Chapter Forty-One: We're Not So Different, You And I

Eiji awoke to an aching head, an empty bedroom, and a text from Miyuki that nearly blinded him when he checked it in the dark room. He groaned when he read the text.

'Your Ash is a saint. You sure gave him a rough time last night. Do yourself a favor and don't get drunk at your wedding...on second thought never get drunk again.'

Eiji typed back. 'I hate myself.' He turned off his phone. He knew she wouldn't see it till later, she was at school. He had no idea what he'd said but if Miyuki was texting him about it, he knew it must be bad.

Eiji stood and it was only then he realized he was still fully dressed in his clothes from yesterday. He smiled. Ash was ever calculated, he left Eiji in his clothes so there would be no doubt in his mind that nothing had transpired between them. The bathroom door was wide open, meaning Ash was already up for the day. Eiji checked the time. Three minutes past noon.

"What?" he groaned as he saw the time. He trudged into the shower. Standing was too much effort so he sat instead.

When he finally made his way downstairs, in sweats and a t-shirt, Ash was listening to an audiobook as he unloaded groceries. Eiji walked slowly and bashfully into the kitchen, hoping maybe he could just slip by Ash unnoticed as he made his way to the coffee machine.

"Heyyyy!" Ash cheered, causing Eiji to squint and cover his ears at the sudden loud sound. "He's finally up!" Ash teased.

So much for going unnoticed.

Eiji looked at the empty coffee pot and groaned internally. He began making more. It felt like a massive chore in his hungover state. "I'm gonna drink coffee and then go crawl in a hole and die."

Ash paused his audiobook. "Do you remember?"

Eiji shook his head.

"Well," Ash began as he leaned his forearms across the counter near the coffee pot. "It wasn't much different than last time." Eiji whined. "Only this time we were at Mom's house...and she and Miyuki heard everything."

Eiji sat the coffee pot down and scrubbed his hands over his face. "Oh my Goooood," he moaned. "What did I say?"

"Hmm, well, you told me I was pretty, asked to kiss me - which I refused - then asked if you were drunk - I said that you were - then you asked if that meant we couldn't have sex that night - I said we could not - and yeah. That's basically how it went." Ash bit back a laugh as all color drained from Eiji's face. "Oh, and you told your sister that I was very good in bed, which, thanks, by the way," he teased, pecking him on the cheek.

Eiji gave up making coffee and slunk to the floor in absolute defeat. "Just kill me now."

Ash took up the process of making coffee, being careful not to get his cast wet. "And I did try to stop you, by the way. Both from getting drunk and spewing your horny nonsense." Ash scooped the coffee grounds. "Oh, and you asked me in private, thankfully, if we could have sex in the morning." He pressed the start button. "So the real question is, Eiji Okumura," he began as he joined Eiji on the floor, "Do you think about sex all the time or just when you're drunk?"

Eiji groaned and covered his face in obvious discomfort. "It's too early for this, Ash."

"It's nearly 12:30, you just slept late." He gave Eiji a nudge. "Just answer. You put me through hell last night, it's your turn to be embarrassed."

"Ha! Believe me, I am," he replied, still dodging the question.

"What's your answer, Eiji," Ash asked, unrelenting.

Eiji sighed, "I don't think about it all the time...but definitely more than I let on."

Satisfied, Ash stood and patted the top of Eiji's head. He returned his attention to unloading the groceries. "Good to know, Okumura, good to know."

"So anyway," Ash called over his shoulder as he stocked the fridge with fresh produce. "You can have just enough alcohol for toasts on our wedding night. 'Cuz if you get drunk, you'll be telling all our guests how excited you are for your wedding night and then we won't even get to have a wedding night because you'll be drunk and I will never ever have drunken sex with you." He turned around to meet Eiji's eyes. "No exceptions."

"What if you're also drunk?" Eiji challenged.

"I have a high tolerance and willpower of steel. That's never gonna happen, love."

"Well, I wouldn't want to get drunk on our wedding night anyway. I want to remember it."

"Good," With his good hand, Ash wrestled a bag of apples into the well-stocked fridge.

"But…"

Ash spun back around. "What?"

"Well...no more secrets?"

"Spit it out," Ash commanded.

"I do... never mind, it's stupid."

Ash shut the fridge and crawled over to Eiji. He sat cross-legged in front of Eiji. "Nothing you're thinking could be more embarrassing than last night. Say it."

Eiji looked at the floor, too bashful to look at Ash, when he said, "I- I do think it could be fun to have sex while drunk." Eiji blushed. Ash was silent, so Eiji quickly added, "like maybe if we were both drunk and that was the plan." Ash still said nothing, clearly considering it. "And like, not too drunk, obviously, I would want to remember it. Just enough to...really let loose."

Ash returned to the fridge. "I'll think about it, Eiji. That's a delicate situation for me, emotionally, but I'll think about it. That's the best I can do."

Eiji groaned, "Shit, I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's fine, Eiji, it's fine." He put the last of the groceries in the fridge just as the coffee pot chirped to announce a fresh pot. Ash grabbed the half-and-half and began making Eiji a cup. With his back to Eiji, he said, "Christmas evening, in front of the fireplace, on the floor. That's one of my fantasies." He turned around and handed the mug of coffee to Eiji. "There, even."

Eiji blushed and sipped the coffee. He smiled. It was always better when Ash made it.

"Everyone has fantasies. Some will work out, some won't. You don't have to feel bad about the ones that don't work out because if you never shared any of them, none of them ever would. Which would mean the car would have never happened." He smiled at the memory. "And wouldn't that be a shame?"

Eiji nodded. "Yeah," he said softly, "that would be a shame."

Ash turned around, cleaning the kitchen counter just to give himself something to do while Eiji drank his coffee quietly on the floor.

"Hey, Ibe-san's coming for dinner tonight," Ash reminded Eiji. "Just in case you forgot," he added with a wink.

Eiji gasped loudly. "I did forget!"

"Don't worry. That's why I went shopping already. I was thinking we could do a stir-fry or something like that. I bought a bunch of vegetables and some pork that we could fry."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds good. Ibe-san's not picky. He'll eat just about anything."

"What time did you tell him to come?"

Eiji stared into space. "I dunno, I'll have to text him." He pulled out his phone. There was a text from Miyuki on the lock screen. He opened it to see a gif of an animated cat pointing and laughing at him. 'Ass,' he responded immediately.

An ellipsis appeared to indicate her typing a response. She must be at lunch.

'No brother, you're the ass this time. And I'm never gonna let you live down telling me your fiance is 'very good in bed.' HAHAHA!'

Eiji let out a small, tortured sound.

'Just kill me now.'

'I'm not that merciful,' she replied instantly. 'I have to go to class! See ya!'

Eiji sighed and finally texted Ibe-san. 'Remind me what time I told you for dinner lol I may have forgotten.'

Ibe-san responded instantly saying, '6. I was actually just about to text you. Something came up and I agreed to watch my niece tonight. Is it an inconvenience if I bring her with me? Otherwise, we could reschedule.'

Eiji looked up from his phone. "Ibe-san wants to know if he can bring his niece with him. Do you mind?" He asked Ash.

Ash shrugged, "Fine by me. He looked over his shoulder. "Assuming she's not a brat or anything," he joked.

Eiji laughed. "She can be a bit feisty, but she's a good kid," Eiji replied.

Ash smirked, "I can handle feisty."

'Go ahead and bring her. Ash is great with kids,' Eiji told Ibe-san.

'Great, thanks. See you at 6.'

At 5:45, Ibe-san knocked at the door. Eiji opened it happily to see Ibe-san and his niece.

[Hey, sorry we're a bit early,] Ibe-san said.

[Come on in,] Eiji said happily, brushing off the needless apology.

[Hey, Akira! It's been forever! You're so much taller!]

[Hi, Ei-chan!] She piped happily and threw herself into his legs in a hug.

Ash, who had been upstairs getting ready, came down the stairs then.

Akira stared at him questioningly. [Who are you?] she asked bluntly.

[I'm Ash,] he said with a bow as he reached the entryway. [Hey, Ibe-san,] he extended a hand for him to shake.

[You're Ei-chan's roommate,] she stated.

[Fiance, actually,] Ash said with a smile, proud of himself for remembering the word Eiji had taught him yesterday.

Akira's jaw dropped. [But Momma said it's wrong for two boys or two girls to be in love.]

Horror plastered itself to Ibe-san's face. [Akira! That is not polite!]

Eiji blushed but Ash simply laughed. [Good thing she's not my mom, then.]

His answer seemed to confuse the six-year-old girl. After Ibe's reaction, she had expected him to be angry.

[Come on in. The food is ready, we can start eating,] Eiji said hastily, hoping to escape the awkward situation.

[So, Akira, right?] Ash asked.

She nodded.

[How come you get to hang out with us tonight? Are your parents busy?]

[Yeah…] she said slowly as she watched Eiji pile food onto her plate with eager eyes. [Dad is in Osaka for work and Momma had to work late tonight. Can I have more of those, Ei-chan?] She asked, pointing to the snap peas in the stir fry. He nodded and picked out a few more for her.

[So you get the fun of hanging out with Ibe while they work?]

[Yeah, I guess,] but she didn't sound very excited.

Ibe and Eiji began talking about Eiji's new job as they all began eating. Ash picked up his chopsticks and Akira, who was sitting across from him asked, [Do you even know how to use those?]

Eiji was right, she was a feisty one, but he already was beginning to figure her out. Busy parents who pawned her off on her uncle when they were working? She likely felt neglected and unimportant. Kids who don't feel loved are often a handful. Negative attention is better than no attention. It was a feeling he could relate to all too well. And she didn't know Ash, so she had no reason to treat him well yet. He figured he'd have to earn her respect.

So, he didn't scold her for her rude comment. Instead, he disarmed her by poking fun at himself. [Well, I can now, but when I first came to Japan, I was a mess. Eiji used to laugh at me for how bad I was at using chopsticks.]

It was a complete lie. Chopsticks were easy, he never once had trouble with them. But she didn't need to know that.

He raised up his broken right hand humorously. [And then, just when I had it all figured out, I broke my right hand and had to learn all over again with my left.]

At least, that much was true.

[Where are you from?] She asked, unimpressed.

[America.]

Ash was just glad she didn't ask how he'd broken his hand.

[Duh, I can tell that by your accent. I mean where in America?]

[New York City,] he said, still showing no anger or even annoyance. Akira looked confused at his atypical reaction.

[So you're the one who stole Eiji away?] She asked, connecting the dots.

[Well, I didn't make him stay, he chose to. In fact, I tried to send him home more than once. But he liked New York, so he stayed.]

[Are you even an adult?] She asked, probably because adults typically found her annoying. Even Ibe-san scolded her for rude comments like the ones she was making. But right now, he was talking to Eiji, not paying attention to her conversation with Ash.

[Yeah, but I'm only 20, so I'm pretty new at the whole adult thing.] Another lie. He'd felt like an adult since he was a child. Again, she didn't need to know that.

[You're younger than Eiji?] She asked with surprise.

[Mmmhmm, but he looks younger than I do, don't ya think?]

She nodded in agreement. She glanced at Eiji. [Uncle Shunichi says he has a babyface.]

Ash chuckled at her honesty. [Yeah, he kinda does.]

She didn't say so, but Ash could tell by the way she looked at Eiji from across the table that he was one of the few adults she liked. Maybe that was because she met him before he was one.

She returned her attention to Ash. [You have a babyface too,] she decided.

Ash guessed she was lying, still testing him, trying to get a reaction. It was bothering her that he was not reacting the way most adults do.

Ash simply laughed, [Now that's,] he pointed his chopsticks at her, [A first. People usually think I'm older than him.]

And just seconds ago, it was obvious that Akira was one of those people. She had just already forgotten she let her true reaction slip.

[So,] Ash began since Ibe and Eiji were still talking business. [How's school?] He wasn't sure what to talk about with a child who was set on disliking him, but schools seemed like a pretty safe bet.

Akira shrugged. [Okay, I guess. Better than being bored at home.]

Although he wasn't in school for very long, he could relate to that. [Got a favorite subject?]

[Science is fun,] she told him. She was relaxing a bit now, it felt like a victory.

[What are you learning about right now?]

[Plants. My class has a vegetable garden.]

[Wow, that's fun,] Ash smiled. [What are you growing?] He asked with genuine curiosity.

She listed the vegetables on her fingers as she told him. [Tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, cabbage, basil, dill,] she paused to think, [Oh, and zuc- zuc- zucchini.] The word was hard for her to remember but she eventually got it out. She came close to a smile. [The cucumbers are my favorite because they grow so fast. We just picked a bunch the other day and there's already more!]

Ibe and Eiji, whose conversation just lulled, looked up at Akira's sudden excitement. "Wow, she must like you, Ash, she's usually pretty cold to new people."

Akira, who couldn't understand English, looked pissed at the language change. The smile that was present just moments ago fell.

"She's sitting right here, let's not talk about her as if she's not," Ash said seriously.

Ibe-san flushed with embarrassment. "Ye-Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

[So, cucumbers, huh?] Ash said in an attempt to jump back into the conversation with Akira.

[Yeah, whatever,] she said, obviously upset that she was being discussed in a language she couldn't understand. She reached for her water and purposefully spilled it, sending water Ash's way. [Oh no! I'm sorry!] She chirped, playing it off as an accident.

As Ash reached for napkins, he could feel her eyes on him, awaiting his reaction. Eiji and Ibe-san scrambled to help him clean up the mess.

[Hey, don't worry about it. That's what napkins are for,] Ash said, refusing to let any annoyance show. He was determined to prove to this kid that not all adults were impatient and scolding.

In under two minutes, the mess was cleaned, and Akira's water had been refilled. Ash joined Ibe-san and Eiji's conversation then, it had been since New York since they'd all had a real conversation. They stuck to Japanese, so everyone could understand. Suddenly, Ash wished Max was also there. Ash liked Ibe and they'd been through a lot together, but he really didn't know him that well. Max, his old friend, would have made the evening more lively.

At one point in the conversation, long after all their food was gone, Ibe-san broke off into a photography tangent that Eiji was invested in but in which Ash was lost. He returned his attention to the brooding six-year-old at his table.

[Sorry, my house isn't very fun for a kid,] he said, leaning across the table to speak to her.

She shrugged, [Grown-up houses are never fun,] she huffed.

[Any suggestions for improvements?] he asked with a quirked brow.

Akira looked around. [You need a pet,] she decided.

[Yeah? What kind?]

[Fish tanks are fun,] she replied. [We have one at school.]

[Where do you think we would put it?]

She studied the house further. [Maybe there,] she pointed to an empty spot in the living room. [By the windows so the fish could have some sun.]

[Hmm, that's a good idea.] Ash looked down the table. Interrupting Ibe and Eiji, he said, [Eiji! Akira thinks we need a fish tank. Thoughts?]

[Huh?] Eiji asked, confused by the sudden topic change. [Oh, a fish tank. Ummm… Yeah, sure. Fish are pretty cool.]

Akira stared at Ash, completely ignoring Eiji. He said he was an adult, but she'd never seen an adult interrupt other adults like that. Not unless they were fighting, that is.

[Okay, fish is one idea. What else could make this house more fun?]

She shook the confusion off her face. [Ummm,] she thought about his question. [Maybe a dog?]

Ash smiled softly, [Do you have a dog at home?]

She shook her head. [No, Dad doesn't like dogs.]

[Doesn't like dogs?] He feigned shock. [Why?]

She rolled her eyes, [He says they're too dirty, too much work, and too much money.]

[And they 'live at least ten years!'] Ibe-san chimed in using a voice that mimicked Akira's father's. [My brother needs a lesson in having fun,] he added with an eye roll of his own.

Akira nearly smiled. [Yeah, he does!]

[Then maybe Ash and I should get a dog,] Eiji suggested, looking deviously at Ash. [Huh?] he asked with a playful elbow to Ash's ribs.

[Only if you can find one that isn't ridiculously hyper. I like calm dogs. My neighbors in Cape Cod had this beagle that jumped on everyone and barked at everything from people to the fu- freaking wind. That dog was too much.]

Eiji smiled at Ash's near language slip. So did Akira, but her smile was practically undetectable.

[I like calm dogs too,] she agreed. [I hate when dogs jump on me.]

Ibe-san smiled, she was starting to warm up to Ash again after he'd accidentally ruined things at the beginning of the meal.

[One of my neighbors has a litter of puppies he's trying to sell, if you're interested. They're golden retrievers. Good family dogs and easy to train too,] Ibe-san remarked.

Akira and Eiji both looked excitedly at Ash as if it was solely his decision.

[I'll think about it,] he said.

Akira finally smiled a real smile. Her own mother and father would have said no instantly, not even considering the possibility of owning a pet.

Eiji elbowed Ash again. [Aw, come on, what's there to think about? Puppies go fast! We should get one!] He smiled at Ash with glittering puppy-dog eyes. [Please,] he raised his hands in prayerful begging.

Ash couldn't help but smile. [You really want one?]

Eiji nodded, [Akira's right, a dog would be fun. I've always wanted one too. As a kid, I wished I would go blind so that I could have an excuse to get a guide dog. That's how bad I wanted a dog.]

Ash laughed, [Oh my God, Eiji, are you serious?!]

He chuckled, [Yeah, I am.]

Ash laughed a second time and looked at Ibe-san, [Tell your neighbor we'll take one.]

Akira gasped, [Just like that?] She asked with surprise.

[I can't say no to that,] he replied with a smile and a head nod towards Eiji.

[Really, Ash!?] Eiji gasped excitedly. He pressed a kiss to Ash's cheek, making him blush and Ibe-san laugh.

Eiji shifted his attention to Akira, [You can come over and see it once we get it,] he told her with a smile. [Would you like that?]

She nodded. [Yeah.]

After the excitement died down, Eiji served dessert and eventually, they gave Ibe and Akira a tour of the house. The impromptu tour ended in the backyard. Akira wandered around while the adults talked. Ash watched as she admired all their plants, beautifully landscaped by the previous owners. He excused himself and disappeared into the house. He returned with a mason jar filled with water and scissors. He walked over to Akira.

[Hey, wanna make a bouquet?] He asked.

[Flowers are for girly girls and I'm not a girly girl,] she said indignantly.

[That's not true,] he challenged, [flowers are for everyone. I like flowers and I'm a guy.]

She narrowed her eyes at him. [You also like guys,] she challenged right back. As if being gay made one like flowers.

[So?] He replied, not at all combative, just genuinely curious.

Her eyes found the plants and she blushed suddenly. [I- I'm- sorry,] she choked out awkwardly. It sounded almost like the words brought her physical pain to speak. [You're nice. Not like my- ]

She didn't finish her sentence but Ash knew the last word would have been 'parents.'

[Can I tell you a secret?]

She nodded slowly. He sat in the grass beside where she stood to make himself less intimidating.

[You remind me a lot of myself. When I was a kid, I didn't like most adults either. My parents weren't very nice to me and I was slow to trust most people. I thought most people were pretty scary for a long time.]

[You did?]

[Yep. So I get it. I'll leave you alone if you want me to.]

[No, you can stay.]

Ash smiled and handed her the mason jar. [Flowers?]

Akira smiled shyly. [Okay,] she said just above a whisper.

Ash let her point out which flowers she wanted and he cut them for her and placed them in the jar of water. When it was full, Akira arranged them. Eiji and Ibe-san watched the two from the patio where they made idle conversation.

[He really is good with kids,] Ibe-san said to Eiji. [She's normally really slow to trust people. And she's got that attitude, so most people don't give her much of a chance. My brother's way too harsh on her. He always wanted a boy so her very existence is a nuisance to him. It's disgusting.] He rubbed his beard. [And her mother's so busy with work. I think the poor girl is just lonely. They work all week and then I usually watch her Saturday night so they can go to dinner or something. And then, like today, sometimes I watch her during the week too. I'm happy to help, but it's sad all the same. And I'm not all that exciting on my own. Not to a kid anyway. She's probably bored most of the time.]

[She can come here once in a while, if you think it would help. I know she likes me and she obviously is warming up to Ash pretty nicely. If you ever need a break, send her here, we'd be happy to entertain her for the evening.] Eiji smiled as he watched Ash take a dramatic whiff of the bouquet. [I mean, if it's okay with your brother, obviously.]

[Huh? Oh yeah, he wouldn't care. As long as she's out of his hair. And you've met him, Ei-chan, he likes you.]

Eiji smiled softly. [Then bring her some time, we'd be happy to help.]

Ash and Akira strolled back to the house with the jar of flowers.

[I made a bouquet,] she told Ibe-san as she walked slowly so as not to disturb her arrangement.

[I see that,] Ibe-san smiled. [It's beautiful.]

[Eiji and Ash grew these,] she remarked, studying the flowers. [Ash says they're good for the bees, just like the garden we have at school.]

[Hey, Akira? Guess what Eiji told me.] Ibe said.

[What?] She asked curiously, finally looking up from her flowers.

[Eiji said you're welcome to come back anytime you want. Instead of coming to my boring, old house, you can come here some Saturday if you want to.]

[While Momma and Dad are at dinner?]

Ash, who had been smiling, suddenly felt his heart drop. His face twisted in pain as he imagined this small girl being forgotten every Saturday while her parents went out to eat.

[Yeah. Only if you want to, of course.]

[Can I come this Saturday?] she asked eagerly.

[Absolutely,] Eiji responded instantly.

After a few more minutes, they made their way inside. Ash caught Akira looking at the shrine for Shorter. She'd also looked at it earlier when they began their tour, so he decided to explain. [That's my friend, Shorter,] he told her. [He was very special to Eiji and me and he died not too long ago, so we made a shrine for him.]

She pouted as if she might cry.

[But don't be sad, he wouldn't want you to cry for him. He liked people to be happy.]

Eiji swallowed against a dry throat. Suddenly the air burned his eyes.

Akira walked over to the shrine and placed her jar of flowers on the table beside the other vase of flowers.

[Don't you want to take those home, Akira?] Ash asked.

She shook her head. [I want your friend to have them,] she said seriously. [Did he like flowers too?]

[He did.] His voice sounded strained as the words left him. He didn't know if Shorter actually liked flowers. He probably did, but Ash never talked about it with him specifically. Akira didn't need to know that. He was certain, however, that Shorter wouldn't be the type to turn down flowers.

Akira gave the flowers one last arrangement with her chubby, childish fingers. [These are for you, laughing boy,] she told the picture of Shorter. She clapped her hands together twice and bowed. [Be at peace.]

[That's very kind of you, Akira,] his voice cracked. It took all his willpower not to cry.

Eiji squatted down beside her and she instinctively turned to him and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled as she hugged him. She then fell into him, hoping he'd pick her up, which he did. They stood and faced Ibe and Ash.

Akira smiled. [I wanna come back,] she decided.

[On Saturday?] Eiji asked.

She nodded. [Mmmhmm.]

She smiled wider than she had all night and kissed Eiji's cheek. Eiji kissed her cheek back and she giggled. [Your face is sharp!] She squealed. Eiji laughed and began to sway as he held her, which made her laugh harder.

It dawned on Ash then how much she adored Eiji. She obviously thought of him as a brother or maybe a cousin.

Eiji plucked a rose out of Shorter's vase and gave it to Akira. [A rose for you, madame,] he said in a goofy voice.

[Oh, thank you, sir,] she said back in a proper voice of her own.

They both laughed.

[Well, we better get going, Akira. Your parents are expecting us back soon.]

She held onto Eiji tighter, her little fingers digging into his skin. [Can't we stay, Uncle Shunichi?] She whined.

[No, we should get going.]

Eiji tried to set her down but she clung to him like a baby monkey. He laughed and tried to reason with her. [You can come back on Saturday,] he reminded her.

Slowly her legs unwrapped from his waist and she let him set her down. She clutched her rose in one hand and grabbed Ibe-san's hand with the other. As Ibe-san helped her with her shoes she looked at Ash and said. [Sorry I was mean to you.]

Ash stuck out his hand like a true American. [Friends?]

She smiled. [Friends.]

They said their goodbyes and parted ways.

"Are we really getting a dog?" Ash asked as the door closed.

Eiji grinned, "Please?"

"Was the guide dog story real?"

"Yeah."

"Then we're getting one."

"I love you," Eiji gushed.

"But I'm not picking up any poop," Ash said, waving a finger at Eiji.

"Fine, fine," he beamed.