Chapter Sixty-Three: Boiling Point

Akira slammed her bedroom door and stared at the small gold bolt below the knob. Her parents had told her countless times before that she was never to turn it. Although she didn't remember, she had once turned it as a small child, accidentally locking herself in the room for hours as her parents tried desperately to find the skeleton key that came with the house. They weren't successful and, instead, had to resort to climbing through her bedroom window.

She had been scared, they told her. She cried, thinking she was stuck inside the room forever.

And she had always believed them. She never touched the lock, worried about the repercussions. Now, staring at it with angry tears slipping down her face, she wondered if the story was even true. And if it was true, what had caused her to turn the lock in the first place? Had she really been crying because she was stuck in the room? Or had she been crying because they had treated her poorly? Why had it taken them hours to climb through the window?

Fuming, her eyebrows creased. The story didn't add up. Her arm whipped forward, hand clasping the bolt with angry, shaking hands.

In the distance, she heard Ash shouting English words she couldn't understand, underscored by Eiji's translation. He spoke in a less intense tone, too low for her to decipher. They were angry for her, not at her. It was a first. She cried audibly, more tears tumbling from her eyes.

Her fingers snapped the lock shut. She kicked angrily at the door, causing pain to shoot up her leg. She stomped into the room, ripping the backpack from her shoulders. She unzipped it and emptied its contents onto the floor. She dropped the empty bag in the room's center and stomped over to her dresser. She ripped open the bottom drawer, grabbing a handful of t-shirts and tossing them behind her towards the bag. She opened the next drawer, doing the same with shorts and pants. The drawer slammed shut. She opened the bottom drawer and stood inside it, reaching into the top drawer for socks and underwear. They soon joined her growing pile.

She marched to the bag and stuffed the clothes inside, not bothering to fold anything. She smashed the clothes in with tears still spilling from her eyes. She zipped the main pocket and then crawled under her bed, maneuvering behind baskets of books and toys to find a small wooden box that held small treasures she'd collected over the years. Inside, were colorful, shiny rocks, a few gold coins from various countries, a pink sea shell, a sand dollar, and a fake gold ring with an equally fake sapphire stone that was at least five sizes too big for Akira's largest finger. And at the bottom of the box was a neatly folded ¥5,000 bill. She ignored the other treasures and scooped up the bill. She crawled out from under the bed and shoved the bill into the front pocket of the backpack. She zipped it close.

Beyond her bedroom door, she heard the front door slam shut. She paused silently, listening for movement. For a moment there was nothing. Then the footsteps came from her mother's room.

[Kazuya, what was that?!] She heard her mother shout.

Then her father's footsteps came, angrily pounding down the hall towards her room. She jumped as the doorknob rattled, the door fighting against the bolt.

[AKIRA! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE TOLD YOU NOT TO LOCK THIS DOOR!?] He slammed a fist against the woodgrain.

She grimaced at the door but held her tongue.

[You better open this door right this minute! You are in so much trouble, young lady!] That was her mother. She wasn't even sure what was happening, she just assumed it was Akira's fault.

Akira thought about climbing through the window with her packed bag, but she knew that was unwise. She should wait until it was less expected. She shoved the bag under her bed, hiding it behind her baskets of books and toys.

[Akira, you're acting like a child!]

Her dad continued to pound on the door but gave up on the doorknob. Akira crept quietly to the door. As silently as she could, she unlocked the door and then crept away from the door. She eyed her closet searchingly. She sat on the floor, hoping to hide amongst the shoe boxes, strollers from younger days, and umbrellas.

Her assumption was correct, her father gave up on the hope that she'd unlock the door. She knew she'd have to open the door eventually, and she'd rather not be standing right in his line of fire when he finally did barge through.

Both parents continued to shout and it wasn't until ten minutes later that either of them tried the doorknob again. When they did, they both came tumbling into the room.

It took a mere fifteen seconds before her mother spotted her in the closet. [Akira!] She reached for her.

[Don't touch me!] [DON'T TOUCH HER!] Akira squealed and her father shouted in unison.

[Don't touch her, Tsuma,] Kazuya repeated to his wife with just as much urgency but less volume.

Tsuma turned and stared at him with confused, questioning eyes. Akira's eyes were wide and teary from where she cowered in the closet.

[I know Eiji's always been good to this family but his roommate is a menace.] His face twisted in anger that was now directed at his wife. [And you are careless!]

[Wha—]

[You bruised her arm! He saw! That's what this is all about, Tsuma!]

Inside the closet, Akira could no longer stifle her voice as she cried. She sobbed.

[And that American roommate is dangerous! He meant business, I could tell!]

Something in Akira snapped. She caught her breath, wiped her tears, and climbed out of the closet.

[Ash is not Eiji's roommate!]

[What are you talking about? He lives there doesn't he?]

[They're married!]

[Akira, don't be ridiculous, that's illegal,] Kazuya spat.

[Men can't marry men, Akira, that's not decent,] Tsuma added.

[It is decent! And they're in love! Actual love!] She decided to not share that she had been present at their wedding, thanks to Shunichi.

[Akira,] his tone was sharp with warning, [if you're trying to imply that Eiji is in love with that horrible man—]

[He is! … And Ash isn't horrible! YOU ARE!]

CRACK

Akira stood there stunned; mouth gaping open, face red with pain.

[You cannot talk to me that way,] he hissed. [And that is not abuse— that's discipline!]

Tears rolled silently down her face.

[I hope you enjoyed your visit with Eiji because it will be your last.]

Akira's knees buckled beneath her. She fell to the floor with a soft thud.

[Men in love with men?] He scoffed. [Dangerous American ideas! And I will not have my daughter being brainwashed into thinking a little firm discipline is abuse.] He left her room, continuing to mutter to himself about how Ash was the dangerous one.

Tsuma waved a finger at Akira as she passed her. [Your father's right. From now on Uncle Shunichi will watch you again.] She moved towards the door. [Now don't sit here and pout all day, you have chores that need doing.] She closed her door on the way out.

Akira fell flat on her back and wailed. What had she done? She regretted ever showing them her arm.

They drove home from Akira's house in an uncomfortable silence. Ash gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The rest of him was stoic and, if one didn't know him any better, they might believe he was calm. But Eiji knew Ash well. He knew he was fuming, dangerously close to erupting.

Eiji and Ash were on the same page; both angered and sicked by Akira's parents. They were both confused and uncertain about what to do next. But there was one thing Eiji was certain about, and that was how emotionally unstable Ash could be at times like this. He'd seen it ample times in New York and several times since they'd come to Japan. He was well aware that at times like this, when tensions ran particularly high, one wrong word may set Ash off, possibly resulting in a fight neither of them actually wanted. So Eiji was quiet, deciding to say nothing on their drive home.

He couldn't, however, hide the fact that his body was buzzing from excess adrenaline. He shoved his clasped hands between his legs to keep from shaking. Ash noticed halfway through the drive. He removed one stiff hand from the wheel to place on Eiji's leg but said nothing. Still, Eiji appreciated the sentiment.

"I could have killed him, Eiji. Could have killed him," Ash said angrily as they entered their home. Ash gave Buddy's head a single pat as he passed him.

"Well, I'm very glad you didn't," Eiji replied, trying to instill humor into his inflection.

"Could have shot him right through the fucking heart," Ash continued, not acknowledging Eiji's words. He pulled his gun from his waistband and placed it carelessly on the kitchen island.

"ASH!"

"What?" He asked casually. He picked the gun up again, spinning and emptying the chamber. He set it back down, causing the metal to clink against the marble.

"You brought your gun!? What were you thinking!?"

"Relax, I wasn't going to use it unless I had to. Obviously."

"You shouldn't have brought it at all! What were you thinking!? That was dangerous— reckless!"

Ash spun to look at him. "No. Going in defenseless would be reckless."

"And what did you think would happen? Did you really expect him to— be violent?"

"Honestly? No. He doesn't have the balls. But I wasn't about to risk it. You should never underestimate anyone, Eiji, Blanca taught me that. And he's right. You never know who could be packing heat."

"Ash. This isn't America! He's not 'packing heat!' No one's 'packing heat!'"

"I am."

"Yeah, well, you're not supposed to."

"And that's gonna stop me? And do you really think I'm the only one? Eiji, that's bullshit. I'm sorry, but it is."

"Ash," Eiji plunged frustrated fingers into this hair. "Kazuya Ibe does not own a gun." He stared into Ash's soul. "He just doesn't. I don't have to dig through his stuff to know that. I'm sorry, but you're wrong on this one. People here don't just secretly own weapons. It's a whole ordeal. God only knows how you managed to bring that with you—"

"Eiji, we've been over this. I had Max help me fake—"

"Don't, Ash. I don't want to know." He held up his hands almost defensively. "I don't need to know."

"What? Cuz you don't want to be compliant?"

"Yeah, actually, that is why!"

Ash waved a hand in dismissal. "Relax, Eiji, the paperwork looks so legit it's not even funny."

"ASH! That is exactly the type of thing I don't want to know!"

"Eiji—"

Buddy barked. The noise was sharp inside the house, cutting through their chaos. Both men stopped talking. Buddy stared at Ash and whined.

"He's right," Ash began after a beat of silence. "We shouldn't be fighting."

Eiji's face, red from yelling, calmed and began to return to its natural complexion.

"And you're right," he added, begrudgingly, "I am reckless."

Eiji raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "Yeah, ya think?"

"Yeah, I do." He stepped close to Eiji. "But I also know you chose to marry me," he smirked, "so you kinda knew what you were signing up for."

Eiji stepped back, brushing off his words. "Yeah well, I'm still pissed."

The playful expression fell from Ash's face. "I was just trying to protect you! And that's kinda the only way I know how."

"Ash, if it came to it, I'm sure you could knock out Kazuya with a single blow."

"And if he was armed?"

"Ash he wouldn't—" Eiji ran frustrated hands over his face. "Fine, fine. Let me rephrase…You could disarm him and knock him out in a single blow."

Ash groaned, "Eiji, please, listen. To me, that is a risk I can't afford to take."

Eiji let out a frustrated whine because he knew there was no getting through to him. All of his life, guns endangered Ash but they also kept him safe. Eiji understood that, but he also understood that Japan was very different from America.

"What?"

"Forget it," Eiji stumbled, defeated, to the couch. "We're not going to agree."

Ash watched him flop, belly-down, into the couch. He stood in silence for a few moments before forcing himself to follow after Eiji. He plopped down on the ground beside the couch.

"You're right, we're not going to agree."

Eiji groaned into the couch cushions.

"But I am still sorry." His finger traced the fabric of the couch. "I was just trying to… protect you and Akira." He sighed. "But I'm sorry." His face twisted with guilt. "Please don't hate me," Ash whined.

Eiji pried his face from the couch cushions. "I could never hate you, Ash," Eiji told him softly.

Ash let out a small whine and let his head fall to the couch cushion. "I wouldn't hold it against you," he grumbled.

Eiji readjusted, turning on his side and propping himself up on an elbow. He reached his other hand out towards Ash and ran gentle fingers through his hair. "I love you, Ash."

Eiji watched as a smile cracked Ash's stony expression. Eiji gasped in pretend shock. "You're not going to say it back?"

His smile broadened. His head lifted from the couch cushions. "Well, maybe if you gave me more than two seconds to respond." Ash leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Eiji's forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Me too."

Ash tucked a piece of Eiji's hair behind his ear. "Love you."

Eiji leaned his cheek into Ash's touch and smiled sweetly. But the smile didn't last long. "Ash? What are we going to do?"

"We're gonna figure it out."

Akira stared angrily at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her face was red from tears, but otherwise showed no trace of the harm her father inflicted on her. She almost wished he had hit her, properly hit her, hard enough to leave a mark. Even though her mental state was caving in on her, his slap showed no outward damage. And outward damage was much easier to prove than neglect or emotional abuse.

As she stared at herself, she was distantly aware that down the hall her mother was telling her to [hurry up and get ready for bed.]

She shook her head to snap herself out of her daze. With tiptoes balanced on the small wooden stool beneath her, she wrenched open the medicine cabinet to find her toothbrush. She hastily brushed her teeth before shoving the toothbrush back inside the cabinet and slamming it shut. She then quietly returned to her bedroom.

Once the door was shut, she stared at her bed, mentally visualizing the packed bag hidden beneath. Time passed slowly as she stared, wondering if she should give into temptation and run away into the night.

[No,] she said aloud. The bag was for an emergency… or a calculated escape. This was neither of those things. Being hasty wouldn't help anything.

She turned off her light. Across the room, her cheap plastic nightlight turned on automatically. The bed creaked as she climbed in. Akira stared up at the ceiling, thinking back to how Ash and Eiji, and even her uncle Shunichi, had shown her glimpses of what a family should be. And she wondered how she could escape.

Maybe all she needed was for her father to lash out at her. Or her mother. But now they were on to her, thanks to what Ash had said. Yes, it might keep her unharmed but it wouldn't get her out, and she wanted out. And she didn't want to wait on Ash or Eiji or Shunichi to come rescue her. Grown-ups had a bad habit of taking too long to think things through. Perhaps she needed to take matters into her own hands.

A crooked smile twisted her lips. It wasn't so far-fetched to imagine being bad enough to shatter their patience.

Ash sat cooped up in their home office, buffered by walls and air conditioning from the hot day outside. The office that Eiji usually kept meticulously clean, was littered with empty coffee cups, abandoned tea bags, and napkins. On the floor were dishes licked clean by Buddy and an assortment of legal documents Ash had printed in an attempt to learn something about the Japanese legal system. And while he did learn a thing or two, he continuously ran into the same problem; legal documents were hard to read. Especially in a language that's not your first.

Eiji wasn't home to help him decipher the language so he tried his best, googling and paging through his Japanese dictionary and other textbooks Miyuki used to teach him. He reached for a pen to annotate the document he was working on. As he went to write, he soon learned the pen was out of ink. "Come on," he said with a frustrated tongue. He banged the pen tip several times against the paper, scribbling with it in between hits. But all it did was carve into the page.

"Stupid thing," he muttered before chucking it across the room toward the trash can. It bounced off the rim and fell to the floor. "For fuck's sake," he cursed. He almost turned around to reach for another pen. He was certainly content to leave it on the floor as a mess for later, but this was Eiji's house too and, at that moment, he realized he'd already made a mess of the room.

He groaned as he stood, legs sore from sitting for so long. He walked across the room, stooped down to pick up the pen, and stood back up. His hand hovered, pen between his fingers, poised above the trash bin. It was mostly empty, save a few crumpled pieces of paper… and something that caught Ash's eye; a neon yellow post-it note. He remembered Eiji buying the sticky pieces of paper, claiming they were an "office staple," and his office would be "incomplete without it." Ash laughed at the time and said he'd never have a use for them, and he didn't. And to the best of his knowledge, neither had Eiji. Yet there one was, crumpled in the trash. Curiosity got the best of him, he bent down to pick it up. He tossed the pen he'd been holding in the trash.

He stepped towards the office chair and sat down. Slowly, he began to unfold the small yellow note.

Confusion furrowed his brow as his eyes found his own name, realizing it was a note addressed to him.

He read it.

'Ash, I didn't mean to see this, I SWEAR...but I saw it all the same. And it will be impossible for me to pretend I didn't. Sorry. But I have an idea. An option 3. Ask me about it. -Miyuki.'

"What."

He stood from the chair.

"The fuck?!"

His feet carried him quickly away from the now-forgotten mess behind him.

"So she did see it?" He whispered, thinking back to the tragic fax that had arrived during his honeymoon. He instantly thought back to the contents of that letter; something he had tried, and failed, more than once to forget.

"Miyuki what the FUCK?!" He bellowed to himself.

Buddy followed curiously after him as he descended the stairs with haste that made it seem he was floating down them.

"She just had to snoop around," he scoffed to himself. "Just had to look. For fuck's sake."

He pulled on his shoes at the door, grabbed his keys, and was off, post-it note in hand.

Four rapid knocks hit the Okumura door.

"Ashu! Did not know you were coming!" Aki said, greeting him warmly at the door.

She leaned in for a hug but he brushed past her, stepping inside.

"Is Miyuki home?"

Aki looked at him puzzledly in a way that would have reminded Ash of Eiji if he had his wits about him. "Upstairs, Ashu."

He nodded in thanks before rounding the corner and starting up the stairs two at a time.

"Shoes, Ashu! Shoes!" Aki shouted after him.

But Ash didn't stop to remove his shoes. No matter how much the Okumuras griped about shoes in the house, he couldn't seem to understand why it was such a big deal, especially at a time like this. Although Aki had no idea what kind of state he was in, so he could hardly hold it against her. She didn't know what he'd just learned, and certainly didn't understand the underlying stress of what was happening with Akira.

Ash reached Miyuki's door.

Normally, he would have had the decency to knock, but right now he was too upset to even consider it. He barged in.

Miyuki, who had been peacefully lounging in bed watching YouTube on her laptop, screamed at the sudden figure in her doorway. Within seconds she realized it was only Ash. "Shit, Ash! You scared the shit out of—" She stopped speaking as her brain took everything in.

Standing in her doorway was Ash, looking angrier than she'd ever seen him, borderline unhinged, and clenched in his hand was the damning piece of yellow paper. She knew immediately what it was. She had felt guilty since she'd read the confidential letter. In fact, she'd been doing her best to avoid Eiji and Ash since they'd returned from their trip. She should have known she couldn't hide forever.

"Care to explain this?" He asked, dangerously calm.

She stared at him with wide, frightened eyes. "...No?"

Ash shut the door behind him, a little louder than intended, all hidden fury breaking loose. "Miyuki, seriously, what the hell's wrong with you!" He glanced at the note, "'An option 3? ASK me about it?' Seriously, what the fuck!?"

"Wait, Ash, you don't understand—"

"Really? Cuz it seems pretty clear to me," he snapped. "What would possess you to offer such a thing?! What were you thinking?"

Tears surfaced in Miyuki's eyes. "I changed my mind, Ash," she said meekly. "I threw it away. You weren't meant to see it."

"Then why the HELL did you have the bright idea to throw it away in my office trash can?!"

She shook her head, dislodging a tear from her eye. "I don't know, Ash… I wasn't… thinking, I guess—"

"How can you just 'not think' about something that big?"

"I don't know— I was in a hurry and—"

"And what the fuck did you mean anyway? An option three? What does that mean? How many times have I told you not to go falling in love with me?"

Miyuki's demeanor changed in an instant. Her face twisted with anger. She jumped from the bed and planted her feet in front of his. She stared up at him, as he towered above her, not nearly as intimidating as she wished she could be. "And how many times do I have to tell you I FUCKING HAVEN'T?!" She shoved him as if she would Eiji when they were only kids. "I didn't mean it like that! GEEZ! I meant [IVF] or whatever the fuck you call it in English!" She shoved him again. "I'm not a creep! I was trying to be NICE!" She stepped past him and yanked open the bedroom door. She shoved him a third time towards the door. "Not everyone in this world wants to sleep with you! You're like a brother to me! How many different ways do I have to say it?! I'm not in love with you and I don't want to have sex with you! And if you can't believe me, then that's YOUR PROBLEM!"

The door slammed shut and Ash had to step back to avoid getting hit directly in the face. He heard the deafening bolt slam into place. He was left there staring at the door, eyes and mouth open wide with shock.

On the other side of the door, Miyuki was unraveling with tears.

Ash stared at the door, tears of his own forming in his eyes. He outstretched a shaky hand to test the doorknob he knew couldn't open the door. "Miyuki, I'm—" his voice was weak and shaky.

"JUST GO AWAY!"

But he stayed put, legs too weak to move. Ash's head turned slowly towards the hall as he realized he wasn't alone. Down the hall, quiet as a mouse, was Aki.

"Ashu…?"

"Fuck," he whispered to himself.

What had she heard? What had she misinterpreted? Miyuki's words may have sounded all wrong if one didn't understand the context. Was this it? The moment the Okumuras realized he wasn't at all who they thought he was? Was this the end for him?

He felt himself begin to shake. An all too familiar wave of nausea churned his stomach.

And then Aki was walking towards him. She got within a few feet and then stopped. "Come," she gestured for him to follow.

Ash had no words, he simply shook his head 'no.'

"Ashu, yes, come on." She motioned again but did not move to grab him. She stepped forward, hoping he'd follow. She sighed when he did not. "Ashu, it is okay. I understand. Come with me." She gestured again. "Miyuki will not open door." She stepped toward him. "And fighting is not way," she added gently. "Come on," she said again.

Aki began walking again, still, Ash didn't follow. She reached the stairs and looked back to find him exactly where she'd left him, staring blankly at her down the hall. She sighed. "Please?" She waited a moment and then she left, quietly descending the stairs.

Ash couldn't force his legs to move. He slunk to the floor.

Time passed as he sat silently in the hall. Aki respected his unspoken wishes, remaining downstairs, intervening no more. Eventually, Miyuki's tears let up on the other side of the door, and a short time after that, the door creaked open.

Miyuki saw him, looking drained and lifeless in a pile on the floor.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. For reading his letter. For writing her note. For changing her mind without carefully hiding the evidence. For yelling. For shoving. For saying what she couldn't take back. Her legs folded under her as she joined him on the floor. "For everything," she said simply.

She gazed at him. He looked paler than normal, almost ill.

"...Ash? Arrre you alright?"

Ash's head thunked against the wall. "I just don't get it," he said dryly, ignoring her question. "Why would you even offer that."

She sat in silence as she considered the question. "Because it's not fair. And because you guys deserve it."

He huffed, "Well, that's hardly fair to you."

"Well, I did change my mind, ya know?"

"Was it Mom's doing?"

"Wha— Ash, I—"

"Just answer."

"Ye— yeah." She looked down at the floor shamefully.

"So she knows too," he replied bitterly. "You really fucked up, ya know?"

A tear slipped down Miyuki's cheek. "I know," her voice cracked. "I'm really sorry," she squeaked.

"It's a good thing we have Mom," he added more gently.

"Yeah, she talked some sense into me."

Ash shook his head but there was humor in it. "What would we do without her."

Miyuki shrugged, head still hung in shame.

Ash nudged her foot with his from across the hall. "Very stupid things, that's what."

"I really did just wanted to help."

"It's our problem to solve. Besides, you have your own life to worry about. You'll be starting university soon. That's enough on your plate, you don't need to… and I would never even dream of asking that of you."

Miyuki nodded. "But you wouldn't be asking if I offered."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Don't even start."

"I'm not, I'm just saying…" her sentence trailed off into nothing. "I'm sorry for what I said, by the way… about… not everyone wanting to sleep with you," she added quietly, shamefully.

Ash gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "Don't be. You're right. And I do believe you… it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Just that I'm used to it, conditioned," he told her vaguely. He stretched his arms above his head before using them to propel him off the floor.

"Used to what?" She asked, looking up at him from the floor.

"Being sexualized by nearly every damn person I've met since the age of seven." He glanced down at her. "It's fucked me up. So I'm sorry… if it's very hard for me to comprehend, no matter how many times you tell me." He started toward the stairs.

Miyuki jumped up after him. "Wait," she caught him by the wrist before quickly dropping it. "I get it— well, as much as I can get it… but… please, know…"

He raised his eyebrows inquisitively at her. "Know what?"

"That…" her voice sped up, getting everything out as quickly as possible. "When I wrote that— I wasn't thinking clearly— I didn't really think through specifics… but I can promise you I had no intention of sl—"

"I get it." He began descending the stairs, Miyuki just a step behind him.

"I also shouldn't have shoved you," she added guiltily.

"Geez, Mi, you don't have to be sorry for everything all at once, give it a rest." He smirked at her.

They reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Plus, I deserved that. I'm the one who barged in, guns blazin'."

Miyuki rolled her eyes. "That is such a stupid expression."

"Is not."

"Absolutely is."

"You just don't get it because you've never been in an actual 'guns blazin'' situation."

"Whatever, Ash."

The two carried on, half-heartedly bickering about nothing at all.

Meanwhile, Aki stood down the hall in the laundry room, listening; taking it all in. She could hear them growing closer to the front door.

"Ashu?" She called.

His light expression turned sour.

"She's not angry," Miyuki said quietly.

Ash didn't look so convinced.

"Go," she whispered.

And Ash did, walking slowly down the hall. He stepped cautiously inside the laundry room. "Y-yeah?" he cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

She looked up from the shirts she was folding atop the dryer. She casually outstretched an arm. "Hug?"

His face contorted with confusion before sliding into a small smile as Aki stepped toward him.

She gave him a brief, one-armed hug and then returned to the laundry. "Stay for dinner," she suggested casually. "Tell Ei-chan. Been some time since we have game night." She fastened the buttons on one of Shun's dress shirts before sliding it onto a hanger. "Miyuki taught me new card game. It is a fun one."

He studied her. "Are we just going to ignore earlier?"

"Yes," she answered without a second thought. "Because that is what you want, no?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

Aki smiled. "Then we forget. Not my business."

Ash smiled gratefully and leaned against the washer. "What's the card game?"

"Oh, Ashu, ask Miyuki. Some American name. I do not remember."

Miyuki appeared in the doorway. "It's called ERS, Ash, and I'm gonna beat your ass."

Aki smiled and shook her head at her daughter's spirited language.

"Oh, is that so?"

"It's so."

"Well, it just so happens I've played that one before and I don't think you're ready for my skill."

"Guess we'll have to put that skill to the test."

"Guess we will." Ash turned toward Aki. "And how are your skills, Mom?"

[Legendary.]

Miyuki threw her head back and laughed. "Mom's skills could use some work."

"Miyuki! I am offend!"

"Offended," Miyuki corrected, still laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." Aki winked at Ash, making him wonder how often she did that; say words wrong to get a laugh or lighten a situation.

"So you stay, Ashu?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I'll stay. As long as I can go home and get my Little Man first."

"Which one?" Aki teased.

"Both."

Across town, Akira sat in her room, staring out the window into the setting sun. She had made it her mission to misbehave in school that day. She purposefully left completed homework uncollected in her school bag. She talked out in class, bickered with the other kids. Her teacher didn't so much as bat an eye. She would need to try harder, she thought.

When she came home from school, she argued with her parents every step of the way through dinner and homework. But that too didn't seem to phase them. She would need to try harder with them as well. Because she was dead set on being punished. She was dead set on evoking a physical reaction. She could do it, she just needed to try harder. She stared out the window, plotting her next move.

Ash lived up to his word, going home for Eiji and Buddy and then returning for dinner and games. After dinner, they played Miyuki's card game and, as it turned out, she and Ash were a pretty fair match in skill. Of course, some of the game was also luck, which helped Eiji and Aki survive. Shun played one round before deciding the game was not for him. Instead, he watched and laughed from the sidelines as the other four battled for victory, hands slapping the pile of cards viciously every few seconds. By the end their hands were red, their throats were hoarse from yelling, and their sides sore from laughing.

After they'd long finished with the cards, they retired to the living room, sprawled out on the furniture, talking and laughing as the evening ticked on.

Eiji and Miyuki sat on either end of the couch, with Aki in the middle. She held the TV remote, scanning endlessly for something good. She would pause here and there, watching several minutes of something before continuing her endless search. Shun sat in the little armchair beside the couch, reading a book about sailing; one of his many random fascinations. And on the floor, was Ash, totally relaxed, with Buddy curled up into his side.

"I'm glad we're no longer banished from your presence," Eiji told Miyuki. "You gave us the silent treatment for a bit there. What was that all anyway?"

Miyuki flushed and stuttered out a reply. "O-oh, we-well you know… I— I was…" She stalled awkwardly.

"In a bit of a funk?" Ash supplied.

"Yes! I was in a funk."

"Ashu, language," Aki reprimanded, half-distracted by the TV.

"Funk, not fu— whatever. It's a different word," he replied from the floor.

Aki didn't reply, she just kept searching for something to watch. Ash smiled to himself. As much as she jumped to correct bad language, he knew it was more of a motherly obligation than anything else. He was convinced she didn't actually care.

"And I suppose you wouldn't happen to know anything about that funk? Huh, Ash?"

"Eiji, language, please," Aki said again.

"It's a different word," Ash, Eiji, and Miyuki said in unison.

Her head snapped away from the TV. "Huh? Oh." She waved her hand dismissively. [Carry on.]

"Ya know, Mom, I think you should give up. There's nothing good on," Ash said from the floor.

"You didn't answer my question," Eiji interjected.

Miyuki's eyes darted between them.

Ash flashed him a look. "Later, Lovely."

Aki sighed, thumb hitting the power button. "You are right, Ashu, nothing on." She set down the remote and stretched. "Ah, well, I am tired anyway."

Aki stood and turned to Eiji. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. [Good night,] she told him. She turned to Miyuki and did the same, pressing a kiss to her hair. [Good night.] She looked down at Ash who was still on the floor. [If you want a good night kiss, you will have to get up. I am too old and too tired to crawl around on the floor.]

He smirked at her from the floor. [Good night, Mom.]

Aki clutched dramatically at her heart. "Oh, Ashu, that was… cold?"

He nodded at her English phrase.

She tapped her temple. "I will remember. Boy doesn't give own mother good night kiss," she scoffed.

Ash kissed his hand and blew her a dramatic kiss from the floor. "Better?"

"Hmmm… not same but I will… let slide."

She made eye contact with him on the floor. Her face looked different then; sad and happy and proud all at once. It was a strange, fleeting look, fit for the strange day he'd had.

She stepped over him and Buddy and made her way towards Shun. She placed a kiss on his head as well. [Good night.] Aki gave a sweeping wave to the room. [Boys, always good to see you.] She gave a slight bow and turned down the hall toward her bedroom. Not long after, Shun sighed and shut his book. He followed Aki's lead, bidding good night to the room as well.

"We need to get going too, Ash." Eiji stood and stretched. "I'm going to use the bathroom before we leave." He disappeared around the corner.

"So you're gonna tell Eiji later?" Miyuki asked the second the bathroom door clicked.

"We don't keep secrets," he said simply. "If he asks, I will tell him."

"He will hate me."

Ash finally peeled himself from the floor, rousing Buddy from his sleep in the process. "I will make sure he doesn't."

"Ash," she began hastily. "If there was really no other way… maybe… in a few years—"

"Miyuki, please," he said a little too harshly. "That's not even an option, don't torture yourself."

She looked down at her hands. "O…kay."

"Besides," he thought of Akira, "there may be other ways."