Chapter Text
"Hey peeps, I'm back!" Akali shouted upon stepping into the room.
Qiyana jumped in her seat. "Geez! I didn't even hear you arrive! When did you get in? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Akali put the bags she was carrying on the ground.
"Oh, I'm so sorry my queen!" Akali joked. "It won't happen again".
Ekko was sitting on the window sill just looking through the glass at the night beyond. The street lights were being turned on as the sky became darker. He looked at Akali once she came into the room and laughed at Qiyana's comment.
"Qiyana's right, you know? I didn't even hear you coming in through the front door. Sometimes it feels like you're some kind of ninja assassin that sneaks up on people."
"Ah ah. Very funny." Akali said in an ironic tone.
"Wait! Ekko, is it just me or you're agreeing with Qiyana?" Senna commented. "This is the end of the world as we know it!"
"Yeah, you never agree with anything I say!" Qiyana joked. "What's gotten into you?"
Ekko just shrugged and put a hand on his chest. "What can I say? I'm a considerate, reasonable guy."
Suddenly, Senna's phone rang and she immediately picked it up. She took a quick look at the screen and her eyes lit up. "It's Lucian!" The girl looked at Ekko and gave him a big smile to which he responded with a wink and a thumbs up. "Excuse me, I'm gonna have to take this one." With that said, Senna quickly exited the room.
"So?" Akali turned to her friends. "Who's hungry?"
"I thought you were never gonna ask!" Said Qiyana. With the help of her hands, she sat upright on the couch and reached over to the nearest bag. "So, where's my salad at?"
Seeing Qiyana take the initiative, Yasuo finally decided to get up from his chair and join the rest of the group.
"Well, Akali, what'd you get for us?" Ekko asked.
Akali smiled and crouched to remove a still warm container from the bag at her feet.
"Well, I know you don't like liver. So, I decided that anchovies would be the best choice."
Ekko's face became plagued with confusion. "Wait, what?"
Akali walked over to him with the container in hand, and once she was close enough, she lifted the lid up to reveal its content.
"Kidding!" She gave him a broad smile which revealed her perfectly lined up white teeth. "I got us some lasagna. I heavily considered the anchovies though!"
"Stop trolling me!" Ekko gave her a friendly nudge and laughed.
"You should have seen your face!"
"You're getting a little too much enjoyment out of this aren't you?" Ekko asked with a big smile.
"Maybe a little. You're just so easy to fool, kid!"
"Hey, who are you calling kid?" Ekko attempted to defend himself. "I'm almost seventeen!
"You'll always be the baby of the group for us!" Akali stated, jokingly. With her free hand, she tousled his dark hair.
"Alright, cut it out!" Ekko exclaimed, letting out another good-natured laugh. "Let's just eat".
Akali nodded and put down the container. She was gone for a few seconds and fetched two plates from the kitchen cupboard. Ekko and her made themselves comfortable on the window sill while Yasuo and Qiyana ate together on the chaise longue.
"Hey! Where's Senna at?" Qiyana asked. Their friend had been gone for a good while now. "Her food is gonna get cold".
Speaking of the devil. Senna returned to the living room a few moments later and they all noticed that she didn't look very happy.
"Senna, what's up girl?" Akali asked.
"Lucian can't come tomorrow?" Ekko's expression was apprehensive.
Senna gave them a sad smile. "Unfortunately, no. But he assured me he'll have time next weekend. It isn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it's not all bad."
"Bummer." Qiyana said. Even though she didn't show it, she felt terrible that Senna and Lucian almost hadn't seen one another in two months.
"Ah, man! I'm sorry Senna, I know how much you were looking forward to tomorrow night." Anyone, even a stranger who didn't know him, could feel that Ekko was genuinely sad for his friend.
"It's ok, really!" Senna tried cheering herself up and broadened her smile. "I'll end up being with Lucian anyway, just a bit later than I had hoped."
"That's the spirit!" Qiyana tried giving her some support. She pat the seat beside her, signalling Senna to sit down.
Senna joined her friends on the couch and retrieved the last container from the bag. She decided to let her worries go and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment in good company.
Ekko was eating in silence, lost in his own thoughts.
"What's up Ekko? Has the cat got your tongue?" Akali asked, pointing at him with her fork.
Ekko distractedly looked outside at a car that was passing by and it took him a few moments to answer.
"Nah!" He turned around to face his friend. "I was only thinking about tomorrow's party."
"You do like a good party." Said Akali, sticking her fork into a bit of lasagna. "And Ahri throws the best parties in town."
"Yeah, I know". Ekko replied, indifferently.
Akali frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no. Big parties are nice and all. You get to meet new people and stuff like that. I was just thinking that I've been liking small parties with close friends more and more now."
"Oh. I know what you mean. They're less chaotic, right?"
"Yeah. But not just that. Small parties are also more... I don't know how to put it. I guess they make me feel more comfortable?"
"Yeah, I get it." Akali gave her friend a comforting smile. "But you're nervous about the party? I've never seen you turn down a party before."
"I think I'm a bit nervous about Ahri throwing the party for us specifically, to celebrate the success of our last album. And that so many people I don't know are going to be there. It kinda makes me feel like they will only come to observe us from up-close and judge us."
"I thought you didn't care what others think of you." Akali pointed out in a teasing manner.
"And I don't?... But I also kinda do? It's complicated." Ekko laughed.
"You're a complex guy." The girl joked. But what she said was the undeniable truth. To the common observer, Ekko was simply the class clown and the life of the party, always eager to entertain and be the center of attention. However, someone like Akali who had known him for almost his entire life was perfectly aware that there was so much more to the boy than that. Ekko was full of contradictions and thoughts that didn't always make sense despite his logical inclined nature. Nevertheless, there wasn't a single side of him she didn't like.
After they were done eating, the two friends sat there in silence for some time, plates in hand, just looking outside the window. The other three members of the band were quite a bit far away from them and wouldn't be able to hear the two of them anyway because of how loud Qiyana was being.
"Hey Akali!" Ekko suddenly exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Do ya remember when we were little and a kid was asking his mom if she could buy him a cake but she didn't have enough money?"
"When You were little-er, you mean." Akali teased, which made Ekko roll his eyes. "Yeah, I do, as if it were yesterday. You actually gave him some of your own money to pay for it. You've always been such a goodie-two-shoes." She might have said it jokingly, but deep down, she truly admired her friend's kindness and goodwill.
"The kid looked like he didn't even have money for real food, much less to buy sweets." Ekko said, looking down at his empty plate with a stern look on his face. "I've been where he was. It's not pretty."
Akali gave him a comforting smile and gently gave him her hand. "Hey, it's ok. That's in the past now. And what matters is how happy you made that kid! He wouldn't stop thanking you!"
"Yeah you're right, I guess I really made him happy." Ekko's smile was a bit faded.
"What made you think of that, anyway?" Akali questioned, genuinely curious.
"I don't know... This? All this? The party, the band, this food we just ate, this house?" The boy made a gesture with his hand, encompassing the whole room. "I started off having nothing. And now I pretty much have everything I could want." He made a long pause and his eyes filled with sadness and compassion. "But how many others had the same luck? That kid might be better off now, but he also might not... It just doesn't seem fair."
"Ekko..." Akali started.
"The only reason I started rapping in the first place was that I wanted a way to entertain the kids of the neighbourhood back home. I always thought that music was a fun thing that could make people smile. It cheered me up at least, so I tried sharing it with everyone else. And boy, did they love it." Ekko looked directly at Akali and she could see that his eyes were shining bright like two stars in the night sky. "I just made everyone so happy... And then you came back home and asked me to join you on your new project and this whole thing started. I accepted because I saw it as an opportunity to gain some money for my parents who always worked so hard for me. I could finally help them...".
"Oh, Ekko..." Akali was almost getting moved to tears by his speech. She was still holding his hand and squeezed it a little bit harder to show her support. She was aware that Ekko didn't show his more sensitive side to just anyone. She was one of the few people he trusted wholeheartedly, so she listened patiently to his words.
"But now, I just think... Why me? Why did I get this opportunity and not someone else? There are people who were way worse off than me or people who could do so much more in this situation. There are so many young rappers and other performers out there... Some probably deserved it more than I do."
"Ekko!" Akali finally found a way to break through the flurry of words. "You are more than deserving of all this. Good things came to you because you're a good person. You did all you could to help everyone around you and you were rewarded for your kind acts. Nothing else." The girl's smile grew wider the more she spoke. Ekko's eyes were still downcast, so she gently grabbed his chin and lifted his head to look him in the eyes. "We've been friends since we were kids and you never changed. You're still the same dreamer who wants to help everyone without expecting anything in return. There aren't many people like that, Ekko. People who are truly good to the core and want nothing more than to make others happy. There isn't anyone in the world I'd rather be best friends with."
"Akali..." Ekko simply said.
"Now that you have this opportunity, you can share your passion with the world. You aren't just gonna make your friends happy, you can make so many more people happy with your lyrics and your rapping."
Ekko took in his friend's words and his doubtful expression started shifting to a more relaxed and happy one.
"You're right. Thanks, Akali."
Akali patted her friend's hand and looked back at him for a few moments. Then, she got up and piled up the two dirty plates.
"Well. I went out to get us the food, so... You wash the dishes, all right?"
Ekko grabbed the pile "Sounds fair." He turned to the rest of the group who had also finished eating. "The dishes are on me tonight!"
"All right!" Qiyana exclaimed, handing him her empty plate. "What about you clean up my room while you're at it, kid?"
Ekko raised an eyebrow and accepted the plate. "Don't even think about it."
Qiyana chuckled. "Hey, worth a shot!"
The boy smiled and jokingly shook his head in disapproval.
"So, Qiyana, you got your new dress picked for tomorrow night?" Senna inquired.
Her friend gave her a cocky grin and polished her own nails on her shirt. "Nah! I decided to stick with the blue cocktail dress."
Senna was surprised. "What made you change your mind?"
Ekko was about to exit the living room with plates in hand when he heard the girl's question. He turned around to look at his friends and answered. "It fits perfectly fine. That's all."
He and Qiyana exchanged glances and Ekko winked at her before leaving for the kitchen.
A new day dawned with grey skies and a cool breeze that signalled Winter was on its way. Each member of True Damage chose to spend it in their own way.
Yasuo, unsurprisingly to everyone, resumed working on his new track and experimented with the changes Ekko had suggested.
Qiyana spent the whole day at the spa receiving skincare, manicures and pedicures to look her best for the evening.
Senna went to the shopping mall with the intent of buying a present for Lucian. They both agreed that there was no need for a birthday party or any kind of special occasion to offer a gift to one another. For the couple, it was but a gesture of love and appreciation, and love isn't bound by time or special dates.
Ekko and Akali both slept in. They had stayed up late just chatting and reminiscing. Ekko's speech from earlier left them both thinking about all the fun they used to have, racing one another through the streets of their hometown and all the mischief they had been up to as kids. After waking up, the two friends cooked lunch together and later on, went for an afternoon walk. The streets of the city were hustling and bustling. The traffic was loud and the pavement beneath their feet was worn out by the thousands of shoes that walked on it every day. Akali and Ekko told jokes that only made sense to both of them, observed and made remarks about the people that passed by, either in a hurry or casually strolling. A light rain began to fall, but not even that stopped them from enjoying themselves.
The day was over in less than nothing and it was almost time for the party. Qiyana was the first to arrive home as she needed more time than anyone else to get ready. She put on her dress, carefully applied the makeup in front of her dresser and put on some hairspray to make sure that not even a single hair would fall out of place. Once she was ready, she exited her room and walked to the entrance hall where the rest of the group was already waiting for her.
"Will you look at that!" Exclaimed Akali with a smirk adorning her face. "Qiyana never misses a chance to show off!"
"Jealousy speaks louder than reason." Qiyana joked, putting her hand on her hip.
"Looking amazing as always, girl!" Said Senna, who also looked beautiful with the pearl earrings Lucian had offered her some time after their wedding and a shiny red dress that opened on the side.
Ekko pointed at Qiyana's perfectly groomed hair and turned to Yasuo. "Yo, I bet five dollars that she brought the hairspray in her purse for an emergency."
Yasuo looked at Qiyana from head to toe. "I bet she did not. That seems excessive, even for Qiyana."
The girl chuckled. She opened her purse and took out the spray can, revealing she had indeed brought it.
Ekko laughed and Yasuo rolled his eyes. He had lost to him yet again! The kid was really good at guessing stuff or just very observant, he couldn't tell which. Defeated, he retrieved five dollars from his pocket and handed them over to his younger friend.
"Pleasure doing business with ya!" Ekko said, collecting the money.
The five friends left the house and got into Yasuo's car. He asked everyone if they hadn't forgotten anything important, so he wouldn't have to make multiple trips and drove off with the KDA mansion as their destination.
"Wow! It's like half the city is here." Akali exclaimed upon arriving at the front gate. She almost couldn't believe her eyes. She had been to Ahri's parties before, but this one was more than likely going to be the biggest one yet. Groups of people were approaching from all directions on foot and dozens of cars were pulling over.
Yasuo signalled the group to leave while he went to find a spot to park the car. They did so and Akali lead the others away from the main entrance gate to a smaller side gate.
"We've got a VIP entrance, as usual!" She said, jokingly. The girl readily approached the gate, took out the keys from her purse, opened it and they all stepped inside.
-----
The man took a look at himself in the mirror. His back shirt and coat were impeccable and ironed and his pants fit perfectly. His hair could use some work though. He picked up the comb that was nearby and used it to fix his messy hair. He put the comb down and looked into the mirror once again. Now it was perfect. He turned off the lights and walked over to the door. Before leaving, he picked up a small white bottle from a side table and put it in his pocket. After that, he took out his wallet and made sure that his I.D. was inside. Everything was ready.
"This party is the best chance yet." The man thought to himself. "I can't let it slip by."
-----
Akali and the gang were approaching the front door where Ahri could be seen greeting some other guests. As soon as she saw Akali, she excitedly ran up to them.
"Akali" She exclaimed, giving her a quick hug. Shen then turned to the rest of the group "I'm so happy you all could come! The party wouldn't be the same without the guests of honor."
"It was really nice of you girls to throw it for the band." Said Akali.
"We're very happy to come." Said Senna.
"Of course! You guys are the sensation of the moment! We had to celebrate!" Ahri looked at each member from head to toe. Suddenly she furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait a second. Isn't someone missing? Where's Yasuo at?"
"Oops..." Akali's face turned slightly red with embarrassment. "I forgot I have to open the door for him. We left him outside because he was looking for a spot to park the car..."
"But why didn't you say so?" Ahri smiled. "He can park the car in our garage! There's plenty of room."
"I thought of asking you!" Akali exclaimed. "But don't Evelynn's cars take up all the space?"
"The red one is being repaired at the moment. Only the other two are in the garage."
"Well, that's good news. I hope he hasn't found a spot yet." Akali said, picking up her phone and walking back to the gate, in case Yasuo was already waiting for her there.
"Come in, come in!" Said Ahri warmly. "I'm gonna announce to everyone that you're here!"
They followed the fox girl inside and she led them to the gigantic living room where many guests were already comfortably reclined on the various couches and chairs. Ekko looked around at the gigantic plasma TV and the expensive furniture. He had been over to their place before, but his surroundings always baffled him: These girl's success was no joke. They must have made millions during the past year alone just to afford to live in a place like this. The music was blasting through the speakers and Ahri turned it down for a second, so she could be heard.
"Attention everyone!" She stepped forward to the center of the room and many heads turned to look in her direction. "True Damage is in the house!"
The other guests cheered and clapped and the group waved at them.
"Don't worry!" Ahri continued. "Akali and Yasuo are about to show up as well!"
A bunch of people approached the band and started asking questions and congratulating them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ekko! I'm a BIG fan of your rapping. Your solos in "Giants" were absolute fire!" Said a tall scrawny guy wearing a beanie, extending his hand.
"The pleasure's all mine, my dude!" Ekko eagerly accepted his handshake.
"I absolutely love your dress! And those earrings, oh my!" A blonde girl said, mouth agape, to Senna. "I've been studying your fashion choices in pictures from tabloids. I'm a professional fashion designer and lemme tell you: You're an absolute queen!"
"Aw, thank you so much! You're so sweet!"
"Qiyana! I can't believe I'm actually meeting the queen herself, what an honor!" Said a boy with glasses and a black scarf holding a professional camera. "You guys killed it on your last album!"
Qiyana laughed and exclaimed with pride, modesty aside. "We certainly did, didn't we?"
"Can I please take a pic with you?" The boy requested.
"Sure, I don't see why not!" Qyiana exclaimed, moving to his side and posing for the photo.
Fifteen minutes later, Akali and Yasuo came back. Turns out Yasuo still hadn't found a spot and was relieved to know he could leave the vehicle in the mansion's garage. More people approached once the band was reunited once again. Ekko was liking this attention and making everyone laugh with his witty remarks. It was always nice meeting new fans and spending time with them.
Little by little, everyone started to disperse and went off to do their own thing. Qiyana stuck with the camera guy and they walked up to the table on the other side of the room where all the food was. The music just got crazier and louder once Yasuo took over the mixing table. A group of people started dancing and Akali and Ekko joined in. Senna sat down on a couch with a glass of wine in hand and Ahri took the seat in front of her.
"So Ahri? Where are Eve and Kai'sa? I haven't seen them yet."
"They got caught up on something. They'll show up soon."
"I see." Senna said, taking a sip.
Suddenly Ahri remembered. "What about Lucian? Wasn't he supposed to come with you?"
Senna gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, but he also got caught up on something. I'll be with him next weekend anyway, so it's no big deal."
Ahri felt bad for Senna. But at that moment, to her surprise, she saw Kai'sa entering the room... and Lucian was just behind her! He had a huge bouquet in hand. She saw as Kai'sa smiled and pointed at the couch where Senna was sitting. The girl wasn't aware of anything as all was happening behind her back. Lucian's eyes found Ahri's and he put a finger on his lips asking her not to ruin the element of surprise. He handed the flowers to Kai'sa and then started slowly walking towards them.
"Hey, Senna!" Ahri said.
"Yes?"
"If Lucian were here right now, what would you tell him or ask of him?" She asked with sincerity.
"That's a strange question." Senna raised one eyebrow in confusion, but then just shrugged and smiled. "I'd ask him for a kiss, I suppose..."
"I think I can grant you that wish. Since I'm here and all." Lucian said, from right behind his wife.
She became wide-eyed and turned around in disbelief. "Lucian!"
Ahri grinned with satisfaction as Senna got up, walked around the sofa and threw herself into his arms. Lucian carefully held his wife against his chest.
"I missed you so much!"
"Me too!"
Once they parted, they looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment and then shared a loving kiss.
"I really thought you wouldn't be able to make it tonight!" Senna exclaimed.
"Well, I lied." Lucian said simply, winking at her. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
"And it was an amazing one." Senna's eyes were shining with happiness. She turned to Ahri over on the couch and smiled. "You sly fox!"
Ahri chuckled. Feeling forgotten, Kai'sa walked over to the couple, flowers in hand. As none of them noticed her approaching she exclaimed "Hey Lucian! Hello? Your bouquet?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, Kai'sa. Thank you so much for holding it for me." Kai'sa handed the flowers over, rolling her eyes but smiling. "These are for you." He said, giving them to Senna.
"Oh, Lucian! They're beautiful. I love them." In a reflex, she handed the flowers back to Kai'sa and held onto Lucian to give him a deep kiss. Kai'sa made an "I'm done with the world" face and left the bouquet on the sofa. Ahri, who was paying attention to her friend's reaction, let out a loud laugh.