Arcane X Reader (Open)

The room smelled of smoke and damp metal, the flickering glow of a single overhead light casting long, distorted shadows across the walls. You sat on the couch, back stiff, fingers tightening around the fabric of your gloves as Silco stared you down from across the room.

Jinx was perched on his desk, her legs swinging idly over the edge, but there was tension in her shoulders. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her blue eyes flicking between you and Silco as if she were waiting for one of you to make the first move.

"You're being dramatic" she finally said, voice laced with irritation.

Silco took a slow drag from his cigar before tapping the ash into a tray beside him. He didn't look at her. His gaze was locked onto you, sharp as a blade, slicing through any illusion of security you might have had in this place.

"I'm being cautious" he corrected.

Jinx groaned, tossing her head back "Yeah, yeah. 'Cautious' That's what you said about Finn's guys before you had 'em gutted and dumped into the harbor"

Silco ignored her, addressing you instead "You're an unknown variable"

You exhaled through your nose, keeping your expression neutral. You'd been through this before, several times, in fact. It didn't matter that you had fought for Jinx, killed for her, bled for her. It didn't matter that you had stood by her side through her worst nights, through her manic highs and crushing lows. To Silco, you were nothing more than a liability.

"You've done what's necessary to stay close to Jinx" he continued, voice smooth and deliberate "That doesn't mean you're loyal to me"

Jinx rolled her eyes so hard you were sure she saw the back of her skull "Oh my god, Silco. Can you hear yourself?"

He sighed, rubbing his temple "Jinx" His patience was wearing thin "I won't let their presence put you at risk"

Jinx scoffed, crossing her arms "If they wanted to backstab me, they would've done it already"

Silco's gaze flicked back to you, his expression unreadable "Or they're waiting for the right moment"

That struck a nerve. Your fingers curled into fists, nails biting into your palms.

"I've done nothing but prove myself" you said evenly.

Silco leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. The low light caught the sharp angles of his face, the deep creases carved into his skin from years of ruthless leadership.

"To her" he countered "Not to me"

You clenched your jaw. There was no winning with him. No matter what you did, no matter how many times you put yourself in the line of fire for Jinx, Silco would never see you as anything but an outsider.

Jinx slid off the desk, positioning herself between the two of you. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring up at Silco like a defiant child challenging a parent.

"You don't get to decide who I keep around" she snapped.

Silco exhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers flexing against the wooden surface of his desk "No. But I do get to decide what's best for you"

Jinx laughed sharp and humorless "That's rich, coming from the guy who let Vi slip through his fingers"

Silco's entire body stiffened. The room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"That's enough" he said, voice low, dangerous.

"No, it's not" she shot back "You're always talking about how I need to be strong, about how I can't let things hold me back but the second I decide what I want, you act like I'm some fragile little girl"

Her hands balled into fists, nails biting into her palms "They get me. They don't try to fix me, they don't lie to me, and they sure as hell don't treat me like I'm gonna break"

Your throat tightened at her words. You'd always known how much she struggled, how hard she clung to the few people she allowed close. Jinx wasn't just afraid of being abandoned, she was terrified of being discarded. Of being seen as something broken, something too far gone.

And in a way, that was what this entire argument was really about. Silco saw you as a threat, but Jinx saw you as an anchor. And she was tired of people trying to cut her free.

Silco's expression was unreadable, but you could see the way his jaw tightened, the way his fingers twitched slightly where they rested.

Finally, he exhaled, shaking his head "You're impossible"

Jinx smirked "And you love me for it"

Silco studied you for another long moment before finally turning away, his dismissal clear. The conversation was over for now.

Jinx grinned, spinning on her heel to face you. Her hands found your wrists, pulling you to your feet.

"Told ya" she whispered.

You chuckled, shaking your head "You're impossible"

She leaned in, her breath warm against your ear "And you love me for it"

You really did.