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Ekko almost always wakes up before Jinx. It's a habit he's gotten into and has kept all his life.
The time Jinx wakes up changes everyday. It really depends on the way she slept or if she did at all. Sometimes she ends up waking up at the same time as him, or she'll oversleep if there's nothing for them to do.
Like now, she is still asleep even after the sun has long risen and the world around them has woken up.
But, he doesn't mind, and he would let her sleep for as long as she wants. It gives him time to relax and get his thoughts in order.
Jinx moves a lot in her sleep. They'll fall asleep cuddling and when they wake up she'll be further and further away from him. Whenever she wakes up in the middle of the night, she'll be sure to huddle close to him again and tuck her arms under his. Or she'll gravitate back into that position in her sleep.
This morning she's on her stomach, hands underneath the pillow and legs spread out like a starfish. The blanket is barely covering her body, and he can see the way her shirt has hiked up in her sleep, exposing her lower back.
She's snoring softly, lips pursed and hair ruffled. Every once in awhile her nose will twitch or her lower lip will quiver.
Ekko smiles and scoots closer towards her. If only she knew how funny she looked in her sleep. But also, he loves to admire this sight. Something he sees every morning and yet still has to consider whether he's dreaming it all or not.
He runs his hand over her skin, lightly tracing patterns. Her skin is soft, but broken up by scars and rough patches. He could paint her tattoo by heart from tracing it's shape so often like this. Following the smoke lines with his fingers and finding more and more freckles that dust her skin.
Her lower back is full of freckles, a perfect canvas to find constellations in. It's a more sensitive area, so he has to be gentler with his touch.
It's a wonder she doesn't wake up right away when he does this. She's not a deep sleeper at all. It's easy to wake her up, even if she complains about it.
His hand travels up to her face and brushes loose strands of hair behind her ear. Her nose scrunches in return, burying her face deeper into her pillow.
Jinx groans softly, breathing in a deep breath that lets him know she's awake now.
She peaks up at him with one eye before closing them again. As expected, she immediately tries to get closer to him again.
Sleepily, she pushes on his shoulder to signal him to lay on his back. He does, already knowing what she wants.
Jinx wraps her arms around Ekko and settles on top of him, resting her face in the crook of his neck. He puts his arms around her, too, adjusting her a little so he's also comfortable. It's a practiced movement they've done for years.
They often joke that one or the other is a weighted blanket because of this position. But, a weighted blanket has it's benefits for a reason.
It's warm, and provides a perfect sense of comfort.
Even though her eyes are closed and she hasn't said anything yet, he knows she's awake. Ekko starts to rub circles onto her back. The fabric of her shirt bunches up even more under his touch, but none of them make the effort to fix it.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up." He says loud enough for her to hear.
She doesn't answer, just pretends to sleep more. Although, Jinx is aware he knows she's not actually asleep anymore. But, nobody is ever going to answer questions they're asked as soon as they wake up.
"Y'know..." He added. "You started talking in your sleep last night. Something about swimming with machines. Fitting, because you immediately started drooling all over me."
Jinx pinches his skin hard, not replying again. Ekko audibly reacts to the pain, turning into laughter. She smiles at that, and he can feel it on his neck.
She has the urge to purposely drool on him right now just because of that. But, she's not that mean.
"For someone who's asleep, you sure have a good grip."
"Sleep." She un-tucks one of her arms from underneath him to pat him on the shoulder.
"No thanks. I wanna get up, actually."
"Mmm... too bad, so sad."
In response, Ekko starts trying to move from underneath Jinx. He bites back his smile as she immediately tries to pin him back down. He's got her fully awake now, always quick to fight back. The two start to tussle, fighting to get a grip on the other.
She erupts in giggles and sits up, pinning his hips to the bed. He tries to tickle her, but she grabs his hands first.
"Nice try, Buster."
He joins her in laughter when she ultimately trapped herself in this position. He closes his hands around hers tighter.
"Gotcha."
Jinx tries to move her hands again, but Ekko has a full grip on them now. He uses the opportunity to flip them over so that he's on top.
"You little shit!" She says in between giggles.
He lets go of her hands and successfully starts to tickle her. She throws her head back in a hearty laugh and tries to kick him away.
Jinx squirms and attempts to wiggle out of his reach and the torturous feeling of being tickled. He's everywhere— her stomach, her sides, under her arms, dipping down to her back.
Their laughter fills the room along with the sound of the sheets rustling with every movement.
"Okayy... Okay!" She flips onto her stomach. Ekko reluctantly stops tickling her, flopping down onto the bed next to her instead.
They both come down from their high, catching their breath and still letting out huffs of laughter.
There's a dull ache where his hands were that she can still feel on her body even after he's stopped. Oh how she hates being tickled, but he never fails to do so anyways.
Jinx sees an opening for revenge and climbs on top of his back, pressing her body weight against him.
"We should stay in bed." She muttered against his shirt.
"Really?" He looked back at her.
"Really."
Ekko chuckles and pushes himself off the bed, raising Jinx up with him. He's quick to hold her with one arm, pinning her there as he stands up.
Curse him for being strong. She can outsmart him, but nine times out of ten he will just swing her over his shoulder and win.
She whines his name, kicking her legs in an attempt to escape his grasp.
He walks into their connecting bathroom, making sure to lock the door before setting her back down onto her feet.
Jinx crosses her arms and locks eyes with him in the mirror. She huffs, looking defeated.
Ekko smirks, crossing his arms as well. It's not long before she grins and runs towards the door, trying to unlock it. She fumbles with the doorknob, trying to turn the lock.
He's quick behind her, locking his arms around her middle and lifting her up. The room is filled with laughter again, echoing off the walls of their bathroom.
"Put me down!"
"If you say so." He brings her over to the counter, resting her on top of the cold surface. Being the flirt he is, Ekko starts peppering her neck with kisses.
She's always ticklish and sensitive when he does this. It causes her to continue to giggle. Jinx tries pushing him away from her, turning her face and scrunching her nose. Her back hits up against the mirror, rattling it slightly. But, that doesn't stop him.
His lips travel to the other side of her neck, pressing kisses there too. He finally lifts up, landing one last kiss on her lips.
"You're so gross." She smiles.
His smile widens. "I win."
She presses her lips together, considering those words. She hates losing, but unfortunately so does he.
"Whatever." She flicks his forehead.
He hisses, resting his hand where she hit. But, he still can't help but grin.
Jinx doesn't get off the counter. Instead, she opens one of the drawers underneath her and grabs her toothbrush. He grabs his own, alongside their toothpaste.
She holds hers out, waiting for him to squirt some paste onto it. He does, putting some on his too before dropping the tube back into the drawer.
They have to share one sink, and sometimes that's absolute hell. Both of them huddling over one bowl fighting to do the task they need.
Often times Jinx will be putting on her makeup beside Ekko who's trying to shave his facial hair. Even though she has a vanity, she insists that she does her routine in this mirror because it's 'better.' They both know that's a lie. But, he won't stop her.
Their little play fights are what makes these mornings so special. The ability to be competitive even when expressing their love.
She turns on the faucet, letting the water flow into the bowl. They both run their toothbrush underneath the water and begin brushing their teeth.
Jinx hums and rubs at her eyes with one hand, scooting so she's more comfortable on the counter.
She looks behind her into the mirror, accessing the damage of her hair ruffled up and tangled from sleeping. She groans, running a hand over her braids. Her hair is shorter than it was before. But, it's growing back slowly but surely. Sometimes she contemplates whether to cut it again or not. It's way easier to handle when short, and it doesn't look half bad. That being said, she also likes it long.
The battle with her hair never ends.
Something incoherent is said with her toothbrush still dangling out her mouth. Ekko doesn't understand a word.
He raises an eyebrow before washing out his mouth.
"Maybe don't choke on your minty spit." He jokes, still huddling over the sink.
She bends down and spits into the bowl. The water washes it down the drain immediately.
"I said, my hair needs a brush."
"Want me to help?"
"Obviously."
"I don't think that was very obvious."
"You're good at it. So..."
He shakes his head before running his toothbrush under the water, drying it off in a nearby towel.
Jinx does the same, wiping off her mouth and throwing the cloth aside.
Ekko opens a different drawer and pulls out her hairbrush. The handle is covered in neon doodles that built up so much overtime that it almost looks messy. But, you wouldn't have trouble knowing which one is hers and which one isn't.
If he looks closely, he can see all the individual doodles that have their own little meaning. Like his hourglass symbol painted in green— or their initials in bold and underlined.
He grabs one of her braids and starts to unravel it. One loop at a time, he strings his fingers through her hair to make sure it doesn't tangle more than it already is.
"You always get so serious when doing my hair. I love it."
Ekko huffs out a laugh and looks up at her. “I have to be careful. Or else, you might never let me touch it again.”
Jinx smiles and rolls her eyes. "As if. Not having to deal with it myself is a relief."
"Yet you still decide to braid it." He finishes unraveling both of them, and begins brushing. He starts from the bottom, working his way up.
"Well, yeah. That's the most convenient way when it literally touches the floor." She looks up at the ceiling. "Mmm... Well I guess it's a different case now."
"I get it." He turns her head slightly. "It must still feel strange, not having the weight of it anymore."
"I've gotten used to it. But it's still a little weird, yeah."
She touches the ends of her hair before continuing. "I wonder if I should keep it short."
"Up to you."
He doesn't look up from his movements, focusing on de-tangling her hair. Ekko has a habit of running his fingers through her strands when he's done with a section. He claims that it feels nice especially directly after being brushed.
Jinx can't argue with him there.
"So... Swimming with machines, huh?" She says, referring to what he told her earlier.
He chuckles. "Yup, might be your new crazy invention."
"What makes you think I haven't made something like that before?" She raises an eyebrow.
"I shoulda known." He walks over to her other side, beginning to brush that out as well.
"You should've." She starts playing with the hem of her shirt. "They're fun. My sharkies... piranhas... You name it."
"You were probably dreaming about them cause you don't know when to go to sleep."
"Don't act like you don't do it too! Besides, creativity sparks at night."
That can be taken in a literal sense, too. Creativity literally sparks at night for Jinx. Only she is using power-tools and safety goggles at the ripe hours of the day.
"Technically morning, in your case." He begins braiding her hair, looping it around his fingers weaving the strands together.
"Doesn't matter. At least I get the job done."
He hums, smiling. "Yeah."
.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡⋆⋆⭒˚｡⋆☾.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡⋆
It's nighttime. Jinx and Ekko decided to go down to the market to stock up on supplies and other necessities. They ended up being out all day, and are only now entering their bedroom again.
She closes the door behind them, taking her bag off her shoulders and tossing it on a nearby chair.
He unties his scarf from around his neck, immediately looking for a change of clothes. Jinx follows after him, sitting on the floor in front of their dresser and picking out the tank top she carelessly stuffed in there earlier.
She takes off her top, throwing it behind her before pulling the other one over her head. Ekko does the same, except he actually folds his shirt and puts it away neatly.
Jinx lays back, lifting her hips and sliding her pants down her legs. He looks down at her, squinting his eyes and laughing.
"Really?"
She pulls her pants completely off, leaving it on the floor next to her. "Yeah."
She grins, waiting for him to be done changing. She stays on the floor, watching as he moves around the room to find his change of pants. Jinx yawns, raising her arms over her head and playing with the ends of her hair.
The fact that they've grown to be so comfortable with each other brings her a grounding sense of comfort she never expected she could feel. The kind that only comes from being with someone who doesn't need words— knowing that silence speaks louder than she ever could.
How they can come home together and immediately fall into a routine without an explanation. How she'll fall into his arms without fail by the end of the day.
She loves it just like how she loves him. Loves that he can hold her when she needs it, but also match her energy in being adventurous.
Ekko finishes changing and joins her on the floor. He lays down as well, staring up at the ceiling. He doesn't know how she lays down on the floor for so long. It's not comfortable in the slightest. But, he'll join her for a bit. That's if his body doesn't betray him and he falls asleep before he can get in the bed.
Jinx turns her head to look at him. He's tired, she can tell. His eyelids heavy and dazed. He starts to talk less at night, as well. His responses get reduced to a few words and that's when she'll know he isn't listening anymore.
She flips over to lay on her stomach, resting her head on the palm of her hand. The other travels to his locs, running her fingers through them and massaging his scalp. Ekko closes his eyes and rolls over onto his side. His arm swings over her waist, pulling her closer.
Jinx switches hands, going to rub circles on his chest. "You going to sleep on the floor, Little Man?"
He hums. "Maybe."
"Say sorry to your back in advance."
"Sorry..." He mumbles.
She chuckles, leaning down and burying her face in the crook of his neck. She gets onto her side as well, swinging her arm over him followed by her leg— getting as comfortable as she can on the hard surface of the floor.
Jinx presses a kiss on his neck, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent.
Ekko has a distinct smell that she could pick out in any crowd. It's warm, and fits perfectly with how his body is always radiating that exact feeling.
Genuinely, it's hard to breathe when her nose and mouth are pressed up against him like this. But, it's somehow always the position she gravitates to. She finds comfort in the feeling of his arms around her, swallowing her with his warmth until it's all she can feel.
After a while, she will be covered in sweat, shirt sticking to her and dazed. She'll want to peel herself away from him and switch positions, just to end up in that same spot again by the end of the night.
But she'll keep doing it if it means being close to him. Their limbs tangled and tingling with the uncomfortable feeling after being pressed up against each other for too long.
She won't remember how she fell asleep, and knowing Ekko, he will probably put her on the bed when he wakes up again.
Their bodies will most likely be sore and aching from sleeping like this. Maybe she'll even have a headache by morning, who knows.
Until then, she'll stay right here on the floor with him.