[Arcane] TimeBomb - Deleted Scenes S2

Into Battle, We Go

Scene context: The time for preparation is over and war is here. Jinx and Ekko ready themselves to step into the battlefield.

—

As the day finally approached, Ekko arrived with news about the Firelights' readiness. They sat on the floor together, surrounded by blueprints, parts, and sketches, going over the final details of their plan. The air felt different tonight—charged with anticipation and something else neither of them could quite name. The next few hours would change everything, and they both knew it.

Jinx had been unusually quiet as they reviewed the plans, her fingers tracing the lines of their sketches with an almost nervous energy. Then, seemingly coming to a decision, she looked up at him with that familiar glint in her eye—the one that always meant trouble of the best kind.

"Just one last thing," she said, her voice softer than usual. She reached for a small jar of pink paint, her fingers hovering over it for a moment before grasping it with sudden determination. "We need our war paint."

Without warning, she swiped her finger through the paint and drew a bold X across Ekko's chest. The pink streak stood stark against his dark top, like lightning against a night sky. Their eyes met, and something electric passed between them—a spark of their old playfulness, but charged with something new.

Ekko's lips curved into a challenging smile as he reached for the jar of pink paint. "That's how you want to play it?"

Jinx's eyes widened a fraction, recognizing the glint in his eye. She barely had time to react before he grabbed a paint bucket of his own.

"Oh, it's definitely on," she breathed, and suddenly they were both moving, trading marks and streaks of colour. Blue crossed pink, curved lines met sharp angles, each stroke a continuation of their unspoken conversation. Paint splashed across cheeks, necks, arms—their laughter echoing off the workshop walls.

Jinx painted crosses across his knuckles, her fingers lingering on his skin. Ekko responded by painting fierce pink lines beneath her eyes, his touch surprisingly gentle despite the swiftness of the motion. They moved in an almost-dance translated into this new, intimate choreography.

"Ekko," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of machinery around them. The playfulness had evaporated, leaving something heavier, more meaningful in its wake.

Ekko's gaze softened as it flicked over her, catching on her newly cropped hair. Short, razor-edged, with a rebellious fringe framing her face, it was a stark change from the wild braids she once wore. He reached up, brushing a strand aside with paint-streaked fingers, leaving a faint smear of purple in its wake.

"It suits you," he murmured, his voice low but steady. "Bold. Like you."

Jinx blinked, caught off guard by the compliment, and for a moment, she wasn't sure what to say. Time seemed to slow—ironic, given his usual relationship with it—as they drew closer, paint-stained fingers intertwining, the unspoken words between them lingering like the faint scent of paint in the air.

When their lips finally met, it felt inevitable, like the resolution of an equation Jinx had been trying to solve for years. The kiss was gentle at first, then deeper, more urgent, tasting of paint and endless possibilities. Her fingers curled into his jacket as his hand cradled the back of her neck, both of them holding on as if they might slip away otherwise.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling in the small space between them. Paint had smeared where they'd touched, creating a canvas of their shared moment—blue and pink swirled together like dawn breaking over Zaun.