no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 26

Chapter 26: Preparations

Summary:

Ash and Eiji get ready for the big surprise.

Notes:

For everyone's guidance, Ash is 13 and Eiji is 15.
Anyways, enjoy the update!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It was Valentine's Day, and as the day went on, Ash was getting more and more excited of what would take place later that night. In fact, a wide smile was instantly plastered on his face the moment he woke up, he tried his best not to grin like an idiot as he walked to school with Eiji and Eika that morning, and he couldn't help but feel giddy every single time the thought came into mind. Of course he had to keep his cool whenever Trixie was around because the surprise would be ruined otherwise, but all in all, he was definitely excited.
"Hey Trixie, can I ask you something?" he asked the Chinese-American girl, who was seated next to him. The bell has just rung and the 8th Grade students were already settled in the classroom, waiting for the last period of the day to begin.
"Sure, what is it?" Trixie answered.
"Well, um, I just wanted to ask you, will you celebrate Valentine's Day with me tonight?" Ash scratched the back of his head and smiled bashfully as a faint, pinkish blush tinted his cheeks.
"Huh? Really? Oh, I don't mind. Where are we going?"
"You'll find out if you come with me. Tell you what, I'll pick you up from your house after school. Does 5 PM sound good?" The blonde-haired boy's voice wavered slightly in excitement.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Trixie smiled. "Sure, let's go out tonight."
Ash just grinned at her as his answer, noticing that the teacher has already entered the classroom. Getting Trixie to say yes was the most important part of the plan, and now that she agreed to go out with him tonight, the more he couldn't wait for the surprise to happen.
So far, so good. He couldn't feel any more thrilled than he was now.
***
Meanwhile, Eiji paid no attention to the teacher as he restlessly stared at the wall clock, waiting for the bell to ring. He took a deep breath, willing his anxious heart to calm down. Ash told him earlier that he would pick him up from school because his classes would end earlier today, and apparently, there was a lot more to do regarding the surprise tonight.
"What's wrong, E?" Shorter suddenly asked, nearly making the raven-haired boy jump from his seat. "I noticed that you've been getting a little antsy since this morning, why is that?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, S," Eiji answered. "It's just that, um, I have somewhere to go after school."
He laughed nervously, hoping that Shorter wouldn't notice. He felt bad for lying to him, but he somehow couldn't bring himself to tell him that he was planning a surprise for Ash and Trixie. Sensing that there was a slight bit of animosity between his best friend and the purple-haired boy, he felt that it was better not to say anything at all.
Shorter, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel curious about what Eiji was up to. He noticed that he's been sketching a bunch of stuff the whole day while their classes were going on, but every time he asked him what they were for, the raven-haired boy wouldn't answer.
"I see, so that means you won't be going to training today?" the purple-haired boy asked.
Eiji shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm afraid so." He smiled apologetically.
"Really? Aw, that's too bad." Shorter's voice sounded disappointed. "Where are you going, by the way?"
A jittery smile was all Eiji could give as he tried to think of another excuse to tell the Chinese boy. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when the bell suddenly rang, much to his relief.
"Ei-chan!" a voice called out amidst the loud chitchat of students leaving the classroom. The two boys turned around, and they were surprised to see Ash standing outside the door.
"Oh Ashu, you're here," said Eiji, grabbing his backpack. "Is Eika-chan home already?"
"Yeah," Ash answered. "I brought her to your apartment first before going here. Are you ready?"
"Hold on, I'm just gonna use the bathroom for a while. Wait for me, okay?"
And with that, Eiji ran off to the nearest restroom, leaving Ash and Shorter behind.
After relieving himself in one of the urinals and washing his hands, he brought out his phone and called the restaurant he contracted to reiterate the events that would happen later. He had to make sure that everything would run smoothly as much as possible so the surprise wouldn't be ruined.
As he spoke with one of the staff, he couldn't help but grimace. Though he knew that it would kill him, he really wanted this day to be special. Not for him, definitely not for Trixie, but for Ash.
***
"So Ash, what's up with E today?" Shorter asked, folding his arms as he leaned back against the wall. The two boys stood outside the 10th Grade classroom, waiting for Eiji to return from the restroom.
"Oh, Ei-chan's just taking care of the surprise," Ash confidently answered, grinning widely as he held the straps of his backpack. Why did this dude sound so happy and excited all of a sudden?
"Surprise?" The purple-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "What surprise? He's been busy since this morning."
"Don't worry Shorter, he's just doing me a favor."
"I know he's doing you a favor, but what's the surprise for? I just don't want to see him stressed out, you know."
"Huh?" Ash's eyebrows furrowed. "Stressed out?"
A smug look formed on the Chinese boy's face. "You don't know that your best friend's stressed out? Tch. What kind of best friend are you?"
"Oh my." The frown on Ash's face quickly faded and was replaced by a look of concern. "That's too bad. I never knew Ei-chan would be stressed out in planning my surprise for Trixie."
And with that, Shorter let out a soft gasp as his eyes widened in shock. What did he just say?
"Could you repeat that, Ash?" he asked. His voice was low and dangerous as he felt anger growing inside him. "Whose surprise is it?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna ask Trixie to be my girlfriend tonight," Ash answered, seemingly unaware of the purple-haired boy's livid tone. "Ei-chan helped me in---"
"The surprise is for Trixie, then you fucking asked Eiji to do it for you?!" Shorter furiously bellowed, baring his teeth at him. His hands curled into tight fists and his body trembled in anger as his small, dark brown eyes burned with rage, and though he wasn't really a violent person, he wanted nothing more than to punch Ash right on the spot.
"Look man, chill," Ash tried to calm the Chinese boy down. "I didn't know planning a surprise could be stressful, because Ei-chan seemed to be fine whenever we talked about it."
"Where would the surprise be held and when?" the purple-haired boy asked through gritted teeth. He tried his best to calm himself down, but deep inside he was already this close to losing it. Ash would definitely have to give him a proper answer, otherwise he'd really hit him.
"Tonight, at The River Café," answered the blonde-haired boy.
A smirk was all Shorter could give as his answer, but deep inside he was still infuriated by the blonde-haired boy's callous actions. Seriously, how dense and insensitive could this guy get? He couldn't bear the fact that Ash actually had the nerve to ask Eiji, his Eiji, to do something like that without even knowing that his "best friend" was badly hurting because of him. Did he even have a heart? Didn't he get even the slightest hint that Eiji was only pretending to be okay?
You asshole. You fucking asshole.
"You're so insensitive, Ash," he said.
"Huh?"
"I'm back, guys," Eiji suddenly announced, bounding over to where Ash and Shorter were standing. "Let's go?" Then he turned to the purple-haired boy. "We'll get going, S. See you tomorrow!"
Shorter smiled weakly as he waved his hand, his anger suddenly vanishing at the sight of the raven-haired boy. "Bye, E."
It was good timing that Eiji arrived, otherwise Ash would've been beaten to a pulp.
***
It was already 4 PM, and while Ash was taking a shower, Eiji looked for the perfect wardrobe in the blonde-haired boy's closet. Considering the fact that it was going to be a special night (for Ash, at least), he had to look presentable for the occasion.
After a few minutes of browsing, mixing and matching between outfits, the raven-haired boy decided on a red checkered polo shirt and a pair of white pants for his best friend to wear. Taking them out of the closet, he was about to place them on the bed when he suddenly saw Ash standing in front of him.
His eyes widening in shock and his entire face turning a deep shade of crimson, Eiji let out an ear-splitting scream when he realized that his best friend was completely naked.
"OH SHIT!" Ash shrieked. His face flaring up in embarrassment, he frantically scrambled to grab his towel lying on top of his bed. "I-I'm sorry, Ei-chan! I thought you were outside! Oh man, this is so embarrassing!"
"Uh, i-it's alright, Ashu!" Eiji squeaked, tightly shutting his eyes as he quickly tossed over the selected clothes to the blonde-haired boy. "Here, wear this!"
"Sure, okay. Um, you can open your eyes now."
Reluctantly opening one eye to make sure that Ash was no longer in his birthday suit, Eiji heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the blonde-haired boy was wearing a towel around his waist. He was shyly scratching the back of his head as he looked away, a bright pink blush coloring his cheeks.
"Gee, sorry about that, Ei-chan," he timidly said.
"No, it's okay, Ashu. Why don't you go and change first? I'll wait for you outside. See you!"
Without waiting for Ash's answer, Eiji hurriedly darted out of the room.
Once he was outside, he leaned against the door and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His heart thumping rapidly, he placed a hand over his chest and took deep breaths to calm himself down. He had to admit, Ash looked pretty hot for a thirteen-year-old. From head to toe, it looked like puberty really hit him like a truck. He could still see the little droplets of water running down his lemon-blonde hair to his broad chest, then down to his slim waist, to his sexy v-line---
Oh my gosh Eiji Okumura, stop imagining things!
Just then, his phone suddenly rang, abruptly snapping him out of his thoughts just as they were about to get inappropriate. Great timing.
Bringing it out of his pocket, he saw that Shunichi was the one calling.
"Hello?" he asked, sitting down on a chair situated near his best friend's bedroom door.
(Ei-chan,) Shunichi answered from the other line.
"Yes, Ibe-san? What is it?"
(I was wondering if you would like go to the park with me and Eika-chan today. Are you up for it?)
Eiji's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Huh? What for, Ibe-san?"
(Don't worry, you'll eventually find out later.)
"Sure thing Ibe-san, but could we do it tonight? Ashu and I are going somewhere."
(Sure. Just be home safe, okay? Love you, Ei-chan.)
Eiji couldn't help but smile at that. Ever since he and Eika were children, Shunichi was the one who took care of them whenever their parents were away. And now that he was already older, he realized that he has grown to love him like his own father.
"Love you too, Ibe-san. Bye."
And just as Shunichi ended the call, Ash suddenly emerged from the door, wearing the clothes Eiji picked out for him. An excited smile was plastered on his face, all dressed up and ready to go.
"Nice pick of clothes, Ei-chan," he said, smiling as he looked at his outfit. "How do I look?"
Right then and there, Eiji felt his heart racing as he stared dumbfounded at the blonde-haired boy. He suddenly recalled that his handsome features was one of the reasons why he fell in love with his best friend. Like, who wouldn't fall for such a good-looking boy like Ash?
"Wow Ashu, you look great," was the only thing he said.
Ash grinned. "Thanks, Ei-chan."
***
"Alright, I guess you're all set." Eiji glanced at his wristwatch as he and Ash walked down the hallway leading to his apartment unit. "It's almost 4:30, you should be heading to Trixie's place by now."
"Wait, aren't you coming with me?" Ash asked. "I need you there, you know."
And with that, Eiji smiled bitterly. He knew he had to tag along because he was the one who organized the surprise, but could he bear to witness Ash and Trixie being all lovey-dovey in front of him? On Valentine's Day of all days?
Oh, the things he had to do for love.
"Of course I'm coming, Ashu. I have to make sure that everything would run smoothly, remember?" he answered, stopping in front of the door of his apartment unit. "Don't worry, I'll catch up with you later. I just need to rest for a bit, that's all."
He turned around and was about to reach for the doorknob when Ash suddenly held his arm.
"Ei-chan, wait. Before you go, I have something for you."
And before Eiji could even say a word, Ash slipped on a red string bracelet on his wrist. Attached to the string was a small, silver infinity charm. It was bright and shiny as its tiny diamonds sparkled under the lights.
"There you go. Wow, it suits you well."
"Wow Ashu, it's so pretty," Eiji answered, rotating his wrist to get a good look at the bracelet. "But what is this for?"
"It's a thank you gift, Ei-chan. You know, for everything you've done for me. And consider it as my Valentine's Day present for you, too." Then the blonde-haired boy smiled fondly at his best friend.
Without saying another word, Eiji pulled Ash into a tight embrace. It comforted him that the blonde-haired boy somehow still thought of him in spite of everything that happened between them these past few months.
"Thanks, Ashu," he said as he pulled away. "Hold on, I have a present for you, too."
"Huh? Hey, you don't have to return the favor, you know."
But despite Ash's protests, Eiji proceeded to open his backpack, where he pulled out a small velvet box from it. The blonde-haired boy's eyes grew wide when his best friend opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with his own name as the pendant. Apparently, Eiji secretly bought it while they were busy buying stuff for tonight's event.
"Now we have matching necklaces, Ashu," said the raven-haired boy, smiling happily as he held the necklace in one hand and proudly showed Ash his own necklace with the other.
The blonde-haired boy couldn't help but smile back upon seeing the familiar accessory. It's been two years since he first gave it to Eiji as a graduation present, but until now he still wore it around his neck. The mere fact that his best friend treasured his gift was enough to make his chest flutter with happiness.
"Turn around," Eiji added. "I'll put it on for you."
Without any hesitation, Ash obeyed, turning around so that the Japanese boy could tiptoe and wrap the necklace around his neck.
"Thanks, Ei-chan," he said, turning back as he fondly gazed at his new necklace. He gingerly traced his fingertips over the pendant, feeling every curl and curve that formed the name 'Ash'.
"No problem," replied the raven-haired boy as he zipped his backpack and opened the door of his apartment unit. "Alright, since we're both set, let's go."
"See you later, okay?" Ash said. "Wish me luck."
And as he became aware of the real reason why they were going out that night, Eiji grimaced as he felt the familiar, sharp pain pierce his chest.
"Good luck, best friend," he said coldly.
"Don't worry Ei-chan, I promise to make her mine tonight," Ash answered, grinning confidently.
Eiji smiled weakly. "S-Sure thing."
And with that, the blonde-haired boy left. Letting out a deep sigh, Eiji turned around once again and was about to enter his apartment unit when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"E," said a familiar voice, causing the raven-haired boy to let out a soft gasp. He turned around to see Shorter standing behind him.
"Oh S, you're here." Then his eyes widened when he caught sight of a bouquet of red roses in the purple-haired boy's hands. "Those flowers, are those..." His voice trailed off, lifting up a finger to point at them.
"For you, E. Happy Valentine's Day." Shorter smiled sweetly, handing over the bouquet to Eiji.
"Why S, they're beautiful. Thank you," Eiji answered, smiling sheepishly as he took the offered gift. "That's so sweet of you, but you shouldn't have gone through all that trouble just to get these for me."
"Nah, it's nothing, E. You're worth the trouble, anyway." Shorter grinned. "Could you give me your hand for a second?"
Clueless, Eiji warily held out his hand, and to his surprise, the Chinese boy slipped on a purple bracelet on top of the red bracelet from Ash. Dangling from it was a small letter E, signifying Shorter's nickname for him.
"A bracelet? Gee, thanks, S," he said with a smile, gazing at the two bracelets around his wrist.
"By the way E, where are you going?" Shorter asked. "You told me that you would be heading somewhere after school, but you didn't tell me the exact place."
"I'm going out with Eika-chan and Ibe-san," Eiji answered. It was somehow true, since Shunichi technically told him earlier that the three of them would be heading to the park together after the surprise was over.
"Oh, I see. Do you want me to take you there?"
Eiji waved a hand dismissively. "No need, S. It's just nearby, I'll be walking from here." He let out a nervous chuckle before glancing at his wristwatch. "Oh, look at the time. I better get going. See you around!"
Before Shorter could even say a word, Eiji briefly entered the apartment unit to place the bouquet of flowers in the living room before leaving, grabbing a taxi cab that would head to the restaurant where the surprise would be held.
As he sat anxiously inside the taxi, there was an uncomfortable silence he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He swallowed hard as his heart began to pound hard, his chest becoming heavier by the second. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still hoping that Trixie would say no to Ash, that Trixie would reject Ash and ruin the surprise for him to realize that the one who really loved him was the one who was beside him the whole time.
But from the way Ash and Trixie treated each other, it looked like he only had a few more hours until they would officially start dating. A short amount of time, then it would be really over.
Would he be strong enough to handle this?