The Sixth | Ekko

Chapter Forty-Nine

Ekko stared down at the gift in her hands before his gaze shifted up to her face.

"You got me a gift?"

"Well, it's your name day, isn't it?"

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took the present from her. He looked it over, taking in her wrapping work. She'd wrapped it in brown paper and tied it at the top with coir rope.

He tugged on the prickly rope, unraveling it so that the paper fell on its own. Once he saw what was contained inside, his eyes widened slightly, his movements stilling.

It was a large, wide-mouthed jaw with a tree inside of it made out of bronze-coloured wire.

"You made this?" he asked, voice a little breathless.

"Yeah," she said, moving closer to him. She clicked something on the side, and suddenly the tree erupted in neon green. She'd added green mineton lights to it, wrapping the branches to resemble firelight bugs.

Ekko's face glowed green, his eyes reflecting the light as he gazed down at it in awe.

"How—"

"I used what you taught me," she said, "It's the first thing I've managed to make."

Before Ekko's lessons, she failed to turn on a lightbulb with a battery. But now, using what Ekko taught her, she was able to create a light source that could turn on and off.

When he didn't say anything, she started to worry that he didn't like it. But when their eyes met and she saw something soften in his, she realized that wasn't the case at all.

"You didn't have to get me anything, you know," he said.

"I wanted to."

He grinned. "I love it."

He toyed with the button, turning the lights off and on.

Momo watched him with a small smile.

After a few minutes, Ekko set the jar down on the step beside him. Then, he turned his attention to her. She'd taken the time to create something for him—something that she knew would mean something to him. A tree, like his home, surrounded by green lights that resembled firelight bugs. It was personal, and the thought that she'd spent her own time envisioning this and then crafting it pulled at something inside of him.

"Thank you."

He wormed his fingers closer to hers on the step, sliding them between hers. Their eyes met, and they both leaned forward as if they were being reeled. Their lips met, remaining still at first until his moved, sliding along hers in a way that was free of hast, like he wanted to make it last.

He shifted closer to her, leaning forward into the kiss.

Momo leaned back, her arms curling around him and pulling him closer. She was vaguely aware of the soft wet sucking sounds made by their joined mouths.

Their surroundings fell into a void, the only thing they knew in this moment being each other.

Ekko snuck a hand behind her and underneath her hair, placing it on her back. His fingers curled into her shirt as his lips parted from hers for mere milliseconds before rejoining with them, returning with the same gentleness as before.

When they finally parted, Ekko pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes remaining closed while their breaths spun together.

"Guess that means you two are a thing after all," a voice sounded in front of them.

They parted, their eyes blowing wide as they straightened their backs and turned forward, seeing Vi standing on the ground and peering up at them with a smirk.