Author's Note: A HUGE Thank You to everyone on the JackXAshi Discord server for their help with this fic, especially orenashii and GatorJoe for their many suggestions and comments, some which ended up in the fic word for word.
"Good afternoon, sir. Olivia is waiting for you at the usual table," the host said, allowing the two to seat themselves.
"Jack!" A woman cried out as she left her seat, giving him a tight hug and a kiss on both cheeks. Ashi fought to swallow the sudden feeling of jealousy, She's European, it's what they do. Which was quickly confirmed as the woman did the same to Ashi. Told you. "You must be Ashi. I'm Olivia. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," she smiled. "I loved your show last night."
"Thank you," she returned the smile. One by one, they went up for their food, and conversation resumed when all had settled with full plates. "So, what brought you to my humble venue?"
"Humble?" Ashi laughed. "I've never seen anyplace more slick and professional." The closest venue prior was a traditional concert hall for a night of orchestral music, but Olivia didn't need to know that, or how sheltered she was. "I'm touring Europe on a whim. No real plans, no destinations in mind, just come and go as I please. It's working out well, since quick, random decisions have led me here, and to Jack," she added with a soft smile in his direction, her tone growing tender. Even if it meant taking an illegal substance to banish my fears, embarrass myself, and thankfully get his protection to keep me safe from others, because I am an idiot.
"Another world traveler. No wonder Jack is intrigued by you. I prefer staying close to home, but he can't stay anywhere for long."
"That is true," he agreed. "I grew up in Japan, the same house for eighteen years, and then I took off running. Transferred from school to school, country to country. I met Olivia when I was studying in Germany, my final year."
"Didn't have much choice in our friendship, everyone always lumping us together as 'die Clowns mit den Haaren,' or 'the clowns with the hair.' I've had my signature hair style and color since I was a teenager, and Jack had his top knot since he was a child."
"She was studying music and moonlighting as a deejay for local clubs on the weekends. She dragged me to one of her shows and I fell in love with the whole scene."
"Dragged," she laughed, "yes, I grabbed you by the top knot and forced you to come."
"You weren't the first to do it," he said, subconsciously rubbing his head.
"Well, Jack and I have been good friends ever since, and though he has graciously taken me on a few international trips to some of the biggest EDM music festivals, I for one am quite content to stay right at home. Someone needs to foster the music scene here and give these kids something to do on the weekends."
"What inspired you to become a deejay?" Ashi had resigned herself to do as her father asked and attend Harvard Business School, but that didn't mean she settled on a career path. She didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, but running her father's robotics company was not it.
"The venue was here long before I was born. Usually on the weekend, I could hear the distant bass and the echoes of people cheering. I was just a child, but I was intrigued. My father told me it was a party of music and lights. The hype only grew as I got older, anxious for the day that I turned 13 and would be able to experience it for myself. Richard Altenberger ran it then, you may know him as Deejay Skybator. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more. I was hooked. Dad was nervous about letting me go, but he quickly realized this benefited us both. What better way to make me do something then to threaten to stop me from going to the rave that Saturday? My grades improved; my chores were always done on time; nothing was going to stop me from going.
"Just before I entered my final year of secondary school, Deejay Skybator closed the venue. He was going on the international circuit to try and make a name for himself. He succeeded, he's quite famous now and he deserves it, but he broke my heart. I sat outside the closed gates almost every Friday and Saturday, hearing the echoes of raves long past. I watched people my age become bored and destructive. The town needed the rave, and I vowed to bring it back. I studied music, the art of light and color, business, anything to help me make the venue my own and run it well. When I graduated and returned home, the crowds quickly came back to support me, and I plan on staying here and hosting the rave so more generations can continue to fall in love with music."
"Very noble of you." Now that was the kind of impact Ashi wanted to have with her mystery career, not juggle the expectations of stockholders. "What about you, Jack? What sustains this world hopping lifestyle of yours?"
"Have you ever heard of Emperor tea?"
"Yes, I drink it all the time."
"Thank you for helping me sustain this world hopping lifestyle."
"Really? You work for them?"
"My great-grandfather founded the company, wanting to preserve the ancient way of making tea when Japan was rushing to modernize itself to compete with the rest of the world. His love for the old ways resonates through his descendants today. I spend most of the year helping my father run the company, but he often grants me months of vacation time, telling me to enjoy myself. I come to visit Olivia a lot and take random trips elsewhere."
"Yes they do, Samurai Jack," she teased with a grin.
"Speaking of," he pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then slid his phone across the table. The image on screen was of Jack wearing his samurai armor, as he promised before. It was a simple set, gray metal pieces sitting over his thighs, arms, and chest over a white gi, and a bulldog figurine sitting on the helmet. He stood as proud as any soldier in uniform, hand resting on a black-and-yellow katana handle hanging at his side.
"It's beautiful." He looked like the hero she knew he was. "Why the dog theme?"
"For Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III, or Rothie for short, a dachshund I grew up with. A neighbor bred and trained show dogs, and Rothie was quite stubborn with accepting training though his siblings took to it well. He would watch me go to and from school from the window and bark at me, his little tail wagging a mile a minute. The neighbor knew when she was defeated and sold him to my parents, and he became a happy, domestic pet. His full name was already registered, so we kept it, just shortened it to something we could say regularly. We were inseparable, and he indulged me in my hero fantasies, happily donning a headband with demon horns and playing the role of 'Aku,' a demon dictator who ruled the land. I, its lost son, was the only hero who could save everyone, by very carefully swinging my wooden sword at him, and for him to dodge and repel it with his mouth. I think it was his favorite game. I wanted a full set of samurai armor to complete my hero outfit, but I had to be fully grown first, so I wouldn't run the risk of outgrowing it. By the time that happened, Rothie was quite old, and I wanted to pay tribute to him for all those times he'd let me play the samurai. A bulldog figurine was the only dog ornament the blacksmith had, but I know Rothie appreciated it all the same. That tail of his never stopped wagging when he saw the helmet."
"You were born to be a hero," Ashi smiled. "Is that why you decided to work for your father then? Protect the family interests?"
"I assume so," he answered, unsure of himself. "To be honest, I never considered any other career choice. That is what was expected of me and I was, and still am, satisfied with my decision."
She felt no such loyalty to her father, and it wasn't like she was leaving him in the lurch. Avi and Ali already vowed to work for him, Avi on the business end, and Ali as an engineer. "Sorry for all the career questions. I'm about to enter university and I'm still unsure about what I want to do with my life."
"I don't know about you, but I find that surrendering yourself to music is a wonderful way to distract yourself from life's problems. Clears your head, and lets you think from a new perspective," Olivia suggested with a cheeky grin.
"I quite agree," she returned, thinking of how the music and the ecstasy helped her chase away her fears and pursue a man for the first time in her life. "I better stock up on some protein to get me through tonight. Excuse me." She stocked up on a variety of meat, not really conscious of what was on her plate until she saw Jack blush as she set it down and took her seat. What? She didn't look at what she had stabbed with her fork until she brought it close to her mouth. Oh. Bratwurst, uncut. Of course, she smiled, thinking back to the "swordplay" incident. Was he thinking of it too? He will now. She ran her tongue down the length of the shaft before slowly deep throating it as best as she could, biting off at least half of it in one go, chewing slowly while making eye contact with him. This could be you.
Jack had become bright red and flushed, tugging at his collar. "Please, excuse me for a moment, ladies," he said as he quickly stood and practically ran toward the men's room.
Crap, did I go too far? Considering how Olivia was now glaring at her, Ashi had to say yes.
"What are your intentions with him?" The deejay practically growled. "He may be hot, but he's sweet and shy. He's not some experienced playboy. I don't want to see him get hurt."
Ashi hung her head in shame and told her about last night in detail: the ecstasy, meeting Jack, falling head over heels in lust, how he stayed with her all night to discourage others from taking advantage, and the vow to lose her virginity to him. "I've always been too shy to date, too scared to really chase after my crushes. Jack is… different, somehow. I want to date him, to be with him, but to flat out tell him is difficult, though it should be the easiest thing in the world."
"Admitting your true feelings to someone you care about never is," Olivia assured her, her tone far more gentle then before, and covered Ashi's hands with her own. "But with Jack, my best advice to tell him flat out how you feel. Being flirtatious, well… you saw how well that turned out."
Ashi's face turned as red as Jack's did before he ran off. "Has this happened before? Has he stayed with a woman who was under the influence to protect her from others?"
"Not that I've heard of, and he usually tells me everything that happens on the floor when he's here. But I have seen ladies throw themselves at him, be quite overt with their intentions, and he quickly escapes the situation, acting like he'll die of embarrassment. The fact that he's still with you, and invited you to tonight's rave, says something."
She smiled graciously, hoping that she didn't completely screw everything up, and then lost that confidence as Jack returned to the table. "I'm so sorry; I never should have taken it that far."
"No, no, it is quite alright," he waved off her apology. "It had nothing to do with you, I promise."
Liar. The women agreed as they shared a look between them, but all was forgiven as lunch continued on, with merry conversation and a friendship growing strong between them. Then came dessert, and all the unintentional sex jokes that came with it.
"This pie is delicious! Try some?" Ashi didn't realize until it was too late how her invite could be taken, but her sincerity shown through as Olivia laughed heartily, and Jack readily accepted, taking a good portion with his fork, and tonguing the cherries between the crusts before properly taking a bite. Maybe he does want me? She prayed it was true, but Olivia was right. She'd only find out if she was open and honest with Jack about how she felt and what she wanted, but that required the right time, when they were alone.
"Olivia, you should really complain to the management," his tone was serious but his eyes betrayed laughter. "To be so cheap to not only offer store bought cookies, but to run out so soon? Horrible business practice." He opened his closed palm to reveal a single Oreo.
Olivia's eyes widened and then nodded in approval. Ashi raised an eyebrow in confusion. Was this some sort of practiced routine? "You know, it is only polite to share with our guest."
"Indeed," Jack agreed with a sly grin.
"What's going on?" Was there some kind of competition over who got the cream, or significance for the person who won? Why were they acting so strange?
Jack put half of the cookie between his teeth and leaned forward, offering the rest to her. So weird, Ashi thought but leaned forward as well, taking a gentle bite. Suddenly he lunged forward, capturing her lips in a kiss, mixing the sweetness of the cookie with the softness of his lips, overwhelming her senses. She barely had time to react before he pulled away, a proud smile on his face as he chewed and swallowed. It was only instincts that guided her to do the same, too overwhelmed by the sensations of what had just happened.
"You kissed me first," she dumbly pointed out. That didn't happen before. Anytime they kissed last night, she had always initiated it.
"Yes, yes I did," he confirmed, still with that smug grin on his face.
Ashi beamed brightly, more than convinced that she had a chance to sleep with him before her trip's end. "I can't wait for tonight's rave."
"Neither can we," her friends agreed.