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“You need to run at a certain speed and use enough force to create momentum that will carry you over the bar,” Eiji explains, his right hand arcing in the air animatedly.
His eyes are like molten caramel, glimmering whenever the sunlight hits them just right. Ash can’t bring himself to look away.
“When you reach the peak of your jump, it's like time stops...then it’s just you and the sky.”
“Sounds like an escape,” Ash observes quietly after a while, taking a sip of lukewarm coffee from his mug.
He watches as Eiji scratches the tip of his nose with a finger. A nervous quirk that Ash has become quite fond of.
“You’re right,” Eiji admits, glancing at Ash with playful eyes but his smile is subdued.
Ash places his mug on the table and leans back, closing his eyes to draw up the image of Eiji mid-air.
“When I saw you jump, you took my breath away.”
He hears Eiji’s laugh at that. It’s a shy sound. He can imagine what his expression might look like. Eyes crinkling, smile small but genuine, and the tips of his ears turning the slightest shade of red.
“You said that to me before.”
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Ash squints open his right eye and tilts his head to the side. His hair shifts to cover his face but he can still see Eiji through the strands, sees him staring.
“What is it?” Ash asks.
Eiji blinks in surprise.
“Um…” Eiji brings up a hand to cover his mouth and coughs unconvincingly. “I just...was...” He waves his hand around, flustered. “You.”
“Me?” Ash repeats, lips curling into a smile. He lowers his voice and murmurs playfully, “What about me?”
“Don’t do that,” Eiji pouts, ears flushing, eyes narrowed.
“Do what?”
“You know what.”
Ash grins to the side and nods.
“Sorry sorry, your reactions are cute so-”
They both freeze at that admission.
Eiji stands up suddenly.
“I’m not cute.”
Ash nods slowly and raises his hands in a placating manner, like trying to soothe a spooked wild animal, but Eiji still backs away from him. His slightly flushed face is adorable.
"Eiji-"
“You're the cute one!”
Before Ash can say anything else, Eiji makes his escape to the bathroom, swings the door open and slips inside, but before he slams the door, he pops his head out and says indignantly, "And I'm older than you!"
The rest of the gang in the living room are trying their best not to breathe, probably out of respect for Ash or perhaps they are in awe of Eiji.
In any case, what a mess.
Ash sighs and stands up, cracks his neck slowly to relieve some tension in his shoulders.
“I’m heading to the library,” he announces to the gang. “Order pizza or something.”
As he heads out the door he overhears Alex whisper the question Ash asks himself from time to time.
“They were flirting, right?”