Entranced

The warmth that radiated from the coffee in her hands was as close as she could get to recreating the feeling of your warm, soft skin against her rough hands from the night before. With two coffees in hand she makes her way down the hall towards Jinx’s room; she anticipated your night had ended with an impromptu sleepover. Your soft voice continued to echo within her mind - replaying your comforting words. Opening the door to the menace’s room she is met with her new favorite sight - you curled up in Jinx’s bed, arms around her like you were ready to fight away anyone or anything that might try to hurt her. Sevika faltered for a second, this sort of infatuation was unheard of for her. It was always the girls from the garden but feelings were never involved, it was simply stress relief and a good time - which is why she never approached you for more than conversation during your time at the garden. One conversation on your first day had her hooked, in an unfamiliar way, there was no avoiding it so she made the difficult decision to keep her hands off you in an attempt to preserve this friendship that is not quite a friendship but isn’t anything less but not sure if the context warrants the label. She rarely applies this title to people so it’s taking her a while to come to terms with the title, especially now after she quite literally owes you her life. Sevika makes a point to not fall into anyone’s debt but here she found herself in the deepest debt possible with no clear way to repay it. This fact frustrated her to no end, hence why she was so harsh to you. She hadn’t meant to be as blatantly rude as she was, Silco snapped her back into reality, informing her that while her anger and frustration at the situation were of course valid - she had lost an arm after all, but he made it clear to her that you were the last one she should be directing this anger towards. His tone had a bite to it that was far from unfamiliar but it usually wasn’t directed at her, she was impressed by the way you’d wormed your way into his personal life and earned his care and protection. She still didn’t fuck with the blue haired devil, didn’t see a future where she did, but she liked the nurturing parts of you that she brought out. The calm voice, filled only with kindness and care - an unusual combination in Zaun, and without a hint of manipulation? Essentially unheard of. She brought out this strong protective side of you that certainly didn’t hurt - but seeing you stand up to defend her made Sevika’s heart stand still. The fire, the drive (the love) behind every word you’d spoken, pseudo yelled, in Jinx’s defense had stuck with her in an almost embarrassing way.

She shook her head - in an emotions get the fuck out of here way. She walked into the room quietly so as to not wake you two. She set down her coffee, moving her freed up hand to gently touch your exposed shoulder. Her hand hovered for a brief moment, nervous to feel your skin again. As she made contact with you, your eyes slowly opened and for a split second you thought you were still dreaming. Sevika kneeling by your side with a gentle expression you’ve never seen? Yup - 100% a dream. But the warmth of her hand on your shoulder forced you to realize this was reality, and Janna you couldn’t imagine a better way to wake up. “Hey, I .. uh.. brought you this - here” She nods, motioning to the coffee in her mech hand. You carefully unwrap your arms from Jinx, groggy but beyond happy you reached towards the coffee. Your fingers bump as you accept the drink, she watched as after your first sip your smile beamed. She sat on the floor and picked up her coffee, a subtle way, potentially unconscious, of her showing you that she was staying, that she was taking this seriously and trying to make up for the way she treated you. “Good morning”, your voice slightly cracks as you speak your first words of the day. The soft smile you gave her was mirrored right back at you - she wasn’t aware of this initially, but how wonderful was it to be around someone who made you smile without even realizing it? This question was one she would continue to come back to when she was in your presence. She didn’t fight it though - instead choosing to use it as another way to make up for her actions, letting you see a side of her that she very rarely showed. You were grateful, not only for the coffee, but for her presence - last night had been taxing before Jinx sought you out. You’d never make her feel like a burden, because no matter what you truly never saw her as one, but you can admit you were a bit emotionally drained after last night.

“Good morning. How’s the kid?” her choice of words caught both of you off guard just a bit - kid? not devil? Or little shit? Or even menace? Damn she is going soft. “She’ll be okay, she’s stronger than most” Another soft, but sadder, smile appeared as you lift your hand to stroke the hair away from Jinx’s face. She stirred a bit but tightened her grip around you and dug her face into your waist, trying to fight against the reality of having to wake up eventually. “She’s lucky to have you” we all are. She thinks but can’t bring herself to say - only so many emotions can be exposed at once and Sevika was getting close to capping her yearly emotional displays; but she has a feeling, a hope, that being around you may force her to extend this limit. “Got any jobs today?” you groan at the question “Janna I hope not” “I ran into Silco on my way here - I told him about last night” Your movements stopped. “About Jinx she uses her metal hand to motion between you two “not us, don’t worry - I did tell her we were all good though so he could stop getting all papa bear on me about you” a second passes “we all are good aren’t we?” There was something in her voice. It was small, hiding in plain sight, begging you not to address it - fear. Sevika needed reassurance that, even though you two made up on the roof, you were truly okay with her after the shit she’d said to you. You take a second to sip your coffee, smiling once again at the warm that spreads throughout you “Yes, Sevika, we’re all good - promise” You raise your pinky towards her “Okay what the fuck is that?” She’s weirded out by your action, your hand just in the air waiting for something, but she isn’t sure what. “It’s a pinky promise Sev, give me your hand” She complies with your request. You intertwine your pinkies, gripping hers hard to show her that you mean it. “It means I can’t break the promise” “Isn’t that why you say ‘i promise’?” “Oh shush it’s fun and it means something more, at least to me it does” Your voice trailed off a bit at the end, suddenly becoming very self conscious and feeling childish. You do it all the time with Jinx you’d almost forgotten that pinky promises aren’t something you see adults doing every day. Her finger tightens around yours. This is a good morning indeed.