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ekko dangled the keychain merchandise, frowning at the price tag. he used to dream of visiting here every day, but god. everything in universal was overpriced as hell. he shook his head, dropping the keychain into his basket of t-shirts, toys, and other merchandise. the rest of true damage agreed to keep his universal trip a secret so long he brought home a ton of souvenirs.
at least, a theme park wasn’t necessarily a bad place to spend the holidays. ekko was still waiting for powder, who was the one arranging them to meet here. she had a show stunt for the next sequel movie of star guardians. how could he pass up a free seat at a front row table to witness an exclusive sneak peek of what would come next? he grew up with the comic book series with powder.
he hadn't seen his childhood friend in months. both of them had been busy with their respective careers. giants was a huge success for true damage and their tour was right around the corner. ekko just wanted some time off for himself with his best friend.
she texted him that she was on her way and she couldn't be here any more faster, or he was the one who was too early. he kept fixing his hood and mask, worried if she could spot him, and vice versa. he hadn’t gotten used to her red hair yet. he was just a little nervous as he was impatient to see her, hoping she's close already and that she'll take forever to arrive. with her it's like he's always stuck in that highschool crush state.
he just hoped to complete his little shopping trip before she came. he only had so much time.
he heard a frustrated grunt beside him. a staff girl struggled to get the last snow globe off from the highest rack. he reached over and grabbed it down for her, earning a grateful smile.
then her face blanked as she now properly looked at him. ekko stiffened.
"you look..."
"i look good?" he said, attempting to deflect the awkward silence with a tease.
"familiar," she finished, an uplift of fascination at the end.
oh no. ekko tried to keep a cool composure as he pulled up his mask further up his face. "i think you're mistaken." it was too late. with dread, ekko could see the way her eyes flicker with recognition. something he would enjoy and appreciate by offering to take pictures, but now was the wrong time and place. people couldn't know he was here.
"hey, aren't you-"
suddenly an arm possessively wrapped around one of his. powder perched her chin on his shoulder, offering an apologetic pout. "hey, handsome. sorry for hold up, it takes ages to walk here!" he really wouldn’t have recognized her if it weren’t for her blue eyes he knew too well.
she came off just a little coquettish, and it took ekko only a second -and a discreet grin- to catch what she was doing. but whatever scent she was wearing and her lips inching a little too close to his neck slowed his brain from saying something to add and play along. he almost didn’t recognize her from the red hair, a trademark of her character as star guardian jinx.
powder's eyes slid over to the quietly, enviously fuming girl, up and down at her coldly as she pulled him closer. "do you need something?" her tongue was edged with something sharp. the staff girl groaned and left.
powder hummed triumphantly to herself, letting go. her warmth leaving him. she grinned up to his judging deadpan.
"did you really have to do that?"
"what, should i have kissed your cheek to really sell it?" he internally cursed the way his cheek already simmered at the idea. powder crossed her arms. "how about a thank you?"
he stood still, staring. maybe his body was still processing the previous contact. cheek still warm at the last suggestion. how could she manage to render him paralyzed like this?
really, he let his guard down around her too easily. not waiting for even five seconds, powder found the array of jurassic plush toys. she pulled a blue raptor from the rack and smacked his face with its cotton jaws. “rawr, gotcha!”
ekko sneered, only halfheartedly. he futilely shielded his arm over his face as powder proceeded to attack him with her raptor’s soft teeth. it wasn't the most mature public display, but he was in disguise anyway. he pulled a beanie from another display and powder squealed as he pulled it down her whole head and grabbed a pteranodon and attacked her with it.
the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped them. the same staff girl stared at them unimpressed. "are you going to pay for that?"
ekko intertwined her free hand in his, fully knowing she'd give her the bird if he didn't. certainly not for any other excuse.
he never let go even as they made it out with a gift bag full to the brim, including the plush toys they battled with. snow caught onto the beanie that now adorned her head. she never let go either.
both of them were still laughing uncontrollably. he fondly nudged her by the elbow. "you never changed."
powder was still holding her dinosaur with her other hand. he insisted to carry the gift bags himself. she gently pressed its soft mouth to the side of his face, and he really flushed then. it's like a cheek kiss.
she smiled as bright as the sky. "missed you too, little man."
before powder’s first ride, vi had berated mylo for an hour straight for trying to scare her, talking about the death rates, or how she'd throw up. or that the roller coaster would run so fast, she'd bound to get flung out of her seat because she's so short and slight. vi had held her hand the whole line and promised she would not let that happen. she'd let powder sit on her lap and she wouldn't let her leave her protective embrace.
(both the girls had been heartbroken to find that that was not actually allowed.)
powder loved the ride more than anyone else. she loved the adrenaline and the way her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. mylo threw up lunch after the ride and never rode on a roller coaster since.
on a couple rides with ekko, she would pretend to be scared. she'd scream 'save me, little man!' and he would shout back 'your boy savior is here, powder!', holding her hand so tight his knuckles would turn white. she noticed his hands were already calloused at such a young age.
five years later, they both agreed they were the most cringey children to exist. their habit of holding hands even as the ride ended never really left. old habits did die hard. but now, at least for ekko, for a damned good reason.
"when we roll up to a looping section, just as we go full upside-down, i'm gonna wrench my way out of the seatbelt so i drop down from my chair. i wanna see if the velosicoaster will catch me as soon as it turns right side up again. you know, like in those old cartoons?"
he snorted at her nonsense, but jinx knew she scared him a little inside anyway. she wasn't really serious, but his reaction to ask the staff about an ambulance number and double checking her seat belt every ten seconds to make sure she didn’t toy with it were hilarious.
they rode three rides, and powder couldn't get enough. every rush of adrenaline got her ever more giddier. she felt like she was drunk. she was a dizzy, giggling, skipping mess after each one. ekko had to yank her down to sit beside him at a bench so she could be still for once. he didn't look exhausted, but still wanted a break.
"how many more rides is it gonna take to drain you out?" he was heaving overdramatically to poke fun at her, earning a roll of her eyes. when he was putting more serious effort, ekko could make a decent acting job too. she had hoped he pursued acting like she did. but music and lyrics was his calling.
"all day long," she said, playfully poking the tip of his nose with every word for emphasis. it was almost a challenge. would he be willing to spend so much time with her?
ekko swatted her persistently poking hand away, glancing at his phone. "we got four hours left until i take you back."
"can you stop keeping track of time?" jinx grumbled, dropping her hand to cross her arms.
a corner of his lips pulled up. "aw, the poking stopped?"
his nose wasn't all that cute after he mentioned the amount of time they had before they part ways. powder did not want to think of that now.
her frown remained firm. "do you do that with your other dates?"
he now fully pocketed his phone, leaning closer from his side of the table with renewed intrigue. "since when did we agree that this was a date?"
she would point out the way he intentionally missed the point of her question. her stomach did a sudden, weird flutter. she blamed it on his boyish smirk that she personally classified to be very annoyingly cu- annoying.
"i'm saying, it's like you're just waiting for this to end," she blurted. she realized that was really how it felt, and why, behind the adrenaline and her trigger happy state, she was a little upset.
ekko went quiet. and that was horrible of him to do. he reached his thumb over to gently touch her knuckles, prodding her to take his hand again. not so easily, little man.
"what if i'm just excited for your show?"
he wasn't playfully warping her words. instead, intentionally skirting around the topic, and that summoned a sickening feeling inside her. what's with him? he wasn't being honest with her.
powder pouted, staring at him in suspicion. ekko swallowed, and she knew she had him pinned in place.
she eyed him sharply. "you're just excited to see janna, aren't you?"
his jaw fell. "..what-?" if she touched his ears now, would she feel its skin burning? ekko's crush on the star actress hadn't died since childhood.
not that she was seething with jealousy, absolutely.
she smiled oh so sweetly. "or is it ahri?"
"everyone loves ahri!"
"still counts!" she spoke in barely controlled snickers. she wished she could record this. not everyone could say they had ekko, true damage golden boy extraordinare, on the defensive. she was leaning smugly over the table now, ekko rigid in place. "don't worry, little man. i haven't spoiled your little secrets."
he could hear the unspoken threat. but i will, unless…. everyone in true damage would eat him alive.
he glared, but his voice was defeated. "i'll do anything."
her hand gripped the collar of his jacket, slightly surprising him. it was too ingrained in her habits to be a little more violent than necessary. her command was curt and simple. "give me all of your attention."
she flinched at the hint of desperation in her voice. to her horror, he heard it too. the flustered expression faded to a look of understanding, then he smiled. her stomach became knots.
his hand clasped around her hand at his collar, warm and firm. "with pleasure, blue."
the nickname probably didn’t apply anymore with her red hair, but it was an old habit. she always loved her nickname.
his smile was beautiful. powder thought people were being weak and overexaggerating about the the stomach-churning, butterflies-inducing sensation of being on a rollar-coaster ride. now she finally understood. especially the way it could ruin you and made you breathless.
they had one and half hours left before the star guardian special started. ekko wished they had more time. if a time-travelling device existed, he would rewind the whole day over and over again.
although, he could do without the looks powder gave him for going into every gift shop they passed. it's like she knew. her gaze turning accusatory each time.
what did she want? what could he give to her? it drove him insane. vi advised that she'd accept anything. it was attention that all she demands, and she wasn't picky with whatever form it took. but she deserved more. it could not be something too typical or predictable. or was he being all too perfectionist?
he left yet another gift shop, sighing. powder stood outside, having lined up for a seasonal drink while he occupied himself. he glanced at the cocoa-strawberry drink with whipped cream in her hand, realizing he was thirsty himself and ran out of his own water. "can i have some of that?"
almost instinctively, she leaned the tip of the straw to him. then changed her mind just as he was about to sip.
"you can get your own," she said with a slightly upturned nose. oh no, hell hath no fury like a petty powder.
"the line is too long," he argued.
she took a long sip, considering. "who are you even buying a gift for?"
and there it was. ekko pursed his lips as he dug his hands into his pockets. gift bags dangled from his wrists and weighed as heavy as guilt. it would be dumb to reply with the true damage team. nor their families. both of them already bought gifts from them all. who else could he possibly have on his list?
"...my manager."
"you can't fool me with that." he knew. he was just helpless at this point. she pouted. "you've been going to every gift shop we pass by. it would've been fine if you at least laughed when i put on that hideous grinchmas-themed ski-mask, but you ignored me! now when you actually want my attention, it's for this cup of chocolate, diabetes, and capitalism."
ekko tried to hold in his chuckle. her frown demanded him to be a little more serious, so he put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in the eye. "pow, i promise you. you're my most beloved friend in the world."
"am i?"
powder snatched away all of the gift bags from his arms.
ekko chased after the cackling maniac who stole all of his christmas gifts. krampus wasn't a devil with horns, but a petite crazy girl with red pigtails.
he didn't look much around his surroundings to know wherever and how far they ran. maybe the whole citywalk. powder really was going to be death of him. and he could only wonder what in the damn hell she was going to do with the gift bags. each time he tried to catch her, even by the braids, she just escaped his reach.
she only stopped at the bridge. both of them were sweating and panting with their whole lungs. but ekko wouldn't dare even blink. she stood before the railing that glowed gently with pale christmas lights. the dimming evening made the manmade river behind her look as deep as an ocean.
"what are you going to do with those...?" his voice was breathless, both from all the running and the way the rich sunset was casting an angelic glow over her face. fuck, red looked so good on her.
blue eyes shone with mischief, tightening her grip over the bags of goods. "something that'll get me on santa's naughty list."
ekko walked till they're right in front of each other, until they could feel the others' breaths. he wasn't going to let her run anywhere. if she was going to fall over the bridge, he'd catch her.
"you've never been nice."
"i've been! i've been so nice!" the sunset dipped just a little lower, and he was jealous at the way the sunlight licked at her lips. she shoved herself forward tauntingly, her body pressed up to him. his heart burned up. he couldn't look away, and from her manic, gleeful grin, she knew she got him exactly where she wanted him. "now, i just wanna be bad."
he wanted to ask, from where did she learn how to smile with so much slyness? it was contagious. he barely felt his own lips curling up, almost challengingly at her. she caught them with her own. he tasted strawberries and sugar and deepened the kiss with a little too much eagerness. not that she seemed unhappy with it. he heard a little moan.
her fingers grazed his, gesturing for him to take back the gift bags now that she got what she wanted. he barely registered it, his hands reaching to squeeze at her waist. little krampus stole something else that evening that he didn't want her to take back.
powder ignored lux desperately calling her to the stage as she skirted around backstage, where ekko was. he thought she wanted another kiss. as she kept him close by the lapels whilst she slid her tongue over his bottom lip, her hand blindly reached around her dressing table for her own present. she urged him to unwrap it that moment. inside was a vinyl of his favorite childhood sci-fi movie autographed by cecil heimerdinger. he used to drag her on all-nighters to watch his series on repeat.
she had to put some damn good use of connections. the yordle wasn’t easy to reach. the way his eyes turned soft like dark honey made it all worth it and she wanted to give each an appreciative peck. then he looked up at her, and he looked like he was weighed with a burden. her little heart fumed and sorrowed. he didn't like it?
he pulled her close in a crushing hug, head buried words into her shoulder to tell her he loved his gift and he loved her. was there anything he could do or get for her in return? anything she wanted?
"a monkey."
ekko blinked. "a...?"
"a red-faced spider monkey."
he looked lost for a moment. then, powder tried her best to stifle her laugh when he became deep in thought, actually seeming to consider.
"maybe cymbals."
now that had him wince. "no one should give you cymbals."
"a flamethrower."
"blue..." he wanted to look exhausted with her, but he was undeniably amused. his warning tone wanted her to say a sincere answer.
she rested her cheek against his chest, just leaning into him and soaking up his warmth. "you already know what i want. it'll hurt if you say you don't."
he held her. they swayed a little to a distant song. "do you know what i want?"
"you don't want what i already got you?"
"uh, yeah i do? it's mine now."
powder snorted to hide her confusion. then what's the problem, she wanted to ask, but poppy found her and swept her to the stage.
she casted a fierce glare at janna and ahri, assuming that they're the ones ekko had been busy finding gifts for. it made acting out the parts where she had to fight them off look way more authentic. the fans cheered, desperate and excited screams of whichever names of the star guardians they hoped to win. they screamed louder for janna and lux to triumph and bring jinx, the corrupted star guardian, to be brought back to the light. what a boring crowd. the heroes won all the time.
they all gasped with fear as she knocked lux's staff away. her foot pressed down on the downed, pink-haired star guardian scripted to be her childhood friend, right at her bleeding chest wound. screen projectors honed in on lux's face painted with artificial bruises. there was misery, anger, stubborn gentleness, and an infuriating dose of pity.
"you still find love stupid, don't you? i know you, jinx. you can't stand being alone."
she really couldn't. not in her character, or in real life.
she pointed her prop gun at her. the crowd cried at the gunshot sound effect, and the curtains closed. they'd find out the continuum of the cliffhanger of the actual movie.
after the short play, the fans were handed out star guardian themed snacks, brought by the actors and actresses themselves. it was a slash between a meet-and-greet and themed cafe. whoever arranged the venue knew what they were doing. the tables were packed. even then, powder could still find ekko seated at a table in the front row, where she could easily spot him.
she gave him his cupcake while perching herself on his lap, probably mortifying her fellow crewmates. but she didn't care. she stuck her tongue out at janna and ahri, who only looked back at her then at each other in confusion.
ekko looked up at her with a curious grin, fingers playing with one of her red braids. the star guardian costumes look ridiculous in real life, but she could look utterly cute in hers. "do you do this with other adoring fans?"
"only if you let go," she taunted
she let out a pleased hum when he quickly seized her by the waist, pulling her closer to him.
"i got something to give you."
her dark brows shot up in excitement. "does it have to be now? show's not over yet." it had to be somewhere more private and special than this.
he caressed his thumb over her cheek. "can't stay until the end. i gotta leave."
she frowned. "already?”
"they figured out where i am and they'll kick me out of the tour if i'm not on my way back in ten minutes.” he smiled remorsefully. “i'm sorry, powder."
she shook her head. they wouldn't possibly do that to him, but ekko was a new, rising star. neither of them have been in the industry for too long to get away with so much. she heard his tour could last months. she arranged for them to have their brief reunion, but if she knew how hopelessly attached she would get, she wished ekko never came. missing him was much easier before this day.
she flinched when her phone chimed. ekko gave her a mysterious, sheepish smile, gesturing her to take a look. she shot him a speculative look as she opened her phone. she found concert tickets of different locations, all of which she recognized to be the same list of places for his tour.
"sorry, i should've asked you first. but i got a little excited." his eyes gleamed like a puppy. her heart throbbed. "come with me, powder. i'll be yours for five months."
it was a race against time while he pulled all the strings necessary. the true damage crew was more than welcome. sweet-talking sevika into letting her join him was the hardest, and intimidating part. he thought he could barely make it out alive, but he did. she wasn't even against the idea in the first place, all too eager for a vacation from the uncontrollable, wild actress. she simply indulged the chance of frightening her mangy client's boyfriend.
his face was still as warm as a furnace from being referred that.
"is this enough? did i got it right?" powder couldn't try to answer. the lump in her throat was the size of a golf ball. he chuckled at her and if she wasn't so uninterested to remove her hands from his cheeks, she would have strangled him. "you know, i've been going from store to store to find the right gift for you."
“you idiot.” powder giggled like a little schoolgirl. admittedly, she's been cranky for almost half of their theme park date for nothing. "your existence is a gift."
powder couldn't join him at he first month of his tour. the movie was still in production until the end of january. by february, neither had to endure any more days without each other.
lux's last line was bullshit. love was stupid, or it made people go stupid, but maybe it wasn't a bad thing.