A/N: I recommend having your favorite romance OST queued up…

POWDER IV

After returning to the treehouse, I thought things might slow down for a bit but boy was I wrong. First, the withdrawal from whatever drugs Ava was injected with in that basement made the days following the event at the hospital excruciatingly long. 'I didn't do it for you.' That's what I told her but since I did save her, I decided I couldn't just leave her to die like that. It took many all-nighters to nurse her back to health but in the end, she proved to be the tough cookie I knew she was. She became the first friend I made in a long time and perhaps due to our similar past, I started treating her like the little sister I never had. Then, life hit us with another surprise.

It was in the middle of a stormy night when Kaya's water broke. It seemed like their baby had a taste for the dramatics as he picked the absolute worst time to come into the world. The room was flooding, the power was out and she was surrounded by people who have never delivered a baby in their life before. It was a long and difficult labor; halfway through, it looked like neither the mother nor the baby was going to make it when Kaya lost the strength to keep pushing. But thanks to the manuals we salvaged from the hospital, Ekko and I were able to quickly build a vacuum device that helped pull the baby out.

I've never seen Wengo cry before but when he held his son and wife in his arms that night, he cried tears of joy. He said that he would never be able to repay me for what I did but given that I once tried to kill him, I thought it was fine to just call it even. Ekko had always said that it was water under the bridge but I never reconciled with them the way he did. Not until they offered to have me hold their little Raoq. At first, I was too scared to try but after some encouragement and guidance, the little bundle of chaos was laughing in my arms. When I looked into his goofy eyes, it made me think that perhaps some things in life were worth all the pain to have.

I thought that was all the new additions I would have in my life but then, a Pilty of all people came crashing in, literally. We were on a mission near the canals when this bushy-haired girl ran into us. She was getting chased by two idiots who took offense to the fact that she worked at the Academy. We decided to kidnap her for ourselves, hoping to get a rich ransom from her family, but when we asked her what she was doing down here, she told us that she was born in the undercity and was researching a way to improve air quality. She showed us her notes and that was the first time I learned that there were actually smart people living up there.

Even after spending years in Piltover, she didn't lose her street smart and struck a deal with Ekko to let her go in exchange for being the Firelights' eyes and ears uptown. I was tasked with watching her for a week to make sure she didn't rat us out but after the first few days, I realized that she really was a goody-two-shoes who wanted to make the world a better place. I thought her optimism was a little naïve but at the same time, I envied it. Instead of worrying about the future, she spent her time thinking about how to make it better. I spent the remaining days working with her on her inventions and by the end, she promised to visit whenever she could.

For so long I kept myself closed off to everyone except for Ekko but all of a sudden, my world had expanded by five new people. It felt strange to take on the role of a big sister to Ava when I still missed my own but it was fulfilling to see her smile more and more each day. It was strange being invited over for dinner by Wengo and Kaya when I had no idea how I should be acting but it always made my day trying to make Raoq laugh. It was strange having a female friend in Sky when I grew up around boys and Vi – the biggest tomboy of them all – but it was nice sharing things I couldn't share with Ekko.

After spending time with all of them, I realized something about my relationship with Ekko: it wasn't like any of them. He was like family to me, same as Ava, but not as a brother. I wanted to protect him, like Raoq, but not as a guardian. He was my best friend, like Sky, yet I wanted something more. The more I thought about it, the more I was reminded of that day when we shared the cheesecake. The feelings that I've ignored this whole time have finally caught up with me and now that they have, it was the only thing that was on my mind. "This might sound weird…but I think I might like Ekko."

"Wait, you just figured this out now? I thought you guys were sleeping together," said Ava as a look of horror passed over her face. "Oh no…don't tell me you guys have been sleeping together for years and never did anything."

"What can you do when you're asleep?"

"Poor Ekko. Now I know why they call it blue balling someone, must have named it after you," she muttered as she facepalmed. "I always knew you were a little socially awkward but this isn't even funny anymore."

"Why you little–"

Just as I was about to put her in a headlock, Sky showed up, "Hey guys!"

"Save me, Powder is bullying me again!"

"If that's the case then I'm sure it's deserved."

"Wh– Objection, defamation of character!"

I chuckled as we entered the guest bedroom Sky was staying in. "So, have you given some thoughts about what we talked about last time?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!" I took out a sketchpad and flipped it open, "I was thinking of a big angry gorilla holding a grenade in its mouth and a rocket launcher in its hands over my chest. Or, I've been reading this comic book recently and there's this really awesome villain that has a scar on his mouth in the shape of a smile that I think is super cool so that could work too. What do you guys think?"

"My vote is for the gorilla," said Ava as she gave me a thumbs up while lying on the bed.

"A gori- Powder, you do understand that this isn't your oil crayons, right? Tattoos are permanent and are going to be on your body for the rest of your life. Usually, people get something that has a lot of meaning to them, not to look like…whatever you just said. Isn't there anything like that for you? Maybe a quote or an image that you can go back to when you are feeling down."

"I don't know. I tried really hard to think of one but my life isn't exactly a fairytale."

"Take your time then, these things shouldn't be rushed. You know, Ekko was also thinking of getting one, and given how close you two are, maybe a matching one would be something you guys would be interested in."

"Oh speaking of him, why don't you share the grand revelation you just had, Powder?"

"What's this, did something happen between you two while I was gone?"

"No, I just think I like him, that's all," I said as I hid underneath her blankets.

"Aww, Powder!"

"Can you put everyone out of their misery and just kiss already?"

"Why do you keep putting it like that?" I said as I peeked my head out. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

"You cock-teased him so much I wouldn't be surprised if his di-"

"Ava! Don't listen to her filth, Powder. Personally, I think what you have with Ekko is really cute and special. It's built on a foundation of trust that you guys have accumulated over years of friendship. Believe in that and your relationship with him will never go wrong. It's like a tattoo; taking it slow and planning ahead will always yield better results than rushing in with emotions."

"This is coming from the girl that's had a crush on the same guy since she was a little girl and has spoken all of two sentences to. How's the slow and steady approach working out for you and…V…Vance?"

"Viktor. He's one of the founders of Hextech; he's literally busy changing the world. He doesn't have time for romance right now."

"Translation: no progress at all. Listen, Powder. If you don't want to end up like Sky, you've got to make a move. Some girls think the guy always has to be the one to ask but who knows what's going on in their thick skulls. Think about it, how would you feel if some random girl ended up stealing him from you?"

Stop at all costs!

She belongs to the streets!

End her!

"Not…good."

"Exactly! So you gotta stake your territory before any of the other girls start getting ideas. There aren't a lot of good-looking guys around here so sooner or later, they are going to shoot their shot if you won't shoot yours."

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have anything to lose. What if this doesn't work out and it ruins our friendship? Breakups happen all the time, don't they?" I asked as I rolled myself into a cocoon. "I don't even know what it means to be a girlfriend. What do people even do once they start dating? Plus, how are you so certain that he even likes me back?"

"Hello? Have you seen the way he looks at you? It's like you're a fucking unicorn!"

"I actually have a book on that," said Sky as she pulled a paperback out of her bag, 'How to Tell if Someone Likes You: 9 Signs of Attraction.'

"Are you serious? You are such a nerd."

"This is backed by scientific research!"

"What's all the ruckus about?" The whole room froze as we turned our gaze to the door. "What? Are guys not allowed in here or something?" asked Ekko.

"Normally not but you're an exception. You should join us, we're discussing some very interesting stuff right now," said Ava as she gave me a smirk while I stared daggers at her.

"Maybe next time, right now I need to borrow Powder for a quick second. Is that alright with you guys?"

"But Sky just came back and w-"

"Oh that's sweet Powder but I'm here the whole weekend. You should go with Ekko, it must be important!"

"That's right, when our fearless leader calls, we must answer. Go Firelights, woohoo!"

"G-guys?"

"Stake your territory," Ava whispered as she lifted me out of the bed.

"Look for the signs," Sky whispered as she pushed me out the door.

"Fucking traitors," I muttered to myself as the door closed behind me.

"You guys seem to be getting along well," said Ekko. "Sorry again for pulling you away. There's a problem with the power cells in the treehouse and we're a little short-handed right now. Shouldn't take too long."

"No worries." As we walked side by side, I shot him a sideways glance and remembered a time when I didn't need to look up. It felt like only yesterday we first discovered this place but it's been six years already. Over that period of time, he has matured into the strong and respected leader that everybody depended on today. The time when it was just the two of us was long gone and I knew that one day when he wants to start his own family, I won't be able to stay with him as I do now. To make matters worse, he just had to grow up stupidly attractive too. Life was unfair. Why couldn't I at least inherit some of my mom's good looks too?

"Hey, you feeling alright?"

"Hmm? Y-Yeah, right as the mail!"

He chuckled, "Good effort but I don't think that's how the saying is used."

Watching him be happy made me smile as well but then suddenly I imagined that smile being directed at some other faceless girl and I panicked. No, no, no, he's mine, don't leave me. "Did you have a childhood crush?" I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind and felt the tips of my ears heat up as he silently stared at me. Crap, that was weird, wasn't it?

Yes.

I want to hide under a rock.

Shh!

"Yeah," he said finally before quickly adding, "it was a small thing, I wouldn't call it a crush really."

My heart rate sped up as I anxiously asked, "Was it Vi?"

That stunned him for a second before he shook his head in disbelief, "What? No. What made you think that?"

I let out a huge sigh of relief, I wouldn't have known what to do if he said yes. There was no way I could have measured up with my sister. "Well, you always looked up to her when we were little."

"Yeah because she was good at kicking ass but I didn't like her like that. Although granted, a lot of the guys we hung around did have the hots for her."

"Right," I said as I nodded my head and tried thinking of every other girl that was in our friend group that could be a candidate, "so who was it?"

"H-Hmm?"

Oh?

Ohhh?

OHHHH?

"Your childhood crush. Who was it?" I pressed as I got closer to him.

"Do we really have to do this right now? There's a power cell that needs fixing and uh…" He tried looking away but not before I caught a sign of a blush on his face.

Don't let him get away!

Finish him!

"Yes!" I jumped onto his back to prevent him from escaping. "I'm not letting go until you tell me." A few of the other residents laughed as they passed by us while the two of us wrestled but at that moment, I didn't care what they thought. The only thing that mattered was getting the answer out of Ekko and if I had to truth serum it out of him I would go find some.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll tell you," he said as he finally accepted his fate and closed his eyes. I could feel his heartbeat speed up through his back and my heart decided to match. Maybe I didn't want to know after all. What if it wasn't me? Isn't it better not knowing tha- "It's you. You're my childhood crush."

…

"Really?" Happiness swelled within me and I must have had the dumbest smile on my face from the overwhelming joy. "You're not playing a trick on me, right?"

"It's not a trick, it's really you," he smiled back. "I like you."

"Like, like like or…"

"You just said the same words three times, Blue."

"You know what I mean!"

He set me down and turned to face me. His brown eyes held mine as he enclosed my hands in his, "I love you, Powder. Always have."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I was at a loss for words. Surely someone like me did not deserve to be so happy. Any moment now, the voices were going to remind me of what I had done. I waited for Mylo's scornful comments but they never came. I waited for Claggor's disappointed gaze but they never manifested. "I…um…" It's okay, right? For me to be happy. "Ditto what you said."

Ekko looked at me with wonder before grinning, "You can't do that! You have to actually say it back!"

"Nooo, I can't, it's too embarrassing!"

"Nope, I'm not letting you go until you say it back," he said as he wrapped his arms around me.

"You know, I have no idea how this whole dating thing works," I whispered.

"That's fine, we'll figure it out."

"I'm not that pretty either, are you sure you're okay with me?"

"Really? You're the most beautiful girl I know though."

"If we do this, I'm not letting go."

"Me neither."

I buried my face into his chest, "Iloveyoutoo."

"What was that?" he teased. "I didn't hear you."

In that moment of cockiness, my hand shot up and pulled his face down as I tilted mine up. Our lips crashed together and it was back to just the two of us in this mad world. A shiver ran down my spine as he kissed me back with just as much fervor, sending tremors along my nerves and evoking feelings I'd never known before. I was drowning in this dizzy swaying sea of warmth and I clung onto him even harder as my only lifeline. The more his mouth insisted the more I gave and the more I wanted back until finally, our oxygen ran out. As we parted for air, I looked him in the eyes and asked smugly, "How about now?"

A/N: After roughly 25,000 words, we finally have our kiss scene! Hope it was worth the long wait and lived up to your expectations. Thank you for reading, have a nice day, and see you all next week!

DashBoy47: That was a great guess and I'll say, without spoiling anything, that you are very close. As more clues drop, I'm sure your theory will get closer and closer to what I have cooked up. I'm glad you got my explanation and that's exactly what I was going for. While I do think it would be cool to have that IRL, it'd probably be very overwhelming and feel like you couldn't concentrate on anything. Speaking of the tech, although the idea is not fully fleshed out yet, I do plan to introduce Heimerdinger to the gang at some point and that is going to be an absolute riot!

Warlocktoungue: Don't worry about Vi, she's doing her own thing in the prison and will be making a reappearance in chapter 12. As for Ava, I actually wrote out the full scene of Powder curing her but I thought it was better to stay focused on the romance of Ekko and Powder since that's what most of the readers are here for anyway. Glad you enjoyed the scene between them and speaking of kissing…really looking forward to what you thought about this chapter XD