az: It's been a while since I wrote on this plot. Tons of muses had been distracting me from this. XD

Reason to Smile

Awkward apologies and awkward cheering

Written by Izzu

o

o

"I would have driven him out. I have promised..."

That time when he said that, he had turned to look at Ankh. Ankh had lowered his head, was he crying? He had spoken without thinking, despite that was the truth—a part of him had wished he had thought about it a bit more or reworded it better. Have he hurt Ankh's feelings that time?

There was no time to talk about it earlier, what with the Yummy and the cops—even if it seemed Ankh was not bothered about it...

Eiji looked up towards Ankh, who was leaning beside a tree. Ah... now that they have nothing to do—they could not even go back to help out in Cous Coussier after all—what else could they do to while the time now?

Well, perhaps now was the good time to...

"Hey, Ankh... about earlier, if what I said hurt you—"

"Shut up! Don't talk to me!"

Eiji sighed. Ankh did not even turn his head to look at him when he answered. Guess he must have been hurt. Even though that was the truth... they should not be endangering Shingo-san any longer. But still, that did not mean that...

To think before all of this had started, he had planned to have that birthday party to cheer Ankh up. From that nightmare he refused to admit he had.

He sighed again.

"Hey, Ankh. Now can you tell me what's bothering you this morning? You have been so tired so I let you nap beside the counter while I clean up the place alone, and then you suddenly woke up and went all frantic—what was it you dreamed about?"

He could swear that he saw Ankh twitched a little, yet he still would not tell. Eiji got up and walked towards him before Ankh suddenly turned and walked away from him and sat on the bench. Eiji rolled his eyes at Ankh before leaning against another tree.

"You know Ankh... being afraid after getting a nightmare was not that bad, a lot of people are like that. But usually people talk it out with other people in order to make them feel better again—"

Ankh snapped back at him before standing up.

"Just mind your own business, Eiji!"

Eiji shook his head. "Ankh! What's wrong with you? That nightmare... did it have anything to do about the previous OOO? Was that why you were so afraid? Was that why you're so scared that I might betray you like he did? Just tell me, talk to me about it... Ankh!"

Ankh glared at him as he stomped towards him as if intending to punch him, but instead of doing that he let out a disgruntled sigh and walked away. Eiji smiled at him weakly before following him from behind.

xxx

He kept his silence as they reached the riverbed. Ankh kept on walking and walking, not telling where he was heading to or what was he thinking about as he continued walking aimlessly...

Oh, Eiji knew that Ankh was thinking deeply about something. It was evident in how he had hung his head, the way he was slightly slouching... how occasionally his steps started to sway to one side to another—looking at Ankh's back like this made he want to just hug him to make him feel better. But Ankh would probably just kick him away or something like that. Really... this Ankh, looking so helpless he could not stand watching it.

He thought by opening up the topic about how they first started being together would drop his guard a bit. Well, that did not work out so well... what with him trying to strangle Hina suddenly. But at least he managed to get him talking? Or get his concerns through?

Eiji glanced towards Hina and Chiyoko as they started setting up the table and everything before walking up towards Ankh again.

"As I expected... you're still bothered about me going berserk and that thing about the previous OOO?"

Ankh brushed him off. "Get off my wing! What did you expect me to say for you to stop bugging me?"

Now he started to be his whiny self. Well... whiny was good. He smiled.

"I expected nothing from you. Just please... let us reach out to you? Ankh... all of us cared about you. Me... Hina-chan, Chiyoko-san... can you please forget the worrying stuff for a while and enjoy yourself?"

Ankh started to pout. That was cute of him. Honestly this Ankh, did he have to always drag him around in other to get him to do things? Ah well... if Ankh allowed him to push him around like this, that must have meant something for sure. Eiji chuckled to himself.

"O-oi! W-what're you laughing about?"

Eiji grinned at him. Even with the sunset colouring everything so orangey right now, he could still see the faint tinge of pink on Ankh's cheeks. How could Ankh be so adorable? Why was he worrying about this guy so much?

"It's nothing, you idiot."

"Who's calling me idiot, Idiot?"

And he laughed again.

xxx

He had to give it to Chiyoko-san. She was awesome like that and from what Hina was just telling him, she just got even better. As expected of someone like her to be able to break through the walls Ankh had been building around himself.

"Now, open your mouth... Ankh, this is an ice cream cake! If you don't hurry, it'll melt before you can eat it!"

"Stop it! It's—" Eiji laughed as Chiyoko managed to feed the cake to Ankh. The wounded look Ankh was wearing was PRICELESS. Even when he was still pouting everyone could see he was starting to enjoy himself. He could watch Chiyoko pampering Ankh forever.

Eiji smiled as Ankh finally started to eat more of his birthday cake.

"It's good, right? You like it? Say that you love it!"

Eiji snorted as Chiyoko continued to poke Ankh to make him respond before—was he imagining that? Ankh, he... he smiled! There was no mistaken that neat row of teeth peeking out from his thin lips. He finally SMILED!

"Oi! What're you goofing off over there, Eiji!"

And... then the smile was gone. Just when he started to feel so good about this. Eiji sighed. Well, at least it managed to cheer Ankh a bit.

xxx

Ankh's head suddenly dropped towards his shoulders as Eiji turned to look. Finally after all the excitement, Ankh finally exhausted himself for the night.

"Thank goodness, I thought he'd never sleep."

Hina turned towards him suddenly. "Eh? What did you mean, Eiji-kun?"

Eiji shrugged before starting to explain everything to her from the very beginning. Hina sighed.

"I... see. Sorry about that... I guess I raised that question at the wrong time is it?"

Eiji shook his head. "N-no. It's not Hina's fault. I guess it's mine... in a way. I should have realized as well that maybe because of that nightmare, even Ankh was not able to think calmly about things. And that leading to your brother getting hurt. Added with that talk about driving him away—anyway Hina, thanks for the birthday idea. It could not come at the most crucial time."

Hina smiled weakly as she placed her hand on Ankh's arm. "Nn... don't mind it. I guess... even Ankh, has things that he worries about."

Eiji snorted as he ran a hand over Ankh's hair. "Yeah. Guess that was why I was trying my best to cheer him back after all that. I wanted to give him a reason to smile happily, even for a short time."