Worth It {Ash x Eiji}

Delusional

{ Slight violence warning!}

It had taken a lot of convincing on Eiji's part to even go back to school two days later. Ibe was completely distraught about him being in New York City after he'd managed to get himself kidnapped. It only made matters worse that Ibe couldn't pick him up that day, being that he had to get some things done at the photography studio he worked for. It was only temporary employment, but still, it was important. And he didn't trust a cab to take Eiji, and it was too late in the year for him to register for a bus route that semester. Plus, even if he gave Eiji money for the bus everyday, he would've had to walk to the bus stop anyways.

Eiji had told him he was getting walked home by Ash and the others. As crazy as it seemed, Ibe trusted the gang to get him home after what the police had told him. Eiji had even told him how Ash had saved his life, and that had been enough. Ash also insisted upon it, so it was going to happen no matter what anyone else said.

Shorter and Skip were up in the bleachers surrounding the track, along with some of Ash's other guys like Alex, Kong, and Bones. Ash was with them as well, but on the track and watching Eiji with his pole. They had to wait for him to be done practicing before they could go, after all.

" Woah! He can fly!" Kong exclaimed in his very deep voice, Bones nodding from beside him.

Eiji landed on the mats and smiled, sitting up and wiping some sweat from his forehead. He realized Ash was looking at him, and for whatever reason, that made him want to do better and look a certain way. It was all he could do to push the thoughts away and focus on his technique with those green eyes on him. Never had he ever had a friend who made him feel the way Ash did.

" You almost done, Eiji?" Ash asked him. It wasn't like he wanted him to stop or anything. He actually enjoyed watching Eiji fly just as much as the next person, if not more. However... with it being fall... the hours of daylight were becoming even lesser every day. They had to be careful to not be out after dark if they were walking Eiji home, or at least that's what Ash thought. He was always on the lookout for ways to be safer if at all possible, and he knew the type of scum at came out at night.

" Yeah." Eiji replied. " I just have to go and change and put my pole away..."

Ash nodded.

" You guys stay here. I'll take him back." He told his guys.

" Yes, Boss."

Eiji blushed to himself lightly and looked to the side.

" I can always go by myself, too. I don't want to inconvenience you..." He said.

" You don't inconvenience me." Ash turned to him, and there was something in his tone that Eiji saw as the undeniable truth. And so they walked down from the track together, the Japanese male lugging the pole along with him.

" I know I wasn't supposed to find out about this stuff... but is there anything else I should know?" Eiji asked as they made it to the side of the school building. Ash thought for a moment. He was confident that Eiji wouldn't go spilling information to people, but still... he didn't want to say anything the other didn't need to know. It was only the information that would help keep him alert and safe that Ash was concerned about.

" Well... these bad people... they have people stationed inside of this school. Now that they know you're close with me... you are a target of theirs, so you always need to be careful. Never go anywhere yourself on these grounds before or after school hours. Always tell one of us. It sounds juvenile, I know, but the buddy system is what saves half of my guys."

Eiji thought back to the note in his locker, then when Ash had come to lunch with a bloody nose, and why he kept a knife on him at all times.

" They hurt you that day..." Eiji said, and they stopped before the door.