Arcane: Ekko and Powder

The days following their kiss felt like walking on a tightrope—exciting, terrifying, and full of new possibilities. Ekko and Powder had crossed a line they could never uncross, but now they had to learn what came next. The simple, carefree days of their friendship were over, replaced with something deeper and more complicated. They were together now, officially, and everything felt different.

At first, they tried to slip into the new dynamic as if nothing had changed. They still spent time in the places they loved—abandoned factories, the winding streets of Zaun, rooftops overlooking the city—but there was a shift in the air, a subtle tension that neither of them could ignore. They were more aware of each other now, in ways they hadn't been before. A glance would linger just a little too long, a touch would feel more significant. Everything seemed magnified, like the world was suddenly brimming with unspoken words.

The awkwardness between them was palpable, though neither of them wanted to admit it.

One afternoon, they found themselves sitting on the edge of a rooftop, gazing at the sprawling city below. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the skyline, but the silence between them felt heavier than the usual comfortable quiet.

Ekko fiddled with a small gadget in his hands, something he had been working on for days. He could feel Powder's eyes on him, though she hadn't said anything in the last few minutes. When he glanced up, he saw her looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. His stomach did a little flip at the sight.

"So… uh… what now?" Ekko finally broke the silence, his voice awkward, as though the question itself was a strange new territory. He laughed nervously, but it felt hollow. "I mean, this whole… 'together' thing. What are we supposed to do?"

Powder smiled, though there was a slight blush on her cheeks. She looked away, trying to mask her own discomfort. "I don't know… it's not like we've never been together before. Just not like this." She glanced back at him, her eyes meeting his. "I mean, we're still us, right? It's just... different."

The words hung in the air for a moment, both of them trying to find their footing. Powder shifted uncomfortably, her foot tapping lightly against the ledge of the roof. Ekko's heart raced as he struggled to find the right words, to make it feel less strange. He wanted to laugh it off, to tell her that it didn't matter, but it did matter. Everything felt amplified now, every small gesture or lingering look seemed charged with new meaning.

"Yeah, I guess," Ekko muttered. "It's just... kind of hard to figure out what comes next, you know? We've been friends for so long, and now it's different. I don't even know how to... well... act."

Powder's smile softened, her usual playful demeanor flickering for a moment. "It's just us, Ekko. We don't have to change anything. But maybe... maybe we can figure it out together." She leaned over and nudged his shoulder lightly. "We'll get it right. Eventually."

Her words brought a small sense of relief. He nodded, his gaze dropping back to the gadget in his hands, a small but reassuring smile forming on his face. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

But as the days passed, the tension didn't quite fade. They found themselves stumbling over the simplest things. A touch lingered a little too long. Words they would have normally tossed out easily became weighted and unsure. Every glance felt like an invitation, every laugh a promise of something more, and neither of them quite knew how to navigate the shifting waters of their new reality.

One night, as they walked through the streets of Zaun, Ekko accidentally brushed his hand against hers. His heart skipped a beat, and he froze for a split second, unsure if she had felt it too. He quickly pulled his hand back, his cheeks warming.

"Uh, sorry," he muttered, looking away, his voice unnecessarily awkward.

Powder didn't say anything for a moment, and he felt the silence stretch between them. Then, she shrugged. "It's okay," she said casually, though there was a slight nervousness in her tone. "I mean, we're... we're together now. I guess that's normal."

Ekko's heart pounded in his chest. It didn't feel normal. Everything about this felt new and strange, and he wasn't sure how to react to it. He wished they could just skip ahead, skip all the awkwardness, but maybe that was part of this—figuring out how to be something more than friends without losing the comfort they had built over years of shared history.

In moments like these, Ekko found himself overthinking everything. Every word, every gesture, every look. He couldn't help it. Powder was right there beside him, her presence like a constant buzz in the back of his mind, pulling at him in ways he didn't fully understand.

Later that night, they found themselves working on one of Ekko's inventions in an abandoned workshop. The quiet hum of machines and the clink of tools against metal filled the air, but the tension between them remained, unspoken and heavy. Ekko's hand brushed against Powder's again as he reached for a wrench, and for a moment, he froze, unsure if he should pull back or let it linger.

Powder, sensing his hesitation, smiled softly. "You can relax, you know," she said, her voice gentle, teasing but with a hint of sincerity. "We don't have to be perfect."

Ekko gave a nervous laugh, nodding. "I'm trying. Really. Just... I don't know how to stop feeling like I'm messing this up."

Powder turned to face him, her expression serious for the first time in a while. "Ekko, you're not messing anything up. We've got this. It's just... we're both figuring it out. Together."

For the first time in days, Ekko's nerves settled, a warmth spreading through him at her words. He nodded slowly, finally feeling like they were on the same page again. "Yeah... we'll figure it out."

But even as the days passed and they continued adjusting to their new relationship, the awkwardness didn't completely disappear. It was there in the way they hesitated before speaking, the way their hands would occasionally brush and then quickly pull back, the way a simple touch could send both of them into a flurry of nervous energy.

Yet, despite the awkward moments, there was a sense of excitement—a promise of something new. They were in uncharted territory, but they had each other, and that made all the difference.

As they walked back to their shared hideout that evening, Powder nudged Ekko with her shoulder again, her smile mischievous. "You know, I think I kind of like this new dynamic," she said, her voice light, though her eyes held something more serious. "Even if it's awkward sometimes."

Ekko grinned back at her, his heart lifting. "Yeah, me too. Even if we're both terrible at it."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling. "We'll get better at it. Together."

And somehow, that thought made everything feel a little bit easier. They didn't need to have everything figured out just yet. They had time, and they had each other. In the end, that was all that mattered.

New beginnings were never easy, but as they walked side by side into the unknown, Ekko realized that with Powder by his side, everything felt possible.