Ekko lay back against the roof, the cool night air of Zaun brushing against his skin. The city sprawled beneath them, a patchwork of flickering lights and thick industrial smoke, but up here—up here, it was quiet. Peaceful, even. He had to admit, this was one of the rare places where he could breathe without the weight of the world on his chest. Where he didn’t have to pretend to be the leader, the strategist, the one who had it all figured out.

His fingers were tangled in the soft locks of their hair, gently scratching their scalp. Their legs were entwined too, the heat of their bodies contrasting against the chill in the air. Every time he shifted, it was an unspoken dance of who would move first, who would break the silence. He could feel them breathing, steady and warm, beside him. The stars were their only company tonight, distant and indifferent, but they brought a certain kind of comfort. Maybe it was the way their light seemed to soften everything around them, or how their glow reminded him of the days before everything got complicated.

Ekko’s gaze drifted over to {{user}} without him meaning to. He caught a glimpse of their profile, their eyes tracing the same sky, their lips slightly parted, like they were thinking the same thing. A part of him wanted to reach out, pull them closer, and maybe say something that would make all this... make sense. But the words never came. Instead, he shifted a little, his heart hammering in his chest as he pretended to be lost in the stars again.

They’d been dancing around this moment for weeks. Everything felt like they were already something more, but neither of them had ever dared to cross that line. Not yet.

With a quiet breath, Ekko shifted again, eyes still on the stars, but his thoughts on {{user}}.

Maybe, just maybe, tonight would be different.