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The country air was refreshing, every inhale decompressing all of Eiji’s gathered stress. The stars that shine in the night sky illuminate the fields, making the grass seemingly glow in the darkness. It reminds him of the way the city shines at night.
His skin itches when he remembers it all, the haunting memories making him feel like he isn’t sitting on a wooden porch in the middle of who knows where but instead in the middle of a shoot-out in an alley. The tea in his hands helps ground him, its warmth a bit too stifling with the summer’s heat.
He would escape the sticky air by going back inside but the lights are still on and it’s lively. He needs a moment to himself, yet he still finds himself smiling at their antics. Shorter and Ash tease each other, Max and Shunichi joining in. They remind him of back home where he and his sister used to tease each other to death.
He exhales, and takes a long sip of tea, closing his eyes to listen more closely. He drifts like this, basking in his own presence until he finally opens his eyes the world has become impossibly darker and infinitely quieter.
Joints popping as he stands, mug in hand, he makes his way to the door, bidding the stars goodbye with one last look. Surprise overtakes him when he enters and hears quiet piano playing in the living room. Eiji was sure that everyone had gone to bed, even hearing snores from upstairs but as he approaches the room the music becomes louder. Notes playing that remind him eerily of the night sky, swaddle him head to toe. It feels as though a million stars are soaring past him, trees dancing in the night’s shadows in time with the music.
In the living room, he spots an old record spinning, and in the center of the room, star-fished on the floor, lays Ash. Eiji can tell he’s wide awake, playing fake keys with his fingers in time with the music.
Eiji watches the fingers dance in complete awe of how they move flawlessly, playing the air around them as though they were ivory. His fingers move with such mastery that the piano seems to be coming from him, instead, all his fingers manage to do is move the dust in the air.
Even with shut eyes, Ash looks the most awake that Eiji has ever seen him. His muscles are completely lax, and he’s slightly smiling, making him look lively. He lays with complete content despite the fact that the hardwood must be uncomfortable for his head. The only thing signifying he hasn't fully let his guard down is the knife that sticks out from where he'd tucked it into his jeans.
“Chopin must have seen the most beautiful nights in the world, don’t you think?”
Eiji startles, not expecting Ash to disturb their peace, even if his voice does little to disrupt it, his voice sounding like a hymn to Eiji’s ears.
“Chopin?”
“The composer.”
“Ah,” Eiji watches from his perch in the archway as Ash pulls himself to a sitting position and then lazily stands. Through the dark Eiji can tell that they aren’t facing each other, instead, Ash stares where the record spins.
The nocturne reaches a crescendo, pulling them both back into the song as they can hear the keys be tickled, and pound on, creating chords and melodies that seem to sing in Eiji’s ears.
“Would you like to dance?”
Heat rises to his cheeks at the question and his stomach seems to house a garden of butterflies, making his toes tickle and a small smile form on his face. He sets his mug down on a nearby coffee table and creeps his way over to Ash, where he’s turned to face watch him.
Jade glistens through the dark, reflected by moonlight, and Eiji wills himself not to blush harder. Calloused hands take his own, guiding them to rest around Ash’s shoulders, forcing them to stand face to face, barely far enough apart.
The next composition plays, one with dainty keystrokes, Ash begins to move his feet with the time, leading Eiji in a series of steps.
They spin, EIji unsure of his feet, around the room, Ash leading confidently as he guides them into an easy sequence. With Ash’s eyes urging him on with such passion Eiji begins to forget his feet, abandoning his slight stumbles and becoming reliant on Ash’s hands on his waist.
Time becomes nonexistent, weight only a concept as it feels like they fly through the starry night, surrounded by each other and nothing else. It feels like cool air unlike that of the summer heat immerses them, and the light of the moon becomes so strong that Eiji can make out every small detail on Ash’s face. Every freckle on his cheek and eyes, every eyelash, every wrinkle in his lips.
They lean together, breathe fanning on their lips, Eiji’s fingers stroking over short blonde stubble, Ash’s own finger ravel in his sweater. His eyes flutter shut, and their feet slow to a stop.
The soft sound of the piano extends each breath, until it splinters, the notes coming to an end with no more to come, the record player only producing idle sound.
Ash’s body heat pulls from his own, leaving him to stand there with his eyes closed, alone, only hearing the sound of the tonearm being put back to place. Feet stomp up the stairs, leaving him feeling impossibly alone in the newcome silence of the room.
When he finally opens his eyes, his body is cold, his lips are dry, and the living room has never felt more lifeless.