"Welcome to the Chang Dai, Eiji. Please choose anything you like. It's on the house.", Nadia welcomed him.

"Ash is like a little brother to me. I worry about that stubborn idiot a lot, so I'm thrilled he met his soulmate. Especially since he refuses to believe in the power of soulmates. Please take good care of him." Nadia teasingly ruffled his hair, and Ash ducked away from her. "Stop that! I'm not fourteen anymore."

Eiji grinned at his reaction. "Yes, I will. I promise. Thank you, Nadia."

When they sat down at a table, Shorter joined them. He grinned at Eiji. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Shorter. I'm glad Ash decided to meet you.", he added before casting a knowing glance at Ash, who glared at him in return.

Eiji looked at the two of them curiously before his gaze rested on Ash. "Why did you suddenly change your mind? I was really happy when I got your message but wondered what could be the reason."

"I didn't...", Ash muttered in a low voice. Shorter elbowed him in the ribs, and Ash grimaced before scowling at him.

"So, that probably means that you had something to do with Ash's decision to meet me, right?", he asked, eying Shorter with new interest.

"You could say that.", Shorter replied mysteriously. "Ash is too stubborn for his own good. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to meet you. He just needed a little push in the right direction."

"Thanks, Shorter, I owe you. I'm so happy that I could meet him. And you as well. Eiji beamed at both of them in that innocent way he had. Then his shoulders slumped a little as he sank deeper into his seat before he continued speaking, his tone accompanied by a hint of sadness. Or maybe loneliness?

"I don't know anyone else in New York yet. I feel a bit lost in a huge city like that. My hometown is much smaller."

Although New York looks exactly like in CSI: New York!

Ash burst out laughing until tears were pricking at his eyes. Shorter and Eiji both stared at him in bewilderment.

"Please tell me that you don't have all your knowledge about New York from TV series like CSI.", Ash asked him, still laughing. "That's so cute and dumb at the same time."

"Of course not!", Eiji pouted while his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment before he turned away from them. "I've also read some guide books about New York if you have to know. And how can you possibly read my thoughts?", he asked Ash in disbelief.

"It's easy if you send your thoughts to me. I think you've done so unintentionally when you cheered up again." Ash smirked at him. He began to enjoy himself, even if it was at his soulmate's expense.

"Don't worry, Eiji, we'll change that and show you around. You'll make more friends in no time. And now you have us. You'll be good for Ash. And if he wants to push you away, don't let him. He thinks he doesn't deserve you. Tell him he's wrong, ok?"

Shorter was interrupted when Nadia suddenly dragged a sour-looking Shorter along with her.

"Sorry, Eiji, but Shorter promised me to help me in the kitchen. He'll join you later.", Nadia promised him.

"Learn to read the atmosphere. Give these two some time alone.", Ash heard her whisper to Shorter.

"You can join them later when we've finished preparing their meals. And when you've cleaned the kitchen as you promised me to.", she ordered while shoving him towards the kitchen. Ash could hear Shorter's complaints all the way to the kitchen and couldn't hide his grin.

"You're lucky, Ash. You have people who love you. Nadia is really nice, and I bet Shorter's a great friend, too." Eiji's gaze curiously wandered around the place before he looked at him again.

"Yes, I guess so.", Ash answered. "They're like a family to me."

"What about your parents?", Eiji asked carefully. Ash saw the uncertainty in his eyes. He could sense Eiji's worry resonating through the bond. He asked himself if this was a sore subject he shouldn't approach so soon after meeting him.

He would have told anyone else that it wasn't his damn business. Still, Eiji was his soulmate, and after all, he had done for him, after never abandoning him and always helping him out, especially in the darkest times of his life, he owed Eiji the truth and not some lame excuse or some standard platitudes.

"My mom ran away right after I was born, and my dad couldn't care less about me. My half-brother raised me, but he left me as well.", he said while sorrow darkened his green eyes. "I'm not worth it. I've just been a burden on everyone...", he muttered in a low voice. "Maybe even you thought so at times..."

"Ash, that's not true! I know I have only talked to you for a day or two, but I know you're a good and selfless person. I always felt your kind heart through the bond. I know you've gone through a lot, but I'm still so happy you're my soulmate. I've always wanted to help you, but there was only so much I could do with that great distance between us.", Eiji replied sadly, eyes downcast on the table. "I wish I could have done more for you."

"Thank you, Eiji. You've done everything you could and were always by my side. You're the only person who never abandoned me or gave up on me. But I still think it's a bad idea if you stay close to me. I've led a rough life on the streets where people's lives don't mean anything and crime and murder are common everyday occurrences.", Ash tried to explain the situation to him. He had to push Eiji away, put some distance between them. He didn't want to pull Eiji into his messed up life. He'd only bring danger and misery to his soulmate. It was better to end this now before they got any closer...

His tactic to scare people away worked on most people. Ash had assumed that Eiji would be shocked, but instead, his eyes burnt brightly as he looked at him, clearly agitated. Eiji was neither afraid nor stunned. He was glaring at him furiously for a moment, his eyes shooting daggers at him. Then he took a deep breath as if realizing suddenly what Ash was trying to do, bent closer to him, and smiled knowingly.

"That won't work on me, Ash." Ash stared at him in surprise, then smirked at him.

"I've clearly underestimated you. I should have known better after everything we've been through together." Eiji just nodded at him.

"I honestly don't know what to do. I want you to stay away from me and my dangerous life. Yet, at the same time, I'd like to learn more about you. Your feelings coming through the bond are always so cheerful and happy. It always makes me relax, and it improves my mood." He could feel how a small smile flew across his face.

"That's great to hear. But now that I've finally met you, you won't get rid of me, so stop trying." Eiji gave him a fierce look that told Ash that any protest would prove futile. "I haven't always been like that. I don't know if you could feel it through the bond. It's not even worth mentioning compared to your horrible experiences, but I had to overcome some difficulties as well."

"Yes, I did feel that. But I couldn't figure out exactly what had happened to you. I felt immense pain coming from you for just a short moment. Only once. After that, the pain was still there, but it slowly faded away. Like an injury or something similar. An accident? After that, your feelings were incredibly dark. You were devastatingly sad and desperate. I tried to send you some encouraging thoughts, but I guess you didn't notice..."

Eiji placed a hand on his. And for the first time, touch didn't trigger pain or some horrible memory within him. It didn't make him feel nauseous or disgusted. This time, it felt... right. Eiji's touch felt gentle and warm. It was soft, barely touching him, and gave him the option to pull away, indirectly asking for his consent. He didn't feel the urge to resist or escape. Eiji's small gesture took away his dark thoughts and his loneliness. He looked up at Eiji and saw a new side of him. Maybe he was the light to his darkness. The dawn of a new life he had been looking for all this time...

Then, emotions rushed through him. But they weren't his own; they belonged to Eiji, Ash realized with a start as he looked at him in surprise. Eiji couldn't see it since he had closed his eyes and concentrated. He transferred his feelings of that moment to him, probably sensing Ash's doubt that he had been of any help. He stared at him in amazement when Eiji shared his feelings of that moment in time with him. Then he opened his eyes again.

"Could you feel it?"

Ash nodded slowly. "I didn't know if my thoughts had even reached you... I felt so useless as your soulmate..."

"No, Ash, you're wrong. As I've just shown you, I did feel your messages through the bond. It's probably the only reason why I recovered from my depression. You were continuously sending me encouraging thoughts and reminded me that I wasn't alone. Thanks. You saved me."

Eiji smiled softly at him, and he immediately felt relieved that Eiji had noticed his attempts to help him. He felt Eiji's pure emotions through the bond but seeing his face was something new to him. He had the warmest eyes he had ever seen. His features didn't hide anything; everything was honest and open when it came to Eiji. His feelings coming through the bond were just the same. It was refreshing and new that Eiji's emotions were so innocent and pure that Ash immediately felt the urge to protect him. He had only talked with him for half an hour but would already do anything for him. Was that a normal soulmate thing, or did they possess a special bond?, he secretly wondered.

"I'm glad I helped you. But what exactly happened to you, Eiji?"

"I was an athlete, a professional pole-vaulter. I even got a scholarship for college with it.", Eiji began. Ash felt his love for that sport, and a hint of pride was resonating through the bond.

"That's amazing, Eiji; I would never have guessed that you'd be a pole vaulter. If you got a scholarship, you must have been really good at it. But something must have happened, right?, Ash asked honestly while looking directly into his eyes. Sorrow darkened Eiji's eyes before he lowered his gaze and stared at his hands, which trembled slightly.

"Yeah, while pole vaulting, I twisted my ankle. That was the immense pain you've felt. It was so bad that I had to abandon my pole vaulting career forever and could never compete again. My college scholarship was also revoked. I thought my life was over.", he admitted honestly. "Pretty pathetic, huh? You suffered so much more, but you never gave up." Ash was rendered speechless for a moment by that comment. Before he could find a reply to that, however, Eiji continued talking.

"Pole vaulting was my way to escape, to fly, to be free. It was my reason to live until then.", Eiji clarified with a dreamy look in his brown eyes.

Then, grief flooded his eyes as he looked at Ash.

Inside his soul, he felt Eiji's pain, his torment, and his deep regret of abandoning a sport he excelled at, and that was much more than just a hobby to him. For him, it had meant freedom, both personally and financially, since he had gained a scholarship with it. He also sensed an emptiness and a hint of loss, a part of himself that Eiji still missed, but that wouldn't come back to fill the void inside his heart. Maybe he could replace it with something else while he was in New York... He was surprised at this thought, but when he saw Eiji's eyes filled with sadness, he wanted to make him smile again...

As if on cue, Eiji suddenly returned his gaze and smiled, as if he had read Ash's thoughts. He couldn't do that, right? Sometimes it seemed like it...

"After my accident, I got depressed and cut off all of my friends. Even my family. The people in our town looking at me with pity in their eyes only made it worse. I couldn't stand their looks anymore. Everyone told me that I should try something else, a new sport or hobby when pole vaulting had been my life. So, when Ibe asked me if I wanted to go to New York with him, I immediately said yes. It was a new start for me. A second chance."

"Eiji, I'm sorry. That must have been tough. It's a pity that we lived so far apart from each other. We could have helped each other out more in those times had we only been closer. I'm glad that you came to New York."

Eiji smiled at that. "Yes, me too. I was so surprised when you said you lived here. I thought that couldn't be a coincidence; it must be fate." He beamed at him in that innocent way he had that Ash couldn't resist.

"Let me show you something else. ", Eiji said, placing a hand on his again. Then, suddenly pictures were flowing through his mind. Memories. Eiji's memories. He had closed his eyes for a moment in concentration. Ash could see his memories and the corresponding feelings from his pole vaulting accident as if standing next to him. He could see his accident, the weeks after that, his depression afterwards. Ash also felt every little emotion from back then through the bond, and he finally realized that his feelings had reached Eiji. After receiving them, he slowly got over his depression. It wasn't perfect, but he was trying and slowly looked for options to go on.

"Have you seen it? Felt it?"

"Yeah. I didn't know you could do that. You seem to know much more about that soulmate thing. So, my emotions did help you. I'm relieved."

"I probably know more because Japan is a much smaller country. In Japan, most people have a soulmate that lives close by. Even if they live in different regions, it's not nearly as far apart as in the US, so that most people can use telepathy. So, I've learned a lot from my friends and family about soulmates just by observing them."

"I see. I don't know anyone besides Shorter, who has a soulmate that lives close. So, I'm pretty clueless about soulmates and how the bond works. Maybe you can teach me some things?"

"Sure, that's why I'm here." Eiji replied softly before concern flooded his eyes again.

"Ash, what happened to you? What was all the pain I felt through the bond? I woke up screaming each night, and my parents were worried. They told me to block the bond to you so that I wouldn't feel your intense emotions anymore."

"You can block a bond? I didn't know you could do that, either. But you didn't, right? I could always feel your presence. Why didn't you? It would have been the easier option for you."

Ash had often wondered why Eiji had never left his side when he had to feel his torment, too. Yet, he had always felt his presence and has asked himself many times why he had never abandoned him... Ash had been incapable of controlling the agony, so Eiji had suffered together with him. He had caused him so much pain, so why had he never given up on him..? It remained a mystery to him.

"How can you even ask that? I would never abandon my soulmate, especially if he suffered from such tremendous pain as you did!" Ash nearly flinched from the storm raging in Eiji's eyes as he glared at him. Then, Eiji sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to shout at you.", he apologized.

"I desperately wanted to help you, to show you that you're not alone. So my mom showed me how to control the emotions coming through the bond instead. That way, the emotions wouldn't overwhelm me, but you would still feel my presence, and I could be by your side."

"Eiji, you're the kindest person I've ever known. Thank you for always being there for me. I'm probably only alive because of the positive emotions you sent my way. They gave me hope and the courage not to give up."

"That's great to hear. But can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I - that's - I'm sorry, I can't...", Ash stumbled across the words. Great, now he had ruined their evening. Eiji had honestly told him about his bad experiences, which had been hard for him. Still, it wasn't easy for him to trust people. Even his soul mate. He couldn't tell him everything at their first meeting; he just couldn't... He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, unsure how to go on. Fortunately, Eiji put him out of his misery.

Eiji just looked at him with those warm eyes. "Does that mean you need more time to tell me?" Ash nodded quietly, grateful that Eiji understood him so well. He had probably felt his uncertainty and fear through the bond. But seeing how Eiji looked at him, he didn't need a bond. He read his face like an open book. He saw it in the way he scrutinized his face. The realization surprised him since he had learned to have a stoic face that gave nothing away. It didn't seem to work on Eiji, though...

"I'm sorry. You told me everything but I - ", he tried to apologize.

"It's fine, Ash. You don't have to tell me now. Tell me if you're ready. You told me you have problems trusting people, right? It's probably related to your terrible experiences. So just get to know me better and tell me at a later point." Relief flooded through Ash, and he released a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding.

Then, he looked at him intensely. "Only tell me this: you experienced something horrible. Something far worse than what I experienced, right?" Ash nodded.

"And does that still happen to you? Are you still suffering?"

"No, I got adopted by a friend of my brother. He and his wife are nice. They have a little son called Michael, who's really cute. But I still remember all those horrible things and have terrible nightmares." He had no idea at all why he had told Eiji that. Usually, he would never be this talkative, but Eiji made him relax with his warm eyes and radiant smile. Eiji wasn't scared of him, and sometimes, he had the feeling that he could look into his soul and saw all the raw emotions he kept hidden deep inside of him.

"I'm sorry, Ash. If I can help you in any way, tell me. I'm here.", Eiji said seriously. Then he grinned at him and changed the topic.

"So let's talk about something more cheerful. Would you show me around in New York? I don't know that much yet, and I'd like to spend more time with you. And maybe Shorter, too."

"Yes, of course. Tell me what you're interested in, and I'll show you around. I know some great places.", Ash said, returning the smile.

"Great!, Eiji beamed at him. "I look forward to that."

Nadia served them their meal, and they ate it in comfortable silence. Nadia's food always smelled like home to him. It was one of the few places where he had always felt safe and had been able to relax. After being adopted, he rarely spent time here but only picked up Shorter to hang out. He relaxed more and more and actually enjoyed Eiji's company.

"You remembered something good right now. I felt it through the bond. Ash smiled at him. "This restaurant was my home when I was younger. I often escaped here when things went bad. Nadia's a great cook, and she always watched over me. She's like a big sister to me. She's strict but has a heart of gold. I've just realized how much I've missed her food."

"That's good to hear. Maybe you'll come back here with Eiji?", Nadia replied, having overheard the last part of their conversation on the way to their table.

"We will; you're an amazing cook. The meal was delicious."

"Thank you, Eiji. Come by anytime you like.", Nadia said, smiling at him before clearing the table. "Unfortunately, Shorter hasn't inherited my cooking skills." Nadia sighed in frustration.

"That's true. His cooking skills are a disaster.", Ash grinned while casting a look at Shorter.

"Hey, I heard that." Shorter complained, giving him a dirty look.

While Ash had talked to Nadia and teased Shorter, Ash hadn't paid attention to Eiji, who had rummaged in his bag for a bag he was just opening.

"Ash, can I take a photo of us?", Eiji asked out of nowhere, holding a camera up to his face as if taking a photo.

Ash froze up instantly and just stared at the camera with wide eyes while his mind flatlined. Everything around him faded away, and he was suddenly back in that room with monsters like Frog taking photos of him while raping and hurting him. Their evil laughter was ringing in his ears again, accompanied by the endless clicking sound of a camera that drowned out everything else. He still felt the tremendous pain rushing through his body again.

He felt sick to his stomach and felt how droplets of sweat were running down his face. His hands clenched into fists, and he trembled as all those horrifying memories flashed through his mind. He couldn't breathe and felt the urge to escape. He had to get out of here... Now!

"- sh?"

"Ash?"

'Ash? What's wrong? You look really pale. Are you fine?'

Eiji's telepathic message gradually pulled him back to reality.

After a moment, he heard Eiji's worried voice, and his face came into view again. Eiji was scared, anxious and confused. He sensed his intense emotions through the bond.

But at this point, he didn't care. He knew all of this had been too good to be true. Without another word, he abruptly got up, grabbed his jacket and left as quickly as possible.

"Ash! Don't leave, please. What did I do wrong? Please tell me!", Eiji desperately called out to him. When Ash didn't respond, Eiji asked him telepathically again. He ignored him. He needed to get some fresh air. He still couldn't breathe... he still saw that room in front of his eyes, could still smell blood and bodily odors, could still feel the pain dominating his body. He didn't want to break down in front of Eiji...

He should stay away from him anyway. They weren't meant to meet each other, to be together, or they wouldn't have lived worlds apart from each other... They lived in different worlds; it would never work out...

When he was on his way outside, he suddenly felt a hold on his arm. His whole head was still spinning with suppressed memories coming to the surface, so he forgot for a moment who it was.

He just felt someone holding his arm in a firm grip and panicked, instinctively defending himself. The sudden touch made fear whelm up inside of him, and before he knew what he was doing, he had slapped the person's hand away and had pushed him away from him, hearing a loud thud as he landed on the floor.

"Don't touch me!", he screamed at him furiously while his eyes burnt into him.

Ash stood there, as fear and anger rushed through him, unable to move for a moment. Stars were dancing in front of his vision, and he felt as if he'd pass out at any moment.

Even so, he still sensed confusion and astonishment humming through him from Eiji's side, and he tried to focus on the present again. Concentrating, he tried to overcome his shock while his fuzzy mind was drowning in terrible memories of his dark past.

His body still trembled from the sudden firm grip on his wrist and the raw emotions that hit him relentlessly and that he couldn't shake off so easily. So, he needed some minutes to focus on Eiji and lost precious time before seeing Eiji clearly in front of him and being able to help him.

Meanwhile, Eiji was cowering on the floor, hugging himself while tears were running down his face. When he saw him, he suddenly screamed out in pain while gripping his head.

"Ash, stop! Please!", he cried out in desperation while an endless stream of tears was flowing down his cheeks. "That hurts!"

When Eiji's feelings of pure agony shot through his body, waking him from his stupor, he finally recognized Eiji. It was only then that he realized that the one who had shoved him away had been him. And that he had come to his senses much too late...

Shit. What have I done to him...?

He tried to calm down by taking a deep breath and focusing on Eiji again.

But he still had no clue what had caused such tremendous pain in him. What was he supposed to do? How could he stop it? What the fuck had even happened?

He moved closer to Eiji, desperately wishing to help him, but before he reached him, all color drained from his face, and Eiji collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Their bond had disappeared as well... Eiji's presence was gone...

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