The Boy Savior - Ekko x Reader - Season 1

Chapter 32

The z-drive was glowing slightly in the darkness of the tunnel. The bluish green lights seemed so soothing; you just wished the cold feeling would disappear from your stomach finally...

But the longer you looked at it, the more you could see something was off. It looked like the device had cracks all over its glass - though, from the distance you were trying to observe it, it was hard to tell. When Ekko stepped out of the shadows, you could see he wasn't alone - Ajuna was lying on the young firelight's shoulder. He had probably injured himself and now walking was hard for him - that must had been the only reason why Ekko had to carry him, right?

You saw the boy stop to ask Scar something for which he pointed right towards your direction. The huge firelight dropped his head and his shoulders as he started following Ekko only a few steps behind, when he started towards you. More and more people gathered around the tree to watch who came back to the base and you yourself had also started walking towards them, with Actias still in your arms.

It was Ekko's expression that had first sent a shock throughout your numb body, as he firmly advanced towards you. He pressed his lips together so much, that despite their thickness, they only seemed like a thin line now, and the way his eyes looked at you under his furrowed brows gripped onto your heart...

Your gaze flew to Ajuna's figure and you could see now that something was wrong. Really wrong...

He seemed so small in Ekko's arms - like the child he really just was, after all... His head leaned against the young firelight's shoulder as he carried Ajuna right towards you. He was just injured, right? That was why Ekko had to carry him... right? But then you saw his little hands dangle lifelessly by his sides and you felt your throat tighten around the lump you'd been desperately trying to swallow for long, long seconds now.

When they reached you, you handed Actias back to Scar right away and, your body frozen in place, your eyes met the boy's...

"Can you... can you heal him?" Ekko asked as so carefully, as if he was made out of glass, lied Ajuna onto the ground and you kneeled by them right away. "Can you try...?" he asked - no, he begged you quietly and you were sure he was fighting to not break down in front of everyone.

More and more people gathered around you - Ajuna's friends among them, all holding their breath back as they watched his pale complexion almost glow under the darkening sky.

You saw that his goggles were broken on his forehead as you reached your trembling arms out to hug him to your chest. You tried to concentrate on something happy but your mind felt numb - so you reached one of your hands out to Ekko. When you felt his fingers interlock yours, you felt your powers activate, but instead of the warmness you usually felt when you were healing, you felt the cold clench of death in your heart, for the first time in your life, and you almost jumped back.

You wanted to scream up with all your heart but for Ekko, you didn't.

You had to restrain yourself as you looked at him in shock, the tears you'd been trying to fight now all flowing down your face, uncontrollably. You shook your head slightly, unable to speak and even though you knew it had no point to anymore, you wiped the dirt off Ajuna's pale face. You fixed his hair blindly - your tears blurred the world in front of your eyes but when you looked at Ekko, annihilated by your side, you knew you had to stay strong.

You had to stay strong for him to be able to feel weak just for once...

"Who..." you had to swallow. "Who did this?" you asked quietly. You blinked quickly to be able to see through your tears, but they just didn't want to stop flowing out of your eyes. You saw that the tears dripped onto Ajuna's shirt so you quickly wiped your face with the back of your hands.

The people around you seemed to notice what happened. You heard gasps and whispers, but you couldn't understand what they were saying, they just buzzed inside your ears like a swarm of bees.

"A Piltovian piece of trash... he simply... shot him. He shot a kid..." Ekko grunted. The puckers around his nose showed his anger, but he couldn't look neither at you nor at Ajuna in your arms. Just at the ground in front of himself. You squeezed his hand and you saw him deflate a little. "He just wanted some attention..." he said quietly and his gaze finally fell onto Ajuna's pale face. Guilt was glistening in his eyes and you hated to see that.

It wasn't his fault...

Scar crouched down next to you reaching his hands towards the little boy in your arms. He gently took him away from you and stood up.

"Where are you taking him?" you asked, an unexplained fear gripping your heart. If he takes Ajuna now, you will never see him again... "Scar, where are you taking him?" you asked one more time.

"He can't stay here..." his deep voice rumbled, and the reality had hit you stronger now than ever... Ajuna was dead. There was nothing anyone could ever do about that anymore... He would never finish Daisy's tail now. He was so close to finishing it...

Your eyes blankly met Ekko's. He seemed so much older now than he actually was. And he seemed so tired... You saw the many faces around you all looking at your directions and you gathered all the strength left in your body to stand up. For Ekko...

You saw him watch your movements without a word and when you reached yor hand towards him, his eyes fell onto your fingers. You didn't say a word, didn't ask him to come, just let him gather himself at his own pace. You patiently waited for him to accept your hand as you tried to swallow back your tears.

And in the end,

he did.

// A/N.: So after the cliffhanger, I thought that at least I won't delay the next chapter that much. Sorry if it's short, I tried to finish it for today at all costs, so here we are now.

Ajuna and his death are part of Ekko's lore. He does really send Ajuna away to get some food, even though he wasn't even hungry and the little boy does get shot by some rich Piltovian dude. Ekko tries to save him and end his killer as well with the Z-drive, but when he realizes that his time is running out and he can't do both, he stays with Ajuna in his last moments to comfort him. I have been crying for a day now tbh. Why does Ekko's lore have to be so heartbreaking all the time :(( //