Tides of Zaun

III

In the days that followed, their paths crossed more often than either of them had expected. At first, it was tense, filled with unspoken words and memories they both wanted to forget. But there was something unbreakable between them, a connection that neither time nor violence could sever.

The next time they met, it wasn't in the heat of battle. Ekko had been tracking her for weeks now, always careful to keep his distance, not sure if he was ready for the confrontation. But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

It was a quiet night, the air thick with the fumes of Zaun's industrial heartbeat. Ekko had been lost in thought, crouched on the rooftop of an old, abandoned factory when he heard footsteps approaching.

Jinx.

She was injured this time, a deep cut across her arm that bled down her skin, mixing with the dirt and grime that coated her clothes. For a moment, they just stared at each other, neither of them willing to speak first. But Ekko's gaze fell to the blood on her arm, and before he knew it, he was moving toward her.

"Let me see that," he said quietly, reaching for her.

She jerked back instinctively, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding, Jinx."

"And whose fault is that?" she snapped, though there was a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

Ekko ignored her protests, his fingers brushing against her skin as he took her arm in his hand. The touch was brief, but electric, and for a moment, they both froze. It had been years since they'd been this close—years since Ekko had felt her warmth, her pulse thrumming just beneath the surface of her skin.

Jinx swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with something she didn't quite understand. She hated that his touch still affected her, hated that he could make her feel anything at all. But as his fingers lingered on her wound, carefully binding the cloth around her arm, she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ekko looked up, his gaze meeting hers. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he let his hand rest on hers for a moment longer than necessary, the warmth of her skin sending a shock through his system.

"Because I care," he said finally, his voice soft but steady.

The silence between them stretched on, thick and heavy with tension. They were standing too close now, their breaths mingling in the cold night air. Jinx's heart pounded in her chest, and she couldn't tell if it was from the pain or something else entirely.

"Ekko, I—"

But before she could finish, he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a moment that felt like both an apology and a confession. It was soft at first, hesitant, as if they were testing the waters of something long forgotten. But then the kiss deepened, years of anger and longing colliding in a whirlwind of heat and intensity.

Jinx's hands found their way to his chest, fingers clutching at his jacket as if she needed something to ground her, something to keep her from falling apart. And for the first time in years, she let herself feel.