Chapter Twenty-One: Your Soul In Mine

Author's Note: The title comes from the song Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) by the Detroit Emeralds. It's an oldie from the '70s. Let me tell you, you should do yourself a favor and check it out! It's an absolute beauty. This is the big one, boys and girls, you have been warned. ;)

Lights flickered on and quickly back off. With a click, the blue light cast from the blank TV screen zapped back into the flat screen. Soft footsteps carried loving eyes away. Soft sounds of closing drawers and the slight clinking of plates and chopsticks filled the air. The bathroom door closed silently. Only the gentle sound of running water and the unclasping of makeup compacts could be heard through the closed door. Aki's morning routine hadn't been this quiet since Miyuki was a baby.

On the couch, Ash and Eiji slept soundly, limbs loosely entwined with one another under the warmth of the fluffy blanket. Matte pink lips pressed tenderly to each boy's forehead as Aki left for work. Neither boy stirred but for a moment, each unconscious chest was filled with warmth as motherly love radiated through their body. The front door closed softly. A metallic click sounded as the keys secured the door's bolt.

A half-hour later Miyuki came down the stairs and made the same mistake her mother had only an hour ago. She flipped the lights on and quickly turned them back off as she noticed the sleeping boys. Miyuki, in her very nature, was not a quiet girl, yet she tried her absolute hardest to be silent as she prepared her breakfast. A stick of butter fell out of the fridge as she opened it. She muttered a Japanese curse as it hit her foot. Her head shot to the living room as she heard a muffled laugh from the sofa. Ash was propped up on his elbow just slightly as his head turned to see her. In the darkened room, he looked so different. His face was somehow softer and his hair appeared a few shades darker than its typical blond. Miyuki squinted at him, trying to decide if it was actually him. He smiled to himself and laid back down, nestling closer to Eiji's sleeping form.

Miyuki shrugged and finished making her breakfast. She walked with her plate as she ate, unable to restrain her curiosity. She peered into the living room. She jumped as those piercing green eyes flashed open to meet hers. Once she saw those eyes, she could clearly tell it was Ash. Pink visibly flooded her skin, even in the low light. Ash didn't smirk, just continued to stare her down, as if to say 'don't you dare wake Eiji.' Miyuki mouthed an apology before retreating upstairs with her breakfast in hand.

Miyuki returned downstairs ten minutes later dressed in her tennis uniform with a gym bag slung over her shoulder. It was Saturday but she had an early 8 AM practice. She pulled on her tennis shoes at the front door and looked once more at the boys on the sofa as she opened the door. Her eyes met the green ones watching her. On her hands, she held up a one and a zero to indicate when she'd be back, presumably for the weekly Japanese tutoring session. Ash nodded in acknowledgment. She waved goodbye and locked the door as she left. Ash closed his eyes and placed a barely-there kiss on the back of Eiji's neck, thankful he was still sleeping soundly. He tried, without success, to fall back asleep. After a while, it became clear sleep wasn't coming. Instead, he basked in Eiji's goodness. It was far better than sleeping anyway.

Eiji stirred around 9 AM. He opened his eyes, slightly disoriented as he awoke in a room that was neither his own nor the hotel room he'd grown accustomed to during their trip to Tokyo. Ash dropped a kiss to the base of his neck, which caused Eiji to roll over to face him. Now, they lay with their faces only inches apart as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Morning, lovely," Ash whispered to Eiji.

Eiji smiled and brushed a strand of blond hair from Ash's face as he whispered back, "Hey."

"How you feeling?" Eiji asked softly.

"Like myself again," Ash smiled. It was the truth. Venting to Eiji yesterday was exactly what he needed to rid the memories from his system, at least for now. And sleeping so close to Eiji made him feel safe and kept the memories away from him as he slept soundly through the night without incident.

"Good," Eiji placed the gentlest of kisses on the tip of his nose with a smile.

"Can you kiss me for real?" Ash asked with soft eyes that were reserved for only Eiji.

Eiji's heart swelled as he felt a warmth course through his chest and shoulders. Eiji tried, without success, to stop smiling as he pressed his lips to Ash's. Ash was smiling too, resulting in a strangely endearing kiss. Their smiles dissipated as they continued to kiss each other tenderly. Bold arms lifted Eiji slightly, encouraging him to lean over Ash. Eiji obliged. He lay pressed against Ash, chest to chest. Pale hands found their way under his t-shirt and up his spine as Eiji continued to kiss him. Eiji's chest vibrated as a small, pleasured sound resonated in his throat.

Emboldened by the fingers that traced his skin, Eiji lightly ran his tongue along Ash's bottom lip. Ash opened his mouth with a small moan as Eiji's tongue found its way inside. Eiji's fingers stroked his hair as he deepened their kiss. They kissed like this for several long minutes before Eiji repositioned himself so that a knee settled into the couch on either side of Ash's hips. Against the wishes of his desire, Ash pulled his hands out of Eiji's shirt and placed them firmly on Eiji's shoulders. Eiji took the hint and broke free from his mouth, gasping for air as he did so.

"You okay?" He asked through labored breaths.

"Yes," he breathed, equally starved for oxygen. Reluctant arms pushed his body into a sitting position, forcing Eiji to awkwardly maneuver as well. Eiji's dilated eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Miyuki will be back at 10," Ash explained.

Eiji groaned in annoyance. 'We need our own place,' he thought to himself.

Ash exhaled a laugh at Eiji's reaction.

"My room?" He suggested.

"Mmm," Eiji agreed with a smile.

Ash kissed him as they stood. He pulled his lips away and walked backward with a goofy smile as he led Eiji down the hall by his hand, as if they were tourists in a foreign land. Their pillows and blankets lay abandoned on the sofa in their wake.

He locked the door behind them and pressed Eiji against the door as he kissed him feverishly. It wasn't long until hands found their way back under shirts and peeled them off. As the shirts hit the floor, Ash dropped his mouth to prominent tan clavicles. After a few hot kisses, his mouth moved down another inch to plumper flesh. Eiji gasped in loud surprise as Ash began to suck and lightly nip his flesh. No one had ever marked his skin before and the sensation was more divine than he'd expected. His head thudded against the door loudly as he moaned the blond's name. Ash left a second mark and then a third, all of which could be easily hidden beneath a t-shirt, before returning his lips to Eiji's. He kissed his moaning mouth lovingly. He then pulled away against all better judgment. He glanced at the clock which read fifteen minutes till ten. He made a pained noise and rested his sweaty forehead against Eiji's.

"We need our own place," he whispered in desperate breaths.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing," Eiji huffed in return.

"She'll be back soon," Ash said.

He lowered his lips back to Eiji and kissed him again deeply, unable to restrain his tongue as it danced with Eiji's once more. They both knew they should stop, Miyuki would be home soon, expecting Ash to be ready for their weekly study session, but it was so very difficult to drag themselves away. Ash sucked Eiji's tongue and instantly regretted the action since it drew such an erotic sound from Eiji's throat. Primal instinct rolled Eiji's hips against Ash, which threatened to buckle both their knees. Ash groaned loudly. How was he supposed to stop now? But he had to. Miyuki would be back any minute.

He pulled away as they both struggled to catch their breath.

"We have to put this on hold," Ash told the unraveled Eiji. Eiji nodded with closed eyes and an aching between his legs.

"I need to shower before she gets back."

Eiji nodded, still unable to open his eyes or speak, as he struggled to regain composure. At least this time they weren't stopping due to fear and panic. This time they both desperately wanted to continue. After a minute more, Eiji stumbled away from the door and landed on the bed. Ash made his way to the downstairs shower. Upon hearing the water, Eiji made his way to the upstairs bathroom. In their separate bathrooms, both boys performed the necessary action of sorting themselves out.

Ash finished getting ready and grabbed himself a coffee as he waited for Miyuki. Eiji eventually returned downstairs to do the same. Ash returned his pillows and blankets to his room and then found himself sitting on the sofa beside Eiji as he waited. He checked the time. 10:15.

"She's late," Ash complained, "of all days, she picked today. If I had only known."

"She's a brat," Eiji huffed as he sipped his coffee. "Better to not be rushed though," Eiji decided to add.

Ash laughed.

"Why is that funny?" Eiji asked with raised eyebrows.

Ash shook his head as the laughter subsided. "You're just too good, that's all. Stopping was the last thing you wanted."

Eiji laughed awkwardly and sipped his coffee to avoid responding.

They sat drinking their coffee in silence as the minutes ticked by. At 10:30 Ash looked genuinely annoyed.

"Seriously, what's taking her so long?" His hands slapped the couch cushions in frustration. "I'm calling her." Ash dialed her number and she answered immediately.

"Hey! I'm almost there!" She said into the phone.

"Taking your sweet time," Ash grumbled.

"Oh well," on the other end Ash could hear her feet picking up the pace, "I saw your eyes this morning and thought maybe I should be late," she said suggestively through the phone.

"Well you told me ten Mi, so I was ready at ten. But an extra half hour would have been nice," Ash said venomously into the phone.

Miyuki talked loud, as always, so Eiji could adequately hear both sides of the conversation. He rolled his eyes in frustration.

Miyuki's laugh crackled loudly through the speaker and Ash pulled the phone away from his ear in discomfort.

"Ooops! Sorry!" She said with another laugh. "Okay, I'm like two houses away, see ya in a sec!" And then she hung up.

Eiji slapped a hand to his forehead. "Wow!"

"Whatever, we'll finish later," Ash said with a wink that flipped Eiji's stomach. He stood and grabbed his backpack that housed his textbooks.

The lock sounded and Miyuki emerged through the door. "I'm gonna change real quick!" She said as she slipped off her shoes. "I'll be like...two minutes!" She called as she raced down the hall, sliding as she rounded the corner in her socks. When she came back she was in jean shorts and a pale pink t-shirt that complimented her dark hair nicely. Her white backpack was slung over her shoulder.

"Ok! I'm ready!" She said happily. She looked at Eiji and asked, "Wanna come?"

Ash's face twisted in devilish mischief. The joke was too easy not to make, especially after the morning they'd had. "Yeah, Eiji, wanna come?" He asked, emphasizing the last word.

Eiji shot him a death glare. He couldn't believe Ash would make such a vulgar joke in front of his sister. "No," he said.

Miyuki's English was good, excellent even, but she had no reason to understand the double meaning of the word. And Ash was betting on it. She looked lost as the joke missed her by a mile.

"Are you sure? We're getting lunch after."

"You're getting lunch after?" Eiji asked. Now he was tempted.

"Yeah, we always do." She said simply. "Come on, it will be fun. With the three of us, we can practice conversation skills better."

Eiji groaned as if he were a dad giving into a child. "Oh, alright," he said as he rose from the couch, "if you promise to behave yourself," he said, giving Ash's arm a friendly punch.

"I always behave myself," Ash argued with a raised brow.

"Bullshit."

Studying was the last thing either boy wanted to do. Ash was a good sport, but Eiji, on the other hand, was mainly there for the promised lunch that followed. He participated in helping Ash with conversation skills, but when it came time for Miyuki to tutor him on writing and new vocabulary, he zoned out. His hair fanned out on the library table as the other two worked beside him. He closed his eyes as he listened to them chat in his native tongue. Ash couldn't help but steal a few glances at Eiji. His dark hair looked lovely against the light woodgrain of the table.

"Hey!" Miyuki snapped her fingers inches away from Ash's face, interrupting one of said glances. "Focus!"

He turned back to his textbook. "You're a tyrant," he muttered.

She placed an aggressive hand on the top of his head and pushed it down into his book. "Sorry, what was that?!" She asked aggressively.

Ash's hand slapped onto her wrist as his head sprung up, even under the pressure of her hand.

Eiji's eyes opened to see what all the commotion was about.

"I said, keep your hands off me, ya brat!" He was joking, but not entirely. He was feeling better today, but yesterday that would have sent him spiraling.

A librarian rounded the corner and eyed them angrily.

Miyuki dropped her hand. "Sorry, Ash," she muttered a bit embarrassed about the mistake she'd made.

Eiji's eyes darted between them, praying Ash was alright.

"It's whatever. All good," Ash replied truthfully.

"Hey, you okay?" Eiji couldn't stop himself from asking.

"I said it's all good," Ash reassured him. "I mean what I say."

"Just double-checking."

Ash gave him the smallest of smiles that said 'thank you,' and 'I appreciate that.' Eiji understood.

He looked back at the paper he'd been working on moments ago. "So how's this?" He asked sliding the paper towards Miyuki so she could examine his work.

She focused again as she read it over. "Looks good…" she circled one of his characters "except here, you used the wrong one." She made a correction. "That's what it should look like," she explained.

Eiji smiled as he watched how quickly Ash had recovered from the near disaster. He pushed back his chair and walked past Ash. He dropped a hand to his shoulder and whispered "proud of you," in his ear as he walked by. Ash smiled.

"What'd he say?" Miyuki asked curiously.

Ash shook his head, "Nothing," he replied.

"Was it about me?" She asked.

"Why would it be about you?"

She shrugged "I don't know," the words were mumbled almost into obscurity, so that they more closely resembled a sound effect, rather than actual words.

They returned to their studies. Eiji returned a few minutes later with a book he'd snatched from a nearby shelf. He read as the pair worked.

At 12:30 they called it a day. Ash stretched his hands high over his head after softly shutting the textbook. A group of studying girls giggled in his direction.

"You're causing a scene, gorgeous," Eiji whispered jokingly. He gestured with his head to the girls.

Ash's arms paused midair. His t-shirt caught on his skin to expose a sliver of pale skin. "Well go set the record straight, lover boy." He lowered his hands back to the table and began packing up his things.

Miyuki blushed at the last two words.

Ash met her eyes. "When are you gonna get over it?" Ash teased.

"Probably never." She said flatly with utmost sincerity.

"Dear God," Ash replied with an eye roll.

As they passed the table of previously giggling girls, one of them stood. Her head was bowed in embarrassment as she handed him her phone and asked for his number in nervous Japanese that Ash was able to understand.

Miyuki and Eiji stood a few steps behind him with wide eyes.

The corners of Ash's mouth pulled down to show his teeth slightly in a universal 'this is awkward' gesture.

"Sorry, he's mine," Ash said apologetically in Japanese. He gestured behind him to Eiji who was blushing profusely.

The girl apologized and sat back down at her table. She buried her red face in her books as her friends giggled in a way unique to teenage girls.

"Wow, so possessive," Eiji teased as they continued walking.

Ash considered the statement. It was true, he could have just said 'no' or 'sorry, I'm with him,' or simply, 'I have a boyfriend,' but instead he chose the words he did.

"Miyuki inspired me to be brutally honest," he said with a shrug.

Miyuki gasped, "Don't blame that on me!" She protested quietly, yet urgently.

They proceeded with teasing talk and idle conversation as they walked to a ramen shop that had become a Saturday favorite over the past few months of tutoring.

Golden sunlight poured in the living room windows as the sun began its nightly descent. Eiji sat on the last couch cushion reading the book he'd rented from the library that afternoon. It wasn't the most interesting read, but it kept him distracted while Miyuki and Aki fumbled around the house. They were off to see a movie with some old family friends. Eiji and Ash declined the invitation to tag along. In his lap sat Ash's blond head, reflecting brightly in the golden light. He was reading too, his arms held his book above his face as his eyes darted back and forth behind thin sheets of rounded prescription glass. Unlike Eiji's, his book was quite captivating, even though he'd read it several times before.

Right then, Ash was happy he didn't know much Japanese. Normally, words thrown carelessly across the house would disrupt his concentration, but Aki and Miyuki's conversations were only partially understood by his untrained ears.

The two women pulled on jackets and shoes hurriedly as their ideal departure time ticked by.

"I'm not sure when we'll be back," Aki told Eiji in Japanese, "the movie runs until 9ish but Satsuki said something about getting ice cream afterward," she told him as she laced her shoes.

"Okay," he said lazily, barely looking up from his book.

"Sure you don't want to come? It's been a while since we've seen the Hokamas. Even longer for you. You haven't seen them since before you left for America."

"I'm not gonna make Ash sit through a movie in a language he barely understands," Eiji said as an excuse.

Ash, who hadn't been trying to decipher the Japanese, perked up at the sound of his own name. He found Aki's eyes giving his idle form a once-over as she buttoned her jean jacket.

"Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be very nice to him," she said, agreeing with Eiji's point.

"Alright," she said, turning towards Miyuki, "let's go, we'll be late otherwise."

They said their goodbyes and hurried out the door. It hadn't been locked for more than thirty seconds before Miyuki came tumbling back inside.

"Colder than I thought!" She explained as she grabbed a heavier jacket from the coat hook. Days of early spring had deceptively warm days when compared to the chilled night air.

The door closed and locked again.

When it became clear that Miyuki and Aki weren't coming back to grab a forgotten item, Eiji placed a bookmark inside his book and set it on the arm of the couch. He began running his fingers tenderly through his love's golden hair.

His face remained serious, but internally, Ash was giddy at Eiji's eagerness to pick up where they'd left off this morning. Yet, something in him told him to mess with Eiji, 'be a shit,' it provoked.

"Eiji," Ash said, in a serious voice that betrayed every cell of his body, with eyes still trained on his well-worn pages.

"Mmmhmm?" Eiji mused with entranced eyes.

"I'm not in the same mood I was in this morning," he said solemnly.

He bit his tongue to stop from smirking as he felt Eiji's fingers pause their work in his hair.

"Oh." Eiji uttered, "Okay, that's alright." His voice masked his disappointment, but Ash could still sense it. He sat and faced Eiji.

"Are you upset?" Ash asked earnestly.

"No, of course not," Eiji said dismissively with a wave of his hand.

"No more secrets," Ash drawled.

Eiji remembered their conversation back in Tokyo upon the hotel balcony. "It's okay to be bothered!" Ash had told him then.

"Well...maybe a little disappointed would be a better way to put it," Eiji said shyly.

"Ah," Ash raised his eyebrows teasingly. "Good thing I'm full of shit then." Ash leaned in to close the gap between them as he kissed Eiji with a subdued hunger.

Eiji laughed into his lips and swatted him lightly on the arm with his book. He pulled away and found Ash's eyes, looking much like they had that morning, and said "Such a shithead."

"Your shithead," Ash said flirtatiously.

"Mmmm, mine," Eiji smiled with droopy eyes as he closed the space between them in another gentle kiss.

Both books fell to the floor with soft thuds as the pair became entangled with one another. What had started as slow, gentle kisses, morphed into hungry, desperate ones that extracted small, wanting sounds from eager throats. Ash gently sucked Eij's lower lip, causing him to melt faster than a chocolate bar in a hot car on a summer day. Eiji whimpered against his mouth as he repeated the action before doing the same to his tongue.

Ash pulled Eiji by his shirt collar as he laid back on the couch so that Eiji was now positioned over him. Eiji gasped slightly in surprise at the action but never let their mouths break contact. For many long minutes, their lips continued to move passionately in unison as tongues tasted, limbs weakened, and the heat between their legs hardened.

Ash used the hand in Eiji's hair to briefly pull their heads apart so he could speak. The action elicited a pleasured gasp that utterly surprised Ash. Maybe Eiji was hiding more than he'd previously let on. Maybe more than he even knew.

Eiji was watching him intensely, expecting painful words that would end their fun. Relief flooded him when instead Ash asked, "You still want me, baby? In the way you told me about?"

He shuddered at the rare pet name. He leaned down to his lips and murmured hotly against them without restraint, "so much." Further evidence that arousal muted embarrassment for the typically blushing boy.

Ash pulled Eiji's hair again, this time with more force, to part their faces, earning him another pleasured sound. Ash smiled at the conclusion he was able to draw.

"What?" Eiji asked with closed eyes and a raised chin.

"Didn't expect you to be one to like it rough," he tightened his grip with the last word. Eiji whimpered.

"Uh!" He moaned. "Neither did I," he breathed with still-closed eyes.

Ash looked up at him in pure astonishment. Normally this would have sickened him. Only the most vile men derived pleasure from pain. But Eiji was the furthest thing from vile he could imagine, so why was this different with him? It was different, he realized in an instant, because they trusted each other. And Eiji would have never asked, if Ash hadn't accidentally discovered this fact on his own. It also helped that Eiji was on the receiving end, rather than the inflictor.

Eiji attempted to lower his lips to Ash again, but the firm grip in his hair wouldn't allow it.

"Asssh…" he whined

Ash released his hand and Eiji was kissing him again, quickly and desperately. For a third and final time, pale fingers pulled them apart roughly.

"UH!" Eiji moaned.

"Couch isn't the best place," Ash managed to say as he struggled for oxygen.

Eiji's eyes focused on him. "My room?"

Ash shook his head. Eiji's room was no good, not unless he had a secret stash of goods Ash didn't know about. Plus the stairs would make things more difficult. "Mine." Ash told him firmly.

"M'kay," Eiji said as he stumbled off the blond.

They barely made it down the hallway, pressing each other up against the wall with hungry kisses every few steps. Finally, the door closed and locked behind them, much like it had that morning. And as it did, the reality of the situation hit Eiji like a ton of bricks.

"You sure, Ash?" Eiji asked with genuine concern. It would be going against the wishes of every cell in his body to stop now, but he would do it in an instant if that's what Ash needed. They'd agreed back in Tokyo to not make this a scheduled event, but due to the interruption that morning, they unintentionally did just that. They'd also promised to stop if things went bad. That still stood. In fact, that would always stand as a firm foundation to everything they did.

"Yes, at least for now," Ash told him with utmost honesty. "I'll let you know if I change my mind."

"Good. Stop me instantly if you do."

"I will."

Ash pressed up against him and kissed him slowly, contrasting the kisses they shared in the hall just moments before.

"I love you," he said between kisses, "and I want this. I want you."

Eiji pulled away just long enough to return the words. Something inside him said it was bad luck not to. Plus he wanted Ash to know, even though it was impossible for him to not know by now.

Ash helped Eiji out of his t-shirt with fevered hands. He noticed the marks he'd left that morning. Crazilly, he blushed at the memory. He kissed the marked skin swiftly, before stepping back to remove his own shirt. He pointed to his own skin scarred only by past phantoms.

"We're not even," Ash managed to say breathlessly.

Bold eyes studied him like a list of complex math formulas seconds before a final exam. Ash shuddered under the intensity of those eyes. Eiji's fingers gently traced several scars that acted as a timeline of past abuse.

Eiji's eyes narrowed. "I hope everyone who's ever hurt you dies the most painful death possible," he said through a hateful tongue.

Ash shivered. "Make it right," he whispered.

Eiji stalled, as he remembered the painfully sweet sensation he'd felt just that morning. He was unsure if that was a good idea.

Ash lifted Eiji's chin gently so that their eyes met. "Please?" He whispered. "Make it right," he repeated. "Even us out," he added with a kiss to Eiji's temple.

Eiji nodded slowly. "Okay," he whispered gently.

He lowered his head to Ash's skin. Perfect precision planted his lips directly over an old scar. He had no idea who caused it or how, but he knew he hated them. And he knew he wanted to replace the mark with his own, even if his would be only temporary. With his tongue and teeth, he rewrote history. He didn't stop until each mark upon Ash's torso was decorated with one of his own.

He could hear Ash breathing heavily above him. He sounded pleased, but not in the same way Eiji had that morning. After finishing his diligent work, he lifted his head to find Ash teary-eyed. But he wasn't sad or hurt, Eiji could tell the difference. He was touched.

Ash cupped Eiji's face, rubbing his thumbs in sweet circles over his temples. "How do you always know exactly what I need?" Ash whispered the question with awe. "Even when I don't?"

"It's what I would want; someone to cancel out the bad. To replace it with good," he whispered back.

Eiji outstretched a hand and wiped the tears from Ash's cheek.

"You're perfect," Ash murmured softly.

Eiji kissed him so softly that it left Ash craving more. "So are you." He held a tan finger to Ash's lips. "And I don't want to hear any arguments. You are."

Ash smiled. His eyes held a new wanting that replaced the tears Eiji had wiped away. Without breaking eye contact, Ash slipped out of his jeans. He watched Eiji like a hawk as he did the same.

"Even," their voices rang in unison.

Ash smiled and lightly grabbed Eiji's wrists as he pulled him to the bed. Ash scooted up to the pillows, pulling Eiji along with him. Suddenly Eiji looked nervous. He knew what came next, but had no clue how to get there. He was on a hike that promised a gorgeous waterfall as the final destination, yet he was without a map. He leaned nervously over Ash, knees settled beside his hips.

He anxiously rubbed his neck with one hand as he said, "Maybe it should be you this first time, Ash. I don't know what I'm doing. Besides, I wouldn't want to hur-"

"Shhh," Ash said soothingly. "Instinct is a great teacher."

But Eiji's eyes were still filled with uncertainty and self-consciousness. "I don't want to hurt you."

"In which way?" Ash asked, devoid of teasing. "Physically? Emotionally?"

It was a stupid question, the answer was obviously both.

"Both."

"Hey," Ash said, bringing both their hands to one of the fresh marks that decorated his skin like constellations. "There's a lot of damage you can't see. And it needs to be painted over as well."

Eiji's face softened. More history to be rewritten.

"As for physically? Take your time and everything should be okay. I'll let you know if it's not."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Eiji repeated.

"Then it's a good thing I do," Ash winked.

"Ash, I-"

"Hey," he interrupted, "do you still want this?"

"Ye-Yes, of course," he said nervously.

"So do I," Ash told him sincerely. "This is a first for you and that's a first for me. Two willing parties? Brand new. We'll fumble through together. If it's a mess at least it'll be a loving one." He reached up and ran a hand gingerly through the other boy's dark hair. "Just relax and take it slow."

Eiji nodded slowly as he swallowed against a dry throat.

Ash reached a hand behind him and fished around in the nightstand's drawer. He tossed a small bottle to the bed. "For later." He reached his pale arms around Eiji's neck. "Now, come here, you," he said lovingly as he pulled Eiji in to kiss him.

Eiji recognized a landmark on this trail. They were back in familiar territory. Fingers danced on skin and through hair. Tongues became acquainted with one another before migrating to perspiring skin. Vocal cords vibrated to form songs heard by no one else, sacred hymns written and performed for only each other. Bodies rocked timidly like boats on tranquil seas.

After some time, the small bottle was pressed suggestively against Eiji's knee. Eiji moved his mouth from where it had been on Ash's chest so he could fumble the bottle open. Their remaining clothing was hastily discarded without elegance or grace. But neither boy cared. Eiji followed Ash's instructions and used the warmed liquid to begin working new colors onto the canvas of past trauma.

A low, pleasured sound gurgled in the back of Ash's throat as Eiji slipped a second painted finger inside. With Ash's minimal instructions, he found the sweet spot and focused his attention there. Eiji had never heard Ash's voice sound the way it did then, breathy, yet somehow rough and so full of desire. A pale, wanting hand wrapped itself around Eiji, spreading wetness from the top down.

"Time," he gasped to Eiji.

Eiji took the hint and traded spots with his fingers. Time to erase the evils of the past.

Both boys moaned loudly as the initial contact was made. The first few seconds were tentative, but not awkward. Eiji remembered the blond's advice.

Slow. A quill pen dipping in ink. Slow. Small strokes on a grand painting. Slow. An idled boat bobbing on calm waters.

And then, he established his own rhythm that felt so second nature, he could have sworn he'd been here before. Perhaps he'd hiked this trail in a past life. He moved his hand to Ash and replicated the steady rhythm there. He'd been right. Instinct was a great teacher.

Hearts and lungs began working overtime as the speed and intensity gradually increased.

Ash's head pressed more firmly into the pillow beneath him as his back arched. He moaned loudly into the night air. "UHH! Just like that, Eiji!"

So much for taking it slow.

Faster. Practiced cursive upon parchment. Faster. Broad strokes of varnish on canvas. Faster. A boat bouncing wildly over another's wake.

When left to themselves, neither boy was a quiet lover, as it turned out. Both were panting and moaning loudly in their own range. Names chanted like prayers encouraged the other on.

Eiji's pace hastened once more before Ash's back arched in climax, introducing Eiji to the proverbial waterfall he'd been searching for. Eiji was right behind him, etching his signature lovingly on the finished canvas. Both boys tried to declare their love in words, but only lovely, incoherent sounds erupted from their throats as they came.

Eiji collapsed beside Ash as they came down from their high. They struggled to breathe, let alone speak, but after a few moments Ash managed an "I love you." Eiji returned it as quickly as his burning lungs would allow.

Ash's limbs regained strength before Eiji's, so he cleaned them off delicately-and then even more delicately as he passed overstimulated areas. He tossed the wipe in the direction of the waste bin and, amazingly, scored with surprising accuracy. He pulled a sheet over them to regain a shred of modesty. He nuzzled close to Eiji and stroked his hair lovingly.

Eiji glanced at him and smiled with flushed cheeks. "Okay?" He asked, his timidness beginning its return trip.

Ash smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Divine."

Eiji smiled and gave Ash's chest a friendly shove, "I mean you. Are you okay? Did your mind stay here on Earth? Or were your mind and body out of sync?"

It was a nice way of asking if panic and fear fought with his brain even as his body enjoyed itself.

"Well, that's how I expected it to be, a mind and body out of sync...but it wasn't," he rolled slightly to see Eiji's face better. "That's the first time I've enjoyed it-body and mind."

"And soul?" Eiji asked softly. "Cuz I can feel it in my soul," he elaborated. "Every fiber of our being was made for each other, I swear it."

Ash chuckled slightly, but he didn't call Eiji a sap or tease him, although he was tempted. "And soul," he confirmed. He kissed him softly. "And soul," he repeated.

Eiji smiled. "Good."

They laid there quietly for a moment before Eiji added, "Your therapist is going to be so proud of you."

Ash barked a laugh in surprise. He thought about all that had happened since their last session. Pictures and escapades, the creation of boundaries that protected drunkenly eager boys, hard conversations, resurfaced memories, and now this. "She'll be blown away. She'll probably spontaneously combust right in her chair. She'll be nothing but a pair of shoes."

Eiji laughed. "What on Earth are you talking about?!"

Ash pulled his face away to better see Eiji, mock shock painted on his face like a mask. "Don't tell me you've never heard of spontaneous human combustion, Ei-chan."

Eiji shook his head no.

"It's when people burst into flames with seemingly no explanation. Their calves and shoes are always left behind, but the rest of them burns from the inside out," Ash explained

Eiji pushed him again playfully, "Sick."

Ash chuckled at Eiji's disgust-wrinkled face. As his laugh faded, his face mellowed.

"What?" Eiji asked with concern.

"Nothing, it's just-" Ash paused searching for the right words. "It's just that it's never ended like this before. With stupid jokes and giggles and..." his voice trailed off.

"And a happy soul?"

"Mmm, and a happy soul."

"Then it really was a first for both of us," Eiji added thoughtfully, recalling Ash's prior words.

"And a glorious first at that," Ash added with a sweet kiss to Eiji's cheek.

"Glorious indeed."

On the brink of sleep, Eiji whispered, "Marry me?"

Ash smiled with closing lids, "Pick a date already."

They fell asleep with the lamp on shortly after, both too exhausted to turn it off. For the first time ever, Ash felt completely safe and rightfully loved, even in his current vulnerable, naked state. He was truly happy-mind, body, and soul. He'd cherish the memory of this night forever. It was the night Eiji finally won the argument and proved his point. Ash was not broken. Dino had tried, but Ash was stronger and, with Eiji's help, he could be put back together. No shard of glass was too small to be mended. Over time, Eiji would put them all back in place. He'd slowly give Ash so many good new memories, that the bad ones would slowly fade into the background of his mind, haunting him less and less.

Miyuki smiled at the abandoned books on the living room floor as she and Aki returned home. She collected the items before Aki could see and set them neatly on the couch. As she climbed the stairs she found Eiji's room exactly as she'd expected to; with an open door beaming light into the dark hall. She smiled as she entered her own room. On nights like this, she could never know for sure what the two got up to, but she always hoped the best for them. Because they deserved it. They deserved to be happier than anyone else had ever been. She hoped that one day she'd find love as pure as theirs to be her own, but something in her bones said that was impossible. So she'd be happy to settle for just half of what they had, because that was still better than what most people had or even saw on TV.

'They're the ultimate love story,' she thought sappily as she settled into bed. And it would be silly to wish for what they have, because that type of love is as rare and as elusive as intelligent life on distant planets. As unfathomable to the simple human mind as eternity.