nodded and All Might and Izuku began to help Uraraka back into her wheelchair when a voice rang out.

“Wait.”

All eyes were on Iida, his expression one of calm.

“Ah, Iida. You’re the Class Rep. What seems to be the problem?”

“Principal Nezu, with all due respect, I understand that you want to question Uraraka-san in private with regards to the attack today. But as Class Rep, I need to ask you this. Why can’t we as a class know about the attack. We will find out later anyway and this isn’t exactly a private affair. Uraraka was attacked and if the rumours are true, then it has something to do with our class specifically.” Iida bowed low, and Uraraka gulped at his stance. “I ask you to have the meeting you intended to have with Uraraka privately with all of us. That way we will know exactly what happened this afternoon and we’ll understand what the villain wanted.”

The room was silent and another voice broke through.

“I agree. If the rumours are true, Uraraka-san got attacked and was questioned about our school as well as our class. We are her classmates also and have a right to know,” nodded Todoroki.

“Guys it’s really not much-” Uraraka began, trying to save the situation but was interrupted.

“Fair enough. Uraraka, what happened exactly? We need to know details of why you were walking to your dorm when you should’ve been in class,” Nezu asked.

She nodded and launched into her explanation. How she felt like she wasn’t improving, to lashing out at her friends and then walking back to the dorms before being attacked.

“He said his name was Flink. His quirk was binding which was why I couldn’t move. He bound my skin together and my mouth so that I couldn’t move or scream. He first asked me to tell him ‘everything I know’ and held a knife to my neck.”

The common room was dead quiet.

“I struggled against him and tried to escape and that was when he broke my right leg. He said that I had many bones and that he could break them one by one until I told him what he wanted to know about UA High and Class 1-A. I refused to and struggled some more before he broke my left leg. He...he almost made it seem like we were friends...”

“What do you mean?” Aizawa asked.

“Like he said to me that I was cute-"

She shuddered, remembering how close he had been to her ear.

"-and that he didn’t want to hurt me anymore than he had to but I was making his job difficult for him which is why he then broke my other leg and left arm. After that he asked me of I was comfortable on the ground and asked if we could talk unless I wanted more bones to be broken. I had to cooperate. There was nothing else I could do and I nodded to say that I would go through with his questions. He threatened to break my other arm if I screamed or tried anything funny. I nodded and he unbound my mouth and he was about to ask me a question before Deku came and knocked him off of me. The last thing I remember was being worried about Deku because this guy’s quirk was so strong. And then... I got hit on the head and I was knocked out. The next thing I know, I'm with Recovery Girl in the medical bay.”

The room was quiet and Principal Nezu bowed, in thanks.

“Thank you. Clearly the rumours are true and that this man was not only after UA High but your class specifically. I don’t know if he predicted you to walk out of class in the afternoon-”

“Wait!”

Everyone turned to Izuku and he bowed quickly to apologize.

“Sorry for the interruption but I just remembered! When I went to fight the villain, All Might-sensei was on his way to our Hero class for the afternoon. Do...do you think that he was waiting to possibly attack him but saw Uraraka as an opportunity?”

“I...I can see why that would’ve happened. Everyone knows I’d sacrifice myself for someone else and if he had Uraraka as a hostage...I would’ve done everything I could to keep her safe,” said All Might with a sigh.

“But that makes no sense. Why would he attack me and begin questioning me if he could’ve just asked All Might?” asked Uraraka.

“Probably to see who was lying. If either story didn’t match up, he probably would’ve killed Uraraka,” Aizawa murmured and she felt a chill travel down her spine.

“I...I wonder what he would’ve asked me...” she whispered and All Might put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Well it’s over now. You’re okay and that’s the most important thing.”

“Ugh, I kinda want to punch that asshole until he talks. He can’t seriously think he can just attack one of us and expect to get away with it,” Bakugou smirked as his hands began to spark.

“Now Kacchan-”

“What Deku? You want that bastard to get away with this?”

“Sounds like you want to go after him for revenge Bakugou...” Izuku said cautiously and the blonde sighed, remembering what All Might had said about the Hero Killer at the Hosu incident.

“It just fucking sucks! This random villain thinks he can just attack one of us?!” he hissed and Uraraka saw some of her classmates nodding.

“Now, now. I understand that you're all angry because a classmate of yours was attacked but that’s why you’re all training to be heroes. You want to save people. I know the feeling of wanting to get even but that is not how heroes work. Remember that," Aizawa said, his voice stern but empathetic.

"Thank you Uraraka for telling us this,” All Might nodded and the class settled down.

“Yes, thank you. As you all probably know, I have increased security but I am still worried about you all in particular, Class 1-A. I want you all to stay vigilant and to look out for each other. We can’t risk having another incident like this happen. Which is why All Might will stay here for the night as well, just in case.”

“You mean...it’s going to be a sleepover?” giggled Mina and Nezu nodded.

“If that’s what you want it to be. Now from what I understand, you all have a test tomorrow. Get some sleep everyone. Goodnight.”

The Principal bowed to Class 1-A as they said goodbye before he was escorted out. After that, there was bursts of soft chatter among the students, most of them asking Uraraka any extra questions about the attack before Iida stopped them.

“Guys, Uraraka-san has been through enough for one day. Let’s finish up the cake and settle down to bed. We do have a test tomorrow after all,” Iida said.

There were a few grumbles but they cleaned up and went up to their rooms. Midoriya lagged behind, looking at All Might and Uraraka. He appeared to be in deep conversation with her. With a smile he went to the elevator and straight to his bedroom.

She went through quite a scare today. I'm glad she’s okay.

Since Principal Nezu's sudden announcement said All Might was staying there for the night, he was going to sleep on the couch. Uraraka, who didn't realize how exhausted she was from the day's events, was slowly falling asleep next to him as he wrapped up his conversation with her.

“Young Ochaco, before you go to bed, I’d like to say how proud-”

He stopped when he saw her sleeping face and his face melted into a soft smile.

“You’ve had a pretty rough day...let’s get you to bed.”

He tried to move her but she wouldn’t budge.

“Is this a side effect of your quirk or something?” he huffed as he collapsed on the couch next to her, her sleeping body still on the couch.

“Well, I don’t think Aizawa would agree with me to let you sleep by my side but either you got heavier or I got weaker after losing my strength,” he groaned.

He looked down at the sleeping Ochaco, turned off the lights and threw a blanket over both of them before settling down.