Chapter Text
I love you like the sun,
You’ll leave me yet, my moon--
Still when the night is done,
I wait to see you soon,
A cigarette dangles between loose lips, the silence filled with distant chatter drifting out through open classroom windows. The sun reaches high in the sky, casting a shadow on the two boys lounging on the roof.
The boy with blonde hair takes the cigarette from between his lips, holding it between his pointer and thumb. His long legs are stretched out in front of him, his red converse crossed at the ankles.
“Here. You finish it.” He says as he passes the cigarette to the boy next to him.
“Hell yeah. You’re a real one, Ash.” The boy with wild purple hair accepts the offering, a charmingly boyish smile gracing his expressive face before he takes a long drag.
Ash tilts his head to the side, leaning against the railing of the roof. He looks down into the field, studying the sparce few people down on the track. The distance means he can’t see what they’re doing, but they look busy.
“You going to PE tomorrow?” The boy with dyed hair asks, giving Ash’s thigh a nudge with his own knee as he puts out the cigarette on the brick wall supporting them.
Ash sits up with a snort, giving him a shoving his elbow into his friend’s ribs. “You going to trig, smartass?”
Shorter Wong was the first kid that gave Ash a chance. The other kids in the neighborhood all saw a mean little brat, but Shorter saw right through him. Shorter saw Ash for the kid he was. When Ash would snap at him or try to get a rise out of him, Shorter would just tease right back. Ash and Shorter had a rowdy childhood, spending hot summer days chasing each other down the street and knocking into anything that was in the way. After that first summer they spent together, they became nearly inseparable.
Their reckless childhood led the pair into a rebellious adolescence, filled with pocketing convenience store snacks, sneaking out for late night walks, and the lingering stenches of cigarettes and hair dye.
The familiar ring of the school bell has both boys standing up and slowly getting their things together. Ash stretches his arms up above his head while Shorter hops from one foot to the other, the two trying to shake off the stiffness of sitting on the cold concrete roof for too long.
Ash leans his forearms on the railing, watching as the students pour out of the school. The ambient sound of idly chatter grows in volume with the adolescent excitement of students making plans to fill the afternoon.
“Man, I’m hungry.” Shorter whines, drawing out the last word for emphases as he drapes himself dramatically over Ash’s back.
Ash shrugs him off. “Oh, his poor highness. Let’s go, then. I was waiting for you to get all your shit.”
Ash swings his backpack onto his shoulder, following Shorter down the stairs and ignoring the familiar grumbles from the purple haired boy about how “this school just has too many damn stairs”.
They head out the side door. Every day they take the same shortcut, going through a small patch of grass by the track field and into a neighborhood.
It’s hard to ignore whatever’s going on over with the track team. Ash glances over just for a second. There’s a large bar set up. Higher than he would think to climb. He lingers on the scene, taking in the large mat and the track and field members spread around the field.
Then his eyes find a long pole, and in turn, the boy holding it. He has short, messy black hair. He has a young, boyish shine in his eyes.
The boy runs towards the bar, jamming his pole down and hoisting himself up into the air. It feels like time freezes, Ash’s eyes widen and spark to life, like he can’t imagine missing even a second of the scene before him. The boy with black hair is soaring through the air, the sun illuminating him just right. He looks so free.
As far as Ash is concerned, this boy is an angel.
-
Ash is staring up at the sky through trees. The sunlight filtering through the spread out leaves gently illuminates the forgotten skatepark with light that promises it’ll never be truly forgotten.
Looking up at the leaves, Ash can’t help but imagine what it would be like to fly. To be above the trees. To feel the wind brushing against his body as he soars.
Free.
“Never seen him around before.” He murmurs, rolling onto his side. He’s lying on top of a skateboard ramp, the concrete cracked and dirty. Slowly being overtaken by nature. Nobody’s cared enough to come out and fix it.
“Who? The Japanese kid?” Shorter says, sitting on the edge of the ramp and idly swinging his legs.
“The pole vaulter.”
“No shit you haven’t seen him around.” Shorter punches Ash’s shoulder. The blonde boy groans and rolls onto his back, hands folded under his head.
“I’ve been talking about the new kid all week.” He grumbles, shaking his fist. “Do you even listen to a thing I say??”
Ash whistles a tune, crossing his legs.
“HEY, dipshit!” Shorter calls as he lunges at Ash.
-
The streetlamps don’t light up much, but it’s enough. He knows the way so well he’d be fine even without the lights.
He strolls with his hands in his pockets, looking down as he lazily kicks a pebble along.
“Eiji Okumura.” Shorter had explained. “He’s from Japan.”
Shorter wasn’t overly generous with his information. Ash didn’t get more than some surface level “he’s on the track team” bullshit.
A boy with wings. Ash thinks as he looks up, the tall buildings in his peripherals, but his eyes are focused on the moon high in the sky, casting a soft glow on the city beneath.
The black-haired boy - Eiji - there was this blinding gleam in his eyes. That undeniable passion for his sport. It’s infectious.
Ash has always watched his feet as he walked, but he can’t remember why. Why did he waste so much time looking down when he could’ve been looking up at the moon instead?
-
“Ash!” A voice fills the apartment, jostling Ash from his pleasant sleep.
Soft morning light spills in through the crack in the curtains and making the room look picturesque if not for the every growing pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room and the disorganized pile of books on his desk.
Ash had half the mind to go back to sleep before the same, utterly irritating voice called again, “ASH, wake up!”
The blonde boy drags himself out of bed like a zombie. He wouldn’t be able to get any meaningful rest with Max shouting at him from across the apartment anyways.
He tugs on his jeans and a simple white shirt. He lets out a loud yawn as he bursts out of his room, heading to the kitchen. Max is sitting at the small, cluttered table with a coffee and a newspaper in hand.
“Oh, did I wake you?” He says with mock sympathy before rolling up the paper and smacking Ash on the back of the head. “You could at least try to get up in the mornings.”
“I bet you’re having such a hard time in the mornings because you’re out all night.”
“You nag too much.” Ash grumbles, still grouchy from being woken up. He opens the fridge and grabs a carton of orange juice, opening it and taking a long swig.
“THAT, too. You’ve got no manners.” Max crosses his arms on the table.
“You’re insufferable when you don’t sleep enough.” Max calls out as Ash leaves the apartment, muttering a “whatever” with a wave of his hand.
The walk to school is the same every morning. He meets up with Shorter at the end of the street, and they take a shortcut. The only difference is, Shorter isn’t at the corner today, He wouldn’t skip without at least inviting Ash to come along, but Ash doesn’t think into it too hard. He takes the shortcut alone. He knows the way. Going by himself isn’t a big deal.
He hears Shorter before he sees him. Ash is nearing the side door when he hears a hushed conversation around the corner. There’s a more polite sounding voice responding to whatever he’s saying.
Ash peeks around the corner and is met with a head full of black hair. His eyes widen a fraction. It’s the same head of hair he saw soaring through the sky so beautifully.
Ash can’t tell what they’re saying. He wasn’t listening anyways. He’ll go and head to class instead. Let Shorter do whatever he’s doing.
-
“Ash.” A sing-song voice calls. The blonde boy is lounging on the bleachers outside, the sun beating down on him during the lunch period.
He turns and looks in the direction that Shorter’s voice came from, only for his eyes to zero in on the boy behind his friend. It’s Eiji.
“Yo.” Ash says with a nod as Shorter drops onto the bleachers by Ash, Eiji in tow, even if he sits down a little more hesitantly.
When Eiji sits, he folds his hands on his lap, he seems to be watching Ash with the same intensity that the blonde boy is giving him.
“Eiji Okumura.” He says with a nice smile and a nod.
Ash gives another nod. “Ash Lynx.”
“Nice to meet you.” Eiji hums, his eyes crinkling with his smile.