ANOTHER LIFE || Banana Fish: Alternative Ending ||

~Banana 53~

Broken. Hurt. Lonely. Miserable. Mad. All these words describe one person. He is standing still on the sidewalk, not giving a care to the people throwing him questioning and judging looks. The rain had stopped. How he wish for the rain to continue falling. At least, what he once hated oddly brings him a sense of comfort right now since it was like the rain is pouring all the tears he couldn't shed. But it stopped, the rain stopped.

And now he's soaking wet. Water makes its way to the tip of his golden strands, dropping freely onto his trembling palms he's staring at.

"Ash. We should go back."

All Sing's call did is to make Ash grip harder on the torn piece piece of paper.

He didn't move nor did he speak back. Sing let out a sigh, a calm one. He ambles to Ash and is about to land his hand on the boy's shoulder had not Ash slap it away first. It didn't surprise Sing. He saw it coming. Ash is too broken to let anyone, be it a friend or a foe, be near him.

"I'll wait for you at home." Sing pronounces and turns away, his boots splashing on the little pools on the road.

"Home?" Ash croaks out with his wavering voice. He stares at the gloomy sky, openly welcoming the cold droplets. "It wouldn't be one without him." Warm liquid pools at the corner of his eyes and finally, tears race down his face.

"Eiji."

Ash stayed in the same state for the next few hours. He only stopped when he sensed a blood thirsty presence. Once again, he wears his usual self.

"Come on. Don't look at me as if I'm a trash."

The man slips away from the shadows and walks to the glaring Lynx. "You turned me into who I am now, in case you forgot." His lips curved up to a smirk yet his eyes stayed ready to kill a prey.

"Let's not talk here. I suggest we go to a warm place and continue this talk over a cup of hot chocolate. Dinner would be better. What do you say?"

Ash's eyes sharpen as if he believes that looks could kill. His mind is deciphering the situation. His jaws lock and he grits his teeth while thinking of the best possible action he will take.

"Don't be like that." The man exclaims with a laugh. "I know you love that idea. We both love it." He slings his arms around Ash's shoulders and ushers him to go with him. Ash relaxes himself despite his raging suspicions and just goes with the flow, deeming it to be the best option.

The vehicle soon stopped in front of a tall building, a restaurant of many floors. Ash did not mind checking their location and he just goes in and even takes the lead. The two claims their table on the window side. They give out their orders and fall into an awkward silence.

"This is probably the first time we'd have a proper talk."

Ash did not respond but he did not take his eyes off his companion either.

"What is this all about, Ace?"

"I finally get to hear your voice and that is what you say first?" Ace sighs and shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm still glad, I guess. For a moment I thought you were gone for good."

On top of the table, Ash clenched his fists and they grabbed Ace's attention. Smiling smugly, Ace rests back to his seat as if he just succeeded in something.

Their order enters the scene and they start to gracefully dig in.

"I'm sending Eiji back to Japan."

Ash's actions abruptly stopped. He wasn't so sure what to say or how to react. He just knows that he hates the idea but still thinks that it's what is best for Eiji.

"You're silent. I guess you accept my idea, then?"

Ash glances at Ace and then back to his plate.

"He'll surely come back to you. Make him return to me. You can do it however way you want. That way, I'll do nothing but let him return to Japan safe and sound and the soonest time possible."

"And what if I decline?"

Ace locks his eyes with Ash and paints a face that says he already calculated everything. "You know what I'm capable of. The letter I wrote in his place? I can make that comes true. I can make him disappear for good. I hate to hurt him but I'll do it if I have to so listen while I'm being very lenient on you."

Ash's blood boils in sheer anger. He could rip Ace into pieces if he wanted to. But he needs to stay calm. He needs to think rationally, to ensure things go smooth for Eiji and to cast aside his own selfishness aside.

Ace chuckles deeply as soon as he knew Ash had taken the deal. "I'm sorry. It was not the right subject to talk over dinner."

**

Your confused face. Your tears. They keep playing in my head everytime I think of the things I'm about to do to you. I'd rather die than see you like that because of me. But I have no choice. It was my fault to begin with. To lose my place in your heart than lose you in my life is my retribution. We may be apart but it's okay as long as you're breathing.

"Ash!" Ash halts his steps. His body stiffens and he hasn't prepared enough courage to look back, not when this is happening too soon.

Don't come near me. Please, Eiji. Don't. Ash pleads at the back of his mind. I don't want to push you away so---

It was too late. Eiji's arms, his warmth, has now enveloped Ash. The sensation of Eiji's touch was painfully addicting. The boy lit Ash's desire that Ash finds extremely difficult to resist. Ash sinks his teeth into his lower lip to get his act together. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not when observing eyes are glued to them.

"Ash, I'm her---"

Ash's heart beat stops when he finally did what he loathed the most. He turns to face Eiji and he didn't need words to know and understand Eiji's pain. It's unbearabe. The tears that start to fall from Eiji's eyes, Ash wanted to wipe them away. Those trembling blue lips, he wanted to calm those. Eiji's shaking body, he badly wanted to embrace it. But his pathetic self couldn't do it.

Fuck. Eiji, what do I do? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Ash had to scrape all courage and will he had left to make his feet move a step away. How he wanted to wake up from this nightmare. How he wanted to just drift into sleep and never wake again.

**

"You did better than I expected." A deep mocking chuckle resonates in the empty room. Ash badly wants to wipe that dirty smile on Ace's face but then again he can't cross the line. He calms his raging blood and properly faces the direction of the laugh.

"Drop the act and don't act like you're fine. Come on and show me misery, Ash. I knew that for a moment, you thought that Eiji really left you. But you believed in him. You knew he couldn't do such heartless thing and knew instantly that I was the one behind all of it." Stepping closer with both his hands tucked in his pockets, Ace leans closer so he could whisper.

"But did he do the same to you? When I saw him, he looked like he really believed you when you turned your back and walked away. He doesn't completely trust you, to put it simply. To him, you can be that heartles kind of person. But I guess what he thinks of you doesn't mattter, as long as he's safe you're fine with that."

Ace skips back with a grinning face. Ash clenches his jaws and watch the other disappear from his sight. When he was finally left alone, heaven falls on him, crushing everything he has. Sheer coldness sips into his very core and he's trembling as he has never before. He couldn't put into words all his pain and all that spills from his blue lips are screams of frustration.