Chapter Eight: All Good Things Must End

Eiji woke around 9:00 AM, Ash still plastered to him as if he were another appendage. He knew Ash would sleep far into the afternoon if he let him. Eiji parted the hair on Ash's forehead, before placing a kiss right beneath his hairline. He began mindlessly running his fingers through Ash's golden hair. A moment later his hand halted, remembering what had happened the night before. His hand came to rest on the crown of Ash's head.

" 'S Ok." Ash muttered without opening his eyes. He nuzzled closer into Eiji. "Please don't stop." He told Eiji. A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as Eiji began gently stroking his hair again.

"Morning, Ash." Eiji said with a small yawn.

"Mmm. Time is it?"

Eiji smiled at Ash's lack of full sentences.

"You're so cute when you're sleepy." Eiji said, unable to stop himself.

"If only you could see yourself." Ash said, eyes still closed. "Time is it?" he repeated, realizing Eiji hadn't answered him.

Ash felt Eiji shift slightly as he moved to see the clock.

"9:09." He stated, shifting his body back again.

With great mental effort, Ash peeled himself off Eiji. He sat up, looking down at Eiji as he remained laying down. Ash outstretched his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind Eiji's ear. His hand lingered, holding the side of Eiji's face. Eiji closed his eyes, leaning into Ash's touch like a puppy.

"Can I take you out to breakfast?" Ash asked him sweetly.

Eiji's eyes lit up and sparkled in excitement. "We're going to breakfast?!" He sat up quickly, looking like a child on Christmas morning. Ash chuckled, Eiji really was something else.

"There's this crepe place a few blocks down, I was thinking we could go there. Do you like crepes, Ei-chan?"

"I've never had one."

Ash let his mouth fall open dramatically. "No!" he said, faux shock filling his voice.

A huge grin spread across Eiji's face. "Is that bad?"

"The worst." Ash teased. He reached out and ruffled Eiji's hair, leaving it in shambles. "Eiji, you should take a shower, I can't take you to breakfast looking like that." Ash teased.

He expected Eiji to joke right back with a "And who's fault is that" or a "You should see yourself," but instead he just hopped off the bed with an excited " 'K!"

Eiji had showered the night before, but he'd either forgotten or just didn't care. Ash was due for a shower himself but didn't feel like waiting that long. Instead, he had Eiji pass him some shampoo, and pulled the bold move of washing his hair in the kitchen sink. This was a concept that Eiji found absolutely absurd.

While Eiji was still showering, Ash changed into his classic white tee, a denim jacket, faded skinny jeans, and red converse. When Eiji exited the bathroom, he was wearing dark jeans, a beautiful emerald green, chunky knit sweater, and black sneakers. Eiji had towel-dried his hair, but it was still damp.

"Eiji, where do you find all those fantastic sweaters?" Ash asked from the armchair as Eiji walked down the hall towards him.

"Fantastic?" Eiji raised both his eyebrows. In moments like these, he very much wished he could raise a single eyebrow at a time, just like Ash could.

"Mmm. I keep a mental ranking." Ash grinned.

"And where does this one fall?" Eiji asked, standing right in front of him now.

"It's my third favorite."

"And what are the top two?"

"Second favorite is that grey one with the stitches that look like diamonds." Ash said, looking at the ceiling as if his mental list was stored there.

Eiji grinned "That one is nice but kinda itchy."

"So that's why I haven't seen it in a while."

"That and it's summer, Ash." He smiled. "What's the top favorite?"

"The pink and white one. It suits you so well." Ash said automatically.

"Mmm, that one's my favorite too. It's insanely soft." Eiji told him. Ash smiled up at him, and then suddenly popped up from his seat.

"Come on, let's get a move on." Boldly, Ash grabbed Eiji's hand as he moved towards the door. Eiji excitedly skipped closer to Ash, grabbing his arm like a child.

"That's illegal, ya know." Ash said as he locked the apartment door.

"What is?"

"Being that damn cute." Ash teased.

Eiji glanced up at him, sticking his tongue out, which caused Ash to laugh.

"Come on, you." he said, leading him down the hall to the elevator.

As the doors of the complex opened, they were hit with a wave of heat. They both instantly regretted their clothing choices.

"Does this place have indoor seating?" Eiji asked.

"Yeah, good thing, huh?"

Eiji nodded. He released Ash's arm. He glanced up at Ash, his face suddenly more serious. "You feel well enough-this is safe right?"

"I wouldn't take you if it wasn't. You're okay going right?"

"I feel safe whenever I'm with you." This comment got Eiji a quick, tight, one-handed side hug. Ash gave Eiji's head a little bonk with his own head.

"You're too good. Let's go."

They walked several blocks hand-in-hand until they reached the cafe. Thankfully, the air conditioning successfully kept out the summer heat. It was a cute little cafe. It was minimally decorated. It's white walls and white marble counters gave the small building an open feel. There was a floral mural acting as an accent wall at the back of the cafe. A vase of fresh flowers sat on each table. All around, people were taking photos of their art-like crepes as they arrived at their tables. Eiji ordered a chocolate and strawberry crepe and a latte. Ash ordered one filled with raspberries and lemon curd, as well as a black coffee.

As they waited for their food to arrive, Eiji asked Ash coyly "This counts as our second date, right?"

"I hate to break it to you, Ei-chan, but people generally don't keep track of dates past the first one. But yes, this definitely counts"

"Then people are stupid." he paused before adding "but then again, they aren't dating Ash Lynx so I guess I can't blame them for not being as excited."

"You're a dork." Ash said, but he was smiling from ear to ear, looking at Eiji like he was made of gold.

The waitress arrived at their table, just then, delivering their mouth-watering crepes.

Eiji's first bite made him slap his cheeks with pure joy "Soooo good!" Eiji smiled so big his eyes were mere slits. When the waitress came back to check on them, Ash whispered something to her. When she came back to give Ash the bill, she handed him a takeout box. Ash thanked her and paid the bill, leaving a more than generous tip.

"What's in the box?" Eiji asked as they stepped outside.

"I got a few more to take home with us."

Eiji gasped loudly with excitement.

"I told her to grab me two savory ones and two more sweet ones, whatever's their best sellers. Oh and I obviously had to get two more of those chocolate strawberry ones. I had to see that face again, you looked so happy. So that makes three more for each of us." Ash smirked.

"Ash...Marry me." Eiji said gazing into Ash's eyes as he held onto his jacket for dear life. Ash knew he was joking, but it still made his stomach flip

"I thought you'd never ask." he teased, ruffling Eiji's hair.

"Wow, as the words left my mouth, I totally expected you to call me a 'dork' again."

"But then I'd risk you never asking it again." he said sappily. Eiji turned ten shades of red and quickly began walking back the way they'd came. He heard Ash laughing as he raced after him. "Wait up!"

When they returned home, Eiji changed into a pale yellow t-shirt, deciding the sweater was far too hot for the day. Now, they both relaxed on the sofa. Ash was reading a book, sitting on the middle cushion. Eiji lay scrolling on his phone. His head was leaned against the armrest and his legs were draped over Ash's.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Eiji asked, looking up at Ash.

"Doing what?" he asked, playing dumb.

"Don't pretend you don't know. You keep looking at the time." Eiji said seriously.

For a moment Ash didn't answer. Finally, he met Eiji's eyes and responded. "Max and Ibe-san are coming over at noon." It was already a few minutes past noon, they were late. Ash's stomach was in knots.

Suddenly, Ash looked very sad, which made Eiji's heart flutter in panic.

"No, Ash! Please tell me that look isn't about what I think it's about!" Eiji shouted

Just then Max knocked at the door. Ash moved Eiji's legs off his and went to answer the door. Eiji was on the verge of panic. Tears already glazed his eyes. Suddenly he was sweating and cold at the same time. Breathing no longer felt like a mindless activity.

"Good to see ya again, Ei-" Max's booming voice stopped at the sight of Eiji. He turned to Ash "You already told him."

"No, but I think he's figured it out."

"I'm not leaving, if that's what this is about!" Eiji shouted. He looked at Ibe. "I'm not leaving unless Ash is coming with us!"

"Eiji, please, be rational. Our visas are about to expire." Ibe pleaded.

"And having you here puts both you and Ash in danger, we can't afford to ignore that." Max added.

Tears began streaming down Eiji's face. He knew they were right, but he didn't care. He couldn't leave Ash. He didn't want to leave Ash. Ash stood by the door, unable to look at them.

"We have a plan, Eiji. I've been thinking about it for some time now."

"And you never thought to involve me in the process?!" Eiji didn't want to shout at Ash, but his emotions got the better of him.

Ash winced. "Just try to stay calm, okay? I've thought about it, and this is the only way...but I know you're not gonna like it."

"Ash! Why would you devise a plan you know I wouldn't li-"

"Eiji!" Ash shouted "Please, just listen! It's not like I like it either, but it's the only way."

Eiji was silent. His face was red, but not in the way Ash was used to. Now, his face was red with tears, with pain. Pain that Ash was actively causing. It broke his heart. Max and Ibe were silent, each sitting in their own armchair. Ash left his spot by the door to join Eiji once again on the couch. He took a deep breath.

"Tomorrow, Ibe is taking you back to Japan on the 9 AM flight."

"Ash, please, no…" Eiji pleaded, his voice cracking. Tears spilled from his bloodshot eyes. "Please…"

Ash took Eiji's hand in his. He shakily inhaled another deep breath. Eiji braced himself.

"And-And while you're boarding, I'll be-" he paused a moment, not sure if he could get the words out. He knew they would break Eiji. "I'll be fighting Arthur."

"NO! No, no, no, no, no!"

"It's already been decided, he's expecting me."

"No, you can't do that, you can't!" Panic was in full swing inside Eiji's blood. He could barely breathe, his throat felt so tight, as if it were swelling up. He was shaking. His vision spun with panic-induced vertigo.

Ash grabbed his shoulders. "I need you to take a deep breath, okay. Breathe in with me….and out"

Eiji didn't even try to breathe along with Ash. He just sat there shaking his head, muttering 'no' over and over again.

"Eiji, I'm gonna fight Arthur, and I'm gonna let him think he's won. I'm gonna fake my death, but Alex and all the other guys will be on standby, they're not gonna let me actually die."

Eiji stood violently. He looked as if he'd just been stabbed, right then and there. He had no words, he just stood there shaking with his hands at his throat, struggling to breathe. Ibe-san rushed to him, holding him by the shoulders as Ash continued talking, very calmly.

"Alex will be named the gang's new leader. And I'll have to lie low here for a while. I'll be leading the gang secretly, from behind the scenes, until we get to the end of Banana Fish. It needs to be destroyed, Golzine needs to be stopped, I can't just drop that. It might take a few months, but once it's finished, once everything is safe, I'll meet you in Japan. Eiji, I promise, I'll meet you in Japan."

"Unless you actually die, Ash! Faking your death is too dangerous! You're still not fully healed! How am I supposed to live if you die?!" Eiji was actually screaming now, tears breaking his voice every few words. Ash was crying too, he had tried to stay strong, but he couldn't help it. Seeing Eiji like this was destroying him.

"I don't know what else to do, Eiji, this is the only way! Then we'll both be safe and-"

"You'll be stabbed! How can you call that safe?!" Eiji yelled. Violently, he ripped himself free of Ibe's grip. He dodged Ash and bolted out the apartment door, slamming it behind him.

"Eiji!" Ash was caught by Max. He held him in a death grip, refusing to let him go.

"Ash, let him have some space." Max spoke to him calmly, as one would an injured animal.

"Let me go, old man! Eiji!"

"Shhhh...He needs air. He needs time to process this. He'll be okay, I'm sure he won't go far. Shhh…" Max loosened his grip as Ash collapsed against him, absolutely sobbing.

Two hours passed and Eiji had still not returned to the apartment. Ash was starting to worry he'd never come back, that maybe he'd been kidnapped or killed. Max and Ibe tried to console him, to no avail. Ash was a wreck. As a third hour passed, Max finally agreed to let Ash go look for him. If Eiji was still alive, or if he hadn't been kidnapped, Ash was fairly certain he'd be up on the roof.

Ash raced up the stairs and through the heavy metal door. Ash felt as if all the air in his lungs had been vacuumed out as he saw Eiji laying on the roof, his head facing away from Ash. He was dead, Ash was certain of it. Ash ran to him, screaming his name, certain Eiji wouldn't look up. But of course, he did, because Eiji was not dead. He looked at Ash as he came crashing down on the pavement, gathering Eiji's head in his lap.

Eiji's eyes were bloodshot, his face was still red and tear-stained. He looked up at Ash as his face hovered only inches from his own. Ash was sobbing, his tears landing on Eiji as he stroked his dark hair.

"I'm not dead, Ash" Eiji spoke to him softly.

"Eiji-I-I-I'm so sorry." Ash choked out between sobs. "I didn't want to hurt you, Eiji-" he inhaled a shaky breath. "Eiji! I love you!"

Eiji slowly rose up and tightly hugged Ash. "I love you too. That's why it hurts so bad."

Ash was crying into Eiji's neck now, slowly soaking his shirt collar. "I know, but it's going to all workout."

"You can't possibly know that." Eiji told him in a monotone, broken voice.

"I promise, you'll just have to trust me."

"I trust you, Ash. I do." Eiji said after a long moment of silence.

It seemed Eiji had spent all his tears, and now it was time for Ash to spend his. Eiji held him until he had no tears left to cry.

After Max and Ibe had left, Ash and Eiji collapsed on the couch. Eiji lay completely on top of Ash, as if he were a newborn baby laying on its mother's chest. They fell asleep within minutes, but not before Eiji told Ash he loved him a few more times. He couldn't seem to stop saying it, since the roof. If they were to be parted tomorrow, he wanted Ash to hear the words as many times as possible.

About an hour into their nap, Alex, Kong, and Bones strolled into the apartment. Upon seeing the two passed out on the couch, a sad smile cast over Alex's face. Their faces were both still red and stained with dried tears. Eiji's skin was sunburnt from his time on the roof.

"Looks like The Boss finally told him."

"He sure waited till the last minute. Don't they leave tomorrow?" Kong asked.

"Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here. They're hurting, they need space." Alex told them, heading for the door.

The sun had begun to set when they woke. Now, they sat on the balcony eating their savory crepes in silence.

"Ibe already packed your things, while you were on the roof." Ash said, finally breaking the silence.

"Can we please not talk about it?" Eiji asked, his voice monotone. He'd accepted tomorrow's fate but still didn't want to think about it.

"We kinda have to." Ash said solemnly. "Eiji, there's a favor I need you to do for me before you get on that flight."

"Anything." Eiji said instantly, his voice still emotionless.

"I want you to take a Xanax after we say goodbye." Ash said, taking Eiji's hand in his.

"I don't know what that means."

"It's a prescription med. It's for panic attacks. I don't want to think of you panicking on that plane for 14 hours. I didn't know you got them until today."

"That's what made jumping impossible...after my injury." Eiji told him, finishing his last bite of crepe. "Is this another drug it'd be weird for a gangster to not have on hand?"

"Nnno…" Ash drug the word out to avoid the next words just a few seconds longer. "No, this is the stuff Golzine has to use to medicate his broken monster before he does his bidding."

Eiji's eyes were suddenly on Ash, filled with tears yet again. "Ash-"

Ash grabbed Eiji's hand tighter. "I'm sorry, Eiji, I shouldn't have said that-Please don't cry again, baby."

The word 'baby' made Eiji lose it. Besides calling him 'sweetie' in prison as a part of an act, Ash had never called Eiji a pet name. Ash pulled Eiji into his lap, stroking his hair, trying to calm him down. Eiji was hugging him tightly, crying softly into his neck.

"I love you, Ash." It sounded almost like a plea.

"Shhh, I know, Eiji. I know. And once we're both safe in Japan, you can tell me every day for the rest of your life."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You'll call me right, after the fight? To let me know you're safe? That you're still alive?"

"If I don't, Max will. You've seen me injured, I might not be very cognizant."

"Who's gonna change your bandages? Who's gonna feed you?" Eiji asked hastily, an edge of panic on his tongue.

"Don't worry, I'll make them take care of me this time...if it means putting you at ease." Ash told him, giving his back a reassuring rub as he continued to hold him. "I'm gonna smell like shit though. None of those boys will be so kind as to bathe me like you did." Ash joked.

"Maybe don't fight Arthur in skinny jeans." he tried to joke back. Ash laughed.

"All I own are skinny jeans."

"Well then make sure he stabs you in a spot that won't make it too hard to move."

"It has to be in my shoulder or my side. I can't let him hit anything vital, but it still has to be believable." Ash said, serious again. This statement got another 'I love you' from Eiji's lips.

"I promise, it will work out. I promise."

"I love you." Was all that Eiji responded, his voice filled with sorrow and disbelief.