Chapter Text
Exhaustion set further into Eiji’s bones as their flight time approached. He had spent nearly an hour tiptoeing and stretching, desperately trying to spot a pair of striking green eyes in the busy airport crowd. It wasn’t until he felt the tugging in his stitches and the faintness of his head that he finally admitted defeat and walked over to join Ibe. There was no denying the disappointment that settled heavy in his chest, dragging him down onto the hard-plastic chair. This wouldn’t be the end though, he thought. He knew that when his fingers just barely managed to reach Ash’s, and he knew it as he sealed the envelope on his letter. His heart and soul had been poured into that letter and he knew that even if Ash couldn’t come to Japan with them, they would see each other again. When the time was right, they would be together again, and Ash would be safe until then.
“The 18:10 flight from New York to Tokyo, Japan has been cancelled. The next available flight is tomorrow at 19:00.”
Eiji jumped out of his seat the moment the word ‘cancelled’ drifted from the overhead speaker, eyes wide as he whipped around to look at Ibe. His ankle suffering under the weight of his excitement as the rest of the announcement rang out.
“Ibe-san, I have to go see him, I have to say goodbye,” Eiji rushed out, Ibe’s protests about injuries and resting passing his ears but not really taking hold. In moments Eiji’s passport and boarding pass were safely tucked into his backpack
“Eiji, I really think we should head to a hotel and just rest, its been a long few days” Ibe sighed, defeat already evident on his features as he watched Eiji rearrange his few belongings.
“He’ll be at the library,” Eiji responded, ignoring Ibe’s protests entirely. “I’ll text you when I find him, and I'll be back in plenty of time for the flight, I promise. I have to say goodbye Ibe-san.”
Eiji’s eyes spoke for him, and Ibe nodded with a sigh. With that, Eiji took off running, back towards the airport entrance, wincing as the fast movement tugged at the still tender area of his wound. People sent strange looks his way, but he didn’t spare them a second glance as the adrenaline took over.
He came to abrupt stop when he saw Sing, Alex, Kong and Bones barrelling towards him. The exhaustion once again catching up with him as he had to put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
“Eiji? Where are you going? Flights that way,” Sing laughed as he lent Eiji a hand to get back on his feet.
“Flights, cancelled,” Eiji said between breaths, sending him a small smile of thanks. “Till tomorrow night. I have a whole day here; I have to go and see him.”
Sing beamed at Eiji and slapped him on the back. “Well what are you waiting for! C’mon lets get over there!” He was pulling Eiji to the cars before he even had chance to acknowledge the other boys properly. He sent a quick wave over his shoulder instead before Sing practically shoved him in the back seat of the cab.
“Where to boys?” the cab driver grunted.
“The New York Public library, please,” Eiji said. One hand holding his stomach and the other twirling a pen he found in his pocket. The same pen he had used to write his letter to Ash. My soul is always with you, he had written. It was true, even when they had been separated Eiji still felt a connection to Ash, their bond was deeper than either of them could truly comprehend.
It hadn’t been enough however, to stop that sinking feeling when he realised how unlikely it was that Ash would show up for the flight. He had wanted so badly to take him away from this life he had been forced into. Eiji wanted Ash to always feel as safe as he did when they were alone in their room together. Ash let himself be vulnerable there, let parts of his personality shine through that others never looked hard enough to see. They could get a little house in Izumo, space for miles around, no one to disturb their peace. Or maybe Ash would be more comfortable in the city. They both had become well accustomed to city life at this point. The bustling noises, the safety that the cover of hundreds of other people in the street could provide you. They could get a tiny one-bedroom apartment, with a little kitchen where Ash would sit on the counter every morning to drink his coffee while Eiji made breakfast around him. They would fall into bed together at the end of a busy day in the city, peaceful in the knowledge that they are safest when they’re together.
“I gave him the letter,” Sing broke the silence, as a small smile had begun to spread on Eiji’s face. “He looked kind of sad honestly, I think he wanted to come with you. I wish he would, he's been so different since you arrived, you’re good for him.”
Eiji’s lips parted slightly in shock, not expecting those words from Sing. He smiled sadly, even your friends know you’d be happier away from here Ash, why won’t you listen to them.
“Thank you, Sing. I really appreciate it.” Eiji answered quietly, and Sing didn’t try continuing the conversation. He was grateful, the silence they settled into was peaceful, and Eiji tried to push away the thoughts that this could be the last time he ever sees Ash. Instead focusing on the streets of New York, the city he had spent so long in and had slowly began to feel like home. It couldn’t be the last time; he wouldn’t let it be.
“Eiji. Eiji, we’re here,” Sing nudged him, shaking him out of his thoughts. They thanked the driver and stepped out of the car. Eiji stared up at the library, taking in the view for potentially the last time, and if he was being honest, stalling. He was nervous, which wasn’t a feeling he was used to, not when it came to Ash. When Eiji was around Ash he felt safe, brave, like he could take on the entire world. He never felt nervous around Ash, not even when they had first met, and he asked to hold his gun.
Sing cleared his throat to get Eiji moving and with an embarrassed smile he reluctantly shuffled into the massive library. The building almost felt like Ash, knowledge in every corner, passion spilling out of the pages of every book the library housed. He loved to watch Ash read here, glasses perched on the end of his nose, brows furrowed as he absorbed more knowledge in an hour than Eiji thought possible. Eiji would pretend to read a book of his own while occasionally peeking over the top, only to hide behind it with blushing cheeks and a sheepish smile when Ash caught him.
“I’ll, um,” Sing started and cleared his throat as they entered Ash’s usual reading room. “I’ll wait by the door for you.” Eiji nodded smiling, grateful for the space for their reunion. His eyes scoured the room for the usual mop of blonde hair behind a book, but his heart sank when he couldn’t spot him. He turned to look at Sing, who shrugged in response, also unable to pick him out of the crowd. Eiji bit his lip, nerves swarming his stomach and began to weave through the tables, refusing to leave before he was certain Ash wasn’t here. It was the third row of tables when he finally spotted him, but the smile fell from his face before it could reach his eyes. Ash was slumped over on the table, hair splayed out around him, glasses crooked... Sleeping? No. That couldn’t be it, Ash would never sleep in public, that would make him vulnerable, it would be too dangerous. He inched closer and threw a hand to his mouth to hold in his shocked sob.
Blood.
There was blood spattered on the letter Eiji had wrote for him, Ash’s hands gently placed over it. Eiji’s nerves grew to panic, his heart racing as he nudged Ash slightly, only to find the gaping stab wound in his abdomen. He’s not dead, Eiji thought, he’s not dead, I won’t let him be dead. Tears pricking his eyes, he looked up to Sing who’s eyes widened when he saw Eiji’s face and crossed the room in seconds as Eiji checked Ash’s pulse.
There was nothing.
His feeling had been right.
“He can’t be...” Sing whispered in shock, his face paling.
Eiji was shaking, tears beginning to spill, when his eyes caught the letter again. Blood stains. Blood stains, and tears. His gaze hardened as he clenched his fists and turned to look at a shaken Sing.
“Sing, help me get him to the apartment,” Eiji said as he stuffed the letter in his pocket, hastily wiping up any blood on the desk with his sleeve. He gently pushed Ash back to lift him, before realising that the blood red that had seeped through Ash’s cream coloured coat. Positioning himself so that his own body would cover the stain, he began to lift Ash onto his shoulder.
“Sing,” Eiji said. Sing was frozen, blinking in shock, tears in the corners of his eyes as he stared down at the body of his friend. With a rough swipe of his arm, he wiped the tears away and turned to look at Eiji.
“Eiji, what are you going to-” he began but he was cut off by Eiji.
“Please Sing. Please trust me. We have to get him out of here either way. We can’t leave him here,” he said, trying desperately to appear like he wasn’t falling apart. He couldn’t, not yet, there was no time. Sing, still in shock, just nodded and grabbed his side of Ash. The two walked him out of the library, brushing off the strange looks from other patrons and throwing a brief apology for their sleeping friend at the librarian. Eiji took a quick look at Sing and saw him getting paler by the second. He would never be able to make this up to him. Asking him to carry the dead body of one of his friends so casually, to pretend he was just sleeping. The thought of it made Eiji’s skin crawl, but there wasn’t time to think about that. Time was running out with every step they took.
After five agonising minutes they were pulling Ash into the apartment, and Eiji thanked the stars that Ash had chosen a base within walking distance of his beloved library. Sing raised an eyebrow after Eiji opened the door and Eiji led them to the bedroom he and Ash shared. They laid him down gently on Ash’s bed and took a moment to catch their breath. Time. They were running out of time, think Eiji, candles, you need candles and-
“Okay Eiji, you need to tell me what the HELL is going on, because we just heaved Ash’s dead body through New York and I've dealt with a lot in my time but THIS is a bit much,” Sing shrieked, gesturing down at Ash’s body, the reality and absolute insanity of the situation finally kicking in. Eiji couldn’t blame him for the outburst, this was absolutely insane.
“Candles,” Eiji breathed out, only to be met with an incredulous look from Sing. Eiji let out a heavy sigh and pinched his nose, about to explain when Alex, Kong and Bones burst through the door.
“Hey Eiji, did you find him- HOLY SHIT IS HE DEAD,” Bones screamed looking down at Ash’s lifeless body on the bed.
Eiji pulled the hair on top of his head, quickly losing patience. “Yes, he is dead, now somebody get me some candles if you ever want to see him alive again,” Eiji yelled, having to catch his breath at his outburst. He could feel Sing’s eyes on him as he pressed his palms to his eyes, heard Bones and Kong scatter to go find the candles he asked for. It wasn’t like Eiji to lash out like this, he had seen the terrified looks on their faces as they looked down at their dead boss. They hadn’t had time to process it like they had. He hoped they would forgive him. He only has so much time.
The boys returned moments later, breathing heavily, before gently placing armfuls of candles down on the other bed.
Eiji took a deep breath.
“Give me some room.”
The curtains were drawn, the room completely dark apart from the soft glow of candles surrounding Ash’s body. Everybody else had huddled outside except for Sing, who stayed firmly planted in the doorway. Eiji tried to clear his head as he started to panic, he was way out of his depth here. The ability dated back through his family for generations, but it hadn’t been practiced by his family in generations, and his family never even taught him about it. His sister was convinced it was just an old family tale but Eiji had found the books hidden deep into the attic. Too curious for his own good he practiced on a small plant that sat withered and forgotten in his windowsill. When it sprouted back to life he nearly screamed and convinced himself the plant had never been dead in the first place. He didn’t think about it again until he came across a new-born puppy in an alleyway, its family nowhere around. The thought of this tiny puppy being abandoned by its family and left for dead made tiny little Eiji cry and for the first time, he practiced the ritual again. It was successful, and he took the puppy to a nearby shelter for adoption, but the act had exhausted him, and he hadn’t practiced since.
Now he was stood over the body of the person he loved most in the world, the one that made him feel safe and wanted and secure, like home. Eiji wanted the opportunity to enjoy a life with Ash, one away from danger where they could heal together from the horrendous things they had witnessed. He pushed away the thoughts that he might not be able to do this, that it might not work. It had to, if it didn’t, he would never be able to live with himself.
Eiji gently placed a hand on Ash’s cheek, making a silent promise to him that they would be able to have that life together.
One more deep breath. Eiji began the chant, pouring more passion into his words than he knew he possessed. The candles flickered and Eiji could feel the goose bumps rising on his skin. He felt the energy being pulled from his body and grew more tired with every word, but he had to keep going. Just a little bit longer.
With a heaving breath Eiji finished the chant, the candles going out, and took a moment before finally opening his eyes. Exhausted, he fell to his knees and looked hopefully down at Ash’s body. He heard the collective intake of breath from the gang as they waited to see if the ritual had any effect. Another moment, he thought to himself, it will just take another moment.
A whimper escapes his lips and his head fell onto Ash’s chest, tears soaking the fabric of his black turtleneck. It hadn’t worked. All that energy, he had given everything he had, and it hadn’t been enough to bring him back. He wasn’t enough. Ash was gone. The whimpers evolved into full blown sobs as he heard members of the gang start to sniffle by the door. He had yelled at them, been horrible, and it was all for nothing. It had all been for nothing.
With a start he leapt up, surprised at the feeling of movement beneath him, tears still streaming down his face. One blink, two, three. Ash was sitting up, a hand on his wound, looking up at Eiji’s tear soaked face. Ash reached out to gently touch his cheek, eyebrows furrowed and softly spoke, “Eiji?”
“ASH!” Eiji screamed, throwing his arms around Ash and sobbing into his shoulder. It had worked, he saved him, he brought him back. Ash’s arms slowly wrapped around Eiji, squeezing tighter before burying his head in the crook of his neck. Eiji could barely breathe through the sobs racking his body, and calmed himself down with a few deep breaths. They broke the hug as Ash let out a wince of pain, Eiji shook off the stinging feeling in his own side.
Apparently during the ritual someone, probably Alex, Eiji thought, had been responsible enough to call for a medic. They came into the room silently, to tend to Ash’s wound. Eiji stayed perched on the edge of the bed, refusing to leave his side, squeezing Ash’s hand every time he winced from the pain. The medic finished up and Eiji saw them take payment from Alex and hand him a package of bandages. It wasn’t until the apartment door closed behind them that Ash finally found the words to speak more than Eiji’s name.
“I don’t understand. Eiji, you’re supposed to be in Japan, and I... I’m supposed to be- I thought I was dead...” Ash trailed off, sounding confused.
“You are NOT supposed to be dead, Ash! What were you thinking? You really just let yourself bleed out in the library? Not for a second did it cross your mind to pack the wound, or call for a medic?” Eiji cried incredulous, as the realisation hit him that Ash had let this happen. He knew he was injured, and he knew what those injuries meant for him. “Why would you do that Ash? Why would you let yourself die?”
Everyone, including Sing, scattered from the doorway as Eiji began to sob, the soft click of the door letting them know they had privacy.
“Eiji, why aren’t you in Japan?” Ash asked.
“My flight got cancelled, why aren’t you in Japan?”
“I got stabbed,” Ash deadpanned.
“Touche,” Eiji said defeated. The two of them tried to hide their giggles but soon devolved into small fits of laughter. Until Ash winced at the pain, Eiji’s hand flying to his own abdomen and the atmosphere grew somber once again.
“Eiji... How am I alive?”
This time Eiji knew why he was nervous. His eyes flew to his lap where he was anxiously playing with his fingers. He had no idea how to explain this to Ash, couldn’t it just be enough that he’s alive? No, of course it couldn’t. Ash deserved to know the truth.
“I brought you back to life using a magic ritual with magic inherited by my family. And many candles.”
Ash’s eyes widened, and he sat back. He didn’t look scared or angry, he looked... Impressed?
“Definitely not what I was expecting,” Ash spoke slowly, staring off at the wall. Eiji eyed him warily, waiting for him to show some form of discomfort about the situation, until his eyes started to droop.
“Eiji, are you okay? You look like you’re about to pass out,” Ash panicked, holding Eiji upright as he began to slump over on the bed.
“Yeah I'm just, really really tired for some reason,” Eiji blinked slowly, confused. He had been fine a second ago, but it suddenly felt like he hadn’t slept in a week. His body was heavy, and he could barely hold his head up to keep eye contact with Ash.
“Okay, well, go to sleep, we can talk about this in the morning,” Ash said, guiding Eiji’s body gently down beside his. Eiji was out like a light the moment his head hit Ash’s chest, and Ash rested his head on top of Eiji’s, his own eyes fluttering closed.