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Ash yawned, stretching his arms as he strolled into the kitchen. “Morning, ossan. I’ll take my usual milk, thanks.” He rubbed his eyes. “And before you say anything – I was going to come back earlier, but Sing called in last minute – said he needed to study for tomorrow and couldn’t make his shift, so Nadia had me stay longer and—” He froze, a hand halfway running through his hair.
In their tiny kitchen, with mixing bowls and measuring spoons piling from the sink, was a sleeping Eiji.
Ash blinked, lips parted in surprise, then quickly widened mischievously. Ha! Looks like even the elderly sleeps in sometimes!
Eiji was snoring quietly against the counter; the gentle rise and fall of his breathing filling their apartment with a sense of peace. There was a splotch of blue frosting on his nose and remnants of flour dusting his hair, and next to his elbow, basking proudly in the morning sun, was a beautiful—
Oh.
Ash crept forward. The cake was frosted in simple white and topped with sprinkles. On one side stood a small fondant book, the words Islands in the Stream frosted on its green cover. Blue lettering danced across the rest of the cake, the message smiling up at him in Eiji’s soft voice,
Dear Ash,
Thank You For Being Born
So We Could Meet :)
His heart clenched – Eiji really did remember. But then again, Eiji remembers everything, even something as unusual as hating one’s own birthday.
Something else on the counter caught his eye – a white envelope with two words written in the same hand-lettering as the cake: Dear Ash
Picking it up, he turned it over: the envelope wasn’t sealed, and the top flap had only been tucked inside. Flipping it out, Ash saw a folded piece of paper.
With one more glance at Eiji’s sleeping form, Ash leaned against the counter opposite him, and unfolded the paper.
Dear Ash,
I know you told me you disliked celebrating your birthday, but I couldn’t let the day pass without letting you know how much it means to me that you had been brought into this world.
You are loved by so many people, Ash, and our days are so much brighter with you in them. I am very happy I came to America. I did not know it back then, but it is the best thing I ever did.
You once said you won’t ask me to stay forever... But Ash, I will. I will stay, because there is no place in this world I would rather be, then always by your side.
I want to continue living with you and making your favourite salad, and listen to you read Hemingway until we both fall asleep with the lamp still on. I want to wake up next to you every morning, and pull you out of bed because you slept until lunch again. I want to travel and see the world with you, and hold your hand as the plane touches down in Japan. I want to spend Christmas with you and kiss you under a “mistletoe”. (At least...that is what my sister said people in America do with the one they like >///<)
I want to be there at night whenever the dreams come. Those are the nights I will hold you in my arms and whisper over and over: you are safe, Ash...you are safe... Until your tears have dried and your breathing calms, and your heart returns to peace.
I want to be there with you on November 11th and show you the Pocky game (because that is what people in Japan do with the one they like ^///^). I want to take more photos of you and capture your laugh from every angle under the sun. I want to teach you more Japanese words, words like “tadaima” and “okaeri”, and a very special one that goes “aishiteru yo”.
I want to meet Griffin properly this time after he gets out of the hospital, and hear more stories about you and him as children. I want to visit Sing at his school and watch you tease him about being a nerdy student, even though we all know he is there because you were the one who encouraged him. I want to eat at Chang Dai with you and race on Shorter’s bike, and have long walks on the beach with just the three of us. I want to attend Max and Jessica’s wedding with you and watch them start a new life together, and I wonder, if maybe...someday...it will be us up there exchanging vows with all of our friends around us.
So many nights I prayed for my wish to come true, and now it has. We can do everything, Ash. We can do everything together, because you were born.
Thank you for being in this world. You are my best friend, Ash, and that will never change.
Eiji
Ash looked up from the letter. Somehow the room felt a little warmer, a little brighter, a little kinder. His face was warm, too, especially his cheeks, which were now stained. He wiped an arm over his eyes.
Letter and envelope held gently in hand, he went over to Eiji and leaned down, smoothing away a few fallen strands from his eyes. “Eiji,” he murmured. “Eiji, wake up.”
Slowly, ever slowly, Eiji stirred, eyes fluttering open as he lifted his head. “Mmm...wassa matter?”
Ash pressed his lips to his temple and smiled into the kiss. “This is the best surprise ever.”
“...surprise? Oh! You mean—” Wide awake now, Eiji quickly sat up, beaming. “Do you like it, Ash? It’s the very first time I ever tried baking something, so I wasn’t sure if I had—”
“The cake? Yeah, it’s cool. But what I meant” – he poked Eiji in the cheek – “was that I got up earlier than you.”
As if still recovering from his late night sleep, Eiji stared at him blankly, the words having yet to sink in. Then, like a light switch flicking on, his brows came together and his mouth opened. “You— I— Y-y-you—...Oh!” Cheeks red, he huffed off the stool, bits of flour floating from his hair. “You idiot boyfriend!” He struck a hand to his hip and jabbed a finger at Ash, (Ash had to resist laughing at the sight of the blue frosting still on his nose), “I should’ve just made you a bowl of natto!”
Like a wild lynx toying with a rabbit, Ash smirked and encircled Eiji’s waist, pulling him close so that his best friend was pressed against his heartbeat, then leaned down, breathing in a hint of vanilla, and laid a kiss on Eiji’s cheek, just shy of the corner of his mouth. “Honestly, onii-chan, I’m flattered that you remembered.”
Eiji looked as if he wasn’t ready to forgive him just yet, but his glare softened into a pout. He always did look adorable whenever he was annoyed. And Ash made sure that was often. “Idiot Ash,” Eiji murmured. His lips pulled into something resembling the beginnings of a small smile, “Of course I did. Everything about you I keep safe inside my heart—oh!”
And Ash hugged him, really hugged him, holding tight his favourite person in the entire world. He started leaning down for another kiss—
Ding – dong!
He whirled his gaze towards the hall, then spun on Eiji with a puzzled look. “Are we expecting anyone?”
Eiji only laughed and grabbed his hand and dragged him to get the door. “Yes, Ash, everyone!”
Chuckling despite himself, Ash let Eiji tug him down the hall. He still wasn’t used to it, having someone in this world who cared so much for him, but he was beginning to realize how lucky he was to have been born. It was a foreign feeling, one he was slowly getting used to, but he was starting to see the world as someplace kind; forgiving; mysterious, even; that if you happened to look in all the right places, the world was full of surprises.
And he did. For it led him straight to Okumura Eiji.