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Ash and Eiji’s first meeting was not something out of a fairytale where the two lovers fell in love at first sight or where they bumped into each other and realized that they were the one.
In theirs though, it’s far from that. Instead of loving looks thrown across the room, it was glares that was exchanged. Instead of soft laughs and shy smiles shared between them, it was an annoyed huff and colorful insults muttered on the side. But as the months passed, their relationship grew into something more treasured. From strangers to reluctant acquaintances, then to friends, and later on, as lovers.
Since going out with Ash, Eiji noticed that apparently his partner was quite clingy. This surprised him greatly for reasons that Ash is well known for being aloof and in general, rather cold and indifferent. At least that’s the persona Ash tries to project anyway.
But Aslan though? A total opposite. While Ash was cold as the Russian winter, Aslan was warm like the summer rain in March. While Ash was rough with his orders around his men, Aslan prefers soft whispers pressed into his hair and skin.
What astonished Eiji even more was that when he observed that Ash only acted like that with him. That Ash quenched his thirst to be with another person with him, to be vulnerable and honest only with him. The realization made Eiji dote on Ash a lot more than usual, with the latter accepting the change with a feigned glare but Eiji didn’t miss the small smile that he tried so hard to hide.
As he was saying, Ash was clingy and just loves to be around him so he can touch him all he wants, a huge contrast to how he treated Eiji before. He thought that he’s actions were results of Ash being left touch-starved for so long and was forced to put on a tough persona. Not that he minded, he enjoyed being close to Ash, way too much if he’s being completely honest.
Even when sometimes it got in the way of his work and restricted his mobility, Eiji was and always will be willing to be on the receiving end of Ash cuddles, after all, he is the best pillow Eiji ever slept on. Seriously, Ash acts more of a cat than a human sometimes.
The comparison between his lover and a cat made him throw a fond and endeared look to the blond across the room, with Ash returning the same look but with a blush.
While the gang had enough decency to ignore their display of affection, Shorter on the other hand, was merciless when it comes to teasing. He found it far too amusing to watch the whole scene with no shame.
Eiji knew that while Ash love touching him, the interest grew even more as months flew by.
It started with Eiji’s hands. Ash would hold it so gently and oh so tender it made his heart ache at the gesture, he would massage Eiji's hand starting at his fingers by kneading them and grew the habit of kissing the inside of his wrist after holding it against his chest.
Ash would put an arm over his shoulder every time they would go out, a hand on his hip to direct Eiji away from the busy street because he’s fussy like that — this in particular, is one of the many acts of Ash's simple display of being protective. Acts of which melted the lovesick japanese to a nothing but a puddle.
Ash would then hold his waist and run a hand up and down his side absentmindedly and then subtley pinching and kneading the the fat there. Ash would hug him from behind whenever Eiji cooked meals for the two of them all the while swaying their hips to a rhythm with his face pressed in Eiji hair.
Now though, Ash would put his hand on Eiji’s thigh at random times, whether they’re with the gangs, at home cuddling on their couch or just doing their favorite pastime, sitting on their window watching the sun set sharing promises and sweet kisses.
It’s not like he’s uncomfortable having Ash hands all over him, he looks forward to that actually. It’s just that – Ash’s hands are very distracting!
All coherent thought in his brain is gone completely, all that’s left is just how warm Ash’s hands are. The callouses on his fingers and palm just adds to make him shiver deliciously every time Ash would brush that sensitive spot on his inner thigh.
The way Ash’s thumb would trace small circles on his inner thigh leaves him wanting. When he’s on his phone or just chatting casually with Shorter and the gang, his hand would hike up, settle on top his thigh, near his pockets and keep his hands there. The heat and weight of Ash’s hand keeps Eiji grounded yet simultaneously makes him high.
Eiji is confident that the gang noticed their revered boss openly displaying physical affection, but doesn’t dare to comment. Even Shorter raised his brow the one time he caught where Ash wandering hands had been.
Then it was Eiji’s ass. It wasn’t unusual for Ash to touch him there, there had been many times where he would smack Eiji’s ass whenever they’re playing but this is new this time.
He noticed that at times when Eiji’s within Ash’s reach, his scarred hands would settle on his waist and occasionally on his lower back. Then it would travel down to his ass and Ash would squeeze it as if his holding a stress ball; whenever they were alone, he’d keep his hands there for the duration of the time they were together.
Eiji then noted that since Ash was completely oblivious to his gangs’ questioning eyes, Shorter’s suggestive ones and even Eiji’s curious if not a little confuse gaze, his darling boyfriend was doing all these touching subconsciously.
Eiji felt flattered to know that whenever he’d catch Ash stressed to the nines, he’d go to great lengths to find Eiji to shyly ask for a hug to calm his mile-a-minute-mind and silence his thoughts, tuck his face in between Eiji's neck and shoulder, then proceed to squeeze his ass hard. He’d do it seemingly in way that if he’d squeeze hard enough, all his thoughts would go away.
The one time Ash did this when Eiji was caught off guard, he let out a embarrassing squeak, making Ash smirk and threw his gang a glare when he realized that they have been watching.
It’s hilarious to Eiji that of all things Ash manages to release his frustration on, it happens to be his ass. Still a lot better than a punching bag, he thought.
Ash’s hands may no longer be bleeding because Eiji’s ass took that poor bags’ place as a stress ball but come on! If Ash’s handprint stays on his ass permanently, Eiji wouldn’t be surprised at this point.
While Eiji found Ash’s fixation on his ass amusing, hysterically funny even, it escalated to a point where it’s getting ridiculous.
Eiji sleeping on his stomach? Hands on his ass.
Eiji bending over to fish out their laundry? Hands on his ass.
Eiji waking up from a nap? Hands on his ass.
It was as if Ash’s hands changed their mind that it no longer wanted to hold his gun, but his ass instead!
It just makes him chuckle with how far they’ve gone. From Ash refusing to be in the same room as him, to the blonds hand basically attached to his butt!
Eiji kept all these thoughts to himself for almost eight months before he decided that it was time to question Ash about his wandering hands and its favorite place.
Surprisingly enough, Eiji didn’t wait for long because while he was preparing their dinner, Ash happened to be home early tonight.
“Eiji, sweetheart, I’m home.” He heard Ash’s soft greeting in the doorway. Eiji placed his spatula on the counter and sauntered over to his boyfriend, who eagerly embraced him.
“Welcome home, Ash.” Eiji sighed contentedly when he’s in Ash arms.
Like clockwork, Ash’s hands immediately wound up in Eiji’s waist as they returned to the kitchen to finish cooking. Now that the he was aware of Ash’s odd habit, Eiji can’t help the smile adorning his face and be endeared when he noticed that he follows a pattern.
He steeled himself that he’d ask after dinner, when they are in their couch cuddling. He knows that he shouldn’t be second-guessing, because he finds nothing wrong with Ash’s fixation on his butt, but he can’t help but be worried that once he asked, Ash would stop doing it, would cease touching him, seeking for him when he’s troubled and that’s the last thing that he wants.
Shit! What did Ash turn him into?
As they settled on the couch, Ash comfortably sitting between his legs with hands once again found themselves settled on his thigh and Eiji braiding his boyfriend’s hair, that he decided that that’s enough stalling and he should go with it already and –
“Hey.” His thoughts skidded to halt when he felt Ash nudge him.
“Hm?”
“What's going on? You’ve been in your head since earlier.” Ash concerned voice and searching eyes gave him the courage to just question him.
Eiji hesitated for a moment before barreling past his anxiety. “Can I ask you something, love?”
“Go ahead, dearest.” An involuntary smile made way into his face at the nickname and blushed from how Ash kissed his knuckles as encouragement.
“Do you remember the time when we started dating?”
“Yeah, it’d be our eighth month next week. Why’d you ask?” Ash started to look worried now but Eiji sensing his distress, caressed his cheek to soothe him, Ash leaning on his palm on instinct.
“It’s just that this past few months, I noticed that you developed an odd habit…” He can’t help the blood rushing to his cheeks when he said that.
“And what would that be?” Ash now curious when his beloved cheeks turned a lovely shade of red. Ash always loved that color on his face, and that look that Eiji directed at him just makes him want to hold him tight and keep the older boy cuddled in his arms for as long as humanly possible.
Noting that since this is the face Eiji’s making, it’s probably not that serious so he decided to coax the question out of him.
“It’s alright, sweetie. Ask me.”Ash turned his body around from where he was sitting between EIji's legs so he's facing Eiji properly this time and guided the flushing boy down his lap so as to straddle him.
“Uh…right...yeah, okay. So, the past months since we started going out, you’ve been quite handsy.”
“Handsy?” Ash asked unsure.
“Yeah. Like at first it was my hand, then my waist, next my thighs, and just recently my ass!” Eiji’s face was fully red at this point.
“Oh. Oh.” A nod was the response he got.
“Okay. Alright. Before I explain, did I make you uncomfortable? Were my actions unwanted? And if it is I’m so sorry.” Ash looked scandalized at thought that he made his love experience any kind of discomfort with him around.
“NO, no, no. Absolutely not! You’re allowed to!” Eiji gently grabbed Ash's face to ground him and stop his downward spiral.
“I was just curious that’s all and please don’t think that I don’t want your hands on me because I do!” Eiji realized too late that he said that part way too loud and his voice sounded way too high for him to excuse that it wasn’t a big deal.
Fucking shit! Why did he start this conversation again?!
At his outburst, Ash smirked in that annoying handsome way of his and started to torment Eiji, his earlier concerns no longer occupying his mind.
“Oh, really? You do, don’t you, Eiji?” Ash goaded some more.
Eiji smacked his lovers’ face with a nearby pillow and pinched the both side of Ash’s cheeks.
“Just answer the question! It’s been on my mind for a while now” Eiji whined with a pout.
“Oksh, jush lesh go of my cheesh firsht!” The poor blond tried his best to answer with his face squished in Eiji's hand.
Eiji did what he was told but not before biting the tip of Ash's nose and kissed it right after as an apology even though he wasn't the slightest bit sorry.
Ash pinched Eiji's rump to get back at the him, happily ignoring his yelp, and then bashfully explained why the sudden obsession with Eiji began. Except it was not at all sudden.
“Okay, so remember the first time we met? Yeah, well, I was already attracted to you then. It changed when you opened your mouth though but – aw fuck. Stop pinching me!
Anyway, like I said, I found you attractive even before when we had that truce. I just couldn’t express it well because as you may remember, we didn’t actually get along. Despite you being a little shit at the start, we are together now and having you in my arms all the time may or may not have been fantasy of mine that came true.”
“Ash, that’s so sweet of you” Eiji sighed fondly and threw another loving look at the blushing blond and kissed his reddened cheek - just a soft peck, really.
“Still doesn’t explain your fixation on my ass though.” Eiji pointed out flatly.
At Eiji’s unimpressed tone made Ash all the more besotted at the quick change of voice.
“I was just getting there, sweetheart.” Ash deliberately used the same nickname and tone when they first met just to bring back the memory and annoy the pouting boy before him.
Eiji knew that Ash was trying to bring out the bastard in him so he played along and threw another line of his own, “Then get to it already, pumpkin.”
Even with Ash burning glare directed at Eiji, it was not enough to hide the love and adoration in it. He rolled his eyes and continued explaining. “Whenever I read romance books — and don't look at me like that I read other genres of books too!" Ash aimed his annoyed huff at Eiji's amused smile.
"In the books I read," Ash continued as he pointedly glared at his partner to not interupt him."The main character always has that one person who will accept them broken as they are and who will love them unconditionally. I’m aware that wishing for having that someone to care for me as they cared for their person in the book is a bit selfish with my situation but it’s still a nice thought, you know?”
“Ash-“ Like puzzles coming into place, Eiji starts to piece together Ash's behaviour in the past events when they started dating. Even with Ash not yet finished with his explanation, Eiji already knows where this is going and the realization made tears gather in his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Ash wiped a stray tear that was threating to fall on Eiji’s cheeks. “Well, that was what I think before you came along, dearest. Trust me when I say that the scenario I had in my head got nothing against the real thing. That’s you.”
Eiji couldn’t say anything to that so he just pulled Ash towards him and kissed his boyfriend with the promise of the love he had always longed for. Eiji kissed Ash’s forehead, his brow, his eyelids, his cheeks, the fine line of his jaw and the corner of his mouth. With Eiji's continous attack of kisses on his face, Ash could not help but smile when his beloved finally reached his lips.
He continued to press soft kisses on Ash's neck even when he continued talking.
“And when I finally got you, I couldn’t stop myself from touching you, holding you, and keeping you to myself. I know I’m not good with words but nothing has brought me peace except when I'm with you. “ Ash was surprised at how honest he sounded just now. But then again, when Eiji looked at him like that, and holds him like now, he couldn’t really hide anything.
Just when Eiji thought he couldn’t love Ash more than he already does, the boy holding him keeps proving him wrong. So the only logical thing his mushed brain could supply was to kiss Ash again, this time with the promised of forever.
Ash is more than happy to enjoy the moment, to enjoy Eiji like this. Eiji's warm body pressed snuggly against his as he straddles Ash's lap, deft fingers on his scalp massaging the tiredness away, gently pulling golden strands in a calming manner. And of course, his favorite, covering his face with endless Eiji kisses
But something else tugged at his mind - it was Eiji's question. It didn't sit quite well with him to just ignore his lovers' worries, even when the said lover was happily leaving purpling marks down his throat. And with Ash's romantic albeit clumsy confession earlier, he's sure that Eiji had forgotten the question that bugged him for.months.
So with the last of Ash's self control, he willed.himself to lightly tug on Eiji's sleeve to get the older boys' attention.
“Eiji?” Ash called gently, with much effort on his part.
“Yes, love?” Eiji hummed as he kissed Ash's earlobe this time.
“I don’t want to ruin this moment or anything, but my fixation on your ass is just me being horny.”
"..."
The next morning, Eiji woke up rather sore yet relaxed and slight throb between his legs and lower back. He noted that his body was clean and was wearing Ash’s old shirt, no hint of trace from their activity last night that kept them both up. A dopey smile decorated his face when he imagined his Ash cleaning them both and making sure he slept comfortably when he couldn't do it himself.
He noticed that Ash prepared him breakfast with a little note attached to it that read:
Since you didn’t mind this ‘odd habits’ of mine, I took it as a sign to add one more ; )
Look at the mirror, dearest.
-Love, Ash
Eiji stared at the note with confusion, not getting the message. But didn't dwell on that for long because he was far too eager to stuff himself with what Ash prepared.
As if Ash didn't stuff him to the brim already,his mind unhelpfully supplied.
After he ate his meal, he went to their bathroom and was briefly blinded by the rooms’ light. That’s probably the reason why he failed to notice at a glance what Ash was referring to in his letter.
Marks.
Bite marks.
There were bite marks on the side of his neck and when he looked a bit more, so was his nape. He took off his borrowed shirt and lo and behold, his entire chest was filled with bite marks and hickeys that trailed down his abdomen. Even his nipples were swollen red! His back and thighs were covered with it too! No wonder his entire body was sore.
A stray thought crossed Eiji’s mind and a nervous laugh escaped his lips because Ash wouldn’t go that far, right?
Right?!
He took of his shorts and was greeted with no doubt Ash teeth marks on the left of his ass’ cheek and hickeys on the right.
Suffice to say, Eiji came to work that morning well fed, a bit late and absolutely red in the face.
A few blocks away from their apartment, Ash could’ve sworn he heard his name being cursed down to the seventh circle of hell but ignored that feeling happily and continued heading to the base with a spring in his step.