How It Should End [MxM]

two

The car ride was quiet, filled with the hum of chattering Japanese men on the radio - they were talking about a recent soccer game at a local private school, if Ash was picking the words out correctly. Then again he wasn't paying much attention to anything other than the road. Shit, Eiji and Shunichi lived far from the square. He remembered each turn though, each street with an intense accuracy. Blessing and a curse to have such a high IQ and memory. Might have to start calling him an android soon enough. 

The shops slowly disappeared after 4 miles, become more and more apartment complexes and family run businesses. Nothing huge, but thoughtful nevertheless. Homely feeling too. Ash rested his head on the cool window, the heat turned on and warming the rest of him. He was honestly excited to see Eiji again - especially since all of this shit went down. He put a hand where he had surgery, a knife wound from Arthur painting his memory. He was glad to kill the bastard, but the fact that japanese boy had seen him in such a state is what ruined him  the most. 

The cherry blossom trees were thicker here, planted in squares in the sidewalk and offering shade during sunlight hours. Ibe-san pulled into an alleyway, turning to park in a little garage tucked into a building. A two seat moped was to one side, leaning and letting the light left on shine off the baby blue paint. Ash didn't even have to ask - that was Eiji's. He opened the car door, Max stepping out of the passenger seat while Shunichi made sure he had everything from the driver's seat. The smell of pork and rice with butter was coming from the stairwell that was just to the right of the front of the car, the door left open as the garage door was shutting. "Home sweet home for the next however long the Lynx will stay here." Ibe said quietly to Max, watching as Ash followed the sounds of clanking dishes and soft singing. The two adults share a look and a grin, throwing arms over each other's shoulders and waiting by the car.

Aslan climbed to the second floor silently after ditching his backpack in the living room, his suitcase safely locked in the trunk for now. He had forgotten to toe off his shoes by the bottom stair, so he paused at the top to ditch the old converse. He needed to find a newer pair in his closet somewhere. He saw Max and Shunichi enter at the bottom of the first floor, rolling his eyes before continuing to follow his nose. The kitchen was through the dining room and positioned between all the bedrooms. Exactly 4 rooms. Perfect sized place. Ash stopped in his sock footed tracks, seeing Eiji at the stove with a pink apron tied around his waist.

 Goddamn him.

The American blonde leaned on the door frame, watching the way Eiji sang some japanese song in such a hushed tone. It was soft and sweet, like the occasional video Max sent from Ibe sending it to him. Nothing changed really, did it? The same tossed black hair, gently curved figure in mildly baggy clothes of some soft color. Why did he have him leave again? 

He barely moved as Eiji took the pork he was frying off the grill attachment to the stove, placing the 5 or 6 pieces across a casserole like dish of rice covered in veggies and soy sauce. Should he say something? Or should he wait for the blind photographer to notice? Eiji might as well be blind if he didn't notice him yet. But it was just a joke. Shunichi silently came up behind him and shooed Ash towards Eiji's room, ducking into the kitchen himself. Ah, a private reunion. Not a bad idea...

Aslan backed away and went to Eiji's bedroom, taking a seat on the pale blue sheet and tucked in comforter over top. His eyes fell to the polaroid snaps of him at odd times when the 4 had been in America, travelling, pinned with clothes pins to a thin burlap like rope that was expertly hung from eyelet hooks. Some were tapped to the wall in clusters, other was actual photos and pinned up on a corkboard over one entire wall. 

"I'll join you two soon - go on and start eating! I have to change out of my work clothes." The voice was muffled, but Ash knew that was his little black haired and brown eyed boy. He felt a flutter in his mind and stomach, not having felt something like this in a long time. He decided to stand just then, turning to take a close look at some of the photos further away.  His back was to the door, holding a photo of him in Boston while watching the sunset when it finally opened and footsteps stopped at the threshold. 

Ash listened as Eiji took off his slippers (by the sound they made on the carpet/hardwood flooring that's what he assumed they were) and gave just a small smile at the picture. He didn't speak quite yet. He wanted to see what would happen. 

The silence was long, Eiji most likely unable to process what was going on. Most likely never fit Eiji then again. Especially now, as he seemed to let out half a sob and nearly run to hug Ash backwards around the waist. He buried his face in the taller's back recalling so many memories from before going away. He recalled the times when he soothed Ash from a nightmare, nagging him when he tried to patch the gang leader up, cooking food and lashing at each other jokingly. It was all coming back and bringing tears with it. 

"So, you get on Shunichi for sending videos when you take photos of me?" Ash pinned the photo back up where it belonged, turning in the hold to properly bury his face in Eiji's neck and actually return the hug.

"Shut up, I was self conscious." His voice was murmured into Ash's shirt, hands gripping the fabric as he tried not to sob too badly. No one except Eiji would know how bad he hurt having to come back without Ash. But now they were together again, and that's all that would ever matter as long as Eiji was alive. "I didn't think you would come here, honestly." This time he was even quieter.

"What," Ash scoffed a tad, speaking delicately into Eiji's ear, "and leave the clumsy Japanese boy to fend for himself in this world? Hardly."