Chapter Text
“Ehh, you were stabbed?!” Eiji gaped when Ash told him what had happened the day of his flight back to Japan. “And you didn’t get it treated right away?!”
Rubbing the back of his head, Ash laughed awkwardly.
With a pinch of the bridge of his nose, Eiji muttered. “How did you even survive?”
“I won’t deny that a part of me was ready to die,” Ash confessed, looking away in slight guilt. “But I guess I also wanted to see you, one last time.”
Whether Ash survives or not is down to his own willpower – his own desire to live.
A vague memory flashed in Eiji’s mind. He remembered those words from somewhere but he wasn’t sure where exactly. But whatever it was, it saved Ash’s life and Eiji couldn’t be more thankful.
“This won’t be ‘one last time’,” Eiji corrected. “Now that you’re here, I want you to stay.”
Ash looked up at Eiji. His jade eyes flashed with something hopeful and Eiji couldn’t help but reach out and take Ash’s hand into his own. Running his thumb over the other’s knuckles, he smiled softly.
Lost in each other’s gaze, Ash spoke in an honest voice. “Please let me stay by your side, Eiji.”
Whether Ibe was annoyed by their flirting or wanted to give them some privacy, he ushered them into the bathroom for them to clean up. Having two near to fully grown young men share a small bath was quite a tight fit, resulting in a lot of wrestling and overflowing water. After laughing and playing like children, Ash and Eiji relaxed in the hot water, continuing their conversation where Ash told him that he went to Izumo.
“What?” Eiji was surprised. “You’ve already been?”
“Yeah,” Ash replied, leaning against the edge of the bath tub. “I was deciding what to do when I came to Japan and I came across Izumo in one of the travel books and it kind of, called for me.”
“Ah, I had a few of those moments when I couldn’t remember you.” But just as Eiji said that, he remembered how he nearly sniffed the bed sheets Ash slept on the previous day. His face heated up instantly and he hid behind his hands.
“Huh? Eiji, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing…!”
Pulling his fingers away one by one, Ash peeked around Eiji’s hands to look at his face. Jade eyes looked mischievous and Eiji prepared himself for some teasing.
“Eh, what’s this? Why is Onii-chan so embarrassed right now?” Ash smirked, feigning innocence.
“I said it was nothing!” Eiji complained, throwing a handful of water at Ash.
“Hey!”
In that moment where water splashed against Ash’s face, droplets forming on his skin and trailing down to his chin, Eiji felt an urge to reach out. Even before Ash recovered from the surprise attack, Eiji cupped his cheeks with gentleness. Jade eyes widened as he closed the distance between them.
It was Eiji’s first time initiating a kiss and after doing so, he was certain he would do it more often. The kiss itself was nice but what Eiji enjoyed the most was Ash’s reaction. His dumbfounded expression, followed by flushing a deep red from his cheeks to his ears, was beyond priceless. And Eiji thought that was something he could exploit.
Bathing until their fingers began to look a bit like prunes, Ash and Eiji got out. However, before they were even fully dressed, they were startled by a shout from the main room.
“Uwaaaah!”
Rushing to the door, they both poked their heads around the doorframe.
“Ibe-san?” Eiji called just as said man turned the corner and ran towards them.
Both Eiji and Ash jumped back in surprise as Ibe ran up to them. Slightly short of breath, he held up two photographs, one in each hand.
“Look!”
Dark eyes widened upon seeing the photos.
The first one was of that time Eiji was standing by the river during a sunset, looking out at the city with his back turned to the camera. The last time he looked at it, he was definitely alone in the photo. This one, however, the photo in Ibe’s hand, Eiji wasn’t alone. Beside him, there was another person, blond and slender, whose back was also turned to the camera. It was Ash. He was standing right beside him, so close that their shoulders were touching. They looked out to the city together, basking in the colours of the sunset. Eiji wasn’t alone.
Then the second one Eiji remembered was just a scenic photo of an open window. But the one in Ibe’s other hand, half the scenery outside the window was blocked by a figure. His posture was elegant and beautiful, his expression showed calm thinking, and jade eyes looked both soft and dangerous. It took Eiji’s breath away and for some reason, he felt like crying.
“What am I supposed to be looking at?” Ash bluntly asked from beside him, seemingly confused as to why Ibe was making a big deal out of it.
Unable to help himself, Eiji laugh. The tears he nearly shed disappeared with a blink and he couldn’t help but smile.
“What?” Ash became even more confused.
“You weren’t in these photos before.” Eiji explained. “In this one, I was alone. And this one was just of an open window.”
“What, really?” Ash asked in surprise, looking between Eiji and Ibe.
They both nodded and Ash let out a breath in disbelief.
“How did that even happen?”
Even though he asked the question everyone was asking themselves, they didn’t dwell on it because they figured they wouldn’t get an answer no matter how hard they tried. The important thing was that they were reunited again and everything returned to where they were supposed to be.
Both seeming to be unable to let the other go, Ash and Eiji shared the bed in the guestroom. Their limbs were tangled with each other’s and they continued to chat with a few lazy kisses in between.
“You’ll have to teach me more Japanese from now on,” Ash said into the other’s chest. “I couldn’t even read the menu at the ramen place yesterday.”
“It won’t take you too long,” Eiji reassured. “You’re a fast learner. Plus, you’re surrounded by the language so it’s good immersion.”
“Just teach me the word for natto and I’ll be sure to avoid it.” Ash muttered.
Eiji couldn’t help but snicker. “Don’t tell me you insulted natto in front of that gang and they were offended by it.”
“You think I’d get into a fight because of some sticky beans?” Ash scowled up at Eiji who couldn’t help but laugh more.
“Right right,” Eiji dismissed. “Do you want me to teach you the word for pumpkin as well?”
“Eiji…!” Ash threatened, burying his face back into Eiji’s chest and squeezing the other tightly.
“A-Ash! Okay okay, sorry,” Eiji surrendered, tapping Ash’s arm several time for him to loosen his hold before Eiji got hugged to death.
They relaxed into each other again, both relishing in the warms of the other’s body and their individual scent.
Just as they were drifting off, Eiji whispered something into soft blond hair. It was something he had forgot to say earlier that day. He wasn’t even sure if the other was still awake to hear it but Eiji decided to say it anyway.
“Welcome to Japan, Ash.”
Surrounded by a white background, a man dressed in white watched over the two young men sleeping soundly together. A proud smile stretched over his face as a light breeze threaded through his bright purple mohawk. With a reach of his hand under his sunglasses, he wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye as he said,
“I knew you could do it.”
In just a month of making the deal, fate actually led them back other. In a world of 7.5 billion people, these two individuals successfully met again when they had no memories of each other and barely any clues in their surroundings. The only thing they had were their feelings deep within their hearts that not even the Lord could erase.