Archive of Our Own ^beta

Neither Eiji nor Ash expected to see Ibe so soon after settling into life in Japan. Occasional nightmares and typical bouts of anxiety aside, Ash adjusted well to normal, everyday life in Izumo and everything about their lives in New York seemed so far away, Ibe included.

Autumn was fast approaching, bringing with it chilly weather, changing scenery, and a sense of nostalgia.

Eiji always thought autumn in New York was beautiful. But this year, he looked forward to being able to spend it happily with Ash, not always looking over their shoulder, hidden away in a decrepit building somewhere. So when Ibe suddenly reached out to him, informing him if his impromptu arrival with his niece in Izumo for some photoshoot, he wasn't sure what to say and, when he looked to Ash, his only response was a blank stare and a shrug.

Eiji was close to telling Ibe they would catch up with him next time; the sound of their old friend's name seemed to cause a sudden spiral downward of Ash's spirit. It was a subtle change, one that Ash very clearly was trying to hide, just a slight difference in the bend of his frown, in the carriage of his shoulders.

But Eiji noticed.

He always noticed changes with Ash.

He was going to call and try to reschedule somehow until a stern lecture from his parents convinced him otherwise. So Eiji agreed and planned to take the family car into the city center to pick up Ibe from the hotel he booked.

“Do you want to come with me?” Eiji asked Ash, the night before he would fetch Ibe. He was tracing lazy patterns over the soft skin of Ash’s belly and smoothing over the goosebumps that rippled from the touch. “We can leave early, drive slowly… make a day of it.”

Ash shook his head, not looking away from his book. It was an American classic, one Eiji suspected he must've already read at some point, knowing him. “No. You go on without me.” He flipped the page. “I’ll still be here when you get back.”

So the next morning after breakfast, Eiji left to pick up Ibe. Ash followed him closely throughout the house as he prepared for the short drive, all the while pretending like he wasn't.

“You can still come, if you want to,” Eiji told him quietly, pecking his lips in the privacy of their bedroom, away from his well-meaning parents and nosy sister. They sat side-by-side on the edge of the bed, Ash's hand firmly in Eiji's.

He didn't let go, even when Eiji stood. “Ash…. Just come with me. Okay?”

Ash shook his head before placing it on Eiji's stomach, arms loose around his waist.

“Be safe,” he said into the worn-out cotton of his t-shirt.

Not too long after, Eiji went downstairs alone. He said his goodbyes to his parents, promising to call once he safely picked them up and they were on their way back.

Hanako followed him to the door and said, “Don't worry, I'll take care of your boyfriend. ” She grinned slyly up at him.

Eiji blushed despite himself. He didn't have a rebuttal -- he didn't have the heart to deny his relationship with Ash, even if they weren't exactly open about it yet. He just swallowed his nerves and thanked her instead.

Her grin widened.

The drive to the hotel was painfully quiet. Eiji momentarily debated whether or not he should call Ash just so he could talk to him and hear his voice for a little while, but decided against it. If Ash didn't want to go with him, he didn't want to risk stressing him out over a phone call just to alleviate the silence.

The hotel Ibe told him was easy to find, just off the main roads, and they were waiting in the lobby when he pulled up.

He got out of the car to greet them, receiving a excited headbutt from Akira as she excitedly went in for a hug.

“G-good to see you again, Akira,” he said, recovering from the surprise and returning her hug. “You've grown up a lot.”

“You were gone in the States for a while!” She partially released him, pulling back  just far enough so that she could look up at him. “I'm almost seven now!”

“I see!” It almost hadn't occurred to him how much he had missed while he was in the States. “I'm sorry I missed your birthday.”

“That's okay.” She shrugged nonchalantly, finally letting him out of the hug. “You'll just have to come to the next one.”

“Of course,” he told her. “I can't wait.”

“Good to see you again, Eiji,” Ibe said as soon as there was an opening to without needing to speak above Akira to be heard. He glanced toward the car almost expectantly, then back at Eiji. “Did you come alone?”

Eiji nodded, pursing his lips. He wondered how he was doing, if he left their room yet. “Yeah, Ash wasn't feeling up to it. He's home with Hanako and my parents.”

“Ah.” Ibe frowned. He suddenly looked sheepish, running  his hand over the back of his neck. “Sorry if this is upsetting him, I honestly didn't plan for it.”

“No, no, its fine.” Eiji waved him off, doing his best to sound as reassuring as he could. “He's just a little under the weather.”

“Eiji.” Akira tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. When he looked toward her, she asked, “Who’s Ash?”

Eiji thought about his answer for a minute and told her, “Ash is my best friend. He's at my house. Do you want to meet him?”

Her face lit up as if he had offered her a gift. “Okay!”

“Okay, let's go to my house.”

The drive home was certainly less quite than the drive to the hotel. Akira and Ibe battled for Eiji's attention the entire way -- Ibe trying to catch up with him and Akira telling riveting stories from school -- assuring that there was hardly a moment of silence.

Eiji parked the car in the street in front of his house and opened the door for Akira to climb out.

Inside, everything was much how it was when he left, except Ash was downstairs -- a sight he was glad to see -- and sitting at one of the low tables with Hanako across from him and their mother next to him. Each had a mug of tea and a rather large book was open on the table in front of them.

“Oh, Eiji, welcome back!” his mother greeted, smiling at him. She didn't get up, but gestured to her son and their guests to come further into the house. “How was the drive?”

“It was fine,” he told her flatly. “What are you guys looking at?”

“Our old childhood photo album,” Hanako answered before their mother could, a mischievous grin spread over her lips.

Eiji felt his face flare up but chose not to comment. Instead, he introduced Akira to his parents and Ash, and left to fetch their guests some water. When he came back, the book was closed but still nearby and Ibe and Akira were seated around the table. He placed the glasses in front of them and squeezed himself next to Ash at the corner.

Under the table, Ash reached for his hand.  

They talked for a while, Ibe trying to catch up with Ash despite his curt answers and the rest making small talk over a re-opened photo album until it came time to start preparing lunch.

Eiji's mother excused herself first, instructing Hanako to go to the market to grab some last-minute ingredients. Ibe stood as she prepared to leave, announcing that he was going to see if Eiji’s mother needed any help in the kitchen.

Eiji stayed with Ash and Akira in the living room until his mother called for him too. With a squeeze of his hand under the table, he got up.

When he disappeared into the kitchen, Akira tapped Ash’s arm. When he glanced at her, she all but climbed atop him to ask in a theatrical stage whisper, “Can I tell you a secret?”

He blinked at her, looking surprised she spoke to him at all. “Sure.”

She sternly stared up at him and jabbed him with a chubby finger for emphasis. “You can't tell anyone. You promise?”

“Ah, sure,” he shrugged. “Promise.”

She beamed at him and leaned in to him again to whisper, “When I grow up, I’m gonna marry Eiji.”

Ash choked on his surprise at first, then chuckled despite himself. “Oh, really?”

Akira nodded. “Eiji is so nice.” She at straight again, moving out of Ash's personal space and flipped a page in the photo album, to yet another page of baby Eiji and Hanako playing in the grass somewhere. “He plays with me at Uncle Ibe’s stuffy galleries.”

“That is nice.”

“Yeah. Then they went to New York for a long time and I didn't get to see them.” There was a small pause, then, “I missed them.”

Ash deflated. “Oh.”

“But it’s okay.” Akira turned so she could beamed a smile up at him. “And you’re here too now. You’re nice, too.”

“Am I?”

“Yeah! And, you’re friends with Eiji. That means we can be friends too.” She reached out and touched his leg, gripping the fabric of his pants in excitement. Her eyes glittered when his gaze met hers again. “Will you come to Uncle Ibe’s galleries next time?”

Surprise got the better of him, but he was still able to stutter a quick response: “Oh, uh… sure.”

Akira clapped her hands together once and let out a joyful laugh. “Great! Then you, me, and Eiji can play together!”

“Yeah,” he agreed, at a loss for anything else to say. He glanced at the kitchen, futilly hoping that either Eiji or Ibe would come through the door. “It sounds fun.”

She nodded her head earnestly, her shirt black hair bouncing with the movement. “A lot of boring people come to those things, but you guys aren’t boring.”

Ash wasn't sure how to reply, so he just thanked her. A response that elicited a giggled from her. “You're funny, Ash.”

“I am?”

“Yeah. There are a lot of pictures of Eiji in here,” she pointed out simply, turning another page in the photo album. She sighed dramatically, then turned to Ash and announced, “I want to see your picture too. Do you have one?”

Taken aback by her question, Ash could only sputter. “I… I don't.”

Displeased by the answer she got, Akira  frowned. “Why not? Didn't your parents took photos of you like Eiji's did? Like, on a phone?”

“Akira,” Eiji called, standing in the doorway. Ash wondered how long he had been standing there, how much he heard. But he was grateful for his sudden appearance in the room again. “Can I borrow Ash? Why don't you come here and help your uncle for a minute?”

Akira scrambled to her feet. “Okay!” she chirped, then turned to Ash and shushed him, saying, “Remember, it's a secret. ”

When she was around the corner, Eiji sighed. He made his way to the table and sat down next to Ash. “This is a lot,” he said. “There's time before lunch is ready. If you want to take a break…”

Ash shook his head. “I'm okay.”

Eiji looked at him skeptically, the look making a small laugh bubble up from his chest. “Seriously, I'm... I'm okay. Its okay. I…” he sighed, “may sleep for the next five days after this, but I'm fine.”

Glancing at the door, pleased to see no kbe there, he turned back to Ash and kissed his cheek. “Okay. If you want to take a break, just…”

Ash smiled at him. “I'll let you know.”

“You have a secret admirer,” Ash said, crawling into bed that night. Eiji held his arms out for him and he crawled into them, curling a leg over Eiji’s knees when he was settled comfortably at his side.

He squirmed a little, just to see if he could get Eiji to laugh and was pleased when he succeeded.

He swat at him and Ash stopped. Eiji pulled the blankets up over them then, tucking it securely around their waists.

“Yeah?”

Ash hummed, snuggling up against his side. “Seems like you’ve been spoken for already, shame on you for leading me on all this time.”

Eiji laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“How shameful….” Ash mock gasped, playfully slapping Eiji’s chest. “Apparently, Akira is going to marry you.”

Eiji laughed again, in surprise. “Oh… is that so?”

“Mmm. She says you're nice .” Ash glanced up at Eiji through long, golden eyelashes. “Guess I’m too late, huh.”

Eiji shrugged the shoulder Ash wasn’t leaning on and hummed thoughtfully. He dragged his fingers through Ash’s slightly overgrown mop of hair, easing out knots and tangles when his fingers caught. “Who knows? Maybe you still have a chance.”

“Yeah? And what do you think I should do to get that chance, huh?” Ash contemplated it for a moment before turning his head to get a good look at his face, suggesting, “Marry you first?”

Eiji choked on his surprise.

Ash shifted, tucking his legs underneath him and sitting so he was no longer leaning on Eiji’s side. “I could do that, you know. Just….whisk you away. Buy you a nice house, somewhere quiet, somewhere you can take a lot of photos with that camera you’ve been eyeing. I can do that. Kiss you when you want a kiss, hold your hand when we go out.”

“D-do you mean that?” Eiji stuttered. His face warmed, quickly turning red under Ash's intense stare. “You want to get married?”

Suddenly serious, he assured him, “Only if you want to, too. Or.…” He looked away, like the thought that Eiji might reject the idea was unbearable. “I'm happy like this, too. If you don't want to.”

Eiji surged forward, pressing a firm kiss to Ash's frown. It lasted only a minute before Eiji pulled back like he had been struck. “I-I'm sorry I--”

Ash kissed him again, cutting off the apology before it went any further.

“... I'd like that,” Eiji said quietly, when they seperated. He rested his forehead against Ash's. “I'd like to marry you. Buy a house with you. Go out together and hold hands with you, I'd like to do all of it.”

“You mean it?” Ash asked, eyes going wide when they met Eiji's again. “You don't have to, just cuz I said it. I’m serious, staying like this is okay too. As long as I can be with you, I…”

Eiji grabbed one of Ash’s hands, winding their fingers together. “No, I want to. More than anything.”

“Really?” Ash all but gasped. His eyes glittered with happiness but dimmed when he asked, “But...your parents. Wouldn't they rather you marry a girl?”

Eiji scoffed. He pressed the back of Ash’s hand against his chest, over his heart. “My parents love you.”

“Yeah, but…”

“No 'but's.” He squeezed Ash’s fingers. “Besides, they would want me to be happy. You , Ash Lynx, make me happy.”

Ash buried his face in Eiji’s shoulder, hiding the blush he felt creep up his neck and over his cheeks and mumbled into the skin there, “You make me happy too.”

“I’m glad.” Eiji ran his hands up and down Ash’s back.

After a long pause, Ash broke the comfortable silence that filled their room and asked, his voice small and still unsure, “Are we getting married?”

“I…” Eiji swallowed. He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. He tightened his hold on Ash, his boyfriend -- his fianc é -- “I think so.”

“Good,” Ash said, smiling into Eiji’s shoulder. “I’d like to marry you.”

“Good, because I’d like to marry you too.”

“Eiji?” Ash glanced up at him, hardly moving in the embrace. “Can you kiss me?”

Eiji smiled at him. “Of course,” he hummed. He let go of Ash to curl both palms over his rosy cheeks. He sweetly pecked his lips a few times before kissing them in earnest.

When they separated after a long moment for a breath, Ash asked, “Do Japanese couples take each other’s names?”

He doesn't open his eyes, so Eiji kissed him again, lips dragging over his as he answered breathlessly, “Yeah.” He paused, licking his lips. “But we don’t have to do that.”

Without stopping to think about it, Ash told him, “I want to.”

Eiji blinked. “Yeah?”

Ash kissed him again; hand curled around the back of his neck, as he kitten-licked at his lips. “Hmm. Aslan Okumura .” He grinned at him. “Has a bit of a ring to it, don’t cha think?”

“I think…” Eiji paused. The name rattled about in his mind for a moment before settling in a fond spot in his heart. “I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”