It was weird having someone to come home to for Jinx. After being alone for so long, even when her sister came back into her life they weren't close enough to live together. Not to mention that Jinx absolutely didn't want that. How could she have lived with someone who wouldn't call her by her new name (even if she understood why she wouldn't at first).

But Lilith was different. The kid never seemed to get in her way much, she just... existed there. But then there were times when she made her presence known, and while at first Jinx wasn't sure about how to go about it, after a while she just came to accept it. Random questions about what she was doing or making. Questions about where she was going and when she was coming back. Sometimes she even offered to help with chores (the few times that Jinx actually bothered to do them). And the kid never complained or asked for anything specific, she was surprisingly easy to handle. Of course, she was still a piece of work who would try to be sneaky and take things without Jinx noticing, but as long as it wasn't food she always returned it when Jinx asked for it back.

If she was being honest, she kinda liked it though. The presence of someone who accepted her as she was, Lilith had no expectations from her and seemed in awe and content with almost everything she did or offered. Was she a bit shallow? Yeah, but the kid was fine with it so who cared. It had been a little less than 2 weeks and Jinx had even found herself cleaning up around the place to make more room for the girl. (It totally wasn't because Lilith had tripped over a box the day before and she felt guilty. That would be ridiculous.)

So imagine her surprise when the little girl started asking about leaving.

"Hey Jinx?"

"Hmm?" She gave a small hum to acknowledge the kid while she was sitting spread out on her couch and Lilith was on the floor with her legs crossed and they were both watching tv. She was listening even though her eyes stayed locked on the screen, but she could feel the stare of the child sitting on the floor.

"When do I have to leave by?"

The question caught her off guard and she didn't even hear the way her own voice raised a few pitches when she let out a "what?" In surprise.

Lilith's eyes were wide as she quickly looked to the floor and away from Jinx and started fiddling with her hands.

"Well, I've been here a while... and you said I was only staying a while. A-and this was only temporary so..." she trailed off and Jinx bit the inside of her cheek while her eyebrows furrowed and she turned her head to glare at the door.

She did say that... but she didn't expect the kid to bring it up. But why did she feel so upset anyway? It was just a question, and a very valid one for a child who wants to know when she would be put out onto the streets again. Because she couldn't keep her of course. She wasn't sure exactly but keeping a random child in her home had to be illegal in some kind of way. But still.

"Do you... want to leave?" Her question came out slow and unsure while Lilith looked back at her with a twisted expression. Obviously her face didn't help her much because she huffed and folded her arms before her eyebrows furrowed and she turned to glare at the door.

Jinx's breath hitched at the familiar motion. It wasn't the first time she had imitated her since being there but Jinx knew kids picked up mannerisms and words from the people around them, it's one of the reasons why she had held back on cursing. But seeing her copying her right then almost gave Jinx a feeling of something more personal than she expected. It felt like Lilith was her own kid, and not just someone she was letting stay for a while.

"I know what temporary means. I have to leave." Jinx grimaced. She knew the kid wasn't dumb and she also knew how hard it would be for the kid to just believe she could stay for free. She used to live on the street and she knew what it was like to be used and taken advantage of for simple 'favors'. Things she thought were free but then she had to 'return the favor' later.

"... You..."

It was quiet again as neither of them spoke. Jinx watched as the little girl turned her head from the door back to the tv and probably assumed the conversation was over, but Jinx couldn't help but get lost in her head.

She liked the kid, and for some reason she didn't want to lose her. She didn't completely hate having someone here with her. It made everything feel less lonely. She had her sister, but she also didn't. Vi had all these expectations for her and Vi had Caitlyn who Jinx found annoying all the time. And Vi was constantly disappointed by her choices which she couldn't deal with. But how could she keep her? And how could she make sure the kid wanted to stay? What's stopping her from just leaving? Jinx could feel her breath quicken. Lilith would just leave her wouldn't she? With no reason to stay the girl would likely try to run away or something, and Jinx would never see her again.

"You don't have to leave, you can stay." The words blurted out of her mouth and she only got another confused expression on the 6-year-old's face.

"Why?"

She had said that without thinking but she couldn't take it back now, Lilith already heard her so she had to follow through... but she didn't have any reason for doing so.

"I just... I'm not too... bothered by you being around okay? Don't worry about it."

Those were in fact, not the words you use when trying to convince a runaway child that she can stay at your place. Something Jinx learned a bit later.