Work Text:
"Je t'aime, je te quitte. Je t'aime, je te quitte. Je t'aime, je te quitte."
I love you, I'm leaving you. I love you, I'm leaving you. I love you, I'm leaving you.
-Ma meillure ennemie.
Ekko couldn’t stop seeing her.
In every corner she’d painted and marked with her essence, in every person who walked by wearing blue hair, in every burned corner where she’d detonated a bomb, not even in his dreams. In fact, there Jinx existed in more than any other place, there he could hear her laugh and see her eyes gleaming with a mix of happiness and love. That gave Ekko hope that wherever she was, she was happy and in peace.
He felt selfish, but he couldn’t help thinking that maybe if she’d stayed a bit longer, he could’ve given her at least half of that happiness, pampered her with all the love she was denied, and shown her how much he regretted ever giving up on her.
Ekko missed her.
As stupid as it sounds, he missed what could’ve been. He missed and mourned a future that was never his, whether as friends or something more. A life that could’ve been but would never happen.
It was still unclear for him the time he passed in the other dimension. Perhaps a few months, yet it felt like a flicker. Such a short time would haunt him for the rest of his days.
Not only the memories but what he had learned from them… He loved her. He loved Jinx. He always had.
Even now that she was gone, his love was still there, burning his heart and making him want to throw off because he hadn’t had the opportunity to tell her. She would never know.
All those years spent hating her just for him to realize he hated an illusion but not her, never the real her. Not Jinx, not Powder.
His feelings were eclipsed by the war and hostility but were always there waiting for the little girl he knew to return.
Now he understood she was never gone.
Ekko had given up on her, but she was there. Powder lived in Jinx, and even Jinx was still Powder.
She wasn’t a monster, he realized now.
Jinx was a symbol.
Ekko knew he could grow to love her in every version, in every universe. She was his girl, after all.
Oh, what would he give to have her once more. To hear her crazy laugh, hear her yap about anything, practice any combat moves Vi taught them, watch the glint of her eyes as the idea for a new invention formed in her mind. To hold her in his arms, maybe even kiss her again and for the first time.
It was difficult now to get used to a life without her after he had had the minimum taste of one in which they got forever to enjoy each other.
Ekko looked up to the night sky that was slowly transiting into melted oranges and yellows, announcing the arrival of the morning.
Shit, he had stayed up all night again.
Though, it wasn’t like someone was expecting him anywhere, really. He glanced at his side, where she should’ve been, looking at him with those eyes that made him go crazy in more than one way, with her teasing smile and blue bangs.
Closing his eyes he tried to remember the feeling of her lips, warm against the cold breeze, her hands tracing his jaw like a balm.
His heart gave a jump. If only that were his reality.
“I love you, Jinx,” he muttered gazing at the city below him “I’m waiting for you,” Ekko whispered looking at the sky as a flyship passed by.