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He passes them every day, on his way home from work. And without fail, the Japanese boy with fluffy, black hair and an obsession with brightly colored sweaters is outside tending to them.
Ash always assumed he was a florist. Why else would someone have that many flowers in their front yard if they weren't going to sell them?
The first day he saw the patch of smiling petals was shortly after he moved. Rural New York really wasn't all that interesting of a place. They had some cool churches, winding roads, and lots of trees, but that was about it. He and his mother had high-tailed it out of the city behind at the end of last spring. She had insisted on settling down there because the weather was nice and it was peaceful. Ash was pretty sure any place that wasn't a major city was peaceful. He'd packed his bags without putting up too much of a fight, picking up his cramped apartment life and tucking it into the small upstate town of Eden, New York.
The bus ride from Buffalo to Eden was about thirty minutes every day. Being a bartender at his mother's restaurant, he left for work later in the day than the average citizen and came home in the mornings. He was the inversion of everyone else's routines. An outsider compared to the people who left the house after breakfast and came home to dinner. He didn't mind, though. There was something about walking home from the bus stop in the early morning that was just so much better than doing it in the afternoon bustle.
How he hadn't seen the sunflowers until after the first few weeks of life in Eden, Ash had no idea. He had been walking home with his hands buried in his pockets. Nature was practically singing to him in that gross kind of summer way, and he had to refrain from raging in the middle of a quiet neighborhood and stomping out any and all sources of life around him. The road was wide at his left, littered with a few cars parked outside the sparse amount of houses on the streets. The sidewalks were flawless without a single crack. Thick, healthy trees took root all over the hilly neighborhood. The grass at his right was green for the most part, but there were a few fried, yellow patches. It reminded him of frizzy hair on dry days. He'd never had the pleasure of experiencing that until he moved here.
Ash hiked down to the bottom of a particularly steep hill until he was met with long, flat road. It trailed off out of sight, into the trees. There was only one house on this street, and it was on the side he was walking. Grey, and big. There was a red pickup in the driveway and what looked like an organized jungle in the front yard. He deemed it a wrong turn and just went with it. Better to learn the streets now than to be lost in an emergency.
As he got closer to the house, his eye caught a blob of bubblegum pink darting every which way. His eyes eventually focused and the blob turned out to be a person. Asian, by the looks of it, maybe Japanese. He had thick fluffy hair that bounced with every step he took as he skipped around his front yard in a pink sweater and black shorts. He had a watering can in one hand.
Ash was about ten feet away from the driveway of the house when he picked up the sound of a voice. It was soft, but present enough to catch his attention. Slightly hidden by the truck, Ash held back to watch the boy hum some unknown tune while he watered a massive patch of sunflowers. The shortest of the plants was easily twice his height. It was cute, in a sort of Jack and the Beanstalk way-but Ash didn't really know (or care) if that actually made sense.
Bubblegum-sweater was on his third song when Ash finally concluded that he probably looked like a creep watching him behind the truck like that. He put on his most uninterested expression as he returned to the sidewalk. He was within earshot of the front yard's inhabitant when the boy's let out a surprised "Oh!". He snatched up his watering can and breezed past the towering sunflower garden, down the sidewalk in the same direction Ash was walking.
Ash scrunched his eyebrows together and wondered, the hell is this kid doing? He picked up his pace as un-suspiciously as he could and jogged down the sidewalk. He dug his sneakers into the ground to stop just behind the sunflowers. He tiptoed into the lawn until he was completely hidden behind them. Peeking through the thick stems, he watched the boy kneel down on the sidewalk. He was fussing over something low to the ground, but his body was blocking any possible view from Ash's spot. The boy got to his feet a moment later, water sloshing over the side of the can, and started toward the flowers.
The panic settles in when it clicked in Ash's mind that he was just standing there watching some kid in front of his house. The offensive wailing and flashing of police sirens just didn't fit the look of such a quiet neighborhood to Ash. What was he even supposed to do now? Step out from behind the plants, give a little wave? He imagined a possible interaction between the two of them, something along the lines of "Hello, sir. You have a very lovely home. I like your flowers, and yes, I was hiding behind them while I watched you. Totally not in a creepy way or anything." Ash buried his face in his hands. He could already feel the cold metal of handcuffs on his wrists.
A head poked through the stems and directly into Ash's personal space. He screamed, falling backward with arms flailing until he met pavement. His back and head thrummed in pain, and there was a stinging sensation on his palms. When he finally opened his eyes, that face was looking down at him with a panicked expression.
"Are you okay?" he yelped. The boy was kneeling down in front of Ash's head, making him appear upside-down. A sweet smell, like vanilla or cake, wafted down into his nose as the boy's arms waved around in front of him. Hands were on the back of his head, then under his shoulders, heaving him up into a sitting position. The boy scurried around to kneel in front of Ash now. He grabbed Ash's wrists and turned his palms up to the sky. They were dusty from their slide across the pavement and red with little scrapes.
"I'm fine... uh, what are you doing?"
Eiji poured a cool stream of water onto Ash's skinned hands, brow knit in focus as he washed away the dirt from his wounds. He smiled at Ash, a hint of rebellious spark in his eye that made Ash want to bolt and/or find the larger flame it was born from. "You can't just leave scraped skin dirty. Guess you're not as smart as you look?"
Ash froze for a split second, gawking at the smaller man in front of him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before he remembered how to speak. "Alright, listen here-"
Eiji hopped up from his spot, very clearly not listening here. He brushed the dust off his knees with the hand not holding the watering can, then held it out to Ash. "I'm just teasing you. I'm Eiji." he made a little grabbing motion with extended hand.
Ash took that as his hint to grab it. He was pulled to his feet with an amount of force and speed he wasn't expecting from such a soft-looking guy, but then again he wasn't expecting the attitude either. To be honest, it kind of enticed him. "Thanks. I'm Ash."
Eiji spun around and marched down the driveway. When Ash didn't follow, he turned around and threw him and expecting look. The way his delicate lips pursed and his eyebrows went up slightly mixed into a concoction of a facial expression Ash couldn't refuse. He jogged after Eiji.
Eiji lead them into a large garage, clean and meticulously organized from the looks of it. Shelves lined the walls, holding odd combinations of plants, empty pots, storage bins, and other random objects. There was a a pegboard holding some on another wall, next to a large window that lit up the entire garage. Ash followed several feet behind him, feeling too awkward to actually cross the threshold into the garage. Eiji placed the watering can on the ground next to a workbench. He pocketed what looked like a phone and grabbed a red metal box.
"So, Ash, do you like flowers?" Eiji breezed across the garage and brushed his shoulder against Ash as he passed him. "Or maybe the cute gardener?"
Ash snorted and threw his hands into his pockets. "Do you like flirting with people you've said under ten words to, Eiji?"
Eiji giggled back in response. "Only when they're handsome. Or they just look like they need to be messed with." He strode down the sidewalk back toward the sunflower patch, arms swinging back and forth like a child imitating a penguin.
"I have a feeling I'm never going to learn which one I am," Ash rolled his eyes, following after Eiji.
Ash found Eiji crouched in the same spot he'd seen him in a few minutes ago while he was hiding. The boy folded his legs underneath them and lowered his head near the ground. Something in the air changed and Ash suddenly felt the need to be cautious, like he was walking on eggshells instead of pavement now. He approached Eiji carefully and stopped behind him.
They were nothing compared to the monster flowers up in front of the house. The stem looked to be no taller than knee-height, sprouting from the sidewalk line. Even though it was small, it was impressive. Bright green leaves unfurled near the base, like they were raising their fists and shouting "Hey, world, I'm ready for you!" About ten vibrant sunflowers sprouted from the plant. Ash had no idea how a plant could make him feel happy, but this one sure did.
"Come get a closer look," Eiji urged, reaching up to tug on the hem of Ash's shirt. Ash obliged, kneeling on the ground at his side in front of the plant. Seeing it growing here out of the concrete looked wrong to him. It should be over with the others in the yard, growing big and strong and tall. Yet, if this plant was a person, Ash had no doubt that it would look thrilled to be there anyway.
He caressed a petal with one finger. "How did it get here?"
Eiji laughed. "He looks pretty out of place here, doesn't he?"
Ash narrowed his eyes. "He?"
"Did I stutter?"
"No, sir," Ash surrendered. The lip on this kid really should have been bothering, but it really only upped the cute-factor in his opinion.
The two sat quietly, just looking at the rather out of character plant. Its existence felt unprecedented, maybe even a little wrong. Ash liked that about the plant. Don't worry little buddy, he thought, I don't really feel like I fit in where I ended up either.
Eiji pulled the box he'd grabbed earlier into his lap and opened the lid. It was a First-Aid kit. Ash didn't wait to be told, even though he wanted to do just that to potentially push Eiji's buttons. He rested his scraped hands palm-up on each of Eiji's knees.
He cleaned them with an alcohol wipe, the sting not making Ash wince in the slightest. Eiji eyes him and smirked. "We've got a tough guy here," he snickered.
Ash shrugged and smirked right back. "Maybe I am, or maybe I'm secretly crying on the inside. I could also secretly be a serial killer luring in you in for the kill."
Eiji whistled. "Totally worth it."
With properly cleaned and bandaged hands, Ash abandoned his squat to sit all the way on the ground with Eiji. Tough guy or not, his legs were starting to burn just a little. He wasn't totally sure how long he'd end up plant-watching with Eiji, but he felt better off doing it comfortably.
"Do you think you're gonna move it?"
Eiji whirled around and glared daggers at him.
"Err, my bad. Do you think you're gonna move him?" Ash corrected.
Eiji's face reverted back to his carefree grin. He blinked at the plant before answering plainly, "Nope."
"Why not?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "It could get hurt here. People drive over sidewalks all the time, and I don't feel like I have to mention the fact that it's literally in concrete."
"You are right about that," Eiji admitted, "but there's not much I can do for him now. As much as I'd like to put him in a pot, he's taken root here on his own accord and I can't take him out without hurting him. The best I can do is just take care of him as he lives out his flowery little life on the street. As long as I can make sure he's safe, I'm happy." Eiji stroked up its stem affectionately. "My flowers mean everything to me. Plants aren't always the strongest. When they are, though, they're quite stubborn. Growing wherever they feel like and flourishing. Like they're doing it just to spite Mother Nature."
Ash's hand brushed against Eiji's as he gently turned over one of the leaves. "This guy's totally got both middle fingers in the air right now."
"Oh my god, I think you're right!" Eiji laughed loudly, the kind that makes your shoulders shake. He composed himself and turned to close up the First Aid kit. "You know, I think this little guy is my favorite out of all my plants."
"Because he's got both middle fingers in the air?" Ash guessed.
"Something like that," Eiji chuckled. "He's a little fighter. A tough guy, just like you. He's my favorite because of how strong he is. He defies all odds, you know? An object of beauty fighting through life in a tough place. Ever since he's started growing here, he's done nothing but look up and face the sun." Eiji pointed up to the sky, in the same direction the plant was stretching in. "I like to think of it as him keeping his head held time, even in a bad situation. As much as I want to try rescuing him from this place, I'm just not able to. I am able to keep him safe and happy, though. Other people would just rip him out of the ground. I want to protect him."
Ash chuckled, deciding to keep the tug to his heartstrings to himself. "You're a sweet guy, Eiji. This little guy is lucky to have you." Eiji's random spout of emotion toward the flower made his chest feel warm. It was as if the flower was some hardened ex-criminal that Eiji had fallen in love with and was protecting with everything he had. The thought made him smile. Without thinking he reached out and ruffled Eiji's hair. It was silky and thick, gliding smoothly through his fingers. "So have you been watching him long?"
Eiji whined in disapproval, swatting Ash's hands away so he could fix his hair. "He's a couple months old now. Not nearly as big as the other ones I've grown obviously, but from the looks of it just as healthy. I'm betting a squirrel swiped some of my seeds and dropped one here by accident."
Ash laughed. "You don't seem to be very bothered by that accident."
"Not at all!" Eiji beamed.
Ash made a quick mental note to add the "wrong turn" he'd taken earlier to his usual route home. He clambered to his feet, taking Eiji's hand and pulling him up with him.
"Well, it was really nice talking to you. Thanks for helping me with my scrapes. Sorry for, uh, earlier." He kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk and glanced at the ground.
Eiji waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I know I'm cute, so if you're looking for a peek don't hide next time." He pretended to flip his hair over his shoulder, then smiled softly at Ash. "And besides, I'm not too mad about a cute guy stumbling into my yard."
Ash's face heated up. His most notable observation of today was that the things that came out of this guy's mouth were unpredictable. He waved an awkward goodbye before pivoting around and tapping his address into the GPS.
"Wait! Ash!"
"Yes?" Ash stopped and turned around, already about ten steps away from Eiji. Eiji dashed up to him with a little grin on his face and gestured to the tiny sunflower. "Before you go, I want you to help me name him?"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "You've had him for how long now and he doesn't have a name?"
"Oh, hush," Eiji smacked his arm. "Names are important, but they have to be good! Any ideas?"
He glanced back and forth between Eiji, the little plant, and the towering sunflowers near the house. "You said those were the parent plants, right? He's pretty tiny compared to them. Short," he thought aloud.
Eiji tapped his chin, eyes turned up to the sky. "Ooh, I like where this is going. We could call him Baby? Or Shortie?"
Ash took one final look at the plant. "He's shorter than them. What about Shorter?" he suggested.
There was a spark in Eiji's big eyes and he smiled brilliantly at Ash. "That's perfect!"
Ash patted his head gently. "Well, there you have it. I really do have to get going now, though. Gotta cook dinner for mom."
This time, Eiji didn't swat his hand away. "That reminds me, I've never seen you around here. Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I don't mind," Ash replied. He removed his hand from his head and tucked it into his pocket. The movement made a pout flicker over Eiji's face. "My mother and I just moved here from the city this past spring, so we're new to the area."
Eiji flashed a playful smile. "Come by again, sometime. I'll show you guys around." He bounced onto his tiptoes and leaned in before Ash could register what was happening. Soft lips brushed against his cheek. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eiji was already strutting away, fluffy hair bouncing with each step.
"Bye-bye, Ash!"
Ash blinked a few times, just watching Eiji skip back into his garage. He saved the name of the street to memory before finally getting back on track home.
***
Ash really did take Eiji's road home every day after that, all throughout the summer and now into the following season of fall. For the first half, he'd just wave at Eiji or pretend he didn't see the kisses he blew at him. Kisses aside, he always stayed long enough to check up on Shorter with Eiji and water him.
But as time went on, and they got to know each other, he had upgraded to meeting him in the garage each morning on his way home from work. Eiji would bring him treats he baked. Ash had concluded that was the reason Eiji always smelled like vanilla. They'd huddle up in the garage together in lawn chairs if it was windy, just talking about life.
If the weather allowed it, they'd take walks through the neighborhood. Each day Ash spent with Eiji was another spent with butterflies in his stomach from seeing his smile, or with sore sides from laughing at his spunky attitude. Ash's mother had even deemed him a good kid, which she didn't do often. He still hadn't told his brother about Eiji yet, since Eiji's teasing was more than enough. He shuddered of the thought of Eiji and Griffin ganging up on him.
Eiji was indeed one of the sweetest people Ash had ever met. Sassy, but selfless. Naive about some things, but ready to fight for what he believed in. Smart and funny, ready to slide a witty comment into the conversation at any given time. He loved dogs and cooking. Had a knack for photography, used to be a pole-vaulter in high school, and of course, loved gardening. He made the adapting process to life in Eden a million times sweeter, Ash thought.
As promised, Eiji had shown him and his mother around the neighborhood that week. They stopped at a cafe a little ways from the neighborhood and loaded up on coffee and pie. When Eiji had bought two entire pies and a dog treat Ash teased him about having a sweet tooth, he learned Ash lived with his Uncle Ibe and had a pup named Buddy. He was just a pound puppy, but Eiji loved him. Ash quickly came to love him as well.
The temperature climbed lower each day until Ash could no longer escape Eiji's jabs at him for not wearing a jacket. He'd taken the day off of work at the bar today to join Eiji's family for dinner that night. He also really needed to sleep, but he'd die before he admitted it.
Ash hadn't even knocked on the front door before Eiji was whipping it open. He tugged Ash into the house and wrapped him up in a tight hug. "It's too cold out there," he grumbled into Ash's chest. Ash craned his neck to get a better look at Eiji. He wore a bright orange sweater with little cartoon pumpkins lining the collar and black jeans. He looked adorable.
He laughed and ruffled his hair. "It's not even winter yet and you're already complaining. What ever will you do come December?"
"I'll make you into my space heater. You're warm enough." Eiji snuggled closer to Ash. Mindful that they were still in the entryway, Ash stepped out of his shoes and shuffled them deeper into the house. As the weeks progressed he'd gotten used to Eiji's surprise hugs, and he couldn't say he minded them.
Eiji lead him through the house and into the kitchen. It was, for lack of a better word, big. Grey cabinets and white granite counters. There was an island in the middle complete with bar stools and decorative lamps hanging from the ceiling. Plants were nestled here and there throughout the kitchen. The largest of them all was the succulent on the windowsill in front of the sink. Eiji finally peeled off Ash and looked at him with wide eyes. "You got the goods?"
Ash laughed and held up the shopping bag proudly for Eiji. "I did."
Snatching up the bag with a happy squeal, Eiji danced around the kitchen and poured the contents onto the counter- three fat little pumpkins. Eiji held each pumpkin up in the air, turning them around in his hands and checking them all over. "You got the right ones! I'm impressed," he teased.
Laughing, Ash knocked him gently in the back. "You're relentless. If I wasn't so tough you might actually hurt my feelings."
Eiji hummed at him as he took the pumpkins to the sink. "Oh, my bad. I forgot you were a tough guy." He threw a witty smile over his shoulder.
Ash shed his coat and draped it over the living room couch before joining Eiji at the sink. He was only invited in for the first time a few short weeks ago. Eiji was quick to make him feel at home as soon as possible though. He'd given him a tour of the entire house, cooked for him, cooked with him, anything he could think of to make Ash feel welcome. It really made him happy for some reason.
Eiji was handing him the last freshly washed pumpkin to dry when the sound of a collar jingled through the air. Buddy came bounding through the kitchen, tackling Ash's legs. Ash set down the pumpkin and scratched behind his ears. Ibe followed behind Buddy soon after. He looked a bit tired, but nonetheless happy to see Ash. Ibe greeted his nephew with a smile before patting Ash on the shoulder.
"Thanks for coming over tonight, Ash. Mom busy tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry," Ash apologized. "Restaurant work is super time-consuming. She's training some new employees tonight, so she gave me the night off."
When Ash had first told Ibe he was a bartender, he expected a blunt goodbye and a firm push out the door. To his surprise, they weren't upset by it in the slightest. Eiji asked all kinds of questions about how making the drinks worked. Ash had even taught Ibe how to make some of his favorite drinks and brought him some whiskey as a gift. Best of all, both of them always laughed about his crazy stories about customers. Shortly after Ash lost any reason to be nervous around the two. He could see where Eiji got his kindness from. The sass, not so much, but he still didn't mind.
Ibe sat down on one of the stools. "No need to apologize. We'll send you back home with some pie for her."
"You have no idea how excited I am to make this pie, Ash," Eiji swooned. He turned his back to Ash and let himself fall against him. When he looked up at Ash, his smile was a bit less innocent. "But I just might make you do all the work."
"You must enjoy watching things crash and burn." Ash wrapped his arms around Eiji's waist and jabbed his fingers into his ribs.
"AAAAHHH! Okay, okay, I won't! Let me gooooo!" Eiji wailed, eyes watering from laughing so hard. Ash snickered but let him go, sneaking a high-five from Ibe.
Eiji snarled at both of them. "I'm starting to think it was a bad idea letting you two meet."
There was a knock at the door and Ibe rose to his feet. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Eiji. Anyways, that's probably the delivery guy. Can you guys get out some plates?"
"Got it." Ash slid past Eiji and went to the cabinets while Ibe went to the front door. Eiji floated over to his side and took over the task of getting cups out. A few minutes later the three of them were all sitting at the kitchen island digging into pizza from a local shop and sipping on soda. They downed their food quickly, upon Eiji's request. The pie would be a time-consuming project and he wanted to get going ASAP.
After dinner, Ibe went to play with Buddy in the backyard to tire him out. Ash took care of dishes while Eiji set up everything they needed to bake the pie.
"Alright. I made the crust this morning so we wouldn't have to now. All we have left to do now is make the filling and bake it!" Eiji grabbed a comically large knife and set a pumpkin on a cutting board. Ash lingered behind him, watching him like a hawk as he cut. He trusted Eiji's skill in the kitchen, but he didn't need to see a cute boy get gutted in the middle of his kitchen via pumpkin accident.
They placed the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet and set them into the oven to roast. With the twenty or so minutes they had, Ash and Eiji wandered out to the front yard, past the jungle of sunflowers to the sidewalk.
"Shorter's doing really well," Eiji informed him, tugging on his pants. Ash took the hint as he usually did and knelt next to him. A particularly large breeze roughed up their hair and Shorter's petals.
Ash frowned a little at the flower. "It's already fall," he mumbled.
"That would be right." Eiji huddled against Ash and hummed at the heat. "Is something wrong?"
"What's going to happen to him? Don't sunflowers die around this time of year?"
Eiji nodded understandingly. "It makes sense that you'd think that, but take a look." He extended a hand and cradled one of the yellow flowers in his hand. The plant still looked healthy, but not nearly as bright and brilliant as it had during the summer. Eiji rubbed his thumb over the brown disc in the middle in a circular motion. "Sunflowers are ray flowers, so you can see the disks that hold all their reproductive organs. Sunflowers usually finish their cycles in the fall. We might get some seeds out of him." Eiji paused, and let out a sigh. "After that cycle finishes though, he'll most likely die."
"I don't want him to die," Ash huffed.
"Me neither. If I could move him to a greenhouse or something, I would."
Ash let his head fall to Eiji's shoulder, and Eiji brought a hand up to pet his hair. "You know," Eiji began. "We could always plant more sunflowers when it gets warmer."
Ash's green eyes grew wider with curiosity. "We?"
Eiji gave him a flat look. "That's what I said, isn't it?"
He smiled and pressed his cheek closer to Eiji's neck. "Even when you're being sweet, you still have some bit to you."
"Do you not like that?" Eiji teased, jostling Ash a bit.
"I very much like it," he replied coolly.
"Do you know what I very much like?"
Ash glanced down at his hands, only now noticing his left was intertwined with Eiji's free hand while he examined Shorter. His stomach fluttered. "What do you very much like, Eiji?"
In a split second Ash was flying backward, back flopping against the grass. Eiji's free hand was now cradling the back of his head. His other was still intertwined with Ash's. Eiji was kneeling at his side now, noses inches apart. "Guess."
Ash blushed without any means of hiding it. "Uh, flowers?" he said dumbly.
Eiji kissed the tip of his nose, and Ash was now well aware flowers was not the correct answer.
"I do like flowers, but that wasn't quite what I was going for. But since you're a dummy, I'll just tell you." He rested his forehead against Ash.'s "It's you."
Ash's memory of the next few moments was a rose-colored haze. It could have been the hand in his hair tugging his head up, or his arms around Eiji's neck, but he couldn't recall who it was that initiated the kiss. But he couldn't really bring himself to care, either. All that mattered in that moment was that Eiji was in his arms, and they were kissing. Loving, longing, strokes of lips upon lips. Gentle hands holding onto bodies and not quite wanting to let go. Chilly fingertips and wind-nipped noses tingling against their skin like fireworks.
They ended up forgetting the pumpkins in the oven that night.
***
Ash had come to the decision that winter wasn't any less bearable in rural New York than it was in the city. If anything, it was worse. Shoveling snow out of the driveway, long walks home in bitter cold. For once he regretted not going into work early with his mom. If he had, he at least could have enjoyed the privilege of a heated car.
But no weather was bad enough to skip going by Eiji's house. He trudged down the streets, bundled up head to toe. Ibe's truck wasn't in the driveway today, so there was no guarantee Eiji was even awake. He tended to go into a mini-hibernation during the cold months, falling asleep early and dozing until late morning, when food was promised. It reminded Ash of a little bear.
He made it to Eiji's house without freezing to death. At first he went to the door, but went against knocking on it just in case Eiji actually was asleep. Instead he rounded the house and unlocked the side door with the key Ibe had given him. He stepped into the garage and melted instantly. The room was dark, but it was warm. So basically, it was heaven on Earth compared to being outside.
After kicking his black boots off and shedding his coat he finally went into the house. Soft music danced through the kitchen and he caught the smell of roasted nuts and chocolate. When he breezed through the kitchen, he confirmed there was indeed a pot of hot cocoa on the stove. Two mugs sat on the counter next to it, waiting patiently to be filled. He picked one up and realized they were the mugs he and Eiji had painted together for an early Christmas celebration.
One was completely covered in sunflowers, exploding from all angles around the mug. The handle was painted green, like a vine snaking around it with leaves and dark lines to mimic the texture of the plant. The other was a bit less busy, yet the design was just as artistic. Pictures of baking items covered the surface of the cup- oven mitts, a bag of sugar, a plate of pie, and a pumpkin. Ash snickered at that, recalling the last time they had attempted cooking with pumpkins.
He had just finished filling the mugs with cocoa when two arms wrapped around his waist. Ash set the mugs on the counter and turned around, only to get a cold nose buried in his neck.
Eiji squeezed him tighter. "Cold," he muttered softly.
Ash chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "You're always cold."
"Only when you're here," Eiji hummed back.
"And why's that? So you can be a little leech?"
He could practically hear the cartoon sparkle shimmering in Eiji's eyes. "Precisely."
Eiji had the worst case of bedhead Ash had seen on him so far, all pushed up in one direction. His left cheek was red with the imprint of the couch. He was in a large red sweater that had the picture of a dog wearing a Santa hat on it and some comfy sweatpants. Ash had bought the sweater for him because the dog looked like Buddy, but also as a bit of a joke. Although Eiji wasn't joking at all when he said he loved it, and had been snuggling up in it ever since.
"Do you want marshmallows, Eiji?"
Eiji hopped up onto the island counter and swung his legs back and forth. "Mm, yes please."
"Big or small ones?"
"You know the answer to that."
"Indeed I do." After wiping the outside of the mugs clean he placed his on the counter and handed Eiji his. "Hold this for now. It'll warm up your hands."
Eiji wrapped his hands around the cup and sighed. "Always taking care of me, Ash."
"That, and I don't feel like getting those icicles shoved up my shirt." He cupped Eiji's face and kissed every ince of it before making his way to the walk-in pantry. He pushed the door open and scanned the shelves. Once he spotted the bag of jumbo marshmallows he grabbed them. The door swung shut behind him as he went back to the kitchen.
He opened the plastic bag and dropped two of the fluffy white candies into Eiji's mug. The smaller man hummed in approval and took a careful sip. He detached one hand from the mug and held his arm out to Ash. The blonde dropped a few marshmallows into his own mug before putting the bag down and approaching Eiji. An arm wrapped around his neck. Eiji's legs hooked around his waist, pulling him closer as he pulled Ash's head down to his chest. Ash let his boyfriend move him around as he pleased, just happy to be close to him.
Eiji's breath tickled Ash's scalp as he buried his nose in his hair. Ash draped his arms around his waist. "Did I wake you up when I came in?"
"Nope," Eiji yawned. He absnetmindedly ran a hand through the hair near the nape of Ash's neck. "M'hungry."
As if on cue, Eiji's stomach rumbled to life. Ash snorted and removed his head from Eiji's chest (despite Eiji's whining about losing warmth) to look at him. "I suppose we should get you fed then. Would the leech prefer oatmeal or pancakes?"
"Pancakes, please." Eiji stretched his arms and legs when Ash walked off to get ingredients ready. He took a sip of his cocoa before hopping off the counter and going to help.
On the counter near the sink, Ash cracked open a cookbook and began measuring out the dry ingredients. Eiji waltzed across the kitchen to the fridge and gathered the milk and eggs. He eyed the small plastic carton of fruit. "Ash, can we do blueberry pancakes?"
"Anything you want, leech."
Pouting, Eiji grabbed the berries and threw the door closed. "Now you're just being mean."
"What do you call your teasing, then?" Ash questioned, taking the cold ingredients from Eiji's hands. He quickly measured out the milk and cracked in the eggs.
Eiji put a hand on his chest and leaned against the counter next to Ash. "I do not tease you. It's our of love."
"Okay, then. If it's not teasing, then what is it?" He measured out a cup of blueberries and added them to the batter, popping a few in his mouth.
Eiji faltered, a tiny noise that somewhere between a squeak and a grunt escaping his lips. "L-love...love-teasing?"
"Love-teasing?" Ash snorted. He dug a spatula out of the drawer and popped Eiji on the butt with it, making him yelp. "Real creative. Now could you please take your love-teasing ass to the stove and heat up the pan? Batter's ready to go."
They went on with cooking their breakfast together, bantering back and forth as Ash cooked the pancakes and Eiji fried up eggs and bacon. The two had a whole system worked out perfectly- taking turns managing the stove so they could finish their cocoa before it got cold. Ash had heated them both up a fresh mug to accompany their breakfast, anyway. Partially because it was still way too cold out. Mostly because of how Eiji's face lit up when he handed him the steaming mug.
Once they'd eaten their fill, the couple went to work cleaning up their mess. Ash did the dishes (Eiji declared he was too cold to get his hands wet) while Eiji put together a plate for Ibe to eat. Ash hadn't seen Ibe all morning, and had just assumed the man was out wrapping up errands. It was a Sunday morning, after all.
Eiji danced from the fridge to the sink, humming softly to the music playing in the kitchen. He grabbed a dish towel and dried the plate Ash handed him. It still never ceased to amaze Ash how in the blink of an eye things had come together with Eiji. Just last summer, he was watching him sing and prance around in his garden. Now they were cooking meals and washing dishes together. It may have been fast, but Ash knew he wouldn't have it any other way. Each piece fell into place with ease. It created a picture of something beautiful and special. But now, he wasn't sure if he'd ever want to live without it. He watched lovingly as Eiji dried the dishes he handed him. Everything from the way this boy stuck his tongue out when he focused to his bedhead to his selfless nature, Ash fell for it all every day.
When the kitchen was clean, Eiji shuffled off down the hall, and came back with each of their coats in hand. He offered Ash his, who took it immediately but gave him a questioning look. "Did you want to go somewhere today?"
Eiji zipped up his coat and nuzzled his nose into the collar that covered the bottom half of his face. He pulled it down so he could smile at Eiji. "Nope. Just wanted to go outside for a little."
One look at his face, and Ash was smiling back at him. "Lead the way."
The couple triple-checked the kitchen for any messes they'd missed before marching out the front door. Wind hit them instantly, whipping their bangs up and down and all around their faces. Eiji snickered at Ash's annoyed expression as they walked.
When Eiji lead them towards the sidewalk, Ash felt his heart start to sink. The proud jungle of sunflowers was now withered and gray, drained of their vibrant life by the fangs of winter. A few stems were hunched liked fallen warriors, one breeze away from crumbling. Most had already fallen. It wasn't a happy site at all, but when Ash looked at Eiji, there was no frown. He instead wore a wistful smile.
His heart really did sink when they passed the patch of dead flowers. They were met with Shorter lying shriveled and dead against the sidewalk. A somber quiet fell over the two. It was fitting for the lifeless gray of flowers that littered Eiji's garden of a front yard.
Ash leaned down, blonde hair casting shadows across his face. He lifted the dying flower gently to eye level with hesitant hands, like one wrong move would erase the plant's existence. "It's winter now, so I guess I should have seen this coming," he breathed."Sunflowers grow in the summer, when it's warm. I really wanted to see this guy get big and tall. Though you don't seem bothered by it at all, Eiji. Shouldn't we pull it out of the ground, or something?"
Eiji tipped his head upward. He stared longingly at the sky, like he wanted to bury his nose into those gloomy winter clouds. It didn't matter what kind of weather clouded the sky. This garden was his very own patch of atmosphere. The sun was up there somewhere. Watching over Eiji, wrapping him up in its warmth. Ash had to remind himself that big ball of gas would eventually be visible again. It wasn't ever actually gone, even in winter.
The gray parted then. The hole in the sky was no larger than a pinprick in an endless blanket of gloom. But even so, the light managed to escape the barrier. It raced through the sky and landed somewhere on the back of Ash's head, as if it were burying itself in his hair. Eiji only smiled at him.
"Something tells me that you think the word gone means gone forever."
Releasing the plant carefully, Ash gave his boyfriend a questioning look. "I don't think I understand what you mean."
Eiji reached into the pocket of his coat, producing a small plastic box. He took Ash's hand, kissed the top of it, then placed it in his palm. "Look inside."
"Okay." Ash lifted the lid to reveal a bed of what looked like moist cloth. There were several tiny seeds nestled into the white. A few had tiny roots peeking out and curling up around them.
"Remember back in the summer when I first showed you Shorter?" Eiji huddled against Ash's side. He pressed their hands together so they were both cupping the box. "Flowers are strong-willed and stubborn. Even though he was small, he finished his reproductive cycle just in time before winter hit. These are only a few of seeds I got from him."
A smile twitched on Ash's lips, the frown disintegrating. He looked at the seeds, then at his boyfriend, then back at the seeds. "I guess he's not dead after all," he chuckled softly.
Eiji smiled down at the seedlings in their palms, nuzzling his cheek against Ash's. "A beautiful living thing, persevering in a harsh environment even when they shouldn't have."
He smiled down at the shorter man and brushed a finger over one of the seeds. "It's like Shorter is telling us his soul will always be with us."
Eiji howled with laughter, clapping Ash on the back. "Okay, okay, now you're just being sappy. Let's get back in before I freeze my butt off."
Attached at the hip, the two made their way down the sidewalk and back into the house. The minute Ash had his coat off, two icy hands were shoved down his shirt. Ash yelled out, wrangling Eiji in and throwing him over his shoulder.
He pounded on the taller man's back, trying to wriggle free to no avail. "No fair! Brute strength!"
"I told you not to do that! Now you're gonna pay!" Ash marched into the living room and flipped Eiji off his shoulder, tossing him on his back onto the fluffy couch. Buddy was dozing by the fireplace, virtually unbothered by the chaos playing out in front of him.
Eiji was about to protest again, but he was already too late. Ash pinned his arms over his head with one hand, using the other to lift up his sweater.
His face flushed bright red. "D-don't you dare, Ash!"
Ash looked him dead in the eye, a ruthless grin on his face. "Just remember, you did this to yourself." He sucked in a deep breath and blew a loud, crude raspberry into Eiji's stomach.
"NOOOO!" Eiji cried. He kicked his legs and tried to free his wrists, but Ash was both bigger and stronger than him. He barely had any time to catch his breath before he was hit with another wave of assaults.
Four more raspberries and an accidental kick to the stomach later, Eiji was left with a pink tummy and a serious fit of giggles. Ash grumbled under his breath, swatting Eiji's socked feet away from his stomach. "You sure can bring on the pain when you want to."
"You...Deserved it." Eiji huffed out between laughs.
Rolling his eyes, Ash got off the couch and went straight to Eiji's room, gathering his boyfriend's favorite pillow and a few blankets before heading back out to the living room.
Eiji sat up, a suggestive grin on his lips. "Ibe won't be home for a while, you know. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Ash dropped the bedding on the couch, walking up to Eiji and sliding his arms around his waist. He pressed his forehead to Eiji's peppering a trail of kisses over his neck and jaw before meeting his mouth in a long, lazy kiss. When they parted, he let his own smile take his lips. He squeezed him tighter, bringing the smaller man's body closer to his own. He could feel Eiji hum in approval at the shared body heat.
"Movie marathon?"
Eiji snatched up the blanket, throwing it over him and Ash and letting it fall like a parachute over him. He buried his face into the crook of his neck. "You know it."
Quick author's note:
If you can't tell, I just finished Banana Fish. I literally could not find a single fluffy fic for them, so I hope some of you guys appreciate this. I know it might not be the best work but like I NEEDED TO WRITE IT OKAY IM SORRY
Thank you very much for reading <3