"Huh?"
Eiji looked up from the book he was reading, raising his brows a little as he saw Ash head for the door of their apartment. He had slung on his winter coat and was currently adjusting the collar.
"I said I'm meeting with Alex," Ash repeated. "I told you about it."
Of course, Eiji remembered. He didn't know what the meeting would be about, but it was related to the other gangs somehow. Kong would be present too, and it left Eiji wondering if something bad was about to happen.
"Ah, is it that late already?" he replied lamely. He had lost track of time, still struggling to read as quickly as he would like. Though his English had improved since coming to America, he was nowhere near as proficient as Ash, who had grown up with the language.
Eiji put aside his book. He leaned back against the couch and watched Ash as he reached for his gloves. They had been a gift of Eiji's, for Christmas.
Ash's chuckle was light, but Eiji thought it sounded off. It was too clean, too natural-sounding. As always, Eiji could tell the lie simply by noticing the overly calm quality of Ash's voice. Now, Eiji knew for certain that Ash was about to throw himself head-first into danger again.
"Don't stay up all night reading. No need to wait up."
"Okay," Eiji smiled. "Be careful."
It was all he could do as he watched Ash leave. That, and pray he'd return to him the next morning.
###
The apartment was eerily quiet without Ash in it. He never made much noise, was always busy reading or researching something when he wasn't talking to Eiji, but there was a difference nonetheless. The silence made Eiji's heartbeat appear louder, his every move a disturbance.
Eiji couldn't focus on his book anymore, not like this.
With a sigh, he stood up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. Maybe some tea would help soothe his worries, though the chances of that were slim. Eiji knew that no matter what he did, he couldn't help Ash now. This was his field of expertise, not Eiji's.
He turned on the TV while waiting for the water to boil, grateful for the background noise. A news reporter was talking about something sport-related. Eiji made an effort not to listen too closely. Even now, it was a sore topic to him.
Eiji had lost much more than pole-jumping because of the accident. It had been the one thing he had excelled at, the one thing that had given him a sense of accomplishment and worth.
His family had broken apart with his father's death, but Eiji's relationship to his mother had broken long before then. She had given up on his father, her husband, and Eiji had never been able to forgive her for it.
The sport had been his escape. He had loved to fly, forget about everything else but the view from above.
Maybe, when he got back to Japan, he should try again. His injury had stolen a lot of time from him, many hours he could have spent training. It had also stolen his confidence in his skills. Flying was no longer a dream come true but a cause of anxiety.
It didn't have to be competitively, he told himself, but maybe-
"-street. An armed robbery has occurred there mere minutes ago. Gang activities are suspected. The police are on the chase-"
The water was boiling now, but Eiji didn't move. Again, he couldn't jump, only stand there, drowning in worry.
###
By the time Ash came home, the sun was about to go up again. Eiji heard the door click closed, how Ash silently slipped out of his coat and shoes. Then, his footsteps.
Eiji closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.