𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: A timebomb collection

Behind The Lens

The blinding lights in the studio shone down on Ekko, making him blink as he adjusted to the brightness. He had been prepared for this photoshoot all week—well, almost. He hadn’t expected his photographer to come up with a last-minute “artistic change,” whatever that meant.

What he really hadn’t expected was Jinx to walk through the door.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Ekko muttered under his breath as Jinx strode into the studio, all blue hair, confident smirk, and way too much energy for this early in the morning.

She stopped when she saw him, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Wait, you’re here?” Her voice had a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Ekko crossed his arms. “Yeah. I was booked for this shoot. What are you doing here?”

The photographer, a bubbly woman with way too much enthusiasm, clapped her hands and stepped between them, clearly missing the tension that was already brewing. “Oh, this is perfect! You two are just what we need for today’s shoot. The chemistry, the drama—it’s all going to be incredible on camera!”

Ekko blinked. “Wait, what?”

Jinx’s smile faltered as realization dawned. “We’re... working together?”

“That’s right!” the photographer beamed. “Our original concept was just Ekko, but when we found out you were both available, we thought it’d be amazing to pair you up. You two are going to sizzle on camera!”

Ekko exchanged a look with Jinx, and it was clear they were both thinking the same thing: This was a disaster waiting to happen. Sure, they used to be friends—close friends even—but those days were long gone. They hadn’t spoken without sarcasm or insults in months. Pairing them up for a photoshoot was... well, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Uh, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Ekko said cautiously, hoping the photographer would realize how awkward this was.

“Oh, nonsense,” she waved him off, already adjusting the lighting. “You’ll be great. The tension is going to look so real! Just play off of it.”

“Tension?” Jinx muttered under her breath. “Yeah, no kidding.”

Before Ekko could protest further, the photographer ushered them over to the set. It was a sleek, modern setup with a minimalistic black-and-white backdrop. The first pose she instructed them to get into had Ekko standing tall and serious while Jinx stood behind him, leaning on his shoulder, her face close to his ear.

“Remember, you’re rivals, but there’s that undeniable connection,” the photographer said, snapping pictures as they reluctantly got into position. “Perfect! Jinx, get closer to him. Ekko, look like you’re trying to resist but failing.”

Jinx snorted, leaning in closer than necessary just to mess with him. “Trying to resist, huh? Guess you’re used to that, little man.”

Ekko clenched his jaw, staring straight ahead. “Yeah, because I have so much to resist.”

“Oh, please,” she whispered back, her voice low so the photographer wouldn’t hear. “You’re lucky to be this close to me, little man.”

“Lucky’s not the word I’d use,” he shot back, keeping his voice even.

The camera flashed, and the photographer squealed with excitement. “This is perfect! You two are electric! Keep it up!”

Jinx’s breath tickled his ear, and despite the fact that they were supposed to be “acting,” Ekko felt his pulse quicken. He hadn’t been this close to Jinx in a long time. Too long, really. He couldn’t deny there was something about her that always got under his skin—always.

The next pose was even more uncomfortable. They were told to stand face-to-face, inches apart, their eyes locked in what was supposed to be a “fiery gaze.” Ekko could feel the heat radiating off Jinx as they stood there, the tension between them more real than he’d like to admit.

Jinx arched an eyebrow, her usual playful smirk softening ever so slightly. “You gonna keep glaring at me, or are you gonna actually play along?”

Ekko rolled his eyes. “Trust me, I’m trying. You’re not exactly making this easy.”

Jinx’s smile widened. “Good.”

The camera clicked again, and the photographer nodded approvingly. “That’s it! More of that intensity. This is amazing!”

As the shoot progressed, the poses became even more intimate. At one point, Jinx was told to lean into Ekko’s chest, her arms draped around his neck while he held her by the waist. Ekko’s heart raced as she wrapped her arms around him, her body pressing against his. It felt so natural, yet so wrong. They were supposed to hate each other, weren’t they?

“I can feel your heart beating, little man,” Jinx whispered, her tone teasing but with a hint of something deeper.

“Maybe because you’re crushing me,” he replied, trying to keep his cool.

But in truth, his heart was pounding. He hated that she could still affect him like this, even after all the fighting, all the years apart. She had a way of getting under his skin that no one else could. And he knew she felt it too, despite the front she always put up.

When the photographer called for a break, Ekko practically leaped away from Jinx, trying to shake off the strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. Jinx, on the other hand, acted like nothing had happened, casually stretching as if she hadn’t just been tangled up with him for the last hour.

“This was fun,” she said nonchalantly, grabbing a water bottle. “We should do it again sometime.”

Ekko shot her a glare, still feeling the lingering heat from their close proximity. “Yeah, sure. Because that wasn’t awkward at all.”

Jinx tilted her head, giving him a sly smile. “Admit it, little man. You’re having fun.”

“Not exactly the word I’d use,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Jinx just laughed. “You keep saying that, but you didn’t pull away.”

Ekko opened his mouth to argue but found he didn’t have a good response to that. She was right. Despite how much they bickered, he hadn’t pulled away. Not once. There was something about being near her, something that kept him glued in place, even when he wanted to walk away.

Before he could dwell on it too long, the photographer returned, clapping her hands again. “Alright, we’re almost done! Just one more pose. You two are going to be sitting together, looking away from each other, but your hands are going to be just touching.”

Ekko sighed, already dreading the last pose, but he did as he was told. As they sat down, their backs against each other, their hands barely brushing, he glanced over at Jinx. Her expression had softened, and for the first time during the entire shoot, she wasn’t smirking or teasing him.

“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice losing its usual edge. “You okay?”

Ekko blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her tone. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

Jinx shrugged, her eyes flicking down to their barely touching hands. “Just... checking.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them was thick with unresolved tension, but it wasn’t the usual antagonistic kind. It felt different—quieter, heavier. Like there were things neither of them wanted to say out loud.

The camera flashed again, capturing the moment, and then it was over.

As they stood up, Jinx gave him a quick glance, her playful grin returning, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, little man, it’s been real.”

“Yeah,” Ekko said, watching as she grabbed her things and walked out of the studio without looking back.

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew this wasn’t the last time they’d cross paths. And despite everything, a part of him wasn’t sure if he wanted it to be.