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They were back. Same battered messenger bag, same sketchbook covered with stickers, same blue space buns and fingerless gray gloves. This time they were perched on a bench in front of the sea lion's underwater viewing, their blue-grey eyes tracking the massive animal as he lazily floated around the tank.
Which, unfortunately for Ekko, meant they were directly in his line of sight as he went down to where they prepped the marine mammal's meals. If he glanced over his shoulder through the cracked open door, he could see them sipping from a pink can of monster.
"Go on, just ask them," Jayce insisted, leaning over Ekko's shoulder. He started and Jayce snickered. "Or at the very least, do your oogling from the security cameras like a proper creep. If you can tolerate Marcus for that long, that is."
"I am not a creep." Ekko shrugged Jayce off of his shoulders. "I just…" he trailed off, watching the bluenette out of the corner of his eye. They had been popping up around the aquarium for a few weeks now, always with that sticker-coated sketchpad and cat-ear headphones. Their bag had a million pins on it, including a prominent they/she one, proudly on display next to an asexual pride one. "I don't think they'd be into me."
"Ace doesn't mean they don't date," Jayce retorted, grabbing a bucket of fish and pushing past him. "They're not an amazon molly."
Ekko sighed wistfully. "You're probably right." He didn't even know where to begin asking this person out. He had been on like—no dates, he realized. He had never actually had the time or energy to date.
"Besides, Heimerdinger has been threatening to meddle if you stay single much longer. He thinks it's unhealthy for a uni student to spend all his free time working." Ekko blanched at the thought of the director of the aquarium interfering in his love life and Jayce laughed. "He's also been quite bored since he handed off the breeding program to Sky."
"That doesn't mean he has to ruin my life," Ekko retorted, grabbing another bucket of fish and following Jayce. "Besides, I'm at…work," he managed, his voice catching as he looked over his shoulder at them again.
They were leaning forward on the padded bench, pencil between their lips as they stared intently at the tank, the blue light dancing on their face. Dark eyeliner ringed their eyes, and they were wearing star-shaped pimple patches. They glanced up at him and removed the pencil from their lips to stick their tongue out at him with a goofy grin.
Oh Janna. He didn't think they could have gotten cuter. They were absolutely enchanting, it wasn't fair. Their eyes were shimmering like the ocean as they winked at him.
He flushed and turned to follow Jayce to the otter tank too quickly, and he could see him shaking with silent laughter. "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything."
"Where do you get all this smug energy anyways—you and Viktor took three years to get together!" Ekko retorted, his hackles up. Jayce was objectively worse than him at this whole dating thing, where did he get off on acting all smug and pleased about Ekko's seeming inability to ask someone out while he was on the clock. "And it was an HR incident and a half!"
"Yeah, cause we were idiots and were caught dry-humping in the empty rotating exhibit hall during the Christmas party," Jayce replied, setting the bucket down as he stopped at the entrance to the otter enclosure.
Ekko stared at him. That was the incident? How were they still employed?
Jayce grinned at him, shooting him a finger gun. "Just don't do anything stupid on the property, and you'll be fine. Anyways, show time!"
⋆.˚ ☼⋆𓇼｡𖦹˙༄.°
My gf's over—can you stay out? We're talking about something pretty heavy.
Ekko groaned and shoved his phone into his pocket. "Okay, I need to make myself scarce from my apartment for the next few hours, got any ideas?" he asked, looking around the employee locker room.
"You could ask the cute enby who comes here to draw out." Viktor offered, pulling his red employee polo off and replacing it with a band t-shirt. "Instead of just staring."
Ekko groaned, slamming his locker shut. "Janna's tits, Jayce told you too?" He heard Jayce cackle from the showers.
Viktor snorted. "Oh, no I told him. Your pining has not…been subtle," he answered, his voice muffled by the shirt. "They seemed to be quite nice during the brief chat we had about the giant salamander enclosure last week."
Ekko felt briefly jealous—Viktor had talked to them? Then he realized the problem. How unsubtle had he actually been? "They haven't noticed, right?" Viktor's head popped out of the shirt and he shrugged. "Fuck me."
"Perhaps that can be your pick-up line. Although I would add a please."
"I hate you both." Ekko sat down on the bench, staring at his hands. "How do I—even do that?"
"Ask someone out?" Jayce came out of the showers, running the towel through his hair. "I refuse to believe that you've never dated."
"I was in and out of like six foster homes and two group homes in middle and high school, and I'm a double major, when am I supposed to have time do that?" Ekko replied. "It just—I've never had time to feel like this?" He looked up at the other two. Viktor hesitated, then reached out to squeeze his shoulder, smiling at him gently.
"I do not have all the answers, but I will say—you will regret not taking this chance. You clearly have been crushing on this person, and the worst they say is no." Ekko swallowed, then reached up to squeeze Viktor's hand in acknowledgement.
"Actually, the worst is actually they're a serial killer," Jayce offered and Viktor shot him a glare before the two men beamed at each other. "Anyways, we've got that Fish and Sips thing coming up that Heimerdinger always gives us extra tickets for. Offer one of your tickets."
Ekko hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Okay," he stood up and walked over to the door, opening the door. "I can do this."
They were right there, staring intently at the jelly-fish tanks, hands folded neatly behind their back. He quickly shut the door, banging his head against it lightly. Shit, crap. He was going to use the walk to find them to figure out what to say.
"I can't do this." Ekko looked back at them desperately. "They're right outside."
Jayce and Viktor shared a look. "Ask them or we're not giving you a ride home and you'll have to take the shuttle that smells like old algae," Jayce declared.
Ekko stared at them. Neither of them flinched. "You're evil."
"Uh-huh." Jayce walked over and turned Ekko back around. "Pardon the fish pun, but you are a fucking catch. Go ask them out." He shoved Ekko through the door and Ekko scrabbled for the knob before hearing the lock click.
Those bastards.
Ekko tried to smooth out his shirt. Janna, what was—
"—Hi?" Ekko started and stumbled back to look at them. They still had their hands folded behind their back, bouncing on their toes. "I'm Jinx."
Jinx. Somehow, it suited them perfectly.
"I—uhm, Ekko?" he squawked. Fuck, that was so bad. That was terrible, he was terrible.
"Yeah, I know," they replied and Ekko's brow furrowed. "I like watching you with the seals, and you always introduce yourself before the feeding starts."
"O-oh?" Ekko stepped away from the staff room—he was certain Jayce and Viktor were listening.
"Hey folks, I'm Ekko, but I know you're not really here for me, you're here for Jessica Seal and Seal Connery!" they quoted chipperly and Ekko felt himself flush. "I think the names are pretty funny."
"Yeah, the professor has a real sense of humour," he replied, feeling himself relax just a little. "I've seen you around the last few weeks," he offered, trying to keep the conversation going. Just keep talking, maybe the opportunity to ask them out would arise naturally. Jinx nodded, playing with the strap on their bag as they stopped in front of the octopus tank.
"Yeah, my therapist said I should dip my toes back into being social before I start classes in the fall, so being silent and slightly stoned in a place full of screaming children is my attempt at that," they replied, shrugging a little bit. "It's been pretty good so far." They leaned in closer to the tank and the octopus turned around to look at them, twisting in the water. "Hey Lucky," they cooed. "I drew you last week, no need to pose."
Ekko felt his heart flutter—they had nicknamed the octopus? That was so cute. (Her name was actually Oxy, because it was the eighth element, but he was never going to tell Jinx that)
"Oh fine, if you insist." They unsnapped their satchel and pulled out their sketchbook, flipping to a half-filled page and pulling the pencil from their hair. Ekko looked over it—dozens of sketches of fish, all species in the aquarium, but all with their own nicknames scribbled under them.
"Cute," he breathed before he could stop himself. Jinx looked over at him and he froze. "Fuck, I'm so sorry, I didn't—well, I meant it, but um—" he stuttered until they pressed their pencil to his lips and he shut his mouth. His heart was hammering as their blue-grey eyes stared at him intently for a few moments before they tapped the pencil against his lips.
"You're cute too." Jinx pulled the pencil back with a grin. Ekko stared, his mouth dry.
They thought he was cute? He didn't even hear what they said next. "I'm sorry, what?"
Jinx laughed and Ekko wanted to keep making them laugh as often as he could. "I said, my sister and her girlfriend threatened to come with me next time if I sent one more text about the aquarium boy instead of just asking you out. So, will you go out with me?" they asked.
Ekko stared for a moment, before a huge, goofy grin spread across his face. "Yes," he breathed. "Yes, yes, I was actually—I was going to ask you out. My coworkers locked me out of the locker room so I couldn't chicken out."
They beamed at him. "Great!" They dug into their bag, pulling out two tickets. "The mueseum next door is open late, do you have plans for tonight?"
"Nope, none at all," Ekko affirmed and Jinx grabbed his hand.
"Let's go then."
"Oh, just let me grab my bag first," Ekko said quickly, letting go of their hand and hurrying back to the staff room. "Wait right here."
He hurried back across to the locker room and banged on the door. Viktor opened it with a grin. "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything." Viktor held the door open and Ekko hurried in, grabbing his backpack from his locker. Jayce was on the phone with someone, but he raised his eyebrow and Ekko gave him a quick thumb's up. Jayce fist pumped, before turning back to his call.
Ekko hurried out the door, catching the last sentence as it closed behind him.
"You were right Cait, they both just needed to be lightly threatened."
He shook his head. He didn't care who Jayce told—he had a date. He hurried back to where Jinx was standing, hands behind their back once more. "Okay, let's go."