Summer stroll (ASH x EIJI fluff)

~Part 3

Ash placed a palm on the nape of his porcelain neck, a disgruntled look slowly appearing on his face. He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not bossy, you're just hard to manage..." Ash mumbled incoherently. Eiji lapped at his ice cream cone eagerly, for it had seemed that he didn't hear what Ash had said or he was just ignoring him.

Eiji licked the sticky cream off of his thumb and then jerked his head towards a record store down the road. "I wanna see if they have anything by Miki Matsubara...could we go in?" He petitioned while rocking himself on his heels.

Ash knit his brows, upset at first that Eiji didn't hear him but then relaxed and smiled. "Yeah sure, let's go"

Eiji grinned gleefully and spun in a 180° so that he was now facing towards the store, which was quite meager in size and had a small green sign reading "Westsider Records."

Quaint as it was, Ash looked at it longingly as he recollected on fond memories of his otherwise tortuous childhood. When he was around 14, he would spend hours listening to new records that would come in or some of the used comics. He exhaled loudly, attempting to wake himself from his thoughts when Eiji grabbed at his hand. He jumped slightly, the sudden touch scaring him. He retracted his hand back but then slowly out stretched it towards the other.

"I-I'm sorry..." Ash ran his fingers through his hair as Eiji's smiled faded.

"No no, i'm sorry, i should have asked." Eiji frowned and itched his head awkwardly. Ash let a smile flicker across his face and cleared his throat.

"Uhm, it closes at 6pm I think so we should probably..y'know..." The blonde boy used the toe of his shoe to itch his calf and then jogged toward the store.

Eiji stood in place momentarily, still trying to process the situation. Although they had been living together for half a year, Ash still jumped whenever someone slammed a door. He couldn't blame him for it, in fact, he usually blamed himself for not adapting quick enough for him.

"Wait for me!! Hey, Ash!!" He called out as his partner began to pick up his pace.

Ash turned his head momentarily, catching a glimpse of Eiji's sullen face. "C'mon, is pouting a Japanese thing or what? Let's go, slowpoke."

Eiji breathed sharply out of his nose and then turned it upward. "Is being histrionic an American thing or what?" He jokingly retorted.

Ash gasped dramatically and slapped his hand against his heart. "You wound me..." he groaned as Eiji caught up with him. "Now, what was it you were looking for?" He questioned the other as they reached the door of the rustic store.

"Miki Matsubara? She's an awesome city pop singer and I wanted to add a record of hers to my collection." He rambled as the bell connected to the front door chimed as he entered.

An elderly woman behind the counter raised her head from a leather bound book, her pearl eyeglass chains jangling quietly. "Oh, Ash!!" She chirped, folding the corner of her page to mark where she left off as she closed the book. "I haven't seen you in ages, darling!! How are you holding up? Were you able to ask out that boy you told me about?" Her eyes crinkled as she smiled.

Eiji had tuned out their conversation as he looked around the store in awe. He had only ever seen these types of indie stores in movies and being in one made him feel famous, even though they were pretty common in America, especially NYC.

Ash turned bright red and his mouth hung open. The woman let her eyes drift towards the shorter boy next to Ash and a wave of bewilderment and embarrassment crashed over her as she covered her mouth. "Oh...OH..I see..." She giggled. Ash rolled his eyes and tapped Eiji's shoulder.

"Eiji, this is Mrs.Dumas. She has been the owner of this store for years so she can help you find whatever you want." Ash looked at his watch, the platinum hands reading 4:43. "I'll be in the back of the store where the record players are if you need me, ok?"

Eiji nodded and turned away from the other so he could talk to Mrs.Dumas. "Uhm, do you carry anything of Miki Matsubara's?" He asked the woman.

Ash started to walk towards the back of the store, the other two's conversation slowly began to be drowned out as Wanda Jackson's funnel of love began to play overhead. Ash whipped his head around to see Mrs.Dumas grinning at him mischievously. "Tch...what a crazy hag.." he whispered thoughtfully.