Jinxed | Jinx Arcane Oneshots

Cooking Adventures | FLUFF

FLUFF

Jinx wasn't one for traditional surprises. Her kind of "surprises" usually involved explosions, chaos, or some insane new invention she'd cooked up in her workshop.

So, when I walked into her hideout that day, the last thing I expected was the smell of something burning.. and not in the usual Jinx way.

"Oh fuck.. shit, shit, shit!" her voice rang out from what passed as a kitchen in this place. Well, not so much a kitchen as a corner with a half-broken stove, a mismatched collection of pots and pans, and.. a blowtorch?

I cautiously peeked around the corner. There she was, hair in her signature braids, one of them half-singed. Her hands were smeared with something that looked suspiciously like batter, and she was frantically waving a towel at a smoking pan.

"Jinx?" I asked, unsure if I was walking into a cooking experiment or a literal bomb in progress.

She whipped around, eyes wide and pink from shimmer, but lit up with excitement when she saw me. "Y/N! You're early!" she blurted, shoving the smoking pan behind her back.

The move only spread the smoke more, curling up around her like she was the star of some dramatic scene in a play.

I raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you doing?"

Her grin stretched wide, the kind of grin that made me simultaneously adore and fear her. "Making dinner," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Dinner?" I echoed, glancing around at the chaos that surrounded her. There was flour on the counter, eggshells on the floor, and something green and unidentifiable dripping from a whisk. "Is that what we're calling this?"

Jinx narrowed her eyes, though her grin didn't falter. "Hey! Don't knock it! Cooking is just science with snacks, and I'm a genius. Ergo, this is gonna be amazing."

I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. "Sure. And what exactly are you making?"

She hesitated for a split second, then said with all the confidence in the world, "Uh.. food."

"Right. Food. Got it."

Before I could say anything else, a loud pop came from the oven. Jinx flinched, ducking like she was expecting it to blow. When nothing else happened, she straightened and turned back to me with a sheepish shrug. "It's fine. Totally under control. Maybe."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Do you want help?"

"Nope!" she said quickly, pointing a batter-covered spoon at me. "This is my thing. I'm surprising you, okay? So just.. go sit down or something. And no peeking."

Knowing better than to argue when she got that look in her eyes, I retreated to the couch. From my spot, I could hear the clatter of pans, the occasional muttered curse, and once, the unmistakable clang of something heavy hitting the floor.

But despite the noise, I couldn't stop smiling. Jinx was unpredictable, chaotic, and, well, Jinx. But she was also trying, and that meant more to me than anything.

Eventually, she emerged from the kitchen, holding a plate like it was a trophy. She'd smeared a streak of batter across her cheek at some point, and her grin was as proud as if she'd just invented a new weapon.

"Ta-da!" she declared, setting the plate in front of me with a dramatic flourish.

I looked down at the.. creation. It was hard to tell what it had started as. Pancakes? A casserole? Something fried? The edges were charred, and the middle was an odd shade of green that I was pretty sure food wasn't supposed to be.

A suspiciously shiny sauce dripped over the top, pooling around the base of the dish.

Jinx plopped down beside me, bouncing slightly as she watched my reaction. "Well? What do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?"

"It's something," I said carefully, picking up a fork. The look she gave me made it clear there was no getting out of this. With a deep breath, I stabbed the fork into the middle of the thing, and it made a strange squelching sound.

Her grin faltered just a bit. "It's supposed to do that," she said quickly.

I took a bite. The flavors hit me all at once, and I had no idea what half of them were. Sweet? Salty? Spicy? Was that cinnamon? And.. was that shimmer? My eyes watered as I forced myself to swallow.

Jinx leaned in, her face inches from mine. "Soooo?" she asked eagerly.

I set the fork down, blinking rapidly to clear my vision. "It's, uh.. unique."

Her grin stretched again. "I knew it! I'm a culinary mastermind!"

I couldn't help but laugh, even as my stomach tried to process what I'd just eaten. "It's definitely something only you could make."

She preened at the compliment, leaning back with her hands behind her head. "Yep. One of a kind. Just like me."

I reached over, wiping a streak of batter from her cheek with my thumb. She froze for a moment, her eyes flicking to mine. For once, the manic energy in her gaze softened, replaced by something warmer, almost shy.

"Thanks for trying, Jinx," I said, my voice quieter. "It really means a lot."

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, grabbing a pillow and smacking me with it to cover her embarrassment. "Don't get all mushy on me, Y/N. I'll puke."

I laughed, catching the pillow before she could hit me again. "Okay, okay. No mushy stuff. But maybe next time, let's cook together? You know, so the food doesn't fight back."

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she flopped onto the couch beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. "Fine. But only if I get to use the blowtorch."

I sighed, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Deal."

For a moment, there was silence. Then she looked up at me, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "So.. you're saying you didn't like my masterpiece?"

"I'm saying it might need some work," I teased.

She grinned wickedly, reaching for the fork. "Oh no. You're eating the rest. Can't let good food go to waste."

Before I could protest, she was chasing me around the room, fork in hand and laughter ringing out like music. It was messy, chaotic, and completely Jinx. And I wouldn't have it any other way.