AfterMath (Ash x Eiji - Banana Fish Ending a.u)

3.

Eiji squeezer Ash's hand, "I'll stay by your side for as long as you'll let me."

Ash smiled, "I'll let you stay by my side for as long as you want to stay."

"And if I want to stay for forever?" Eiji asked, still squeezing Ash's hand.

"Forever is a long time you know?"
- "I know."
"Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your forever with me?"
- "And any forever after that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
- "It means in my next life, I want to spend it with you all over again."
"You're so weird." Ash chuckled.

Eiji still held onto Ash's hand, he never realized how rough they actually felt compared to his smooth hands. When Eiji really looked at it, Ash was just a normal boy who had gone through a lot more than life should've handed to him — he wondered how different Ash's life would be if nothing bad had ever happened. Would he be happier? Would life be less painful for him? Would he live life without feeling like the world is against him?

"What're you thinking about?" Ash asked, his eyes fixated on Eiji's small frown. "Do you feel like life would be better if nothing bad had ever happened to you?"

Ash frowns, "What's up with the question?"

"I just feel like life has been so cruel to you." Eiji let out a soft sigh, "You don't deserve any of the bullshit you went through."

Ash let out an airy laugh, "No one deserves to go through shit like this, but in a world where people don't go through shit — what is the point of existing? Everything I went through made me stronger. Hell, I'm alive now aren't I? But I think, more importantly, everything I went through led me straight to you. And if changing any single that happened to me would not lead me to you, then I would take the hell I went through over and over again if I knew it meant that I'd find you at the end." Ash shot Eiji a weak smile, "Besides, there's no point in dwelling in the past, it's all over and done with. It happened, you can't change anything now, can you?"

Eiji nodded.

Ash pushed himself back up, patting his lap and motioning for Eiji to lay his head on it.

"I think...." Ash started, he played with Eiji's dark hair, Eiji slowly closing his eyes. "I think before I met you, life didn't matter — whether I lived or died, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I kept clinging on to the idea that life itself was meaningless. There was a lot of pain I kept holding on to, and it seemed as much as I ran — I could never escape it. And then I met you, and despite all the pain and anger — you were always there, smiling." He kept brushing his hand through his hair, taking deep short breaths as he spoke. "I don't think that I've ever met anyone quite like you. It irritated me at first, not gonna lie — but, even coming from such a different background, you never judged me once. In fact, you're the only person in this world to ever do anything for me and never ask for anything in return. I kept waiting. Waiting for the day you would ask me to pay up for having done so much for me. But all you would ever ask for is to sit down and eat with me, or to talk for a bit, or go somewhere. It made me realize not everyone in this world is out to get me, that not every corner of the world is dark and ugly, but more importantly— that despite all my flaws and terrible things I have done, I am somewhat loveable and I am capable of loving. And that's enough for me." He let out a sigh, collecting his thoughts before speaking once more. "It took me quite a while to catch on, it was a feeling that lingered around since the day I saw you fly. I kept wondering what it was? It wasn't until the day I held a gun to my head and was ready to shoot myself in order to keep you out of harm's way that I realized — I am, in fact, in love with you Eiji. Somewhere along the lines of all this crazy mess, I got tangled up with you, and my answer is yes."

"Yes to what?" Eiji asked, he held his breath as he waited for Ash's response.

"I want to go to Japan with you, Eiji. I want to see the world the way you see it. I want to see the cherry blossoms and try more japanese food and see where you grew up in. I want a life with no gang affiliations and no guns. I want a life with you."

"Were you on your way to the airport?" Eiji asked.

"I was."
- "I was a little hurt you didn't show up."
"I wanted to."
- "I know."
"Do you?"
- "No. But I knew we would meet again."

Ash let out a soft laugh, his soft giggles filling the air.

"Let's go to Japan after you get better then." Eiji continued to lay on Ash'a lap.

"I thought you were going to ask me a different question, what a pity." Ash pouted.

Eiji jolted up, glaring at the blond. "Ash Lynx, will you marry me then?"

Ash bursted out laughing, "You take everything I say so seriously." He spat out between bursts of laughter.

Eiji cocked his head to the side, "Is it not what you wanted me to ask you?"

The laughter stopped.

"Is this how the japanese propose then? We haven't even properly dated." Ash leaned just head over towards Eiji, pressing their foreheads against one another — lips only a few centimeters apart. "Well date me then?" Eiji met Ash's eyes, unlike the usual sad tension they hold — they seemed rather shimmery and excited. "And if I say no?" Ash smirked. "I'll keep asking" Eiji shot back, he cupped Ash's face in between his hands, asking once more: "Be my boyfriend, and then go to Japan with me, and then marry me, and let me be the one to protect you for a change. I love you, and I was terrified of saying it before but it feels right in this very moment which is why I am asking you."

Ash leaned in closer, his lips brushing against Eiji's. "You're so cute when you're bold." He whispered before pressing a soft kiss on the elder's lips.

"Is that a yes?" Eiji asked, pulling away from the kiss — faces still close to one another.

Ash nodded, "I love you too, by the way — but you didn't hear it from me."

Eiji rolled his eyes, releasing Ash's face. "By the way, Bones said the gang misses you."

Ash laughed, returning back to his original position. "They'll be fine without me, they don't need me anymore.... But are they going to hate you for taking me away."

Eiji lightly smacked Ash's thigh, "Hey, you're the one agreeing to go to Japan with me. If you were to ask to stay here in New York, I would."

"Would you?" Ash looked over at Eiji.

"Yeah, I would. I wouldn't like it much, but if that's what you wanted..."
- "I want to go to Japan with you, Eiji."
"I'm glad."
- "I know."

"In the mean time, I'm here to take care of you until you're ready for discharge." Eiji let out a yawn. "More like I'm taking care of you, you're tired aren't you?" Ash raises an eyebrow. "You're the one in the hospital bed." Eiji let out another yawn. "Go back to my place and get some rest." Ash gave Eiji a warm smile, "I'll be okay."

Eiji shook his head, letting out a third yawn. "I'm not leaving your side till discharge."

"What if you get stinky and smell so bad I don't want you around?" Ash laughed.
"You'll survive." Eiji rolled his eyes, "I'm staying here till the very end, Ash Lynx, now and always."

"That was so cheesy." Ash turned away as a blush swept his pale skin.
"It's true." Eiji tilted his head, observing Ash's flustered state.
"I know, that's what makes it all the more embarrassing you dork." Ash's face was red now.

"You'll get used to it."
- "No I won't."
"Sucks to suck."
- "Shut up."
"Make me."
- "Hey! Don't be a perv! I'm in the hospital bed as of right now! Weirdo!" Ash shot Eiji a glare.

It was going to be a long hospital stay.