The Sixth | Ekko

Chapter Forty-Eight

Momo struggled to come up with a name day present for Ekko. She sat in her bedroom at her desk, her mind trying to force out ideas.

She didn't have much money, and even if she did, she wouldn't know what to buy him. He was an inventor, but already had all the tools he needed, and he got his scrap from the junk heap. He was a leader, but what do you gift someone based on that? She didn't know his favourite food, so baking or cooking something for him wasn't an option (and she also didn't hold much confidence in her culinary skills). She had some understanding of what kind of music he liked to listen to, but music plates were expensive.

She sighed in defeat, deciding to revisit the topic later and instead focus on studying her notes from her last inventing lesson with Ekko.

She was halfway through the second paragraph when an idea suddenly conjured in her head. She could make him something using the things that he'd taught her.

That just left her with the question: what would that something be?

The next few days, she spent her time in Nan's old workshop, leaving only to get food or to attend lessons with Ekko at the safehouse.

This meant she spent less time with him than she was used to since they became romantically involved, but she made sure to keep her walkie talkie nearby to answer any calls from him after telling him she was busy with medical stuff.

She finished making his gift the morning of his twenty forth name day.

        
The Firelight hideout was louder than usual—which was saying something. Music sounded from the common area and everyone was crowded either there or the dining hall.

Momo stared up at the tree as the door was rolled back for her entry. The Firelight bugs were more active tonight—perhaps drawn out by the music echoing through the sewers. From where she stood, it looked like nearly all the lights in the treehouse were lit. She hadn't thought it was possible for Ekko's home to be more beautiful than it already was, but this proved her wrong.

She hugged Ekko's wrapped gift closer as she ascended the stairs, using it as some form of anchor to help with her anxiety.

She found Ekko lingering in the hallway with a Firelight she recognized but didn't know the name of. She was about to approach him when she was pulled to the side.

"You made it," Nasha said with a smile.

"I did."

Nasha glanced down at the bundle wrapped in brown paper in her arms.

"You got him a gift?" she asked.

Momo tightened her grip on it even tighter.

"Yes."

"Nice! Anyways, there's food and drinks in the dining hall and if you need anything else just let me know!"

Momo watched as Nasha gave a brief wave goodbye before disappearing down the hall.

She turned back in the direction she saw Ekko loitering to discover he wasn't there anymore. She let out a sigh and began searching for him, starting with the dinning hall.

He wasn't there, and instead she found the masked Firelight that had been at the scavenging meeting and Chester, someone she had become vaguely familiar with from her increasing time spent at the treehouse.

Chester was a little shorter than Ekko and had brown-red hair and a thoroughly freckled face. He was the first to notice her.

"Hey, look who's here," he said with his mouth full, crumbs flinging out of his mouth with each word.