Ash went red and slammed his fist on the table. "That was a long time ago!"

His father and Shorter were doubled over with laughter.

"You're afraid of pumpkins?" Eiji laughed.

"I am not!" Ash barked.

Shorter held up one of the tiny pumpkins, and turned its Sharpied face towards Ash. Ash grabbed it and chucked it out the open window.

Eiji clamped his hand to his mouth in an effort to stifle his laughter. Ash glared at him and then turned around and marched up the stairs angrily.

"Oh, come on, Ash," Jim laughed. "Come back. We'll get rid of the pumpkins."

"I am not afraid of pumpkins!" Ash yelled. "And we have an early start tomorrow, so if you don't mind, I am going to bed."

Jim and Shorter looked at each other and doubled over in a new fit of laughter.

Eiji pushed his chair back from the table, grinning, and bowed to Jennifer and Jim. Jennifer gave him a warm smile and waved him goodbye.

"Where's he going?" Jim asked, still gasping with laughter.

Jennifer shook her head. "Jim Callenreese, you really are as blind as a lump of clay."

"What?" Jim laughed. "What'd I miss?" He pushed back from the table and started clearing away the dishes, still laughing with Shorter.

Jennifer looked up the stairs and smiled quietly. "Everything."

"Pumpkins, huh?"

Ash looked up. Eiji had followed him into the bedroom and was standing in the doorway, grinning.

Ash rolled his eyes and smiled. "Don't you start. And besides, it's not true. I haven't been afraid of pumpkins since I was a kid."

"Oh good," Eiji giggled. "I was about to call Dino and tell him he could fire his bodyguards and plant a pumpkin patch instead."

The pouty look on Ash's face was the last straw and Eiji busted up in a fit of laughter.

"I knew bringing you here was a mistake," Ash said, trying to look angry and hide his smile. "This is going to really hurt my street cred, you know?"

"I'll say!" Eiji could hardly breathe with laughter. "The guy who's got the mafia at gunpoint, scared of a pumpkin!"

"Hey! Everybody's scared of something," Ash pouted. "At least I'm not scared of spiders or snakes or something."

Ash sat down on the bed petulantly and started pulling off his shoes. Eiji sat beside him and nudged him playfully.

"So if you're not scared of pumpkins," Eiji chuckled. "What are you afraid of?"

Ash shrugged casually. "Nothing. I'm a tough gang leader. I'm not afraid of anything."

But his eyes had flicked first to Eiji. And Eiji saw it.

"I'm dangerous for you," Eiji said quietly. "Sing says I'm your weak spot."

"A lot of people confuse love with weakness. A body may die if you stab it in the heart, but that doesn't mean you can live without one."

He looked up at Eiji and smiled. "Love is a strength more than it's a weakness."

Eiji blushed. He glanced at Ash and looked at him thoughtfully. "We've never talked about stuff like this before. I feel like I don't know anything about you."

"Oh come on," Ash grinned. "You've met my parents, you know I'm afraid of pumpkins, what more do you want to know?"

Eiji laughed.

"I'm an open book," Ash said, leaning back on the bed. "Anything you want to know, just ask me."

Eiji laid down on the bed beside him, rolling to face Ash. "Why does Jennifer call you Aslan?"

Ash laughed. "That's what my mom named me. She died when I was a baby. But no one calls me Aslan anymore." He smiled, "Except Jennifer."

Eiji smiled. He sighed and looked around the room - the place where Ash had grown up. Books and childhood knicknacks were scattered across the shelves along with a photograph of Ash and Griffin dressed in baseball gear, Jim's arms hooked proudly around their shoulders.

Eiji looked around and suddenly realized there was only one bed.

"Are we both staying in here?"

Took him long enough to notice. Ash smiled. "Yeah, I told Jennifer you'd stay with me tonight."

Eiji's eyes widened and he went red. "Do you think she knows?"

Ash laughed and rolled over, pinning Eiji to the bed beneath him. "If they don't now, they sure will by morning," he murmured, kissing Eiji hungrily.

"Ash!" Eiji gasped, glancing at the door in embarrassment as if he expected Ash's parents to suddenly walk in.

Ash grinned and then leaned down and kissed Eiji gently. Eiji shook his head, smiling.

Ash let Eiji push him off but not without extracting another kiss.

"You're a bad influence," Eiji said, blushing.

Ash grinned evilly. "Don't tempt me. I can be a downright sinner when I want to."

Ash laid back in bed and stretched out. Eiji laid down beside him and Ash looked at him, tracing his features in the glow of the moonlight.

Eiji smiled and shook his head. "I still can't believe you never told me your name was Aslan."

Ash shrugged. "You knew my last name wasn't really Lynx. You just never asked. But I trust you with my secrets. You can trust me too, if you want."

"What do you mean?"

"You still hide things from me."

Eiji sat up and looked away. "Ash, I-"

"It's okay, Eiji. I understand," Ash said, sitting up beside him. He wrapped his arms around Eiji and pressed his head against his back. "I just wish I knew how to prove you can trust me."

"I do trust you, Ash," Eiji said, turning. "It's just… some secrets are painful. I want to bury the past and my secrets with it."

The curtains swayed in the soft breeze that came in from the bay, the moonlight rippling across the fabric. The night air was fresh and smelled like the sea. It was so quiet and gentle here compared to the city.

"You can't bury the past, Eiji," Ash whispered.

There was a distant sadness in Ash's eyes and Eiji suddenly wondered what ghosts haunted Ash's dreams. What secrets he had that no one else knew.

"You have to face the darkness head on," Ash said quietly. "Otherwise it will consume you."

Eiji looked away. Ash leaned his head against Eiji's shoulder, his arms wrapped around him.

"You don't have to tell me anything," Ash said quietly. "But when you're ready, I just wanted you to know that I'm someone you can trust."

"I-" Eiji looked at Ash. "I want to tell you. I- I'll try."

Ash smiled and hugged Eiji gently. Eiji buried his face in Ash's chest and let Ash's arms soften the fear and tension in his heart.

"No more secrets," Eiji whispered. He looked up at Ash. "What do you want to know?"

"Well…" Ash said. "We can start with how long you've been able to understand English."

Eiji's eyes shot up in surprise.

Ash grinned at him slyly. "Just how much English do you know?"

A thousand lies and excuses flooded into Eiji's head. But he wouldn't lie to Ash, not again.

"O-only a little," Eiji said hesitantly.

Ash nodded. "Your accent's still pretty strong. And when you speak, you don't seem certain of the words. But you understand more than you let on, don't you?"

Eiji nodded quietly. "I understand most of what you say. Not every word but I can usually piece it together. But I don't practice speaking it much."

He looked up at Ash, his eyes fearful. "Are you angry?"

Ash smiled. "No. You didn't know who you could trust yet. I can understand keeping it hidden. I imagine it came in handy."

Eiji nodded but he looked like he was in pain. His hand flexed out and clenched against his side. "How did you find out?"

"You hid it well," Ash said, watching him quietly. "There were a couple little slip ups here and there. You always seem to know more than you should. And sometimes you react to things you shouldn't."

He glanced at Eiji and smiled softly. "And you said 'I love you' in English that night, you know."

Eiji looked at Ash and blushed. Ash grinned.

"And there was the fact that you greeted my parents in English," Ash said, counting on his fingers. "You laugh at their jokes…"

Eiji stared at the ground, embarrassed. "I just wanted to make a good first impression."

Ash smiled at him. "So. How long?"

Eiji looked away but Ash saw the darkness in his eyes.

"Since the beginning, I guess," Eiji said quietly. "Dino taught me so I could spy on clients for him. I wasn't allowed to speak in English or tell anybody. He- he hurt me if I-"

A shudder ran through Eiji's body and he clenched his fists. Ash's hand touched the thin, silver scars that ran across his body, shining dimly in the moonlight.

"What did he do to you?" Ash whispered.

Eiji looked up, the old traces of fear and shame flickering through his eyes. He looked away. "He did whatever he wanted. Gave me to clients. Used me himself. Anything he thought could give him pleasure or an advantage."

"How long?"

"Since my mom died." Eiji looked at Ash. "It wasn't a car accident. Dino tried to take both of us. My mom, she died trying to…" Eiji broke off, brushing the tears from his eyes.

Ash was suddenly reminded of that innocent, little kid in the photograph. That undaunted smile. Bright eyes that looked at the world with wonder and excitement.

The Eiji that sat beside him now was thin and haunted; his dark eyes filled with tears, any smile rare and flickering.

Golzine had taken everything from him. More even than he knew…

Ash stood quietly and walked across the room to his jacket. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of the pocket and handed it to Eiji.

"No more secrets," Ash said softly.

Eiji looked up and took it, confused. "What is this?"

"I'm sorry," Ash said. "I should have given it to you earlier. I didn't know how to tell you."

Eiji looked at the piece of paper. Silent tears slid down his face.

It was a copy of a news article Shorter had found, the eulogy for Eiji's father who had died in a hospital eight years ago. The eulogy stated that the father, already weak with illness, had likely died from heartbreak when he learned of the tragic passing of his wife and son while they were traveling overseas in America. Included in the article was a photo of the family the last time they were all together.

"What about my sister?" Eiji asked quietly and without hope, his finger tracing over the young girl's smiling face.

Ash shook his head. "We haven't been able to find her. There's no mention of what happened to her. But she's likely still alive," he added, though he didn't quite believe his own words.

Eiji nodded quietly and handed the photograph back.

Ash shook his head. "Keep it."

"But what about destroying all the evidence?" Eiji asked.

"I think we can risk one little photograph."

He sat on the bed beside Eiji and held him. Ash could feel the warm stains of Eiji's tears seeping into his shirt and wished there was something he could do.

"Stay by my side," Eiji whispered. "It doesn't have to be forever. Even if it's just for now."

Ash looked down at Eiji and kissed him gently.

"Forever," he promised.