Arcane: Ekko and Powder

The day had started like any other, the air in the Undercity thick with the familiar sounds of clattering metal, distant shouts, and the constant hum of the broken world that surrounded Ekko and Powder. The two of them were working in the usual abandoned factory, Ekko bent over a pile of parts and tools, tinkering with some new invention while Powder watched him with her usual curiosity, occasionally chiming in with her ideas or suggestions. They had fallen into a comfortable rhythm over the years, a partnership where each knew exactly how the other worked, where silence was not awkward but simply another form of communication.

Today, however, there was something in the air that neither of them could quite put their finger on. Powder seemed quieter than usual, her movements a little more deliberate, her words carefully chosen. Ekko noticed it immediately, though he did his best to ignore it, focusing instead on the mechanical contraption in front of him.

The sounds of clanking metal filled the space as Ekko tightened a bolt, his mind wrapped around the task at hand. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't hear Powder approach until she was standing directly beside him, her gaze fixed on the small device he was holding.

"Is it working?" she asked, her voice softer than usual, almost tentative.

Ekko glanced up at her, meeting her eyes for a brief moment before nodding. "Yeah, just need to make a few more adjustments. It'll be ready soon."

"Can I try?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of excitement, but there was something different about her tone. It was almost as though she was waiting for permission, hesitant in a way that felt foreign to Ekko.

"Sure," he said, reaching over to hand her the device. His fingers brushed lightly against hers as he passed it to her, a simple movement—nothing more than a routine exchange. But the moment their skin touched, something shifted between them, an electric current that both of them felt in an instant.

Ekko froze, his breath catching in his throat. The sensation of her touch lingered on his skin, making his pulse race in a way that he couldn't explain. It wasn't like any of the countless times they had been in close proximity to each other before—this time, it felt different, significant.

Powder, too, seemed to freeze, her eyes wide as if she had just realized the same thing. She looked at their hands, now separated, both of them avoiding the other's gaze. A strange silence settled between them, the hum of the factory and the creak of old metal the only sounds in the air.

Ekko swallowed, trying to push down the sudden rush of emotions that flooded him. He had never felt this way before, not with Powder, not in all their years of friendship. He was used to her wild energy, to her unpredictable nature, but this... this was something else entirely. Something deeper, something that pulled at his chest and made him want to stay in that moment forever.

Powder was the first to break the silence, though her voice was quieter than usual, almost uncertain. "Sorry... I didn't mean to—"

"No," Ekko interrupted quickly, his voice coming out more sharply than he had intended. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "No, it's not... I mean, it's fine."

But even as he said the words, he knew it wasn't fine. Not really. Not when his heart was still racing, when his thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion and something else—something he didn't want to acknowledge just yet.

Powder glanced up at him then, her gaze meeting his for the first time since the touch. She looked different, as though the moment had changed something in her too. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come. Instead, she simply nodded, her expression unreadable, and took the device from his hands, her fingers brushing his once more as she did.

The moment felt charged, like the world had suddenly shifted beneath their feet. They both knew it. They both felt it. But neither of them knew how to address it. How could they?

For a long minute, they stood there, neither of them moving, both trying to process what had just happened. It wasn't just the touch—it was the way their lives had intertwined over the years, the way they had become so much more to each other than just friends. And now, with that brief brush of skin, everything had changed.

Powder, her face a little flushed, finally looked back down at the device in her hands, her fingers tightening around it as if trying to ground herself in something solid. Ekko did the same, focusing back on his workbench, though his mind kept drifting back to that one simple touch.

"Is it working?" Powder asked again, her voice back to its usual tone, though there was still a hint of something softer behind the words.

Ekko blinked, trying to clear the haze in his mind. "Uh, yeah. Almost there. I just need to—" His words trailed off as he struggled to focus. He had never been this distracted before. Not by anything, not even by his inventions, which had always been his world. But now, his mind kept drifting back to Powder—her smile, her laughter, her fierce spirit. And, now, to that touch.

Powder, sensing his distraction, glanced up again, her expression softer than before. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes searching his face as if looking for some sign that everything was fine.

Ekko hesitated, his fingers trembling slightly as he adjusted a piece of the gadget. "Yeah. I'm fine," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was lying to her or to himself.

She didn't press him, but there was a shift in her demeanor too. The easy, playful energy they usually shared had become tentative, unsure. And Ekko couldn't help but wonder if it was because of him—because of the way he had felt when their hands had touched.

As the hours passed, the tension between them remained, hanging in the air like a thick fog neither of them knew how to dispel. They continued working, but the atmosphere was different, charged with unspoken words and feelings neither of them had quite figured out. Ekko found himself stealing glances at Powder, watching the way she bit her lip in concentration, the way her fingers moved with precision as she worked on her side of the project. There was a quiet elegance to her, a grace that he had never really taken the time to appreciate before.

It wasn't until they had both finished their tasks, their work for the day done, that the silence between them became unbearable. They had always been able to talk about anything, to joke around, to tease each other, but now there was a weight to their words, a hesitation in the air.

Powder stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, I guess that's it for today," she said, her voice trying to sound casual, though Ekko could tell it wasn't. Her eyes avoided his, the words falling out of her mouth like they were more of a reflex than anything else.

"Yeah," Ekko replied, though he had no intention of just leaving things like this. He had to say something—he couldn't let the moment pass without addressing it. But what could he say? What could he possibly say to make sense of what had just happened between them?

Before he could open his mouth, Powder turned toward him, her expression serious now, but still tinged with that familiar spark of mischief. "Hey, Ekko?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?" Ekko answered, his heart skipping a beat as he looked up at her.

"You're not gonna start acting weird now, are you?" she said, the corner of her mouth curving into a teasing smile. But her eyes were searching his, as if she needed reassurance.

Ekko blinked, caught off guard by her question, but the tension in the air seemed to dissipate, if only slightly. "What do you mean, weird?" he asked, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips.

"You know," she replied, her smile widening as she stepped closer to him, her gaze playful. "Like… like how you're acting all serious and stuff. I don't think I can handle the 'serious Ekko' for long."

Ekko laughed, relieved by the way she had lightened the mood. "I wasn't being serious," he said, trying to play it off, though his heart was still racing. "I just had something on my mind, that's all."

Powder raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Sure, Ekko. You can tell me later, if you want. But for now, let's just go blow something up, yeah?"

Ekko smiled, the tension melting away as her familiar, mischievous energy returned. "That sounds more like the Powder I know," he said, his voice steady once more.

But as they walked out of the factory together, side by side, Ekko couldn't help but feel that something had irrevocably shifted between them. And maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something neither of them could have predicted.