no mader how strong the wind blows

chapter 28

Chapter 28: Fight

Summary:

Ash and Eiji have a quarrel after last night's untimely incident.

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

When Eiji didn't answer despite the fact that he repeatedly knocked on the stall's door several times, Ash let out a defeated sigh before deciding to walk out of the restroom.
He just didn't understand, why was his best friend angry? He only just said the truth, right? He really didn't like what their guardians and siblings did to Eiji and him, he wasn't really a fan of blind dates to begin with. In fact, he found them ridiculous. His Dad and biological Mom met through a blind date, and considering the fact that they divorced because of certain reasons, he definitely didn't want to go through the same phase as his parents did.
And besides, he already had a girlfriend. What kind of guy would go on a date with someone else while he's in a relationship? Only two-timers would do those kinds of things, and he was definitely sure that he wasn't one.
When he arrived at the tree where the table was set up, he noticed that Shunichi and Eika have already left. Only Max and Griffin remained, seated at where he and Eiji were sitting before that terrible outburst.
"C'mon Ash, let's go home," said Max, standing up and gently placing a hand on the blonde-haired boy's shoulder.
An awkward silence hung in the air as the three Americans started their way out of the park, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Ash felt his chest becoming heavier with each step, and he could still feel the tense atmosphere from what transpired earlier. He didn't like the feeling at all, not even a bit.
"Max? Griffin?" the blonde-haired boy decided to break the silence.
"Ash," Max answered, a serious tone in his voice. "Did you know that Eiji was badly hurt because of what you said?"
"I agree with Max, Ash," Griffin seconded.
"But guys," Ash tried to reason out. "What's wrong with what I said? You know very well that I didn't like to be set up on blind dates, right?"
"I do understand that you don't want this," Max explained. "But saying that you don't like Eiji right in front of him was a bit too much. Considering the fact that he's your best friend, of course that would be too painful for him."
Then it suddenly occurred to him that what he did was absolutely wrong. His eyes widened, his heart beginning to pound hard in his chest when he realized that he never got the chance to thank Eiji for what he did for him and Trixie that day. He should be grateful, but he ended up hurling painful words at him instead all because of a stupid blind date.
"Fix this, Ash," Max said. "You're the one who's at fault here. Don't ruin everything just because of wrong choice of words."
"You shouldn't have yelled at him like that, you know," Griffin added.
A deep sigh was all Ash could let out.
***
When he arrived home, he immediately brought out his phone and called Trixie. He obviously couldn't talk to Eiji because things didn't end well between them at the park, and he also couldn't talk to neither Griffin nor Max because until now he could still feel a thin barrier between them. Right now, his girlfriend was the only person he could open up to. It was his only choice.
Girlfriend.
A small smile formed on his lips as he settled down on his bed. Even after a few hours, that one word still sounded so alien to his ears. He honestly never thought that the girl who rejected him back in Grade School would actually end up being his girlfriend.
(Hello?)
"Hello, Trixie," Ash answered, leaning his back against the headboard. "You're still awake?"
(Yeah. What's wrong?)
"You see, Ei-chan and I...well, we kinda fought."
(Oh, really?) There was a hint of surprise in the girl's voice.
Ash sighed. "Yeah. What should I do?"
(Just let him be,) Trixie answered. (He'll eventually cool down after a while.)
"Really? Are you sure about that?"
(Well, it's up to you if you really wanna talk to him, though. But you know I'm here for you too, right?)
Ash smiled weakly. "Gee, thanks, Trixie. I really needed someone to talk to right now, you know."
(I gotta go, it's getting late. Good night, Ash.)
"Okay then. Good night, Trixie. I love you."
(Love you too. Bye.)
And with that, the call ended. The blonde-haired boy placed his phone on his bedside table with a sigh and stared at the ceiling as he lay in his bed, placing his hands behind his head which was resting against the soft pillows.
He would definitely have to talk to Eiji tomorrow.
***
The following morning, Eiji roused from his sleep when he felt the sun's rays shining down on him. His eyes squinting from the brightness, he sat up and stretched with a yawn. What time was it, anyway? The only thing he remembered was that he was so tired, both physically and emotionally, that he instantly jumped into bed the moment he arrived home.
Reaching for his phone sitting on his bedside table, he opened it to check the time, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was almost 12 noon. Was he really that exhausted last night?
Just then, he felt his phone vibrate. He looked again and saw that he received a text message.
From: S
I'll be going to your apartment tomorrow, okay? Sleep tight. Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow. :)
At first his brows furrowed in confusion, but when he saw that the message was dated last night, he let out a surprised gasp. If it was already noon and Shorter said that he would be coming over that day, then that would mean he would be---
His train of thought abruptly ended when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He looked in time to see Eika poke her head through the door.
"Oh Eiji, I see you're awake now," she said. "A certain someone's at the door, I think he's looking for you."
Eiji was about to ask who was there, but Eika immediately left before the raven-haired boy could even open his mouth. Thinking that Shorter was the one who came because of the text message, he quickly got out of bed for a quick shower and a change of clothes.
"Sorry I'm late, I just kinda woke up. I hope you didn't wait for me too long," he said with a sheepish smile as he emerged from his bedroom door a few minutes later, walking into the living room to greet his visitor.
"Ei-chan..."
The moment he heard that familiar nickname, he froze in his tracks. His eyes widened in surprise, slightly feeling a tinge of pain in his chest when he saw Ash sitting on the couch. What was he doing here?
All emotion suddenly fading from his expression, he turned his back without a word and was about to walk away when Ash suddenly stood up and held his arm.
"Ei-chan, wait. I'm really sorry," he said.
"Not now, Ash. Please," Eiji answered coldly, a grimace forming on his lips.
"Huh? Why?"
"I don't wanna fight right now, Ash. Please." Eiji clenched his hands into fists, still not looking back at his best friend. Ash's hurtful statement from last night suddenly played in his head the moment he saw him, and it made him realize that he still hasn't fully recovered from those painful words.
"C'mon, I'm really sorry, Ei-chan. Please talk to me."
And just like that, Eiji whirled around and gave Ash a hard shove.
"ASLAN! Don't you understand what I'm saying?! I said I don't wanna talk right now!" he yelled, the last reign on his self-control snapping. Everything from last night was still fresh to him, and he feared that they might only end up fighting if this conversation continued.
"I said I'm sorry, Ei-chan. And I don't even understand, why are you so mad at me?" answered the blonde-haired boy, his face a mixture of confusion and shock.
"So what if I'm mad at you, huh? What's it to you?" Eiji hissed, and the harsh tone in his voice made Ash cringe slightly.
When his best friend didn't answer, he smirked at him before turning his back on him for a second time.
"I couldn't bear it, Ei-chan." The raven-haired boy sensed the pain in Ash's voice. "I couldn't handle you being mad at me."
Eiji gritted his teeth in an attempt to suppress his anger, and he made no motion to face Ash as he stood rooted in his spot. It was completely against his usual character to feel such a heavy load of negativity, but he just couldn't help himself. Ash always apologized, he always said that he couldn't handle him being angry at him, but what was he doing? He still continued to hurt him, and he was honestly getting tired of his apologies knowing that he would still do it again after saying sorry.
"And what makes you say that, huh?" he growled, clenching his hands into fists. "I thought you don't want me anymore?"
"C'mon Ei-chan, you know I didn't mean it that way, right?"
His anger boiling over, Eiji spun around and faced Ash, shooting him an angry glare.
"Then what?! Explain everything to me now, Aslan!" he yelled.
"Well, you see, I'm not really a fan of blind dates, Ei-chan," Ash tried to explain. "And...you know that I have a girlfriend now, right? I have a girlfriend and I love her."
Right then and there, Eiji's vision began to blur as hot tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. This was also one of the reasons why he didn't want to talk about last night, it would only make him remember that he had no more chances of being with Ash. It would only serve as a reminder that the boy he loved was already taken and in a relationship with somebody else.
"Alright, I get it! I fucking get that you love Trixie! I know that very well, okay?! You don't have to rub it in, you know!" he screamed. His dark brown eyes were locked onto his best friend's, and they burned white-hot with anger while swimming in tears. He could hear the front door open, but he paid no attention to whoever came inside the apartment unit.
"Hold on, why are you even reacting like this?" Ash asked. "Don't tell me that you actually agree with the blind date?"
And just like that, the raven-haired boy's face went blank. His anger vanished just as the fire in his eyes died, his irises returning to their usual dark brown color. He hated to admit it, but his best friend was right. He would be lying if he said that he didn't agree with the blind date because it would be like a dream come true to go out with the one he loved, but he also didn't want Ash to be a part of something that wouldn't make him happy.
"Well, Eiji?" The blonde-haired boy's voice began to sound serious as well. "Don't just stand there, TELL ME!"
Eiji didn't answer. He just stood there, his lower lip quivering as he stared at Ash with teary eyes, silently wishing for something to come up just to break the awkward atmosphere. He suddenly felt guilty for lashing out at him like that, and at the same time foolish for getting himself all worked up over his own feelings. Ash being completely unaware of what he felt for him made him realize that his actions were way out of line and unreasonable, not to mention unnecessary.
"Dude, don't shout at him like that!" another familiar voice suddenly called out, and the two best friends turned to see Shorter standing behind them, much to Eiji's relief.
"Stay out of this, Shorter!" Ash retorted. "You know nothing about this!"
"Oh, I definitely know everything, Ash," Shorter answered with a smirk. "And trust me, Eiji also doesn't like this blind date bullshit at all."
"And what makes you say that?"
"S---" Eiji tried to stop Shorter, but the purple-haired boy immediately cut him off.
"Because I'm the one he likes!"
WHAT?!
But before Eiji could even react, Ash tightly gripped his arms and pulled him aside. It seemed like the tables have turned, because for some reason it was now the blonde-haired boy's turn to get steamed.
"Is this true, Eiji?" he growled through gritted teeth, leaning close to his cowering best friend.
"Ashu, wait---"
"JUST ANSWER ME!" he roared, giving the raven-haired boy a slight shake.
Fear slowly crept into Eiji's system as he stared wide-eyed into Ash's burning jade-green orbs. Judging from the way he held onto his arms, he could sense that he was furious. His grip was so firm and strong that he could almost feel his nails dig into his skin.
"Ash, stop it! You're hurting Eiji!" Shorter hollered. He tried to grab onto Ash's hands in an attempt to remove or even loosen his grip on Eiji's arms, but Ash, almost violently, pushed him away.
"I told you Shorter, stay away from this," he hissed. "This is only between me and---"
Ash's sentence was cut off when Shorter suddenly lunged at him and punched him in the face, causing him to stumble and fall on the floor.
"ASHU!" With a startled cry, Eiji immediately ran over and dropped on his knees to help his best friend up. "Ashu, are you alright?"
When Ash didn't answer, he turned around and stood up to face Shorter. "S, please leave for a while."
The purple-haired boy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Huh? But E---"
"Let me handle this, S." Eiji gently held Shorter's shoulders and looked at him straight in the eye. "Don't worry, I can do this." He offered a weak smile.
At first the purple-haired boy was a bit hesitant, but seeing the determination in the Japanese boy's dark brown orbs and sensing the pleading tone in his voice, he had no choice but to walk out of the apartment unit after letting out a deep, defeated sigh.
After Shorter left, Eiji turned back to Ash, who was now seated on the couch cupping the cheek where the Chinese boy's fist had landed squarely on. He noticed that his lower lip was bleeding from impact of the blow.
"Does it still hurt, Ashu? C'mon, let's treat your wound." He sat down next to him and tried to touch his face, but Ash quickly swatted his hand away.
"Don't touch me," he hissed, looking away from Eiji.
"Huh? But---"
"What's with the but, Eiji?" Ash angrily asked as he spun around to face his best friend, still shooting him the irked glare from earlier. "Why didn't you tell me that you already like him?!"
"Ashu---"
"Don't call me that!"
"C'mon Ashu, please calm down," Eiji tried to pacify his best friend, the tears he's been holding in for so long finally slipping out of his eyes. In all the years they've spent together, he honestly never thought that they would have a fight like this one day.
"Now tell me, is it true?" Ash asked, his voice now sounding much softer, but Eiji could sense that he was still mad. Yup, the tables have definitely turned this time.
"W-What's true?" the raven-haired boy asked in a shaky voice.
"Is it true that you like Shorter?"
"I..." Eiji paused for a while. "I don't know."
It sounded pathetic to his own ears, but what else could he say? Though he technically did like Shorter as one of his special friends, he never said that he liked him. He didn't know why, but he was sure that the Chinese boy definitely had a reason why he said that earlier.
"You don't know?" Ash scoffed. "Seriously, what kind of fucking answer is that? Shorter just literally said that you do like him, and then you say that you don't know if you even like him? What is this, some kind of joke? What kind of person are you, Eiji?"
The Japanese boy's face pulled into a deep frown, his tears coming faster. He wiped at them roughly, as if trying to make them stop through sheer force, before looking straight into Ash's jade-green eyes.
"Ash, what's happening to us? Why are we like this now?"
And with that, the blonde-haired boy's expression softened. It seemed that he has realized something, seeing that his eyes widened before looking away with a grimace.
"Don't you see, Ashu?" Eiji continued, the tears evident in his voice. "We've never fought like this before. Did everything really change between us just because we grew older, huh? Tell me."
"I..." Ash softly replied, unable to look at his best friend. "I really don't know, Ei-chan. A lot has happened lately, you know."
"We could fix this, right? What were we fighting about, anyway?"
"The blind date."
"The blind date?" Eiji repeated the statement. "Ashu, I didn't agree with that. I said it last night, right?"
"But why were you acting---" Ash was about to ask something, but was stopped short when Eiji spoke again.
"Let me finish first, okay? Look, I didn't agree with the blind date because I know you wouldn't like it. I know you wouldn't be happy and I know you already love someone."
The raven-haired boy let out a shuddery breath as he swallowed back the tears that loomed. He held Ash's hands tightly, and he was honestly surprised that he didn't push him away this time.
"Ashu, I would never agree with a thing that would ruin us. And I'm not mad at you, I was only upset and hurt. You don't know how hurt I was when you said that you didn't want me, but I wanna apologize for overreacting. Don't worry, I really don't agree with this blind date thing."
Just then, Ash pulled Eiji into a tight embrace, making all of the raven-haired boy's anger melt quickly.
"I'm sorry, Ei-chan," he whispered. "I'm sorry if I was so insensitive, and I'm sorry that I overreacted as well. And also, I never got a chance to say this last night because of what happened, but thank you for everything."
Eiji smiled weakly. "It's nothing, Ashu. You know I would do anything for you, right?"
"But wait, there's one more thing," Ash said, pulling away from the hug.
"Hm?"
"About Shorter...is it true?"
"I really don't know, Ashu."
Now that he mentioned it again, he couldn't help but think. What was Shorter to him, anyway?
Ash frowned, folding his arms. "There you go with that answer again."
"Really Ashu, I honestly don't know. But..." Eiji's voice trailed off.
"But?"
"S is kinda like my...special friend?"
"Oh."
"Oh? What's with the oh?"
Ash shook his head before looking away. "Nothing."
"Wait, are you jealous?"
"What?" The blonde-haired boy quickly turned around to face Eiji, his forehead crumpled. "Of course not!"
Eiji let out a soft chuckle, and he had to admit, it never felt so good to smile again.
"Alright, fine. You're still my best friend anyway. So, are we cool now?"
"Yup, we're all cool now." Ash grinned before standing up, grabbing Eiji's wrist. "Come on, let's go grab some hotdogs. I'm starving!"
And with that, the two best friends left the apartment, bright smiles once again plastered on their faces as if nothing happened.
If sacrificing his own happiness for Ash's sake would mean that they wouldn't fight like this anymore, it was a sacrifice the Japanese boy was more than willing to make.