Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blessings In Disguise
Snip.
Snip.
Blond locks fell to the hot, sunny pavement. Ash sat shirtless upon a kitchen chair as Aki cut his hair on the backyard patio. With each piece cut, he felt lighter and somehow freer. He couldn't see himself, but he trusted Aki to do a good job. He'd told her not to make it too short, and she assured him she'd only take off an inch or two, just trim it to how it was when he was still back in New York.
Her shoulder was squished to her ear, keeping her phone in place, as her hands moved in his hair. She got a phone call a few minutes into the haircut. She'd smiled and showed Ash the screen before she answered it. It was her mom. "An exercise in listening," she'd told him in Japanese before picking it up. She put her mom on speaker-phone so Ash could hear and continued cutting his hair.
They spoke fast. He tried to keep up with the conversation, but there were definitely bits he'd missed completely. Listening was far easier when you could see a person's lips, as well as draw context clues from their facial expressions and body language.
They were rambling on and on about mundane things. Her mom and dad had just celebrated their wedding anniversary, so they were discussing what they did to celebrate. They'd gone out to eat at what sounded like a big fancy restaurant. Apparently, it was a very good place, Aki seemed to be jealous. It was times like this that he was able to see bits of Miyuki in her. He smiled. Then the conversation morphed into other things. They jumped quickly from topic to topic, keeping Ash on his toes. Sometimes Aki laughed at jokes or references Ash clearly didn't understand. He was reminded of how hard it must have been for Ibe and Eiji when they first came to New York.
A towel brushed hair off his neck, causing hair to fall to the ground on the hot, breezeless day. "All done," Aki said to him softly.
"Huh? Who are you talking to?" He heard Obachan ask.
"Ashu, I was cutting his hair as we talked," Aki explained.
Obachan seemed excited about that, he heard her say, "Tell him I say hi!"
Before Aki could, he raised his voice and with a smile said, "Hi Obachan!"
It was late June now and she, along with their grandpa, had been over for several family dinners since Eiji and Ash had made their engagement official. The pair only spoke Japanese, so every time they came for dinner, it was a bit of a mental workout for Ash, which was good. His Japanese was greatly improving.
Ash quickly learned that she was a witty, ball of fun. And their grandpa, Ojichan, balanced her energy with his calm demeanor. He was a soft-spoken man. He didn't speak much, but whenever he did say something it was worth listening to. He was humorous but also full of wisdom and insight. The type of person who you wished would speak more because everything they said was gold. But then again, that's what made their words so special.
Aki told her mom she needed to get going and wrapped up the conversation as Ash pulled his shirt back over his head. Aki must have seen his scarred skin, but she didn't mention it. Still, he was eager to be fully clothed again. Aki hung up.
"Okay! Quiz! Tell me three things we talked about," she demanded, testing his listening skills.
Ash smirked. "Okay, you talked about their anniversary and that restaurant they went to...And about how she's worried this heatwave will kill her garden...And then you told her about how Eiji and I's house hunting is going." That was three.
Aki clapped her hands together at the fingertips. "Very good, Ashu! We talk fast, you are good learner."
Ash shrugged, "Miyuki is a good teacher."
"But she is teacher for kids at school and still some fail English. You are good learner." She gave his shoulder a friendly poke. He would have scolded Eiji for being so damn humble, but it seemed he couldn't take his own advice. "Be proud," Aki added with another poke.
She clapped her hands again to switch topics. "Okay! Go look at hair! Tell me what you think!"
They made their way inside so Ash could examine his hair in the mirror. The cool AC hit them on the way in, which felt divine against the nearly 100 F heatwave outside. Ash went into the bathroom to see his new haircut. It was good, much better than he'd been expecting. It was just how he used to wear it in New York, just how he liked it.
"Damn! You could open your own shop," Ash called from the bathroom.
Aki laughed at his language, he generally made a point of not cursing in her presence, not like she would have minded if he did.
She stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip. "Why so surprised?" She asked, pretending to be offended.
"Well I thought maybe there was a reason Eiji started going to a pro," he teased honestly.
She waved a hand at him. "Oh, he is just picky," she chuckled. "I cut Miyuki hair and mine. I am good."
His eyebrows raised in astonishment. "You cut your own hair?!"
"Mmmhmm!" She said smiling, obviously proud of herself.
Ash grinned, "I am so giving Eiji shit about this later."
She chuckled again at his language. "So you like?"
He faced the mirror and looked at it again, he fixed his bangs a bit to lay how he liked it. "I really do. From now on you're my hairdresser."
"Oh hairdresser," she remarked, "I'm not cheap," she joked. She extended her hand like she wanted payment.
Ash rolled his eyes and dug his hand into his back pocket, reaching for his wallet.
Aki laughed at his willingness to play along with the joke.
But then he pulled out his wallet and fished out some cash and slapped it in her hand. She turned bright red and immediately tried to hand it back to him.
"Best haircut I've ever had, keep it."
"No! No, Ashu, I won't!" She said, waving the money threateningly in his face.
He snatched it from her hand and held it out with both hands, this time more gently. "Please? Otherwise, I'll just hide it in your wallet when you least expect it."
Her face turned to stone. "How often do you do that?" She asked in Japanese, the shock momentarily caused her to forget she was speaking in English previously.
Raising two kids alone, paying for tuition and books and sports, feeding everyone, paying the mortgage, and then adding a third person to the mix, it all added up. He'd be lying if he didn't admit that he regularly slipped some money Aki's way.
Ash shrugged. "Not too often," he partially lied. Really he slipped her about ¥11,000 per month (or $100 US dollars). He considered it his rent-the cheapest rent one could ever fathom. He would have given her more -much more- but he was worried she'd notice. Now, he unintentionally blew his own secret.
She turned bright red and huffed, "Never! Never, Ashu! Never! Your answer should be never!" She shouted, switching back to English. She twiddled anxiously with the ends of her hair, "Kids steal money from mom's purse, not give!"
"I'm not a kid," he reminded her.
"Well! You are my son and that is that. You owe me nothing! Nothing!"
Ash sighed. She was just like Eiji, her selflessness was unrelentless and she was ready to give at any cost, expecting nothing in return. She'd raised her kids so well, they were just like her.
"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, okay?" Ash began, lowering his voice even though they were the only two home. Plus, both Miyuki and Eiji already knew this secret, so really, this was just theatrics.
"I happen to have a lot of money." Aki opened her mouth to argue but Ash continued, "And it's too much money for me to spend alone."
"How much?" She asked curiously, her face still red from her shouting.
"Too much," he said vaguely.
She scrunched her face, unsatisfied with the answer, but she didn't ask again. "Where'd you get it?" She asked instead.
He debated lying to her, saying he'd inherited it from a rich uncle or something. But he valued her trust, so he told her the truth. "I stole it."
Aki's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs.
"From a realllllly shitty dude," he elaborated.
"Who?" She whispered.
"My," rapist, "abuser," he said, choosing a less harsh word.
"How much?" She couldn't help but ask again in a whisper.
Ash nearly rolled his eyes. But he'd tell her, she obviously wanted to know pretty badly. "$90 million...which is almost ¥10 billion." He closed his eyes and scrunched his face awkwardly as he revealed the embarrassingly large amount.
He heard her gasp. "No…"
Ash opened his eyes and nodded. "But it was all dirty money, so he deserved to have it stolen. He was a swine," Ash hissed.
Her mouth hung open in shock. "Did he find out?"
Ash huffed a laugh, "Oh he found out alright...That was kinda the point, to fu- to mess with him. Make him angry."
Aki laughed slightly, it was more like a shocked exhale. "...wow…that's...that's so much money…"
"I know. But I'm not particularly fond of just having it. It's - better if I get to spend it on people I love," he told her vulnerably.
Aki pulled him into a tight hug. She rarely asked, but he never minded. He'd never once felt threatened by Aki. Just like Eiji, she was made of gold.
And then she grabbed his arms and pushed him away slightly so that she could see his face. He looked down at the much shorter woman with a curious glance.
"What?"
Aki met his eyes and started laughing, really laughing. "Good for you," she said, as the reality of the story hit her. "Fucking good for you," she said in Japanese.
Ash let out a surprised laugh. And Aki blushed because she didn't expect him to know Japanese curse words...but Miyuki had taught him, said it was in his nature to cuss, therefore he should know how to do it in both languages.
"Everything makes so much more sense now," she added, still speaking Japanese. "Tokyo, and gold rings, and looking at expensive houses, and treating us to dinner or movies or whatever you can...never working...it all makes sense…" She released her grip on him and wagged her pointer finger at him, "I knew you must have money, but…wow...wow." She laughed again. "Will you buy me a car?" She joked.
"Do you want a car?" He asked in Japanese, mimicking her language change. He knew she was teasing, but his voice was completely sincere.
"No, no, no, no! I was just joking! I would never ask that of you! I don't even know how to drive, I've never had a car," she assured him frantically. She didn't want Ash to think she would view him any differently now that she knew about his money.
"Don't know how to drive?" He asked. She was still speaking Japanese, so maybe he'd misunderstood.
"Never had a reason to learn," she confirmed. "We were never poor, but there's never been enough money to justify a car."
"But Eiji drive," Ash said, a bit perplexed.
"They teach them in school these days, but that wasn't a thing when I was growing up."
"Well, I...can...teach you," he suggested.
"You're not buying me a car," she stressed.
"Why not? We could...share...if makes you feel better...while Eiji and I live...here...still," he said in uncertain Japanese.
Aki didn't speak, he could tell she was thinking about it.
He wiggled his eyebrows, "Come on, let me treat you," he said, switching back to English. "Got a dream car?"
She rolled her eyes and began to walk away from him towards the kitchen. "Oh no. No, no, I will not tell," she muttered, switching back to English as well.
Ash followed close behind her. "Come on…" he drawled.
"No, Ashu, I will not say." She busied herself with some dishes in the sink.
"Please? At least give me a color?" He leaned on the counter beside her. He tried to meet her eyes, but they were trained on the dishes.
"Black," she muttered after a long silence. "Classy."
Ash grinned. Victory. "Black it is!" He said as his arms propelled him from the sink and began to walk away.
"Ash!" She called after him.
He whipped around on his heel, she never said his name without the 'u.' He met her gaze with piercing green eyes. She motioned for him to come closer.
"Yeah?" he asked softly.
"You really don't have to…"
"I know, but I really would love to," he assured her. "After all," he began with a much lighter tone, "you've been teaching me to cook, my turn to teach you something. Ev-," he cut the word short. He wasn't talking to Eiji, it wouldn't have the same impact.
"You…" she began and then stalled as she dried her hands on a dishtowel. "Eiji tell me you are hard on self...and I see it too...but you should not...you're," she placed a petite hand on his forearm, "I think you're the best person I ever know."
"Then you must not know too many people," he retorted. Accepting compliments was still no easy task for Ash.
She squeezed his arm lovingly, "No. I know plenty. You are…" she closed her eyes but the word she was looking for didn't come. She grabbed her phone from her back pocket and typed in the Japanese to google translate. "Rare," she said finally.
Ash smiled sadly. "I don't know about that."
"I do." With that, she gave him a hug. "Love you, Ashu."
"...love you...Mom." The words summoned tears in his eyes. He blinked them away before she could see.
"Now, I make deal with you," she said as they drew apart.
"Okay…"
"You buy me car but no more money in wallet."
"Where should I hide it instead? The car?"
She slapped his arm lightly and laughed. "No more secret money!"
"It's my money, Mom, you can't tell me what to do with it."
"See? Like I said! Best person I know."
Memories of when he called Eiji 'pure gold' flooded his mind. He'd meant those words and hoped to God Eiji believed him. He suspected she felt the same way right about now. He smiled and gave her another hug. "Okay, okay," he conceded.
"Honest opinion?" Ash asked Eiji as they descended the front steps after their tour.
"It was nice...but I don't think it was the one," Eiji replied.
"Yeah. I thought the same thing."
"A little too big. And that yard looked better online," Eiji added.
"Too big?" Ash asked as they rounded the street corner, making their way out of the neighborhood.
"A bit. It's just the two of us, might feel lonely, ya know?"
Ash's brow furrowed a bit as he considered Eiji's point. Here he had been looking at large houses so he could treat Eiji to a grand house like he deserved.
"Hmmm. When you say 'a bit' are you being polite? Do you actually mean 'much too big?'"
Eiji blushed and chuckled slightly, "Yeah…"
Ash rolled his eyes, but still wore a smile, "This will be our home, no room for politeness! You have to give me your honest opinion!"
Eiji blushed further, eyes trained on his feet hitting the sidewalk.
"Yeah?"
"Okay, yeah."
"Good. Then we'll start scouting out smaller ones."
Eiji nodded and reached for Ash's hand. He instantly grabbed it and they continued walking hand-in-hand.
"Mom found out about all my money today," Ash decided to tell him.
Eiji's eyes widened and his head whipped towards Ash. "How'd that go?"
"Fine. Now that it's all out in the open, I'm gonna buy her a car," he winked.
Eiji laughed. "Oh! She'll love you for that, she's always wanted a car."
"And of course I'll teach her to drive," Ash smirked.
"Gosh, what a nightmare that'll be," Eiji laughed. He imagined Ash gripping the passenger seat's door handle as Aki drove jerkily through side streets.
"Really? I'm thinking it will be a good time." Strangely, he liked the idea of teaching her.
"Ha! Well, that's a good attitude to have, I guess."
They walked the rest of the way predicting what car Aki would pick out, how jealous Miyuki would be that she got to learn from Ash, what kind of driver she'd be. Ash predicted that she'd be nervous at first but fearless once she got the hang of things. He made Eiji laugh by jokingly saying she'd probably be a speed demon.
Aki had dinner waiting when they arrived home.
"I made sushi!" She called to them as they removed their shoes at the door. They walked over and joined her and Miyuki at the table.
"Tonight, Ashu, pick out American movie for us to watch, yeah?" Aki suggested as she picked up her chopsticks.
"Oh, yeah, sure. No homework, Mi?" He was a bit caught off guard at the random request. Usually Aki read in the evenings or watched TV with Miyuki. Family movie nights were a more rare occurrence.
"I already finished it!" She said excitedly. "I was just thinking about how fun it was when we watched Indiana Jones in Tokyo and realized there's no reason we have to be on vacation for that! Mom agreed, so we'll do a movie tonight!."
"What kind of movie you up for?"
"Something fun!"
"Hmmm, okay, let me think." Ash ran over movies in his mind. He knew a lot of classics and whatever the other boys in his gang had liked. If he'd lived a normal life, maybe he would have had a wider selection to pick from. He tried to think of something appropriate for everyone, and ruled several movies out for violence, or cussing, or sex. He remained quietly, a list of movies running through his head, as the rest of the family talked during dinner.
"Ah!" He said, accidentally interrupting one of Miyuki's stories. "Back to the Future!"
They all looked at him with puzzled faces.
"Sorry, that's the movie we should watch. Back to the Future. It's kind of a similar vibe to Indiana Jones, Mi, I think you'll all like it."
Miyuki smiled, "Is it about time travel?"
"Yeah. It's a lot of fun. An American classic."
After dinner they all gathered around the TV. Even though there were enough seats for everyone, Miyuki decided to make a bed of pillows and blankets on the floor. On the couch, Ash sat at one end. Eiji sat down beside him on the middle cushion. Aki stood before them both with crossed arms.
"What?" Eiji asked.
"You always sit next to Ashu. I want turn."
"You want to sit next to me?" Ash was blushing slightly as he asked, unsure where this had come from.
"I do," she said matter-of-factly.
Eiji scooted closer to Ash, as if he was not willing to give up his spot.
Ash chuckled, "I'll sit in the middle of you both."
And so Ash moved to the middle cushion and Aki and Eiji sat on either side of him. Ash remembered what she told him that morning, about him being the best person she knew. He smiled as he recalled those words.
"So what's the deal?" Ash asked her.
"Deal?" She replied, confused.
"Why do you want to sit by me all of a sudden?" He clarified.
"Do I need a reason?"
"No, but I know you must have one."
"Tired of Eiji hogging you! We all love you! And you will be moving soon...so I need turn."
Ash blushed. "We're not going far," he reminded her. "We can still have movie nights after we move out."
"Yes well, I still want to sit by you now."
Ash chuckled, "Alright, whatever you want."
"Hey! I'll be leaving too!" Eiji told his Mom, slightly offended she implied she'd miss Ash more.
"I live with you since you were baby. Plenty of time with you, Ei-chan."
Eiji dropped his mouth, pretending to be greatly hurt. "Wow, Mom. Wow."
"Wanna switch, Mom? You could be in the middle," Ash suggested with a smirk. He knew Eiji wouldn't want that. As much as was offended, pretending or not, he wouldn't want to not sit by Ash.
Eiji grabbed his arm as Ash began to stand. "No, Ash!"
Ash chuckled, "Okay, okay, have it your way."
Eiji stuck out his tongue and pressed play.
The movie started and they all quieted down. Aki grabbed a blanket that was folded behind her on the back of the couch. She draped it over herself and Ash's legs. He pretended not to pay it much mind, but inside, his heart had melted. Eiji gave his shoulder a soft kiss, expertly reading his thoughts as if he'd devoted his life to studying the mannerisms and thoughts of Ash Lynx. Eiji snuggled close to him as the first scene ended.
"Ashu, I can't understand him," Aki whispered a complaint to Ash as Doc started talking during the parking lot scene. Not only were his words fast and frantic but he spoke in scientific, and some made-up, words that Aki had never heard. Ash loosely translated the fast dialogue so Aki could grasp the plot. Other than that, everyone seemed to enjoy the film. Laughter and body heat filled the small living room, creating the most comforting atmosphere.
Near the end of the film, Ash weaseled his way off the couch. Eiji reached for the remote to pause it.
"I'm just going to the bathroom, you don't have to pause it."
"It's fine," Eiji said as he pressed pause.
"No, no, it's fine. I've seen this a million times. It's really okay, press play."
Reluctantly, Eiji resumed the film and Ash left for the bathroom after he did so. A minute later the scene of Biff sexually assaulting Marty's mom in the car started to play. A note of sadness floated across the room as everyone realized why Ash had left. He must have been listening from the bathroom because the second the scene ended he reappeared. They all looked at him with concerned eyes as he walked back to the sofa.
"I'm fine, guys," he said casually, hoping to put their minds at ease.
Miyuki turned back to the screen. Eiji made eye contact as he sat. "I really am," he whispered. Eiji could tell he was being truthful, so he returned his attention to the film.
Aki had tears in her eyes which were highlighted by the TV's glare. She knew he was fine, knew he was telling the truth, but that didn't change the fact that he'd been hurt so badly in the past. If it weren't for that, the scene would have been awkward but not triggering. She leaned over and whispered Japanese into his ear, "That breaks my heart. I hate thinking of you being hurt like that."
"Then try not to think about it," he whispered back in English.
"I can't help it," She whispered back.
Eiji peeked at them discreetly, unable to hear their words, but still curious as to what they were saying.
"Then just be happy I'm here now, away from it all."
"But it still hurts you even though it's over. That part bothered you enough to leave the room."
Ash shrugged. "It will always bother me, it's not something that'll go away," he whispered.
A tear spilled from one of her eyes as she comprehended the words. Ash wrapped an arm around Aki as she sat beside him, pulling her close so that her head leaned against his upper arm. Now Eiji glanced at them more obviously. Even without hearing a word of their conversation over the noise of the movie, he knew what was going on. He saw the pain on his mother's face and the sadness, and almost guilt, on Ash's. A few more silent tears fell from her eyes.
"Hey, don't cry for me," he whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm so lucky to be here now."
But the words only made more tears silently fall. If her head wasn't pressed against his arm, wetting it with tears, he'd have been none the wiser. Miyuki squealed, oblivious to what was happening behind her, as Marty McFly began his guitar solo on the film playing before them.
After a while Aki's tears ceased and her body went limp and Ash realized she'd fallen asleep against his arm. His heart ached with love. Something in his brain clicked right then. As much as he hated every second of abuse and torture he'd endured through the years, if he'd never left Cape Cod, he'd have never met Eiji and he wouldn't be here now. Even if his family had been perfect and loving and even if right now he was sitting watching a movie with his own happy family, he'd be missing out and not even know it. That didn't mean he was grateful or even neutral towards what he'd suffered through, but somehow, it made it all a little more bearable. His mind was lightyears away as the movie ended. Miyuki's joyous squeal brought him back to reality.
"Is there a sequel!?" She squealed. She sat up and twisted toward the couch. Her face melted as she saw her mom asleep on Ash's arm.
Ash nodded to answer her question. "There's two more, actually," he said quietly so he wouldn't wake Aki.
Aki woke up as soon as Eiji turned off the TV. She sat up, clearly a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, am sorry, Ashu. Did not mean to fall asleep," She told him as she rubbed her eyes and calmed her disheveled hair.
He smiled, "All good, all good."
Eiji smirked, "What would the boys say if they could see their boss now?"
Ash barked a laugh, "I think they'd be convinced my body had been possessed by some kind of spirit!"
Aki cocked her head in confusion. "What?"
"Gang leaders don't typically let their mom fall asleep on one arm and their boyfriend cuddle up to his other arm as he watches a goofy film about time travel. They usually spend the night fighting for their lives. Eiji's turned me into a soft boy, just like him."
"Soft?" Aki took the word literally and didn't understand what he meant.
"Pure and genuine and cute. Shy, blushes a lot, wears beautiful sweaters...I don't know if that's the real definition but it's mine."
Eiji blushed furiously, "Stop," he pleaded.
Ash gestured at him with his thumb, "See what I mean? Soft."
They all laughed at Eiji's expense.
Miyuki finished folding up the blankets she'd been laying on and said, "Well, I have to get to bed. I have school tomorrow." She bid them all goodnight and made her way upstairs.
Eiji also started up the stairs, assuming Ash was behind him, but he wasn't. He stayed behind to speak with Aki.
"Hey, something dawned on me during the movie. As much as my life has sucked, I wouldn't have met Eiji in New York City and I wouldn't be here now if I had a normal life. I wasn't born in New York and maybe never would have moved there if my life hadn't gone to sh- er - fell apart."
"It still shouldn't have happened to you," Aki said bitterly in Japanese.
"No. But it makes it a bit easier to accept," he replied in English.
"We're not worth it."
"I think you are."
"No, Ashu, no one's worth that."
"You all are," he said genuinely and pulled her into a hug. "It doesn't mean I'm happy it happened or that I'll just be able to move on...but it helps...to know the rest of my life will be happy."
She squeezed him tightly before letting go. "Best person I know," she said for the third time that day.
Ash made his way upstairs after bidding her goodnight. Eiji was already in his pajama pants and an old t-shirt.
"Guess what I thought about while that horrible car scene played," Ash said as he entered the room and began undressing for bed.
"Oh, God, what?" Eiji asked carefully, dreading whatever answer Ash might give.
"No, no, for once it's not bad...it's good."
"Yeah? What was it?" He asked skeptically.
Ash pulled off his jeans and slipped on a sleep shirt and flopped on the bed beside Eiji. "I realized no one's ever raped me in a car." He looked excited when he said it, like it was an amazing discovery.
"Oh, Ash," Eiji said sorrowfully.
"No, Eiji, that's good."
"Well, I mean yeah but-"
"Listen," Ash interrupted, "I've been raped in just about every place you can imagine. Everything's laced with bad memories if I think about it too much. Beds, sofas, chairs, tables, walls, floors, showers, tubs, hot tubs, pools, private jets, bars, hotel rooms, alleywa-"
"Stop!" Eiji shouted. His hands covered his ears, unable to handle the extensive list and the mental images they conjured. The list could have gone on much longer, but Ash stopped when he realized he had upset Eiji.
"I'm sorry," he said as his face saddened.
"How in the world is that supposed to be good?" Eiji asked.
"Because it means no one's ever ruined cars for me!" He scooted closer to Eiji, "Look the point is, if you're up for it, I'd like to make love to you in the backseat of a car sometime."
Eiji inhaled a deep breath. Surprisingly, he didn't blush. Or maybe it wasn't surprising. Arousal dulled his typical embarrassment.
"Think you'd like that?"
"Well," he began, "I'm not sure like is a strong enough word," he told Ash with a sly smirk.
"Yeah? Then what is?" he responded coyly.
"Love? Or maybe excites?"
"That excites you?" Ash asked, inching closer to Eiji.
"Oh yeah," he smiled.
"Hmmm, maybe not as soft as I thought…" Ash teased.
"You already knew that, you just have a bad habit of forgetting," Eiji reminded him.
Ash's brain went back to Eiji moaning uncontrollably as he used Eiji's hair to pull their heads apart weeks back as they kissed on the sofa. Eiji typically hid his desire so well, but once he was turned on, it was much harder to suppress his feelings.
Ash chuckled, "God you're so good." He inched even closer.
"Can I?" Ash asked with a smirk.
"Please," Eiji responded as Ash began to close the space between them.