Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was 9 p.m. and a certain 19-year-old woman with long blue braids approached a room that she had paid for months ago in a four-star hotel on the outskirts of the city. A basket of liquor with various snacks, candles, and daring clothes was carried by her, she wanted to have everything ready to meet her lover, it may seem a bit rude that she carries the material, but she is quite selective with everything she wears and eat for the sake of your figure. Room 509, she sighs ready for his meeting, he should have arrived by now. Insert the key and remove the lock, the room is dark, how strange... Jinx thinks, leaves the basket on the coffee table, and turns on the lights, revealing a figure sitting on the sofa in the corner who just stared at her.

- “AY!”, A sharp cry came from her lips, “IT CAN'T BE, EKKO!” Jinx was startled, placing a hand on his chest, trying to regulate his breathing, "you almost scared me to death!" he ends up laughing with the emotion of seeing that it was her lover who was waiting for her in the dark, her savior.

-"Hello Powder, I was waiting for you" He exclaimed with a serious tone, too serious for her liking, but she could work with that.

- "Well, daaaa, obviously silly, you're always waiting for me", he was always the first to be there and Jinx as a cat in heat approaches suggestively, stalking him, reaching that point in the room, and then sitting on his lap, staring at him, with small laughs included on her part, she approaches him to plant a deep kiss, but he turns his face away abruptly.

- "And what's wrong with you?! You're weirder than usual" Jinx exclaimed, surprised that she dared to deny him the kiss, was he playing hard to get? Was it a new seduction tactic? “Come on, Savior... Didn't you come all the way here to play hard to get?” Jinx began to caress his shoulders, going to his chest, opening a little the jacket he was wearing because of the cold, when she was about to put her hands inside his shirt, he stopped her, looking at her with a serious face, she couldn't tell if he was red with embarrassment or anger, maybe both.

- "Why don't you go with your boyfriend to please you?" Ekko exclaimed in a serious tone. He ran her to one side of the sofa to get up and go straight to the same table where the basket was, it seemed that he had taken something from there, and he hurried back to where she was.

- “Can you explain this to me!” suddenly in front of Jinx's face there was a very exclusive magazine, where said cover appeared her sitting on a boy's lap, looking at him suggestively at a fashion event, the cover said the most explosive couple of the year? Jinx could only read the title speechless when Ekko took the magazine from her and began to look at one of the pages, surely in the article of the main image, he began to read aloud.

- “In the last fashion event of the great city of progress Piltover, the new sets of the most recognized brands were released by the youngest and most sought-after model of the year, from the neighboring city of Zaun, this super model is nicknamed Jinx The stray bullet” He stopped for moments to stare at her and return to the article “The model from Zaun was seen with an attitude very suggestive regarding a certain guest we all know as Shieda Kayn, the representative of the best-selling sporting goods brand for the past three years. The way they talked and looked at each other was unusual, so the unusual couple was followed throughout the event, until the Zaun model, as an act of daring, sat on the businessman's lap, approaching him. to the point of almost touching his lips” Ekko seemed more furious and disgusted with every word he read, he took a breath and continued on to the section of the article that was the worst. “But despite the model's act, Shieda Kayn didn't look displeased at all, on the contrary, he put his hand on the model's lower waist, clinging to her as if she was going to slip away! whispering things in her ear! I don't know about you, but this just goes to show that show business is too small for love!"

Ekko threw the magazine to the ground, with a clear expression of anger on his face, looking at her, waiting for some explanation from her to which Jinx couldn't say anything at first. Well, it had to be made clear that Ekko was his lover, not because she had a partner, but because it was a secret. They have maintained this relationship for 4 months, almost a year after Jinx started her modeling career, she did not make it public not because she was ashamed of him, she has known him since they were just children, but for the sake of her career, her representative knows about the little secret, making sure that everything goes well in her meetings and erasing any information that becomes disseminated, but he warned her that she could not have a public relationship with any boy at the moment, since she was the most desired young woman, a rare gem, different from any other model thanks to her extravagance and a relationship could take away from her image, especially with a “nobody” in the words of her representative. In addition to the fact that it could become a big problem for Ekko, she did not want him to be attacked by hysterical fans on networks or in his community, cases have been seen to the point that the person is seriously injured. Ekko understands it, he knows that this has always been her dream and he doesn't want to be the one who prevents her from reaching it, but with the new article...

-"I know it looks bad, but I can explain it, it's just a strategy" Jinx got up from the sofa so that he could look at her better in her eyes, hoping that she would calm down.

- "What?" exclaimed Ekko.

- “Yes, look! Silco thinks it's time to make an impact, ¡you know! A great gossip, I've already earned my fame as a super model so a shake wouldn't hurt” Jinx explained giving his lover a smile.

- "How does he think of something like that?!" He couldn't believe that idea came to his head, much less that Jinx had approved of it. "We had a deal, you told me you wouldn't date any guys until your manager let you go public."

He was right, when they started dating and Jinx explained the situation to Ekko, they agreed that they would be boyfriends in secret, it was like being boyfriends in public, but without anyone knowing it, the rules were the same for both, like this that for Ekko this was as if she was cheating on him.

- “I'm not dating him! It was just for looks."

- "So? And that Kayn guy knows about your actions by appearance” he said making a gesture of quotation marks in the air with his hands.

- "Well... pff not obviously" said Jinx looking away, directing it to the ground.

- “Well, it doesn't seem like it because he was doing a very good performance too, it seemed like he was intentionally grabbing your ass!” Jinx stared at him with a shocked expression.

- “I would not have allowed it! And for him to believe that I tremble for him is something very different from actually doing it!” Ekko just stared at her.

- "Do you like, Does he even look attractive to you?” Jealousy was noticeable in the air, making it even more dense, it seemed that it was taking his own form in the air. How was he supposed to compete with a guy who is clearly better looking and richer than him, even though he admitted that he had the face of an idiot. Ekko was just a scholarship kid at a big university, a nerd.

-"Well, I'm not blind, he clearly has his thing... he even looks crazy" Jinx laughed as if she had remembered something that made her very funny, Ekko could only think with an expression of envy, ¡great she likes his madness! "But it doesn't mean I like him!" she exclaimed.

- “So, you won't hang out with him anymore? Was it just that event and that's it?” Ekko was anxious, if it was gossip, she already had it, so she didn't need to hang out with that pretty boy again.

- "Well..." Jinx seemed to be a little nervous, not being able to look at her lover now "we're supposed to go to the charity gala together" Jinx kept her eyes on the ground, not wanting to see Ekko's expression, which surely it was surprise and irritation.

The atmosphere in the room became more and more tense, neither of them knowing how to handle the situation, it was difficult for both, they could barely see each other once a week, Ekko spent his time busying himself, studying and with his classes, yes. If he had time for Powder, she would surely be busy doing some fashion shoot, interview, managing her advertising campaign and a lot of things that for him were extravagant.

- “He doesn't mean anything…” Jinx finally met his brown eyes, those eyes that had a unique shine of love for her. Ekko just looked at her with the same intensity with which she did, he also loved her eyes, they reminded him of the sky, the dream of freedom they had when they were low-income children, whenever he thought of the top, the image of the Powder's eyes reached into his mind. He didn't want to be mad at her, but he was afraid of losing her, she was the only one of hers for him.

- "Will you promise me?" Ekko looked at her pleadingly, even with that desire and fear in his eyes, the air ceased to be tense, becoming somewhat more melancholic between the two, Jinx thought it was cute, seeing her savior shudder at the idea of her leaving him for another man, she liked it and it turned her on too.

In response, Jinx could only get closer to him, pressing her body against his, directing her soft hands gently towards his neck, scraping her nails against him, Ekko shuddered by the simple fact of feeling her skin, he was very sensitive when it came to her. She moved closer to him, planting a soft kiss at first, very softly, getting a little more intense every second, Jinx wanted to show him that no one could make her shiver as much as he did. They continued kissing with more force, Jinx pushed her tongue against Ekko's mouth so that he would let her in and thus be able to taste it better, he did not resist, tangling his tongue with hers, making her let out small moans inside her mouth, she loved it. He guided her hands further down her, touching every part of her slender body reaching up to her round ass, she was startled by the act, causing him to just tighten his grip, running out of air they separated for moments, Jinx went to his ear and in a whisper.

- "make me feel what no other could... savior" a light bite on his ear was enough for Ekko to get excited, holding Jinx by the butt tightly, lifting her up, she could only wrap her legs around her waist in a hurry, letting go light laughter while Ekko kissed her neck with intensity, leaving one or another bruise on her beautiful porcelain skin, maybe that way the pretty boy would understand the message, she is already marked.

He went to the double bed housed in the other room, he opened the door with a push, without removing his hands from the body of his beloved, Ekko threw Jinx on the bed, being a surprise for her that he was behaving in a way something rude… she had to admit that she liked it and wanted more. With great desperation he threw himself on top of her, rubbing her bodies against each other as they ate her mouths, panting, full of desire. Jinx could feel the bulge between her lover's legs growing, hard, rubbing against her crotch, blurring her vision with her desire.

One of the good points of Jinx wearing a dress to our meetings was the ease with which Ekko came to take her off guard, moving aside her little pink thong, feeling the moisture that penetrated the fabric, she was too wet. Without thinking twice, he inserted his middle finger slowly, causing a shudder in the model's body, pulling away from his mouth, moaning louder when he introduced a second finger inside her, moving them calmly, increasing the intensity with the rhythm of Jinx's moans.

"So, you want to feel me?" He whispered in Jinx's ear, if that's what she wanted, then she would do it. he began to pull the fabric of her dress down to expose her bare breasts, trailing kisses from her neck to her erect pink nipple, sucking on it carelessly as he increased the movement of his fingers. Jinx didn’t stop screaming, begging him not to stop, that she needed him, and she could only squeeze her hands on Ekko's head, giving him a little look at what she could, the boy seemed quite focused on the task of leaving marks on her body, she knew it wouldn't benefit her in the long run, but it could only have been worth shit. With each act of masturbation on her part, she lost herself, her mind was clouding over, she knew what was coming and she could only moan loudly, coming in the hand of her beautiful savior.

While she came to, Ekko took off his clothes, revealing his pronounced erection, to which Jinx could do nothing but bite her lips intensely, releasing what seemed like a purr, it sure hurt, and she would help him calm down that pain. Ekko approached her, leaving her under him, rubbing his hard member against Jinx's sensitive pussy, this made her go crazy, leaving them both panting from the touch.

- "What are you waiting for, savior?" Jinx could barely get the words out.

- "Ask me Powder, tell me you don't want anyone else to be inside your tight pussy but me" Ekko said breathlessly. He knew it sounded gruff, even too outspoken to what he would say, but he wanted to hear it from her.

Hearing him say that phrase only increased Jinx's excitement, she knew it was hard for him to play hard to get, his eyes didn't lie, he wanted her to tell him that she wouldn't cheat on him, that she loved him, that she would never leave... and she wouldn’t do it.

- "I only want you…"

Those words were enough to give Ekko the confidence, security, and desire that he needed. he slowly pushed his cock into her, Jinx could only squirm, every time he filled her, it was like being complete. Grunting from Ekko was the only thing that came out of him. As he thrust harder at the model below him, without patience, just wishing he could feel her while she could only scream his name, he didn't slow down, Jinx drowned in pleasure, watching her exposed breasts rise and fall they lowered to the rhythm of her lover's thrusts, she felt glorious, of course she loved him, he was the only one for her. "Ekko... I need you... please" she sounded pleading, lost, her voice breaking with each movement of his.

- "I want you to feel it Powder... no one else can fill you up like I do" Ekko said breathlessly, feeling how her pussy tightened more and more, "I want that when you are with him, you remember how you feel now, that you see me between your legs if he dares to touch you.”

Was Ekko the man who was fucking her now? He sounded so domineering, so different from several nights before they'd spent together, Jinx thought, delirious at her last words. Ekko couldn't resist anymore either, he felt that was about to come like the woman in front of him. The last thrusts were brutal, unrestrained, full of screams, gasps and moans, until the two of them exploded in a symphony, feeling how they rose in pleasure. Ekko flopped down on the bed next to Jinx, panting uncontrollably, letting her bodies settle down. After a few minutes, she wrapped her slender arms around him, planting a kiss on her cheek.

- "Wow... savior, since when did you become so dominant?" Jinx said with a small giggle as she drew figures with her finger on Ekko's chest, He didn't say anything, so Jinx only looked up to find a big blush on her lover's face, this only made her smile spread out.

- “Just… be careful with that idiot” Ekko couldn't look at her face because of the embarrassment.

- "As my savior says".

The rest of the night was quiet, they would stay together until Jinx had to leave before dawn to get ready with and for her duties. What Ekko didn't remember was that he had an exam first thing in the morning the next day.

Chapter Text

He definitely had to talk to Jinx about our meeting point. Ekko thought, letting out a big yawn in the middle of the corridors of the big university, attracting the attention of several students around. He was 15 minutes late for an exam that was supposed to take an hour. Surprisingly he finished it minutes early, but despite his speed, Heimerdinger didn't look so happy about his unpunctuality. It was already 8:15 a.m. and his next class is at nine so he had plenty of time, so he would squander it on a nap in one of the library cubicles.

Ekko continued his way without haste, crossing the wide green area of the campus. The walk was long, so he took his cell phone to check if he had any message from Powder and as usual nothing. Her mornings were very busy, all her appointments were scheduled for early in the day to end with big events late at night. Surely, he'll have time to read a little message, Ekko thought, moving his fingers quickly without looking ahead, erasing, and rewriting the text over and over again, until finally something good came out of it, 'I'm sure she'll like it'.

He walked through the large glass doors of the pearl-colored building that was located near the central area of the campus, on his way through the reception of the place he went to the third floor where surely there would be no one to interrupt him, and indeed there was, everything was empty, sure to start filling up in a few minutes. There were several rows of individual cubicles so he went to one of the last ones at the back, to finally rest his head on the base of the small space, hiding it between his arms as a kind of shelter, he closed his eyes, letting himself be carried away by the tiredness... minutes of tranquility, just to remember the pleasant encounter he had the night before with his girlfriend, he could still shiver just remembering Powder's naked body under him, wanting it as she had done...there were ups and downs, he would admit, but in the end it all worked out, although he felt like a fool for doubting her, but it was impossible not to feel some frustration when you see another man touching your partner the way only you can, should he apologize?, Maybe he could write her one of those songs she likes so much, he felt his mind going away for a few minutes, until.

- "Did you see the article about Jinx that came out yesterday, how envious I am of that guy!" on the other side of the row of cubicles Ekko could hear a group of guys commenting on what was apparently the gossip going around about Powder...well "Jinx" as she called herself in the showbiz The first time he heard her stage name he felt a little confused, it was something...different from what Powder really was, but she seemed very happy about her new nickname and that made him happy, it was just a name change, at least she still let him call her Powder. Ekko didn't move, believing that the boys hadn't noticed his presence, but in the end, it didn't matter much, it wasn't as if they knew what was really going on, he just had to wait for them to leave, maybe a little music would be enough to distract him.

- "He sure already fucked her, those models would do anything to get something good from a guy like that" When Ekko was about to put on his wireless headphones he couldn't help but stop in his tracks at the other guy's comment, feeling a slight annoyance cross his mind when he heard how they talked about his For him it was normal to hear that kind of comments around him, both from men and women, people who idolized or judged Powder for anything, even for doing nothing and even if he wanted to turn a deaf ear, it was simply impossible to ignore them.

- "You just have to say it, you wish you were the one between her legs" the first boy replied "Hm, if she was on top of me, I would do a lot more than just grab her waist" They all started laughing at the last comment, apparently it was three boys on the other side. Ekko was undecided whether to ignore the guys on the other side or defend Powder's name to the hilt, the situation was sure to get messy, last time he got in serious trouble for breaking the nose of a guy who said, 'That bitch only acts dignified on TV but she sure has a row of dicks in front of her mouth'. He just lost his mind.

He told Powder that was suspended for a few days for causing an altercation, she was angry, especially when she knew the cause of the problem, telling him not to let lose the scholarship he had worked so hard to get for a couple of empty words, and more if they were about her. But it wasn't only at his university, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, everywhere people were talking about the great JINX, but he could only think how hard it had to be for her to read all those shitty comments, from envious people with nothing better to do, attacking her, insulting her, and making fun of everything related to her. And that was where Ekko could recognize her strength. In how despite everything, she didn't change her ways, her enthusiasm and kindness towards and with the fans who actually supported her, who wrote her messages of support, who created artwork in her name, guys inspired by her extravagances, mounting pictures of the clothes she modeled with the #We're_a_Jinx...it was simply amazing, and if she could overcome all the hate that fell on her with love, then so would he.

- "I'd finish it in one if I had the chance, it would just be putting.... ".

A dry sound echoed in the room, taking the three mid-career students by surprise, looking directly at the young brunette with white dreadlocks who gave them an indifferent look, especially the boy who kept talking about the model, presuming his dominance towards her without even having any idea of Powder's history or feelings, that thought kept running through Ekko's head.

- "An idiot like you wouldn't stand a chance of attracting even a bunch of flies, let alone a girl like Jinx, so stop deluding yourself and keep those thoughts to

Ekko continued his way, leaving the cubicle area to head for the main staircase, he could hear the boy's moans behind him, but he doubted he dared to do anything about it. He could no longer find peace in the place, it would be best if he headed to his next class and just waited. This time he handled it well in his opinion, although he knew it would be best to keep his mouth shut.

His cell phone vibrated. A new message. He had downloaded a premium gossip and events app so he could find out how Powder was doing in her interviews or get some news about her world of stardom. A live show was taking place at the "prestigious" studios in the center of the city, they specialized in interviewing the stars of the moment, and they were always the first to get first-hand information about them, and now it was Powder's turn, he sat down in one of the free seats on campus, taking out the pocket watch given by his uncle, he still had about 15 minutes to spare, even a few seconds was enough.

*Applause*.

- Say no more, with you JINX, THE LOST BULLET!

* Door jingle

- "I'm here!" A cheerful voice with tinges of concern echoed from the small beauty salon in Piltover's central building. Showing a young woman with beautiful blue hair wearing a bathrobe, holding a black designer handbag, courtesy of one of the brands for which she models, only this one had her own original.

- "You're late" Silco was clearly not in a very good mood, it was 7:30 a.m. and Jinx was supposed to be half an hour early to practice her dialogues before the make-up and suit fitting section for her She didn't really care.

- "I'm  I was a little tired and I didn't think you would mind since we have practiced the script I don't know. a million times?" She crossed the small room, heading to one of the seats that were. in the central part of the room, a large mirror illuminated her tired face, revealing a pair of dark circles under her eyes that needed to be corrected soon. She took out her cell phone to connect it to the small stereo next to her, the mornings for Jinx were somewhat stressful and the music could calm her in her moments of greatest stress or desolation, she knew that nothing good would come out of the conversation she was going to have with her manager *Uncle*.

- "You're late because you stayed up all night wasting time with that boy" The irritation was clear in Silco's voice, approaching her to snatch the cell phone from her hands, knowing the evasive tactic on her part, hearing pouts of complaint so that in the end she could only direct a look of annoyance at him through her reflection in the mirror. Their gazes remained indirectly fixed, until he looked away to the other corner of the room. The gaze was followed by the young model, focusing on a large bouquet of bright pink flowers with green leaves as an extra decoration, the vase had an elegant, transparent, and simple design. Jinx stood up with surprise for the gift, wondering who it could be from, the common thing would be to think that it came from her secret boyfriend, for sure it was not like that, she knew him perfectly and this kind of banal gesture wasn’t his A small letter with a symbol in its center revealed its owner.

- "A beautiful Don't you think? " She didn't notice that Silco was standing right next to her, taking the card between his hands delicately, revealing the identity of the gentleman, clearly knowing beforehand who he was.

- "Gentleman Kayn has been very kind don't you think?" her gaze shifted to the large bouquet, feeling a churning in her She knew perfectly well what was happening, she wasn't stupid, it hadn't been the first time, and the answer was still going to be the same no matter how much he disguised it and even if he shouted it in her ear, she wasn't going to listen.

- "I did what you asked, it's done, I'm not interested" Her response was curt and clear, taking the flowers that barely fit in her slender arms, not caring if it got wet or filled with dirty water, her or the floor, she walked to the other end of the room and tossed the tumult of flowers into the trash compartment that connected to the ducts that led the waste down, closing it and returning to her seat carelessly.

- "Do you realize you're throwing away a great opportunity?" If I could make out the irritation in Silco's tone of voice earlier, I could definitely be one hundred percent sure about it, she just didn't look at him.

"I don't need someone like him to be holding my hand in public to get me noticed" She could only utter that sentence in a small tone, wanting to show him that she didn't care enough to make a drama out of this. But the reality was that she didn't want to face him, he would surely retaliate with something that was precious to her, she had dawned in a very good mood, but now she felt the weight of all his whims crushing her.

"I know you don't need it, you have reached high in a very short .. but I only think about your long term welfare" Jinx could only see him through the mirror and he could only show her a warm smile, one of those he gave her when he felt proud, when he showed her off and cared about her as if he was her own father. This broke her, it hurts her, not only because she didn't want to disappoint him, but because she knew he used that same smile to manipulate her.

"I know what you ..you know I'm with Ekko" Her ultimatum.

"That boy is of no benefit to you, he distracts you from your responsibilities and jeopardizes your career" He was losing his patience. - "What would happen if they found out about your little game, you'd get me, you and most of all him in trouble, and if anything happened, you know very well I wouldn't back him up"

The threat was very serious, she knew Silco loved her, but if he had to choose and show her how far he was willing to go to make her realize once and for all that she was making a bad decision, he would do it. She knew him, he was strict, tenacious, and his love for her only made him stronger. She could only turn her seat towards him, confronting him with her gaze.

- "We wouldn't have to worry about that if you'd just support us! " She yelled.

- "I let you sneak out at night so you can roll around with him like a slut, I'm being more than charitable" It was hard to hold his gaze after those words...boy was it hard and the worst part was that he wouldn't stop - "And if you don't want that boy's dreams to fall down the drain you better know your place and your responsibilities from now on" He tossed a couple of stapled papers on the desk - "Your script changed, learn what it says there and hopefully I'll forget about today"

Jinx took the group of sheets in front of her, giving it a brief glance, noticing that nothing had changed from what she had written before, until she saw a bold title, that one was new. She read it quickly, giving her a slight discomfort deep in her chest that grew larger with each word.

"What is this? Do you think they asked ..” She was stopped in her tracks.

"It's just in case you need it, I talked to the interviewer, and she said they can ask you, although of .. she sure saved the best ones for herself, study it and keep the story, I'll send to get you fixed" He gave her one last look before heading to the front door and disappearing the moment he closed it. While she could only keep her eyes on the doorknob, waiting for nothing, clenching the papers that were in her hands, wringing them with anger, hatred, and disappointment towards herself, of not being able to defend him as she would have wanted... she felt so small in front of her manager due to her feelings of affection for him and of belonging. She felt that her heart and mind were playing a bad joke on her.

And time just ran, as she read the same lines over and over and over again, memorizing and trying to get them to stick in her head, maybe that way she would convince herself to say them if the opportunity came, she prayed she wouldn't be asked about him. What should she do?

She only felt a soft touch on her cheekbones, watching as her dark circles under her eyes disappeared thanks to the skills of her make-up artists, they could almost fade the sad and tired face she wore. Her wardrobe covered the evidence of the previous night, marks that reminded her of her jealous lover, desperate for her attention, fearful of losing her. Surely Silco noticed them, not wanting to touch the subject or reproach her for letting herself be marked, surely, he blamed the savior. The outfit he chose for her covered each of those "memories". A small white turtleneck shirt with short sleeves, which had a smaller tank top over it, tight jeans that reached above her belly button, accompanied by small details or personalized accessories, colorful shoes, highlighting the pink and blue, her hair down to her ankles with the characteristic side bangs, rhinestones, and light makeup, touches of pink on one side and blue on the other. She knew she looked pretty, she knew Silco would tell her she looked pretty and that Ekko would surely emphasize how pretty she looked...pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty... But she didn't feel like that.

*Vibration*

A sound distracted her from her thoughts, it was her cell phone, it was half out of her bag, on the seat next to her, she didn’t want to see the message, surely being her manager who should already be rushing her to get to the studio and prepare all the space dedicated only to her, but it was a commitment, she should not skip the rule. Reluctantly she stretched her arm out to take it, entering her password and noticing the notification box... her heart did a 360° turn, returning the brightness to her eyes with a warm smile full of emotion and little laughs, changing abruptly, remembering what she would surely have to do in about 30 minutes, praying that he would understand why she was doing it, he would understand, wouldn't he? He always does. She had already confessed to him how much she loved him, in intimacy and in her most vulnerable moments...this was nothing, she would be fine. It was what she wanted to believe, she reread the text message, smiling again.

From: Ekko

- You are the Pow-Pow of my heart.  |><|

*Applause*.

- "Are you ready, dear?" No, she wasn’t.

- "Sure, let the action begin" That effort of emotion gave her the strength to walk through the golden cloth curtain that hid her from the cameras, but she was stopped by a strong grip on her arm - "Don't forget Jinx...it all depends on you" It was all Silco had to say to her and she could only look at him with surprise and then resignation, without blinking...only to give him a slight affirmation with her head.

Jinx came out on stage, being taken by the big and bright lights, denoting brightness, class, and rebelliousness just with the movement of her hips as she walked, with full confidence as if it were her home. She sat in one of the two seats, being right next to the interviewer and between them a space where there was only a small table with water and golden cards, the bustle could be heard in the distance, and she could only feel that this was and at the same time not her moment.

- "It's a pleasure to have you here today, Jinx"

- "It should be Charlotte" She sounded unstoppable.

- "And boy is it! You're practically all they talk about today, I must admit everyone here is lucky" Applause from the audience could be heard in the distance, Jinx could only let out a small laugh out of excitement.

- "Well... I'm doing what I "

- "Imagine if she were serious! " exclaimed the interviewer eliciting laughter from the audience... if only she knew, thought Jinx.

- "ok, ok, ok, ok, but seriously speaking, there is no stop talking about you, both in good and bad aspects, there are many out there who disown your work and think you insult the modeling world, even some celebrities you have had altercations with say you are just a kind of, pardon the expression 'a real curse', what do you think about it? " Her look was mischievous, like that of a hardened gossip wanting to know things ..well, it's her job.

- "Well Charlotte... I'm serious, I'm trying to care... but I just can’t..." Jinx only pretended to pout her lip, finishing her sentence with obvious sarcasm, eliciting applause from her biggest fans in the audience - "Hahaha, I don't care what they have to say, I'm here to blow up the stage, insulting modeling? How can you insult something that's already immersed in total mockery? People walking around with no grace, no expressions and no soul, modeling clothes that should fit our personality and form something completely new, something that resonates, that's what I do, I'm not afraid to show everything about myself "

- "Despite exceeding the rules that have been established in modeling for over a decade?"

- "Rules are made to be broken, like buildings... or people!" the din formed, cheering for more, shouts of joy and support, bristling Jinx's skin with excitement, giving her strength to get up and leave that stupid interview, she felt she just needed a little Why would she care what those people think? She's not here to please them, she's here to be her, to drop her bombshell, to not be afraid to show herself in front of the world... I wonder if Ekko is watching me.

- "Wow, how strong, you are certainly an inspiration to everyone here, where does that strength come from, can you give me some?" the laughter was not lacking with each comment.

"It all comes from within, a desire I've had since I was a child" Jinx sounded proud, she liked feeling that way. The 'owwwnnn' warmed her heart in a way that was beginning to feel melancholy, remembering all she had to go through to get to where she is.

-"How .. but only from there?"

-"What do you mean?"

-"Oh, you know ..isn't there someone special to whom you dedicate every step on the catwalk?"

"Well, there are many, there's my father Vander, my sister Vi who always supported me, despite not knowing anything about fashion, my siblings that... " Jinx counted each of the few people she felt she should dedicate to on the fingers of her hands. But she was interrupted by the same  interviewer with small giggles and a slight wave of her hand.

- "Of course, I do, my dear! They're all important, but I meant someone more personal, I don't know...a beau to send greetings to?" A flirtatious wink was thrown towards Jinx, leaving her totally blank, a beau? now she understood what she was referring to, she was getting into dangerous territory, oh no....

- "Hahaha, nothing like that, I haven't had time for 'gallants' in my life" She couldn't stop the nervous laughter from bursting out of her so involuntarily, Charlotte could only watch it with mischief and desire to explore more into that little nut she had just squeezed.

- "How about the guy you were involved with last week? Shieda Kayn, you looked very comfortable with him, can you tell us more about yourselves?" Suddenly she felt a small light behind her and Charlotte, turning her head a little confused as to where it was coming from, it was a screen big enough that even the people in the background could make out the image, which showed the gossip article that Ekko had gotten so angry about to the point of brutally fucking her. Jinx just took control of the situation, letting herself be guided by the prepared script of her manager.

- "I know everyone misinterpreted the situation, no problem, even I was surprised" Everything was under control, she could definitely handle this - "I admit I had a few too many drinks, which allowed me to be somewhat animated, but he was just helping me untie a pendant that was already squeezing my throat a bit, I wore it at the beginning of the event because it looked good, you know, aesthetic, but it was choking me at the end so I said, what the fuck? I need to take this off" The body expressions and gestures offered by Jinx towards the audience, were so organic and sincere, that it could fool anyone, her tone of voice did not give the interviewer the opportunity to catch her off guard.

- "And could you explain to us that hand on the waist? "

- "Like I said, I was over the top and I admit it takes him confidence, his attitude is great and he gave me good vibes" Keep it up Jinx, you got it -"plus I couldn't keep leaning towards him or standing up because I was too wobbly, even sitting down, hence his hand on my waist" A smirk on the model's face was enough to show her triumph over anyone who might say something about her itchy situation, admittedly it was a bullshit story for the most part, but it would work as long as she wasn't wavering.

- "So, you're not involved or interested with the young businessman Kayn?" she could sense the slight tone of boredom from Charlotte, somewhat disappointed that Jinx could so openly say that she got alcohol so easily and did all those actions in public for stupid reasons, undeterred, unamused, unashamed, even making fun of the situation so naturally, it caught her off guard.

- "We're just friends...we arranged to go to a charity next weekend for abandoned children who have suffered trauma at some point in their childhood, he seems very interested, I like him "

- "That's very nice of you, both of you, and for sure we'll all be contributing for the cause.... So...no one interests you?" she doesn't know how, but she felt that little tone of mischief again, she even said it with a toothy grin and curious eyes as if they could pierce my thoughts, like a mother's when she asks you something she already knows, but I could ask whatever I wanted, she would drop her bombshell, one after another against it - "no one is around my radar Charlotte, I just haven't had the time or the interest."

- "Well...how about that guy you've been sneaking around with for the last few weeks?"

Despite the background music in the studio, a silence invaded the room in such a brutal way that Jinx could hear her heart pumping more and more blood with every second of desperation, had she heard right, a boy with whom she had been seeing on the sly? His gaze towards the interviewer was penetrating, surely she thought it was because he wanted to intimidate her and not to flinch before her, but the reality was totally different, Jinx was in shock before such a suggestion, not being able to take off his gaze, not being able to move, he was just there, existing, and he knew he couldn't stay like that for long, he felt Silco's gaze meters in the back of his neck, but the brain capacity he had at that moment only allowed him to articulate... - "Who?"

- "oh, come on girl, you know very well who I'm talking about" Her face reflected a clear victory before the model, clearly she was having fun realizing the small state of shock she provoked in Jinx, taking her off guard and stunned - "I don't know who you're talking about" Those words came out even more shaky and barely audible than the previous one. Even Jinx was getting surprised at the way she was acting at the suggestion that this golden bitch knew something about her affair with Ekko.

- "Why don't you better see for yourself?" Threatening, suggestive, calm and merciless, the right words to describe such a sentence, what was sure to be Jinx's next sentence. Charlotte just raised her hand, directing it to the back screen, projecting nothing for the moment, leaving Jinx with a great uncertainty inside her. When the image was finally projected, what she saw only made her eyes widen a little in When the fuck did that happen? The image showed a young man with a dark complexion and white hair with dreadlocks, feeding french fries in mouth with his hand at the other end of the table to a girl with dark glasses and a thick black jacket that covered part of his face, revealing a bit of blue hair, they were in a public area in a middle class area, clearly eating fast food inside an establishment. It wasn't the only picture, after thirty seconds they passed to the next one, it seemed to be the same, only this time the two young people were sharing a soda, clearly dying of laughter for the stupid gesture they were doing, or that's what Jinx saw, since that was the main idea of the act, to make fun, but if he saw it well, they seemed very romantic. Another thirty seconds and the images were only getting worse, this time it was another day, They were in a park late at night, no one was supposed to be in the area but vagrants, that's why it was perfect, she didn't think things would get so out of control or go to these extremes. In the photo they were lying together on a wide slide, holding hands, soft smiles, looking up at the sky, alone there, still, thank heaven clothed. It was clear who she was, nothing covered her face, her blue hair and blue eyes were illuminated by the moon, and it was also clear who he was.

- "So, Jinx" Again that annoying tone of "Who's the beau?"

Who was he? Nothing but the guy she was dying for, the one who thrilled her, the one who made her reach for the sky with every encounter, sexual or not, he made her feel she was the only one, the best, he was the first one who trusted her blindly, the only one she thought of when a difficult situation arose in her life, when she had to model for the first time in a local contest, he was there supporting her with a badly made sign of pink and blue paint, shouting in the audience without hesitation, giving her that strength. He was the one she could call late at night when her nightmares tormented her to the depths of her loins, soothing her, just with the sound of his voice... the guy she had barely started a relationship with because she didn't feel confident enough that he would accept her with her new facets, but he did. That was him.

But... he had to keep pretending. He had to make it the least difficult, he could say he was his childhood best friend since the photos weren't suggestive enough to prove they were a couple, best friends do things that look similar to what a couple would do right? He could work with that, and not resort to Silco's plan written in the script. And at the same time not hurt Ekko so much, he would have a quiet life and their relationship wouldn't be so affected.

- "Well, he's my best..."

- "Oh wait dear, there's still more, I forgot, we have this little summary of the analysis we did of your constant visits to Lacuna.

Oh no... They couldn't, but how? Silco was supposed to have everything covered! They couldn't make it all the way to the hotel he frequented with Ekko on the outskirts of town. Jinx turned her head slightly to the less illuminated area, where Silco was looking at her with a rough and angry countenance, one could say with slight traces of concern. That only made her a little more alarmed, the situation was getting out of hand, this was not even foreseen, what was she supposed to do?

- "Look what we got! Miss Jinx entering Lacuana late at night on the outskirts of town, a bit far to hang out don't you think?" Laughter and murmurs invaded the room more and more, being only for moments, turning into total silence, like a void, waiting for Jinx to say something about it, anxious to know what her next answer will be.

- "Not so much Charlotte, I like to go to faraway places so I can spend some quality time with me, where I can have 'privacy', which was clearly invaded without my consent" Jinx's tone became somewhat threatening, letting her clear annoyance towards the subject of her being followed everywhere show through, being something very worrying, but that didn't seem to matter to the woman in front of her, it only made her let out a small laugh that she tried to hide with her limp fingers.

- "Well my dear, that's our job, besides we were in public areas, we never forced any entry or asked for confidential or private information about you, we just put out our own theories, and speaking of theory" She turned around again, turning to the screen that now projected Ekko apparently entering the hotel being almost dark - "Look! It's the guy from earlier, apparently entering on certain specific days to this beautiful hotel, and what do we have here?" The image changed showing her in her more civilian appearance, wanting to pretend to be someone else with apparently baggy clothes, and cold hats, entering late at night. She admits she was careless, she would never have thought someone would be following her, it took two and a half hours.

- "Don't you find it curious that on days when he always arrives on time you do too and the next day you're the one who leaves first, with him being next? If I decide to put the pieces together, I mean, you guys are relatively close because of all the confidences you have in public and that you decide to have these nightly encounters in such a planned way... it makes me think that... you are in a formal relationship with this guy and you have wanted to hide it from us all this time or is it just your little hobby out of the spotlight, something casual? I don't know people, but this is a bit suspicious, I want to hear from you!" The atmosphere became tense, everyone was excited, shouting, asking for more, saying things like "Who is this guy, tell us more Jinx, what does he has that I don't have Jinx!

Everything got even more complicated than she thought, what was she supposed to say now? With the photos of the encounters in public areas she could deal, but not this, and less with everyone around her swallowing the story just like that, because it was something to talk about, her hiding an affair or some kind of secret lover and the worst thing is that she didn't know how much they had on her, what if they have more photos? videos? what if they already investigated Ekko? Anything he said next could be used against him, what was he supposed to do, how was he supposed to get out of this predicament?

Tin tin tin

- "Oh no .. we're out of time, don't you think it's a shame, but relax, this won't stay like this, we hope the great Jinx can give us another chance to talk about her little secret and get to know her even more in depth, thank you very much for this pleasure and have a prestigious day!" The cameras cut to the side, showing nothing but a somewhat dark room, Charlotte got up from her seat reading some comments about what was talked about in the program.

- "Look Jinx, you're on the top of the most talked about news today, you've gone way up" she gave the young model a smile, not seeming concerned about what just happened, how she just revealed to the world something that to her was so private.

- "Is that really what you want to talk about, I don't give a shit, you just ruined everything! Who do you think you are?" now Jinx stood in front of her, glaring angrily into her eyes, waiting for her to give him a good reason to smash that whole face with glare.

- "It's my job dear, besides I don't see the problem, if you're so good with that young man why should you care? It's better this way, in the end we all win" Satisfaction was framed on his face like a newly bought painting that was being shown off by its " Besides, they wouldn't have lasted, show business is too complicated, he would have walked away and hurt you, you're young and beautiful, you deserve better than just some random guy who doesn't know how to give you more"

- "Don't talk about him like you know him, you don't know anything! He's all I need" The fury was palpable, a stark contrast next to the grown woman calmness in front of her.

- "I already know everything I need to know, he may have given you a bonus, but it ends there, eventually he will get tired of catching up with you as you go up and you being so high up, you won't be able to see him when you look down. It's reality, you better realize it now while you can" Two piercing gazes, one guided by the cruelty of the world around her and the experience and the other guided by the same level of cruelty subway, but with feelings that anchor her to the ground like a boat tied to the dock - "You curse..."

- "Jinx!" She had to stop, and he had to stop her, he couldn't let things get even more complicated, especially since the glass was already overflowing, - "Hi Silco, did you like my segment today?"

- "You never fail to impress me with your bad taste" He didn't give her a chance to respond as he retreated from the venue taking Jinx by the arm, taking long strides until he was completely across the stage, you could hear his breathing, the way he grabbed her arm hurt, he didn't bother to slow down even on the steps, causing almost a fall that he didn't take any notice of, through his little mumbles, he could barely hear what his manager said.

- "We need to talk"

On the small bench of the big University campus, Ekko was still staring at the black screen of his cell phone, having just watched the whole show live, not knowing what to feel, a sea of emotions was invading him. A joy for knowing that somehow their relationship had already become known, somehow more real, but another feeling of concern and anguish when remembering Powder's worried and amazed face made him see that this was going to be more painful for her than for him, fearing for what could happen, for all the pain he would surely have to face. He hadn't even realized he was five minutes late for his next class, but he couldn't care less. He could only care about Powder.

- "shit"