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mokku-latte · 9 months ago

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A Slice of Cake

Jinx x fem! Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

There was a sudden tranquility coursing through you when you visited Jinx, her rampage has left an impression on you that can no longer be ignored. Unfortunately, life in Piltover wasn't exactly what you pictured, and you decided it was time for a change of scenery. But why did it leave a gnawing in Jinx's stomach when you came back to her with a 'clearer' head than ever.

You'd fix it. Maybe with a slice or two. After all, you promised.

Trigger warning: Suicidal Thoughts, Implied Suicide, Hurt/No Comfort

Author’s Note: First time posting on here, or posting a fic really. Sorry in advance for any errors!

You can also read it on AO3!!

___

"Stupid. Dumb. Machine-!" She pushed the makeshift bomb away as it clicked from her error. It rolled off the ledge falling past the depths of the abandoned fissure before exploding in purples and blues. Jinx slumped back in her chair, grunting and clutching her braids. She breathed heavily through the strands of hair. Nothing was working, nothing was cooperating. Her voice came out mocking, child-like even.

"What? No witty, come back Mylo? Claggor?" Jinx grumbled, rolling her eyes. They've been quiet. Too quiet after his death. It made her uneasy. She got up, grabbing pow-pow off to the side.

"Then again you two usually shut up, in courtesy of my guests, ain't that right, toots?" Jinx's voice was like venom when she heard footsteps echo throughout her hideout. The barrel of her minigun slowly came to life rotating as you stepped through the foyer.

You.

Age as always, was a bitch. It changes you, making strangers out of those faces you long forgotten. You were you, no mistaking that. The way you carried, yourself, your mannerisms, your walk. You stop just a few feet of her, mouth opening to talk. The memories battered and slammed against Jinx's head, her eyes twitching in hurt and anger. It all proves too much for her when she presses down on the trigger, not even giving you a chance as the smoke of her bullets caught her vision masking you in its entirety.

Jinx keeled over, chest heaving. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't give you the satisfaction, not when you left her, not when you stayed away, and surely when she got to see your face after so long. Her eyes looked up once the smoke cleared. A snarl coming from her lips.

"You don't just get to walk in here, y'know? Already heard of your little escapade at firelight's base. M' sure catching up with boy savior was just peachy," You stood there, eyes looking down at the bullet holes that stopped just at your feet and trailing up the wall beside you. Her sudden outburst had you turning back to her.

"News flash toots! You were the one who promised 'I'll never stray from you Powder!' and- and- 'Let's build a better life in Zaun' HAH-" Jinx prattled with a mocking tone, walking around in a circle.

"Ya' sure did get that better life, huh? What's it like up there in the fresh air and prissy prim buildings, Piltie?" She sneered at you, gun teasing your abdomen. Betcha' wondered if she'd miss this time?

You expected this. How could you not? Vi told you, Ekko told you, yet none of it seemed to matter. Powder- No Jinx. A wanted criminal. A danger to those around her, to those who like to get in close, people like you. Her damage was irreparable, the fruits of her labor were clear. The bombing of all those enforcers, the council chair incident, the sudden death of a Chembaron NO one seemed to know the cause of death of? It screamed her name. To say it lightly, things were not okay. It was impressive, really.

"...You looked like you've seen better days," Was all you said, eyes taking in her face, her blue bell braids, her attire, her... pink eyes. You could see the dark color of her veins, poke prominently on the skin of her face. An effect of shimmer, no doubt. Nonetheless, you would fix it.

Jinx faltered when You held up a box in front of her.

"S' not much. I don't expect you to forgive me, but Vi said I should bring something," You opened it to reveal a small little cake. You two once stole some during your little Piltover raids as kids, sweet vanilla. Plain and simple. Yet she wouldn't have it any other way.

The cake. That simple, small cake sitting in the box. It's so familiar, so…you. It's the cake you used to steal from that little bakery in Piltover, the one with the old man who always chased them out, yelling about thieving Zaunites. You'd both run and laugh and stuff your faces with those sweet, simple cakes until the both of you were sick. It was a different life, a different world. Before everything went wrong. Before she went wrong.

But the cake...it's a line in the sand. A gesture of peace in a world that's nothing but war you weren't sure you'd come back from. She knows she should be suspicious. She knows she should be angry. But all she can feel is a strange, aching emptiness. A void that used to be filled with laughter and stolen moments and the comforting presence of a friend who understood her in a way no one else ever did.

She takes a shaky breath, and her grip on pow-pow loosens just a little. She doesn't lower the weapon, but she doesn't point it at you anymore, either. She's not sure what to do with her hands, so she lets them weapon dangle awkwardly at her sides.

"You...you brought me cake," she says slowly, her voice small and hoarse. It's not a question, but it's not quite a statement either. She's trying to process, to make sense of something kind in a world that's only ever been cruel. Jinx let out quick breathes. Mistrust and wavering vulnerability clear behind them as she looked at you. You didn't look afraid as much as people should be in this situation, but no... It's not like you were afraid, just tired.

"You knew," she whispers, her voice trembling. "You knew what you were getting into. You knew...what I've become."

She takes a step forward, her movements jerky and unpredictable. She's like a cornered animal, ready to strike or flee at any moment. Her free hand curls into a tight fist at her side, her nails digging into her palm hard enough to draw blood.

"So why? Why come back? Why now?" Her voice rises, edged with a frantic desperation. "Is this some kind of joke? Some twisted game? Are you here to gloat? To see how far I've fallen?"

You blinked at her slowly, before sighing. Jinx stammered when you pushed pass her, sitting the box atop the workbench. Jinx's eyes widen as You turn your back on her, as if she's not holding a weapon that could blow you both to smithereens. As if she's not a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

"I'm...simply here to right a wrong," You murmured, taking one of the tools Jinx had, blowing on it, and rubbing at it with your sleeve. It'll have to do. She watches, dumbfounded while you casually took one of her tools and started cutting into the cake.

"Right a wrong," she repeats, her voice hollow. "Is that what you call it?"

Her laugh is brittle, devoid of any real humor. "And what exactly is the wrong you're trying to right, huh? Leaving me? Abandoning me like everyone else?"

She takes a step closer, her movements slow and deliberate. "Or maybe...maybe you're here to fix me." Her voice drips with sarcasm, but there's a hint of something else beneath it. Hope, maybe. Or fear.

"Is that it? Cut a cake, POOF- and everything will be like it used to be? Like I'm still her?"

"Fix you?" Your head raised making her freeze up. You weren't looking at her, your voice pondering as you tilted your head. Jinx could almost smell the familiar scent of lavender, that natural scent you always had on her. You once fell into a tub of suds, when you all cut through this one Pilties house to escape enforcers. The smell stuck with you ever since, weirdly enough. You liked it, one of the few things you could control about yourself.

"I think that time has long passed, damage is damage really..." The tool went back to cutting.

"Me being here is just a means to an end, a talk that was loooonnng overdue," you said, sticking out your tongue while you concentrated, lifting a piece of cake and resting it on a space of its unfurled cardboard.

"That's all this is to you? Just a little chat?"

She gestures wildly with pow-pow, the weapon wavering in the air between them. "Well, let me tell you something. We've got nothing to talk about. Nothing!" Jinx marched around. She wanted to make her intentions clear.

"Coming here, acting like nothing happened, like I didn't sit here for years waiting for you, hoping you'd come back. Hoping you'd be different. Hoping you wouldn't leave me like everyone else."

She's yelling now, her words slurring together as they tumble out in a torrent of emotion. "But you did. You left me. And now you're here, cutting a fucking cake like it's all going to be okay. Like I'm not a monster. Like I'm not..."

She trails off, her voice suddenly small and broken. "Like I'm not alone."

She falls silent, her chest heaving with the effort of her outburst. She's shaking, her hands trembling around the grip of pow-pow. And for a moment, just a moment, she looks like the little girl she used to be. Lost, scared, and desperately clinging to the hope that someone, anyone, might stay.

You sucked on your thumb, licking the frosting off. Turning, you sat atop the work bench, waving the tool lazily.

"Jinx," You tested the tongue on her name and she only scoffed. No longer Powder. Powder apparently fell down a well.

"Would Silco have taken me in, too? When I was bleeding out on the floor, watching with hazy eyes as you ran into his arms after Vi left the scene of the explosion," Jinx shuddered at your question, eye jumping slightly at the thought.

"I mean...I knew he tried to kill us all as kids at first because we were witnesses and all that with Vander being our guardian, but he took you. Grew close to you, from what I was told," You said softly, hands moving the tool like an airplane.

"I don't resent you anymore for putting your trust in him. I used to be angry about it. For siding with the man who killed Vander, but I'm tired of being so...reactive," Your head hung lazily.

"Silco..." Jinx starts, her voice rough and unsteady. "He...he saved me. When Vi left, when everyone left...he was the only one who didn't abandon me."

She looks away, her gaze distant and haunted. "He took me in, gave me a place to belong. A purpose. He...he became my family."

But even as she says the words, there's a brittleness to them. A fragile, desperate edge that betrays the insecurity beneath the bravado.

"And yeah, maybe he...maybe he did some bad things. Maybe he hurt people. But he never hurt me. He never left me."

"And I ask again..." You finally looked her.

"Would he have taken me too?" Would you have ever had a chance? Being here with Jinx instead of becoming a rescue in Piltover. Had he noticed the other girl bleeding out from the rubble, would he have been as merciful? Silco was unpredictable, who knows?

Jinx's shoulders tense at your question, her fingers tightening around pow-pow until her knuckles turn white. She doesn't want to answer. She doesn't want to think about it. But the words force their way out, trembling and raw.

"I...I don't know," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart. "I don't know if he would have...if he would have taken you too."

She swallows hard, her throat constricting painfully. "He...he might have. He might have taken you in, given you a new life. A chance to be a part of something bigger, something more than...than what Piltover offered."

A Lie.

That's what that was. There was an opportunity to shape and to mold. And that man took it when he had her. His ambition got him killed, his love for her, the parallels between him and Vi were too great. His indulgence in the transition between Powder and Jinx was an oddity, something that left behind confusion, and more pain than good. And you saw it all, the anguish it caused, the addicts on the streets of Zaun, the people it affected.

"But it's too late now, isn't it? It's too late to go back. Too late to change what's already been done."

Jinx turns away, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "So what's the point of talking about it? What's the point of anything?"

She laughs then, a harsh, bitter sound that echoes in the stillness of the workshop. "Maybe I'm just a monster after all. Maybe I deserve to be alone. Maybe..." You looked at her, sucking in your bottom lip.

"Come have a slice of cake," You said gently, gesturing her over with the flick of the tool.

Jinx stares at you, her expression unreadable. The pain and anger and confusion swirling inside her like a hurricane, threatening to tear her apart. But beneath it all, there's a small, fragile spark of hope. A desperate, yearning desire to believe that maybe, just maybe, you really were here. That this was real. That maybe this isn't some cruel trick or twisted game her mind conjured.

She takes a hesitant step forward, her movements slow and uncertain. "I...I don't know if I should," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can trust this. If I can trust you."

But even as she says the words, she finds herself taking another step, and then another. Until she's standing in front of you, so close she can see the flecks of gold in her friend's skins. The history of Piltover, and its effects of it on you, how much you changed. So close she can smell the familiar scent of lavender once more, a reminder of happier times.

"Why?" she asks, her voice raw and broken. "Why are you really here?"

"...I was friends with Powder. It's a check-up of sorts and it's a first finally seeing 'Jinx', you know?" You only tilted her head at her. Jinx watched as You cut her a slice, dropping the piece next to your half-eaten slice.

"I guess, I'm still figuring out first impressions," You added.

She looks up at you, her eyes searching her friend's face for any sign of deceit. But there's nothing there. Just the same warm, familiar eyes she remembers from their childhood. The same gentle smile that always seemed to understand her, even when she couldn't understand herself.

Slowly, hesitantly, she reaches out and picks up the slice of cake. She brings it to her mouth, taking a tentative bite. The sweetness explodes on her tongue, and for a moment, she's transported back to those simpler times. Back to the days when they would raid the Piltie houses together, stuffing their faces with stolen treats and laughing until their sides ached.

She swallows hard, blinking back the sudden tears that threaten to spill down her cheeks. "It's good," she mumbles, her voice rough and unsteady. "Really good."

"Glad, you like it," You spoke softly, taking out a small cannister, playing with the top. A moment of silence went over them, reveling in the cake and the tranquility of it all. But even times like these have an abrupt stop.

Jinx takes another bite, savoring the flavor, letting it fill the empty spaces inside her. For a moment, she allows herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, things can be different. That maybe you really do still care, that you haven't come here just to rub salt in old wounds.

But then the moment passes, and the doubts come rushing back. The memories of all the pain and betrayal, all the times she was left alone and forgotten. She puts the cake down, her appetite suddenly gone.

"So what now?" she asks, her voice flat and tired. "What happens after the cake? Do we go back to the way things were, with you in Piltover and me here in the lanes? Or do we try to start over, pretend like nothing ever happened?"

She looks at you, her eyes hard and challenging. "Because I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I can just...forget. Forget everything that's happened, everything I've done. Everything."

"Me, going back to Piltover?" You snorted, a small smile making it to her face. Your eyes looked forward, looking around Jinx's hideout.

"No, no...I have other plans," You crossed your legs, picking off a piece of her cake and pressing it into your mouth, finishing the rest for her.

Jinx's eyes narrow at your words, a flicker of suspicion crossing her face. Other plans? What could that possibly mean? She looks around her hideout, suddenly seeing it through your eyes. The mess of weapons and wires, the stacks of crates and barrels, the general air of chaos and destruction. It's not exactly the kind of place you have a friend over for a casual visit.

"What kind of plans?" she asks, her voice guarded and wary. "You're not...you're not here to take me back to Piltover, are you? To turn me in to the enforcers?"

"I wouldn't hold a cake to you even if I tried," You said a pun, licking icing off your lips, holding up your arms and flexing. Nothing. Piltover really had softened you up. You and 'Powder' were the weakest of the bunch when they were little in comparison to Vi, Claggor, and Mylo.

"You know when I entered Zaun again after all these years, a guy held a knife to my throat. I almost forgot how easy it is to just get robbed in this place. Can't say I missed it," You sighed.

"Nonetheless, the guy was confused when I gave him everything, I just asked him to spare the cake at least, figured everything I gave him was more than enough,"

Jinx looks you up and down, taking in the plain, utilitarian outfit. The lack of anything valuable or flashy. And suddenly, the pieces start to fall into place.

"You...you came here with nothing," she says slowly, realization dawning in her eyes. "You came here with no weapons, no money, no way to protect yourself. You're completely defenseless."

She shakes her head, a mix of incredulity and frustration crossing her face. "What were you thinking, toots? Coming back to Zaun like this, after all this time? Don't you know how dangerous it is? Don't you know what happens to people who walk around without protection?"

She takes a step closer, her gaze intense and searching. "Is this some kind of joke to you? Some kind of game? Because if it is, it's not funny. It's not funny at all."

Her voice rises, edged with a note of desperation. "You could have been killed. You could have been hurt, or worse. And for what? To come see me? To bring me a stupid cake?"

"Please...Tell me. Tell me why you're here. Tell me what you want from me."

You looked at her. Powder. Funny, she must've been clawing her way up that well for years. Right...you came here with nothing. Sitting all carelessly, eating cake and minding yourself as though you weren't just robbed or- Jinx paused, her hands freezing in place from her little rant as she slowly looked at You. Your face seemed content.

It was eerie.

"I don't need anything," You smiled, patting your hands clean.

"I'm just finally giving myself the time to actually hash things out, with Vi, Ekko, and now-"

"Me," Jinx finished.

It was a list. A bucket list.

Jinx swallowed, head slowly shaking. She's seen this before. Felt this before. No person just wakes up suddenly deciding to go around, catching up, talking, giving away their possessions. You were talking but your voice was muffled out.

"Stop," she whispers, her voice hoarse and trembling. "Please, just stop."

You quieted. The tool in your hand suddenly felt more heavier when Jinx gave you that painful stare.

"Jinx?" You tilted your head at her.

"You...you're not here to say hello, are you?" she asks, her voice barely audible. She huffed, with a broken chuckle.

You falter when Jinx approached you, a small smile etched on your face but it seemed anything but happy.

"Was it that obvious?" You said lightheartedly. You yelped when Jinx slammed her hands against the table on either side of you, wedging herself between your legs. The cake battered tool felt to the ground with a echoing thud. Your breathing quickened seeing Jinx hover over you, not touching you just...hovering. Her head was held low, face just shy of your chest.

"...I'm sorry," Was all you could muster, not making any sudden moves. Your eyes looked anywhere else. It was uncomforting. You felt as though one glance at Jinx would make this plan all go crumbling down.

Jinx's breath is hot and ragged against your chest, her body trembling with a mix of rage and desperation. She can feel your heartbeat beneath her palms, the steady rhythm a stark contrast to the chaos raging inside her own.

"Don't," she whispers, her voice a hoarse, pleading rasp. "Don't you dare apologize. Not now. Not like this."

Jinx felt like she was being punched senseless. How could you come in here, wedge her way back in without even trying, AND offer her a damn slice of cake with a smile as if you were going to disappear without a trace after?

How cruel.

It' was heartless and it makes her want to scream, to lash out, to do anything to make the pain stop.

But she doesn't. Instead, she just stands there, frozen in place, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. She wants to say something, to beg you to stay, to promise her that everything will be okay. But the words won't come. They stick in her throat, thick and heavy and impossible to swallow.

So, she just stares at you, her eyes wide and haunted, her face a mask of despair. She watches as her friend's smile fades, replaced by a look of quiet resignation. And she knows, with a sickening certainty, that this would be messy.

"Please," she whispers, her voice a hoarse, broken plea not exactly sure what she was even pleading for.

You lean back on your arms, sucking in a breath. Your legs slowly wrap their way around Jinx's waist as though to give her something that told her you were grounded, that you were still interested in sharing words.

"Sometimes I think of how easy it would've been if I bled out after that explosion. Then, I wouldn't be feeling such bothersome things," You smiled.

"Being rescued and spending my life in Piltover, it was like a slap in the face. My brain simply thinking about how all it took was a near death experience to make a change happen, I spent my entire life drowning in this fact. Wondering why it took seeing a child on their death bed, for anyone from topside to finally act. Would it not just be better if all of Zaun dropped dead then?" You popped open the cannister in your hand, taking a long swig of the contents.

She looks at you, her brow furrowed in confusion and concern.

"What are you saying?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly. "What does this have to do with me? With us?"

You grabbed her face gently, wiping at Jinx's watery eyes and pressing your forehead against hers. Such pretty eyes, even with their blue gone. Her presence never faded.

A shame really, but a change of plans was called for. You wouldn't have it any. Other. Way.

Jinx sputtered when you nuzzled into her; gasping before you pressed your lips against hers. Jinx blinked back tears feeling a liquid slip past her lips, swallowing unconsciously. You...You really were something. Jinx coughed, catching her breath when you pulled away. Her eyes only held confusion, eyes darting between the cake, you, the canister-

The canister.

Jinx let out a whimper going to snatch it up. Empty.

You looked at her, a soft sigh leaving your lips at her defeated expression.

"I like you, a lot. Pow-...Jinx, I wasn't sure if any of that would change seeing you now but..." You had a smile on your face.

"Cake never tasted the same after separating from you, from everyone, from Zaun. I grew sick of it. But I can stomach cake for you though, anything for you," She slowly shook her head at you, voice catching in her throat.

"Piltover life may have not suited me. I don't think Zaun can either after I went over so many possibilities when I made this decision. Vi, Ekko, You. Should I stay? Should I go far away?" Jinx shuddered when you hugged her, body slumping against hers. So warm, you missed this, more than ever as you happily spoke.

"My mind has never been so clear," Tears rolled down Jinx's face at your words, arms holding you tightly.

You weren't moving anymore.

A scenario in which you plan a double suicide, to rid Zaun and Piltover of the incidents caused by Jinx and relinquish yourself of the trauma you've endured. It ultimately backfires when you notice that girl you love still has a chance.

#arcane #league of legends #arcane x reader #arcane x you #jinx arcane #jinx x reader #jinx x you #mokkulatte

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