Arcane: Ekko and Powder

Zaun's underbelly never truly rested. The hum of machines, the steady clink of metal, and the low murmur of voices echoed through the alleyways and crowded streets. For Ekko, the city had always been both a playground and a puzzle—something to solve, something to change. But lately, as the days passed, Zaun's chaos didn't feel as comforting as it once had. Something was shifting inside him, a shift that felt as unspoken and powerful as the city itself.

It had been a few weeks since their last heart-to-heart in the old factory, the one where Ekko finally voiced his dreams to Powder, and she had given him the reassurance he desperately needed. But now, a different kind of tension hung in the air. Ekko had spent more time in his workshop, his focus consumed by his latest invention. Powder had gone off on her own, as always, but there was an unfamiliar distance between them. They hadn't argued or fought—nothing overt—but the silence was heavier now.

Ekko knew something had changed. And he suspected that Powder could feel it too.

It was late in the evening when Ekko decided to break the quiet. The workshop was cluttered, his latest invention sprawled across the desk, unfinished and half-built. But Ekko couldn't concentrate on it. His thoughts kept drifting to Powder. He hadn't seen her all day, and he found himself missing her more than he had expected. He couldn't stop wondering if things were different between them now—if they had crossed an unspoken line and didn't even realize it yet.

As if on cue, the door to the workshop creaked open, and Powder stepped in, her presence instantly filling the room. She was covered in dirt and smudges, her wild hair a tangled mess as always, but there was something in the way she looked at him—a mix of curiosity and caution.

"Hey," she greeted, a half-smile on her face. "You busy?"

Ekko stood up from his desk, his heart quickening. There was a tension between them, one that hadn't been there before. He couldn't help but feel like he was on the edge of something big—something important. But how to bridge that gap? He wasn't sure.

"Not really," Ekko said, pushing his work aside. "I've just been trying to get this thing working, but it's not going the way I want it to." He paused, glancing at her. "How's everything with you?"

Powder shrugged, her expression a little more guarded than usual. "You know, the usual. Nothing new." She hesitated, her eyes flicking to the gadget on the desk. "You've been busy."

Ekko frowned. "Yeah, I guess I have. But... that's not why I've been keeping to myself."

She raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look crossing her face. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated, his hands working nervously against each other. The words were harder to say than he expected. They had always been able to talk easily, share jokes and ideas without second-guessing. But this? This felt different. Their bond had changed in ways neither of them had anticipated. Ekko could feel it, deep in his chest, but he wasn't sure how to address it.

"Look," Ekko began, meeting her gaze. "We've been... spending a lot of time apart lately. And I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like there's something different between us now. I can't stop thinking about it. And I don't know if you feel it too, but—"

Powder cut him off, her eyes softening. "I've been feeling it too." She took a step forward, her voice quiet. "I don't know why, but things have been... weird, right?"

Ekko nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinking that maybe it's because we've changed, or maybe it's just... because I'm thinking about things differently now. About us."

Powder bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable but not backing away. "What do you mean?"

Ekko took a deep breath. He knew this conversation was long overdue, but the uncertainty of it made him feel exposed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I don't think we're just friends anymore. At least, I don't feel like we're just friends. And I'm not sure what to do about it."

There it was—the unspoken truth, laid out in the open. Ekko's chest felt tight as he waited for her response, unsure of what to expect. He had never felt this way before, not about Powder. But as they had grown older, their connection had deepened. The playful moments, the shared glances, the way they could communicate without words—it was more than just friendship.

Powder stood still, her expression unreadable. Ekko's heart raced. Had he ruined everything by saying it out loud? Was this something she hadn't even considered?

But then, slowly, Powder's face softened, and a small, unsure smile tugged at her lips. "You've been feeling that too?"

Ekko nodded. "Yeah. It's been bugging me for a while. And I don't know what to do about it."

She stepped closer to him, her posture relaxed but still carrying that same mixture of curiosity and wariness. "I think... I think I've been feeling the same way. But I wasn't sure if you were thinking about it that way. You know, with everything going on, I didn't know if it was just me being... I don't know, weird."

Ekko gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "I don't think it's weird. Not at all. It's just... we've been friends for so long, Powder. And now I feel like there's more. I don't know how to handle it."

The words hung between them, fragile and raw. They stood there for a long moment, the weight of their feelings settling into the space between them. Powder let out a breath, her eyes searching his as if trying to find something in his gaze.

"Maybe that's the problem," she said quietly. "We've always been so sure of what we were. But now it feels like... like we're both stepping into something we don't fully understand."

Ekko nodded. "Yeah. And I don't want to mess things up. I don't want to ruin what we have."

Powder's voice softened, her gaze dropping for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "I don't want to ruin it either. But I don't want to keep pretending it's just friendship when it feels like it's more."

They were speaking the same language now, acknowledging the shift they had both been feeling but hadn't known how to address. The honesty between them felt like a breath of fresh air, even if it was frightening.

Ekko took a small step toward her, his heart in his throat. "So what do we do now? I mean, I don't know what this is between us yet, but I know I don't want to lose you."

Powder's eyes met his, and for the first time, Ekko saw something new in her gaze—something more tender, more vulnerable. "I don't want to lose you either, Ekko," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we don't have to figure everything out right now. Maybe we just have to... let things happen, and see where it goes. Together."

Ekko's heart swelled with relief, and for the first time in weeks, the tension between them seemed to ease. Powder wasn't backing away; she was meeting him halfway, just as she always had.

"Together," he echoed, the word feeling like a promise.

Powder smiled softly, the playful twinkle in her eyes returning, but this time there was something deeper behind it—a shared understanding that things had changed, but they were still in this together. And for Ekko, that was enough.

The city of Zaun might never change. The chaos, the darkness, and the brokenness that filled every corner of their world would remain. But as they stood there, facing the uncertainty of what would come next, Ekko realized that with Powder by his side, he could face anything. The future was unknown, but it felt a little less daunting now that they had spoken their truth.

They didn't need to rush into anything. They didn't need to have all the answers. But in that moment, they both knew that their bond had evolved into something new. Something that would carry them forward, no matter what the future held.