Chapter Text
“Eiji! Hurry up! We’re gonna be late!”
Eiji came rushing out of the house, locking up before making his way to the car.
“What took you so long?” Aslan asked.
Eiji opened up his satchel to reveal various snacks and sweets.
“I had to grab the essentials,” he said with a smile. Aslan chuckled.
“You really think we’re gonna need them?”
“Yes!! During last year’s shrine visit you whined and whined about being hungry, so this time I thought I’d come prepared.”
“How do you even remember that?”
“Magic, my love. Now enough questions! Let’s go already!”
It had been seven years since the couple had moved to Izumo. The first year had been the toughest. Despite being months out of the hospital, Aslan had still been reeling from the attack from Lao. The realization that even after Dino was dead, even after he thought he was finally free, someone still wanted to kill him had hit him extremely hard. He had felt foolish for thinking he would ever be anything other than what Dino made him.
To hunt and be hunted, was that really all there was left for him? He had almost wished he hadn’t survived. He didn’t even understand why he survived in the first place.
The decision to move to Japan with Eiji did not come easy. Almost every part of him was screaming at him to abandon that hope that he could ever have a normal life. The physical distance made it seem more unattainable, too. However, Eiji was persistent. He would text every day, and call as much as he could. He was determined to make sure Aslan saw their original plan to move to Japan through.
Eventually, Aslan caved in. He said goodbye to New York, and started a new life with his soulmate.
It wasn’t until he laid in bed that night, Eiji sleeping peacefully next to him, that what he did hit him all at once. An entirely new country with nothing to protect himself with.
For a while, they stayed at the Okumura family house. Eiji’s father was still in the hospital as he learned, so it was just the two of them, Eiji’s mother, and his sister. He felt surprisingly welcomed, like he was truly part of the family. It was strange to him to meet people so truly kind and hospitable upon first meeting. It wasn’t long until it started to feel like home.
But it still didn’t feel safe. He would lay awake at night, Eiji beside him, terrified of every little noise he heard. On the rare occasions where he did sleep, he would have terrible nightmares, and when he would jolt awake he would reach for a gun that wasn’t there.
The Okumuras noticed how fidgety and cautious he was. So, they installed a security system in their house. They did everything, big and small, to help him adjust to this new life. When Aslan and Eiji moved out into their own house, they took a lot of these things with him. The security system, the protective charms, the little statues of gods that could protect them. It stunned Aslan how… good he felt to be living this life.
Izumo is where Aslan had found peace and happiness.
“We’re here,” Aslan said.
They made their way through the rows of trees together, surrounded by other people also dressed for the chilly weather. Some wore their traditional kimonos, some wore more casual winter clothes. As they approached the torii gates they saw a familiar person standing there.
“Mari!” Eiji shouted as he waved to his sister. She waved back as she walked up and gave them both a tight hug.
“How are your studies going?” Aslan asked with a soft smile.
“Well, just as tough as last year. But I’m glad to finally be visiting again!” She beamed.
When Aslan moved to Japan, Mari was right there alongside Eiji to greet him. She was thrilled to meet him, and sympathetic when she realized Aslan had lived a much different life than her and her brother. It wasn’t long until she felt like his own sister. When she moved to Tokyo for college, he nearly cried with how proud he was.
“You’re not wearing mom’s kimono this year,” Eiji pointed out.
Usually Mari would wear a deep blue kimono with a stunningly complex design depicting a soaring phoenix and a gold-colored obi. It was passed down through many generations, until it was owned by their mother, and now her. Now she was wearing a pale yellow kimono with a much simpler chrysanthemum pattern and pink obi with a chrysanthemum obidome to match. Mari gave a sad smile.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I just didn’t want something so… connected to her anymore. So my friends took me shopping and I found this. Don’t worry though, I didn’t throw away the other one or anything. It’s still in my closet.”
“I think it looks good. Suits you,” said Aslan. Eiji nodded his head. This time, Mari beamed.
Being the very first day of the New Year, the temple was crowded with all sorts of people. The chozuya was completely packed, and it took them a few minutes before they were able to purify their hands. Ash always wondered if his hands could ever be truly pure, but he tried not to think about that as he poured the water. It was supposed to be a day of celebration and good luck. He didn’t want his thoughts to ruin that.
Every year, Aslan wished to the gods for protection. Protection from violence, from grief, from assault, from everything that made his life miserable for so long. This year was no different. However, there was something else this year he needed extra luck for. He prayed for that too.
Next they went to exchange their omamori. Aslan chose the protection charm, as he did every year, and Mari chose the education charm. Usually, Eiji would get the protection charm just as Aslan did. This time he chose the success charm.
“What goal do you want to be successful?” Mari asked.
“This year, I’m determined to have my own photo gallery.” It was a goal he had for a while, but this year he was going to have the luck of the gods on his side.
Finally, they needed to pull their o-mikuji.
“I’m a little nervous,” Mari jokes. Most of the time she had negative fortunes. However, this year, she would apparently have a future blessing (and small luck in her romantic relationships). Aslan was given half-blessing with lots of luck in travel. Then it was Eiji’s turn.
“Curse…”
“Well, it could be worse,” Aslan said, “at least you’re not super-mega-cursed.”
Eiji just sighed and folded up the paper.
“You’re not gonna read the rest of it?”
“Nah. Not really a point.”
As they left the shrine, Eiji trailed behind and sulked.
Aslan gave Mari a nudge.
“You talk to him, you're the psychology major. I’m no good at this stuff.”
Mari nodded and went to walk beside Eiji.
“Listen, if it’s just a regular curse, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. It’s mostly just little everyday inconveniences. The worst I’ve experienced with just a regular curse is that really bad break up I had with Yui.”
“With who??”
“Hush, Aslan, this isn’t about you. Anyways, I don’t think you have anything to really worry about.”
When they get to the parking lot, they have to part ways. Mari made plans to go visit some of her old friends, and Aslan and Eiji had to return home, as they were going to host dinner that night.
When Aslan and Eiji arrived home, they were greeted by a very excitable golden retriever. They had gotten him about a year ago, when he was just a year old, from a local shelter. Even then, he still acted a little bit like a puppy.
“Hey, Bud,” Aslan said as he knelt down to pet Buddy. The dog jumped up to lick his face.
“Should we start dinner now?” Eiji asked as he put down his stuff and made his way to the kitchen.
“You can. Might as well. Just in case someone comes early or something.”
“You can’t just spend all afternoon petting Buddy, you know.”
“I know, I know! I’ll help you in a minute.”
Buddy didn’t seem to mind all the extra attention he was getting, though. But eventually, Aslan had to go help his partner.
“Alright, so what’s the plan?” asked Aslan as he put on his apron. He didn’t always help in the kitchen, his skill level was limited to basic survival foods, but over the years he got better and better at it. It felt very domestic, to cook alongside someone.
“How about you start on the datemaki? I’ll make the ramen.”
Aslan nodded, and they both started getting their ingredients. The kitchen was large enough that they could work around each other comfortably, and it wasn’t long until the kitchen started to smell delicious. Buddy noticed this, and trotted over to beg for treats.
“I have nothing for you,” Aslan said. Still, Buddy sat beside him, wagging his tail and giving him an expectant look. Aslan tried to ignore him as he started to whine, focusing on mixing the ingredients together.
“Here, Buddy!” Eiji called the dog, waving a large bone. Buddy instantly jumped up and ran over, wagging his tail furiously. Eiji then gave him the bone, which Buddy took to the living room happily.
“There we go, that’ll keep him occupied,” Eiji smiled. Aslan couldn’t help but smile back.
They continued cooking nonstop into the evening. As time went on, the more dishes they completed, and the more it started to look like a full meal. However, they were still pretty far from done.
Aslan sighed as he stretched. There was enough time to just take a tiny little break, he thought. He leaned against the counter and looked over at Eiji. His partner seemed distracted by something as he stared off into space.
“Hey.”
“Ah!” Eiji jumped, fumbling the bag of flour he was holding before dropping it on the counter.
“Ohhh no!” he exclaimed. Aslan chuckled slightly before helping his partner clean up the mess.
“Looks like your bad luck has officially begun.”
“Don’t even joke about that!” Eiji said as he smacked the other with a floured towel. Ash looked down at his arm then back up at Eiji with a smile.
“Really? You wanna start this?” He dipped his thumb in the flour before smudging it across Eiji’s cheek.
“You’re on!”
And that’s how it started, a full blown flour-war.
Nothing was spared. Flour was thrown, smudged, and flew everywhere. The counters, the floor, their clothes, their skin, their hair and skin, all of it was covered in at least a thin layer of flour.
It was stupid, it was childish, they had wasted an entire bag just making everything dirty. But they didn’t care. It was fun. They were having fun and messing around together. At that moment, they weren’t thinking about having to clean up and get back to cooking, they just thought about each other.
The couple just laid on the floor together as Buddy sniffed around them before licking Aslan in the face.
“No, Buddy!” Aslan squealed, pushing Buddy’s face away. The dog just wagged his tail as his owners helped each other up.
“You’re a mess,” Eiji laughed.
“Speak for yourself! You’re even dirtier than me! Go take a shower, I’ll clean this all up.”
Eiji kissed Aslan’s floured cheek before going to wash himself and his clothes.
Once everything was all clean, both of them included, they had to work faster in order to get everything done by the time their guests would arrive. Occasionally, though, they would look over at each other, and laugh silently before getting back to work.
Eventually, they had a complete New Year’s Day dinner. Eiji set the table while Aslan arranged the food into the boxes.
“Well, I’d say it looks pretty good,” Aslan said.
“We make a pretty good team!” Eiji shouted from the dining room.
When everything was all set for their guests to arrive, they high-fived to celebrate their hard work. It was the first time they cooked for New Year’s all on their own, and it was the first time they would be hosting.
The first to arrive were Ibe and his wife, Namiko. They met shortly after he returned to Japan, and she was a very kind woman, the kind that got along with all her neighbors and would check in on them from time to time. The couple greeted their hosts warmly with hugs and a bottle of sake.
Buddy was thrilled to have guests, and quickly ran over to receive pets from two of his many favorite humans.
It wasn’t much longer after that when Mari arrived, and the party officially started. Chatter filled the house as they ate. They talked about everything that had happened during the past year, everything they accomplished, and everything they hoped to accomplish this year.
“Well, I have no complaints,” Ibe said, “We traveled a lot this year for work.”
“It was great! So many fun new places we visited,” Namiko said.
“Mine was just another normal year of classes. I made a new group of friends, and they’re really great," Mari said through a mouthful of food.
“We adopted our dog,” Eiji beamed. Buddy was resting in the living room. After a while of whining for food, he had finally given up, and they knew if they mentioned him by name he would come over and start begging again.
The party went on late into the night as they continued to chat and drink. Everyone’s spirits couldn’t be higher as they celebrated the past and welcomed in the future, giving a toast for good luck. Eventually, though, the night had to end. They said their goodbyes to each other, and the guests went home, leaving Aslan and Eiji to clean up.
Aslan felt content as he washed the dishes. It was a great night, surrounded by people he loved. Seven years in Japan. He hadn’t felt like Ash Lynx in so long. He felt like he had control over his life.
A partner, a house, a dog, a legal job, friends, a little sister. The old ladies on his street fawned over him as if he was free from sin. The local coffee shop knew his face and order by heart. Nobody feared him, they were all friendly towards him, and treated him as if he really was normal.
Oftentimes it felt unreal. But as he sat on the couch, Eiji nestled into his side, he knew it was.
“Thank you,” Eiji murmured.
“For what?”
“For helping out today. For everything you do. You’re so good to me.”
Aslan smiled softly.
“I should be the one saying that to you.”
“How about we’re both good to each other?”
“Yeah,” Aslan whispered, “I can agree with that.”
The next few days of the New Year were spent with Mari. The plan was for her to go back to Tokyo on the fourth, when the holiday was over, so they wanted as much time with her as they could.
During the Japanese New Year, businesses are closed for the next three days. They couldn't go to restaurants, shops, or the market. So mostly, they just spent time at Aslan and Eiji’s house. Watching TV, playing board games, and video games on the SNES they got a few years back. They could also go to the beach.
Izumo was a coastal town, with cliff sides to the north, and a long, thin strip of beach to the west. When the three of them stepped out of the car, they were glad they brought thick coats, as there was a cold breeze.
“Come on Buddy!” Eiji said as he opened the car door. The dog jumped out of the car, wagging his tail happily.
The beach was an important place in Izumo, something Aslan had learned shortly after he moved. On the northern shore of the beach, there was a very large rock with a small shrine on top, too high for humans to reach. Every October, the gods would come to Izumo, and convene at the beach and its shrine.
Aside from it being a spiritual place, the beach was also just beautiful. It reminded Aslan of when he was younger, when he and Griffin would run across the sand and splash in the waves. Sometimes, when he and Eiji would take a walk along the beach, they would see children or a family, and he would feel a bit of nostalgia.
Now, he walked this beach with his new family.
It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was low in the sky. They were only planning for it to be a relatively short walk, and would return to the car not long after the sun fully set. It was just nice to get some fresh air.
The trio walked in silence, aside from Buddy’s pants, until Aslan broke it.
“You know, Mari, you got a pretty interesting fortune this year,” he said.
Eiji caught on to what he meant. “Yeah! Are you excited for it?”
“For the future fortune? I guess so. It’s better than I get most years,” she said.
“No no, I mean about your romance fortune,” Aslan smiled.
Mari became slightly flustered, glaring at the couple. They just laughed in response.
“You should really get back out there again,” Eiji teased, “You’re not still heartbroken over Yui are you?”
Mari lightly punched her brother in the side.
“Of course not! That was the beginning of high school! Butt out of my love life!”
“But you, dear sister, are the one that butted into my love life when I went to America.”
“I shall have you know, dear brother, that I have matured since then. Besides, the charm I gave you worked, didn’t it?”
Eiji looked over at Aslan with a smile and squeezed his hand.
“Yeah. It did.”
The sun had begun to set at this point, halfway across the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, soft pinks and reds across the sky. The three stopped to admire it, Buddy sitting beside them.
“I think this is a moment worth capturing,” Eiji said. He got the polaroid camera from around his neck. They all posed close together, Aslan picking up Buddy so he could be in the shot, with the sunset in the background.
“Smile!”
Click.
The photo printed slowly, and Eiji shook it so it could develop faster.
It showed the four of them, happy in smiling, in the place they loved so much. They waited for the sun to set fully before returning home.
Instantly, the photo went up on their wall.
Unfortunately, the fourth eventually came, and Mari had to leave. At the train station, they said their goodbyes.
“Be sure to write!” Eiji said as she waved.
“I always do!”
With that, the train doors closed, and she left Izumo. Since it was the first day of the new year that businesses were open, Aslan decided he might as well go run some errands.
“See you at home,” he said as he pecked Eiji on the cheek.
“Mhm, see you.” Eiji waved goodbye to him.
The first stop was the coffee shop. Why not, right? It was a very cozy little shop and the majority of the patrons were locals and regulars. When the barista noticed him, he smiled.
“The usual?”
Aslan nodded, and the barista got to work. The coffee shop was relatively small compared to those in America, and it was warmly lit. As Aslan sat at the counter watching the barista he felt the chill of the mid-winter weather.
“Here’s your coffee,” the barista said as he placed the mug in front of Aslan. Most people see Aslan as the type of person to drink straight black coffee. And for a while, he was. As soon as he was “old enough” to drink coffee, he would drink it without sugar or creamer. It fit the persona he had and made him seem more mature to those around him. Now he didn’t care about any of that. He made his coffee super sweet. Tons of sugar, tons of creamer, because that was the way he actually liked it.
Usually, he would take the time to stay and chat with the barista for a bit. He was a funny and friendly guy, most of the reason Aslan liked this coffee shop in particular. However, today he had the odd urge to get home as much as possible. Maybe it was just because of the chill, he thought.
Next stop was the grocery store. They only really needed things to replace what they had used to cook dinner on New Years, including the flour that they had wasted.
He absentmindedly went through the small store until a voice called out to him from behind.
“My dear Aslan!”
He turned around to see his neighbor, Mrs. Tanaka. She was an old woman, kind as can be like almost everyone else in the neighborhood, who loved to garden in her front lawn and chat him up whenever she saw him. Aslan greeted her back, and smiled.
“How have you been? How’s Eiji? Did you have a good new year?”
“Everything is good. How was your trip?”
The two chatted for a bit, catching up on things that happened since the last time they talked. Most of his neighbors he could strike up a conversation with just like this. It was the kind of neighborhood he could see himself and Eiji growing old in. It was a weird thought, to grow old with someone in a small town, but it was right.
They said their goodbyes, and Aslan continued shopping as normal.
When Aslan came home, the front door was unlocked. Huh. Maybe Eiji just forgot. However, when he opened the door, he was met with a horrible sight.
There lay Buddy, unmoving, in a pool of blood.
Aslan dropped his bags and rushed to his dear pet. He picked him up gently as tears began to fall.
How did this even happen? When? Why wasn’t he here to stop it?
That’s when he saw it. The wound on Buddy’s neck. A bullet wound. Someone… shot Buddy. There was no way. He was supposed to be safe in Japan. He was supposed to be safe with Eiji. Eiji...
“Eiji!” he shouted. No response. He shouted again. The house was silent. Aslan gently placed down Buddy’s body. He had to make sure Eiji was okay. Eiji had to be okay, right?
Aslan crept through the house silently, listening for any sounds that might lead him towards Eiji or the intruder. As he approached the kitchen, he saw a pot on the stove bubbling over, so he turned off the stove. This whole thing must have happened fairly recently. A knife was also missing from the drawer.
Finally, he made his way to the bedroom.
What he saw terrified him.
Eiji. Sprawled across the floor, next to the open closet doors as if he had been pulled out, a knife in his hand. A bullet in his forehead. His eyes were wide open, and his cheeks were stained with tears.
Ash fell to his knees. This couldn’t be happening. Eiji couldn’t be dead. He was dreaming, he was hallucinating, this was some kind of joke. What separated him from his old life now? What stopped him from being Ash Lynx again?
Ash sobbed, and sobbed and sobbed. His love had been murdered. The bastard shot his dog, too. Why? He didn’t do anything. Neither of them did anything. It wasn’t fair.
He reached into the closet and pulled out a small box. Inside was a silver engagement ring. He picked up Eiji’s greying, cold hand and slipped the ring onto his finger.
“I know that we could never get married legally. But I still wanted to think of you as my husband. After all we had been through, didn’t we deserve that much?”
Eiji didn’t respond. His glossed-over eyes stared at nothing. Ash closed them.
“My soul will always be with you.”