#Ash x Eiji fanfic

[bean-writes]

"But none of that mattered to you. We’re so different but you made me feel like I belonged. Like I had a family again. Like I was whole again."

Read I Won't Go Back Chapter 27: A Path Alone early on Ao3 and FFN.

[chunkypossum]

And the authors and mangaka who write them

[nonbinary-wyvern]

I wrote another fanfiction

[ac3th3shark]

I JUST FINISHED BANANA FISH AND IM IN DENIAL SO I WROTE THIS TO COPE!!!!!

!!banana fish spoilers!!

Eiji's sister doesn't have a name, so I refer to her as Fuku bc that's what the random name generator wanted.

idea: Ash survives and comes to see Eiji in Japan

It had been a little less than a month since Eiji had returned to Japan. His injuries had almost fully healed, and he was able to walk around and do things again. His poor mother had been horrified to see the state he was in when he arrived home. She cried so hard seeing him hurt in that wheelchair. He remembers thinking about how upset he was that Ash hadn't come, but he was sure that he would see him again while his mother thanked Ibe for taking care of him and his father yelled at Ibe for letting him get hurt.

About a week after he arrived home, he got a call from Ibe saying that Max had called him, and Ash was in the hospital after getting stabbed by Lao. Max had asked him not to tell Eiji yet, but he thought that he deserved to know what happened. Eiji wanted to go right back to America to check on Ash, but he didn't. He decided that he needed to stay here for a while before doing anymore travelling and he's confident that Ash would be ok, ash is strong. One of the strongest- no, the strongest person that he's ever met.

He was so worried about Ash, asking Ibe if he knew how he was doing every day. He remembers thinking that he shouldn't of came back until he was sure that Ash and everyone else was ok. He was so relieved when a few days ago Ibe told him that Ash had finally been released.

He was snapped from his thoughts when his mother called his name. He looked up from where he was staring at a page of his book.

"Sweetie, someone's here to see you."

"What?"

"I think it's a friend from America. He barely speaks Japanese, but he kept saying something in English and your name so I figured I would get you."

Eiji tried to think of who it could be. What if Ash had gotten into more trouble and someone had come after him again? now, that was extremely unlikely. But who could it be? Max is too busy with his engagement and planning his marriage. He had heard that Sing was working with Yut Lung now, so who?

"Thanks ma" He cautiously got up and walked to the door that was cracked open.

Upon opening the door, he was met with a familiar face, ash. Ash had come to see him.

He just stood there staring and Ash just stared back. Finally, he worked up the ability to say something.

"Ash..."

"Eiji..."

"Ash!"

"Eiji!"

Ash jumped onto Eiji, bringing him into a tight hug, Eiji hugged him back. They both pulled back a little, staring at each other, both of them crying happy tears. Ash moves one of his hands to Eiji's face, gently pulling him into a soft kiss. They both Smile as they pull away.

Eiji grabs his hand and pulls him inside the house, shutting the door behind them. As soon as he moves his hand from the knob its back around ash and they're hugging again. They stay like that for a while before Ash remembers that this isn't his home and pulls away.

"How are you? Are you ok? I heard that you were stabbed. You just got released a few days ago, right? Why are you here?"

"I'm fine now, I lost a lot of blood and ended up passing out from blood loss in the library but I'm ok now." Ash responds, gently taking Eiji's hands into his. "And I'm here because I missed you."

The nice moment only lasts for a short minute because Eiji suddenly turns around.

"Awwww, Eiji! Your so on-edge all the time since you came back! I can't sneak up on you anymore!" Fuku, Eiji's younger sister pouts.

"Heh, sorry Fu."

"who's that?" Fuku and Ash both say at the same time, pointing at each other.

"Ash," Eiji starts saying in English "This is Fuku, my younger sister." He turns to Face the girl better, "Fuku," he says in Japanese now, "This is Ash, my....Friend from America" he blushes a little when he decides not to tell her that they're dating.

"Hehe! I knew that that charm I gave you would work!!" Fuku laughs as Eiji jumps back a little.

"Ahh, that was intentional!?"

"What did she say?" Ash asked.

"r-remember that charm I told you about? She said that she knew it would work." The red on both of their faces intensifies and so does Fuku's laughter.

"Well, if it's that obvious, may as well just own it." Ash says, "You can introduce me as your boyfriend if you'd like."

"Sure."

And they all three smile.

[shizy-chan]

Mis niños hermosos 🥹🥹 como los amo Dios mío 🥲💕

[diabolicalworldwriter]

this time, I come bearing actual art to promo my dumbassery. hopefully tis enjoyable. I don't do lined art very often so this was. interesting lol.

(fun fact: the background of the first panel has random weird lines in it because I wrote 'I will cry if I have to draw a background'. and then I airbrushed over it just a little so it wouldn't ruin the art too much.)

close ups with no words under the cut.

[emeraldeyes23]

I finally updated my fic “Another Missed Flight”, chapter 27✨

This one is hurt and comfort since Ash overreacts at the huge crowd in Tokyo.

Eiji helps him through this and later Ash explains to Eiji’s little sister what happened.

After some rest, Hana asks them how they met in New York, hoping for a romantic story before they go sightseeing.

Read it here:

I added those fan arts of mine I posted separately in a previous post (thanks for all the likes, I’ve never received so many votes on my fan art 🥺)

[my-usernames-posts]

Ash x Eiji headcanon

Too lazy to write a disclaimer let's just call it fluff k thxx😭🙏

Eiji's sleep was disturbed by muffled sobs. Not again he thought. Ash screamed in his bed ,"Don't die on me Eiji. I'll quit this lifestyle. I'll come to Japan. I'll do anything!!"

Eiji quietly slid into Ash's blankets & spooned him. "I'm still here, Ash. With you." Ash turned & slept on his back. Eiji's view was breathtakingly beautiful. Blonde messy hair, moonlit features, slightly parted lips.

Eiji was not thinking when he lifted his head & almost kissed Ash. Almost. But stopped. What was he doing. He must be ashamed. Ash was asleep. Unaware. His curiosity was not even close to important.

"What are you doing?" Ash blinked

"I must have been sleepwalking. Sorry."

Eiji tried to leave but Ash held his hand. "I felt your breath on my face. Don't lie to me. Not about this."

"Fine. It's just that... Since the day you passed me a message when I came to see you in prison I've been confused as hell...."

"Let me help you find your answers then."

Ash slid his hand into Eiji's hair & pulled him into a kiss. Besides Eiji, it seemed to answer some of Ash's own questions. And Eiji reciprocated based on instinct having no prior experience. They pulled apart. Breathless. Sweating.

"You taste divine." Ash blinked with a perplexed expression.

"Do I really like it or... Is it just because you're good at it..."

"I did not do it out of obligation or use rehearsed moves on you...."

"Ash could I pass you a secret message this time?"

"You could."

Eiji cupped Ash's face & looked him in the eyes before leaning in & giving a gentle peck on the lips.

"You could read my message here. There's no one else"

"Let me look. Oh. so this is love "

[heytheredeann]

12 Days of Whumpmas 2023 - DAY 10: "Unwrapped" + "Flashbacks"

Tags: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Post-Canon, Ash Lynx Lives, Canon - Anime, Ash Lynx Needs A Hug, Asexual Character, asexual ash lynx, Past Rape/Non-con, Consent Issues, Internalized Acephobia, self-deprecating thoughts, Sex Repulsion, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Notes: Probably necessary disclaimer: asexuality is a varied experience that is not necessarily linked to trauma. A lot of people who identify as asexual never had any traumatic sexual experience, and sometimes people who have had that kind of experience don't feel like it's the cause of their sexual identity. It's entirely possible to have sexual trauma and still feel sexual attraction, just like it's possible to have sexual trauma and feel like that plays a part in one's asexuality, without that invalidating one's sexual orientation. This fic is a representation of ONE kind of experience as a sex-repulsed asexual, not of asexuality as a whole. Also, heads up regarding the "Consent Issues" tag: there is a scene in this fic depicting the beginning of a sexual encounter between Eiji and Ash, during which Ash starts dissociating, because he did consent but for self-destructive reasons. They don't go any further than foreplay, because Eiji notices that something is off, but if you need any more details feel free to ask in a comment here or to contact me on my Tumblr, I don't mind answering.

.

Eiji wants to fuck him.

Of course Eiji wants to fuck him, it’s—natural, expected, and Ash shouldn’t be so gutted by the notion.

“We don’t have to do anything,” Eiji says, gently, fingers laced with his. Ash clings more tightly than he probably should, trying to battle the sinking feeling in his gut. “I don’t mind either way, I just wanted to know—what you want out of this,” Eiji assures, because he’s sweet and considerate, so of course he is going to say that.

And yet, now that Ash is paying attention, he can see it, the familiar desire behind his boyfriend’s eyes, the way his gaze lingers on his body and his hands stop just short of reaching the helm of his pants, because Eiji is sweet and kind and he would never do anything without asking.

But now he did ask, and Ash can’t find the words to say no. 

Eiji has been so patient already. It’s been more than a year, and they hardly ever kiss. For months, it used to be only pecks on the lips, quick and mindless like the squeeze of a hand, and only after did they start occasionally making out, pressed against each other and yet always trying to get closer.

Ash doesn’t usually think much of those times, not overly fond of the feeling of something foreign inside his mouth, but enjoying the closeness all the same.

Yet, the mere thought of moving even a single step further ties his stomach up in intricate knots, pulls at his guts like it wants to yank them out.

“I don’t know,” is the best that he can come up with, because anything resembling a yes won’t push its way past his mouth.

“That’s okay,” Eiji immediately says, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him closer. “There’s no rush.”

Yet, cheek pressed against his shoulder, Ash can hear nothing but a ticking clock.

[More on Ao3]

[alternateuniversely]

Good Morning by Multihappydayz

Eiji gently woke up, the noise of the ceiling fan the first thing to tip off his senses. The next was the soft blonde hair threaded through his fingers.

(I found this fic while on a spiral of Banana Fish)

[bean-writes]

Ash and Eiji were two sides of the same heart. They were both strong on their own but together they were whole. Neither could live without the other anymore; neither wanted to.

Banana Fish I Won't Go Back Chapter 37: Into the Woods is out now on Ao3 and FFN.

[twinenergy]

Looking for a Banana fish fanfic

Hi, I hope you can help me find this fic. I know I downloaded it, but I have a lot of documents and I can't remember the title.

I remember that the characters were in college. I think Ash and Shorter were roommates. I also remember that Eiji stole Arthur's dog because it was being mistreated by him and I think Arthur found out because he beats up Eiji. Ash and Shorter find out and want to defend him but Eiji is somehow happy because it was his first fight.

Another scene I remember is Ash telling Shorter about his abuse as a child and Shorter reassuring him and telling him it wasn't his fault.

That's all I can remember. TIA

[neonscandal]

Gentle Into That Good Night

Chapter 2: Every Grief I Meet

Prequel: Chapter 1: Gentle Into That Good Night

Genre: Fix It, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Mutual Pining

Chapter Word Count: 4.6K

Status: Ongoing

Summary: If Ash thought Eiji was better off without him before, this chapter is an answer that definitively determines that that is not the case.

EXCERPT

“Ash.” His empty apartment swallowed the name as it fell from his lips. The quiet was stifling. It was in these moments of stillness that Eiji’s thoughts would wander. What, after everything they’d experienced, could possibly keep him from reaching out? Had he fallen into more trouble? Had something happened to him? He hated that his mind always tended toward something grave but he knew that there was little else that could possibly keep Ash away from him and him from Ash. This had been proven time and time again in the months they’d spent together.

A/N: This chapter reads a bit differently than the first which is to say that I hope it captures the innate curiosity and contemplation that I think Eiji has for everyone he comes across. I believe it's what put Ash at ease around him in the first place and it continues to prevail as he engages with the world around him. This is probably the last chapter, right?

--

The sun lazily melted into the horizon, swathing the emptying airport terminal in a warm glow. Eiji’s eyes remained hopeful; his breath senselessly caught in his chest as he waited for the last passengers of AL277 to cross the threshold of the gate. As the footsteps thinned and the door closed tightly behind the last of the arriving flight crew, his gaze fell to the floor before him. He sank into an uncomfortable seat which may as well have been a pew.

He'd bore witness to countless reunions, easily numbering in the thousands in the months following his return to Japan. Some were unassuming and dulcet in their intimacy, unbothered by the watchful eyes around them. While others were loud and calamitous to passerby’s as both parties clawed at one another excitedly. Those always managed to pull at the corners of Eiji’s mouth, a sheepish blush creeping across his face as he pondered his intrusion into their rejoicing. Every so often, there’d be a reunion marked by tears, some clearly more somber than others. Those typically drew more curiosity than not as he sought to wonder under what pretenses drew them together once more. While less frequent, Eiji thought about them long after they’d gathered their luggage and left the airport.

A deep sigh emptied his lungs as he sank further into his seat, an errant finger grazing the camera that hang around his neck. Eiji was intimately aware that disappointment was not a resource that suffered diminishing returns. Each day, he came to the airport hoping like hell that the arrival of AL277 would mark the reunion between he and Ash. Yet, every time the door closed behind arriving passengers, without a familiar face in the crowd, the heavy sadness was renewed once more.

“What are you doing here?”

Eiji’s ears perked up, roused from reverie.

“You honestly thought I wouldn’t meet you at the airport? Traffic was really bad and I got out of work later than I thought... I-I worried I’d miss you,” a young man panted, rushing to the inquiring young lady who’d interrupted Eiji’s thoughts. “But there’s no way I’d let you get off that plane without this being the first face you’d see,” the young man shot finger guns overzealously while offering a bouquet. They began a silly exchange of her luggage for his flowers before breaking out into a chuckle. “I’m happy you’re home!” he offered a partial hug while swinging her duffle onto his shoulder.

“I’m… I’m happy you’re here. Thank you for waiting for me. I know we weren’t sure what studying abroad might do to us but-“ she beamed at the man who Eiji deduced was her boyfriend. Even though her words were decisive, she still looked as though the honesty of them could strike her dead from embarrassment. Maybe it was the earnestness of them or perhaps she became suddenly aware of Eiji’s interest in their exchange.

“Aht, I knew nothing would change between us. You’re it for me, in this life and the next. The only place for me is right beside you so what’s one little year in the scheme of a whole lifetime?” The man pulled her hand to his chest, dragging his thumb across a bare ring finger suggestively. “If anything, I’m only glad you’re home so my mom can stop sending me cryptic messages about you being the one that got away. She really doesn’t get the whole long distance relationship thing… that or she thought we broke up and that I was in denial and couldn’t move on. It’s hard to tell.”

“Oh, I know. She’d WhatsApp me every few months saying we should get back together. She just knows you could never do better…” a Cheshire smile spread across her face as she flipped her hair haughtily.

“Uh, you know. You could go BACK to New York for another year or two. Wouldn’t bother me one bit and you wouldn’t meet anyone remotely like me! But, I’ll have you know, quality lines like mine and these good looks? I could totally snag a model or something.”

“I’ll have to inform your mother,” the young woman chuckled, raising the bouquet to provide coverage for a long overdue kiss.

Amused the couple had piqued his interest, Eiji turned on his camera, focused his sight and quietly snapped a picture of their silhouette against the backdrop of the setting sun. He left the couple to their banter as he began the trek home.

“Going home always takes longer than leaving…” he mused absently. He pondered why that was as he studied the preview image of the happy couple on his camera. Perhaps it was that, in going home, he was always empty handed. He left his house each day with an abundance of hope despite having not heard from Ash since he left New York. Each night, his commute was weighed down by a loneliness that was never quelled, even by family and friends. For a moment, he allowed himself a respite to ponder what it would be like when Ash finally crossed the threshold of the gate. What sort of reunion would they have?

“That guy would try to be so cool but I just know the second he gets here he’d be like a little kid,” he speculated wryly. “We’d probably make strangers laugh. Especially if he called me ‘onii-san’, wouldn’t that make people curious?” Externally, he let out a small chuckle which went largely unnoticed by the dwindling number of people still on the train. Looking at the lighting of his latest capture, he found it reminiscent of a photo he’d taken of Ash some time ago. He’d strewn himself along the frame of a window, lost in thought as the sunlight washed over him. Eiji always wondered whether his relaxed demeanor was because he was lost in thought or whether it was that was a piece of Aslan Jade Callenreese he’d just let slip through when he thought Eiji was asleep.

Really and truly, in retrospect, it was a little bit of both. Hyper-vigilant Ash could probably hear him stumbling around in the early morning silence. He was deeply contemplative, not fully aware of how big of a cliff they were so precariously balanced on at the time. But Eiji’s presence never put Ash’s nervous system into high alert. Around him, Ash inexplicably always felt like himself. He could drop the edge (unless it teed up a flippant joke) and could be soft if he should so choose. Something about Eiji coaxed that out of him during their first meeting and tempered him when the Banana Fish conspiracy threatened to break him time and time again.

When Eiji returned home, it was this picture with its exposure, contrast, and the stunning subject, that inspired awe in Eiji’s talent as a photographer. His first week back, he was inundated with questions from his parents and sister. They had a rough idea of what he’d experienced, enough to be satisfied that he was home safely rather than scratch at the deeper story of what had happened and risk upsetting him. Once he acclimated himself and was ready to share more from his travels, his sister was the first person to see this picture and audibly gasp, noting how strikingly beautiful it was. At the time, Eiji beamed bashfully, hearing his own thoughts echoed so enthusiastically. She was quick to talk about the composition and framing which, when he realized she meant the whole photo, his ears burned with embarrassment. She did in fact notice. Rather than mock Eiji, she observed somberly, “this is him, isn’t it? Looking at this, you’d never know. He just looks… so sad and alone. It’s surprisingly raw and tender.”

He shook the uncomfortable memory from the forefront of his mind and centered himself back into reality. Besides, the picture of the couple was nothing like the picture of Ash. For one, they were almost in complete silhouette. Where Ash was washed in forgiving morning light, the couple was shadowed by a departing sun. Ash was vulnerable and nuanced, still complex in a mere snapshot where the couple’s story seemed to start and end right there. “No, I don’t know that this is it, either,” he surmised. Even so, he wasn’t surprised that his thoughts always drew him back to that image. In Eiji’s mind, all routes led to Ash in some way or another.

He surveyed the uncharacteristically empty train car. Usually, he’d expect more salarymen heading home, some swaying tipsy on their feet after an izakaya pitstop, but realized the usual commuters were likely pushed into other cars by the presence of a younger, rougher looking demographic. High school kids by the look of their uniforms. He noted the sidelong glances a few of them gave him knowing he probably looked around their age but he was far beyond the intimidation of some high school brawlers after everything he’d endured. A small, knowing smile crept across his face as he turned his camera off. With it, his thoughts zeroed in on his shooting hand just as the train car began to weave itself in and out of the shadows of bridges and tunnels.

The atmospheric light that marked evening in the city danced across the large windows of the train car, bathing Eiji’s hand in alternating light and shadow. He closed his fist gently, as if to capture light in the palm of his hand. Before he could travel down the rabbit hole of his thoughts once more, he arrived at his station. Commuters bustled slowly off the train and scattered into the distance.

He’d been living in the city for a couple of months now after Ibe offered him the apartment above his studio to “better improve his craft”. While still a trek from the airport, it was further still from his hometown of Izumo. Both of which were still considered to be pros in Eiji’s book. He’d even cultivated a bit of a reputation in the neighborhood after having a handful of pictures published in local magazines. He was frequently found, camera in hand, chasing down the next perfect photo. To him, it felt like chasing after a ghost. Nothing ever measured up to a single picture taken at dawn in a meager New York apartment. To others, his deep eyes, gentle smile and earnest clicking always yielded delicate insight into otherwise inconsequential people. His kind eye seemed to lend profundity to those one would typically turn a blind eye to. Such was the way that Eiji lived as a person, it was no surprise his photographs also held such intimacy. As Ibe welcomed Eiji to hang more and more of his photos, he garnered more of the neighborhood’s curiosity.

Early on, people responded to his lens angrily or with fear or suspicion. As they came to observe more and more of him, many people grew to understand the man behind the camera. When noticed, some would even smile hoping to end up on the walls of the studio one day. It led to Eiji employing more guerilla tactics when shooting, much to the amusement of those around him. He never really felt alone. His sister made sure to visit frequently and Ibe stopped in when he wasn’t on travel, but the place still didn’t feel quite like home either. When his sister did visit, she’d introduce him to her classmates who now found themselves attending school nearby which seemed to generate a bit of a local legend around him and his adventures in America.

“-at’s a nice camera. That’s gotta be worth something, right?”

Eiji had heard the shuffle of footsteps behind him for some time but didn’t feel threatened despite their numbers. Whether it was because they seemed nonviolent or whether he’d just become too nonchalant in the face of danger was still up for debate. “I don’t think I heard you, I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Eiji turned on his heels about face toward the voice that rang out.

“Nice camera you got there. Looks expensive,” the brash high schooler repeated. He stood a couple of inches taller than Eiji with a medium build and rebelliously red hair. If that weren’t intimidating enough, he had two lackeys with him. Out of the three, the ringleader was the only one behaving aggressively. The young man to his right, with bleached platinum hair that had begun to grow out, seemed to furrow his brow at the spectacle, not sure whether to participate or not. An effortlessly tousled bang hung over watchful gray eyes. The young man to his left, slightly shorter than the rest of the group, held his bag against his torso with both arms defensively. His black, shaggy hair hung unruly just under freshly pierced ears.

While resilient, Eiji had come back to Japan notably worse for wear from the traumas suffered, the friends lost. At times, he’d have a harsh glint in his eye when he felt cornered by other people’s invasiveness where he was previously a wealth of patience. His eyes, normally wide and innocent could darken and narrow when threatened, as if to say, “I’ve seen and suffered worse.” A glare wasn’t going to help him in a fight but it could certainly serve as a deterrent. Eiji wasn’t sure just how far he’d go to survive after New York City but, while there, felt like no countermeasure was too far. “You’d be surprised, actually. When you’re good at something, the tools you use don’t really matter.”

The ringleader threw his head back haughtily, his fiery hair eclipsed by his strong chin. His Adam’s Apple pulsed prominently with his laughter. Eiji contemplated what sort of person would leave themselves open and vulnerable to attack in such a way. Perhaps this was simply the arrogance of someone who had others they could trust implicitly with their safety. Still uncertain of their intention, Eiji stood his ground warily.

“You’re one crazy motherfucker, you know that?” The grin that spread across the ringleader’s face seemed to instantly dissipate the tension in the air.

“I told you it was him. His kid sister was telling me he was in a gang in America! I went to school with Okuchan. I’m Iguchi,” the more calculating of the three volunteered as he nodded in Eiji’s direction. “You live in that studio.”

“I wasn’t in a gang.. and I don’t live in the studio...” Eiji countered, softening slightly. Without the blonde hair, he supposed the kid looked familiar.

“Well, don’t you want to take my picture?” the overly talkative leader threw a muscled arm around Eiji’s shoulder gruffly and clenched jovially. He jut his chin out and raised his eyebrows inquisitively, clearly amused by the array of emotions that pulled at Eiji’s face.

“It’s rude not to introduce yourself, Tsuyo. I apologize for his rudeness, senpai. We went to school with Ibe-san. My name is Nobuki Chikara,” Chikara dropped the bag he’d been holding and showed a surprising resolve in checking the redhead despite his slightly shorter stature.

“You heard him, if you’re looking for someone to put up in the old man’s studio, this mug’ll get you plenty of traffic,” Tsuyo winked.

“I don’t take requests,” Eiji shrugged off the increasingly tightening grip Tsuyo held on him.

“Told ya, you have the face only your mother would love, Tsuyo! Try again for Halloween, maybe!” Iguchi’s laughter was punctuated with a hearty punch to Tsuyo’s arm who was still processing Eiji’s rebuff.

“I knew there wasn’t a chance, you two have bothered him enough. Let’s go, we can still catch the guys at the arcade.” Chikara hyperextended his arms to gather his friends by the scruff of their uniforms.

“It was worth a shot. I’ll end up on that wall someday,” Tsuyo smirked mischievously. His eyes lingered on Eiji for a moment before he stretched with a yawn and broke from Chikara’s grasp. He threw his bag over his shoulder and began his stride away from Eiji with Iguchi close behind but not before looking back with a promise, “I’ll see you around, Teach!”

Eiji couldn’t help but feel as though judgement had been passed upon him with Tsuyo’s last look. The whole exchange left a puzzled expression on his face. From one moment to the next, he couldn’t make his mind up about the trio and, while it would have been easy to cast them out of his mind, they’d at least roused his interest if only for how radically different they all seemed. “Wait a minute, 'teach'!?”

As he turned to continue his walk home, he felt a hand cup his shoulder gingerly. He was surprised to find Chikara with both of his palms up, the bag he was protecting now hung around his wrist. He bowed modestly much to Eiji’s confusion.

“I’m sorry about the inconvenience. He talks a really big game but he’s actually not a bad guy. Tsuyokun, I mean. I think.. he really likes your work but suppose maybe he didn’t know how to say that without making it about him, too,” he chuckled. “I thank you for not holding it against us.”

“Nothing to apologize for.”

“I hope we see you out again soon. We’d seen you once in the park but were too afraid to approach you back then. You’re not as scary as your reputation suggests.”

“Me!?” Eiji asked dumbly, a pointed hand aimed at his chest, completely aghast.

Realizing he’d possibly said too much, Chikara bowed his head shallowly and lightly jogged back to his friends. Upon reuniting with them, he raked his hand through Tsuyo’s hair teasingly. “Maybe next time be a bit more sincere. At least you talked to him!” he encouraged to which Iguchi stifled a laugh.

“I’ll get my picture next time too,” Tsuyo smiled broadly.

“They thought I was scary!? Sheesh they could at least wait until I’m no longer in earshot…” Eiji scowled with a shake of his head, dumbfounded. The thought that the three of them would be afraid to approach him in any situation was simply too funny. “What would Ash think of that?” he smiled puckishly. He raised his camera, lined up his sight and snapped a picture of the three gleeful high schoolers who, having taken a first step in whatever quest, currently celebrated in a tangle of pokes, pinches and headlocks, their good natured laughter ringing out over the empty street.

The evening sky, mostly purple and blue with a blush of pink set a backdrop for the silhouette of heads and arms. A halo of light from the streetlight above them illuminated the smiles on their faces. Looking down at the picture, he felt like his time in their shoes was so far away. In a way, he was glad that they decided to include him, if only for a moment, in the tapestry of their friendship. He didn’t really understand how they fit together, it wasn’t for him to know. But for a moment, it felt like he was back on the streets of New York in overly flashy clothes he’d borrowed, surrounded by the bustle of strangers and flanked by Shorter, Ash, Bones, and Kong. He could practically hear the familiar shrill of Shorter’s laughter just after making a silly joke. Shorter always laughed at his own jokes too. Recalling that, the small smile that formed at his lips didn’t quite reach his eyes.

As he turned the key and entered his apartment, he offered a quiet, “I’m home,” to no one. Well, at least no one who could welcome him back properly. He could hear the scratching of paws on wooden floors before he’d even put his key in the door. “Hey, Buddy,” he greeted somberly, scratching the golden retriever behind both ears. Buddy, who seemed to have grown accustomed to Eiji’s bouts of melancholy, nudged him affectionately.

Eiji had found Buddy when following the sounds of his whimpering while on a photography walk. Realizing at the time it could have been an elaborate trap, he was surprised to find the source to be a small, close to starving dog who had been abandoned in a dumpster. Without a second thought, he’d climbed atop discarded crates and bins to rescue him. At the time, tears sprang to his eyes when the dog used whatever strength he had left to extend his front paws to him, aiding in his own rescue. He’d just moved to the city and, unfamiliar with the area, carried him around until he found an open vet. During that first check up, waiting anxiously to see if the dog would even survive, he didn’t initially notice the glares from other owners in the waiting area. At least not until the nurse gave him an update while holding her nose. With the promise to return the next day, he left optimistically certain the dog would make it through the night. It was that optimism that compelled him to buy a collar, leash, toys and food on his way home despite still smelling like garbage.

Since then, Buddy filled the silence of Eiji’s apartment and frequently accompanied him on walks to scout new shooting locations. Ibe wasn’t incredibly pleased with the development but saw how happy he made Eiji and had taken to calling him Eiji’s photographer’s assistant any time he visited.

As Eiji filled his food and water bowls, Buddy’s tail thwacked giddily against his leg. “Hungry, today, huh? I’m sorry, I got held up.” He collapsed over the arm of his couch, legs dangling and set his camera on the coffee table before him as he contemplated the day’s captures. He knew his sister would “oooh” and “aaah” at all of them but felt the couple he’d shot and the three students greatly outweighed the pictures he’d taken earlier. Had he not been there to witness what led up to those pictures, he knew, as a passerby, that he would wonder and that, he decided, was the mark of his photographic style. He wanted to inspire people to look more deeply, to find understanding more easily. He wanted people to care. He’d seen what happened when people stopped valuing human life or any life for that matter. It made him want to continue to be a conduit for empathy and compassion. To create more space for people who generally go on misunderstood. People like Kong whose mere size caused strangers to shrink in fear but who cried and held the hands of his friends when they thought they were taking their last breaths at the National Mental Health Center; people like Shorter whose purple hair, piercings and raucous laughter painted him as a thug despite how fiercely loyal he was to his friends and family and how such a guy could genuinely still fear a lecture from his sister; people like Ash whose beauty and demeanor would suggest his life was easy.

“Ash.”

His empty apartment swallowed the name as it fell from his lips. The quiet was stifling. It was in these moments of stillness that Eiji’s thoughts would wander. What, after everything they’d experienced, could possibly keep him from reaching out? Had he fallen into more trouble? Had something happened to him? He hated that his mind always tended toward something grave but he knew that there was little else that could possibly keep Ash away from him and him from Ash. This had been proven time and time again in the months they’d spent together.

The last time he’d seen him felt like a fever dream as he’d floated toward the sad presence that had wept over him. He should not have been surprised to discover who it was but was still shocked that Ash would risk his freedom when he felt personally responsible for the lives that hung in the balance.

But he knew. Eiji knew that his life didn’t mean more to Ash than the others’ so much as Ash’s guilt weighed more when it came to involving him, an outsider, into his dealings. Regardless of how willing he was to help, Ash always treated him as if he were fragile, pure, different. “You always thought you were protecting me, Ash. But the whole time I only wanted to protect you. I deserve an answer. Whatever keeps you from responding, from reaching out… it doesn’t make sense. I thought giving you enough time would be respectful but I can’t keep thinking the worst.”

He recalled how, in that brightly lit hall, as his eyes and legs adjusted to waking, the pain of telling Ash to go when they were mere inches from one another surpassed the physical pain of his wounds. The pained expression on Ash’s face held so much grief, so many regrets. The dead air between them seemed to span millennia as they both struggled with what may be their last words to one another. Tears gathered in his eyes just as they had back then and spilled down his cheeks, loaded with all the things he’d wished he’d said. ”If I’d known that that would have been the last time I saw you, I would have reached for your hand and never let go. I think you needed that as much as I did. Right, Ash? I never would have forsaken you. Not now, not ever,” he reflected, wiping away the stream of tears with the back of his hand.

He sighed deeply, his brows knit in anguish. As time passed, it became harder to recall the inflection Ash used when he was being irreverent, the nuance of his discerning tone when speaking to the gang as opposed to speaking directly to Eiji. It was harder to fill in the blanks of their conversation in a way that felt true to Ash. It seemed silly to mourn someone living but nothing else felt appropriate for the emptiness he felt as the detail in which he remembered Ash began to fade. He’d become such an indelible part of Eiji’s life in such a short amount of time, seared onto his soul. When the emotions weighed heavy on him, he liked to imagine that somewhere in the world, Ash was feeling similarly. These passing waves of sadness were merely being spread across the two of them to ease their burden. In this way, neither of them were ever alone. But to think that one day, Eiji in his pining, would convince himself that Ash always spoke in the language of silence? It felt like too much to bear. But every passing day, that felt more and more like a possibility.

His head rocked toward the dark television screen that sat opposite his couch, his reflection bore holes in him. His hair, which now hung just above his shoulders, pooled limp around his neck. He’d resolved not to cut his hair until he and Ash reunited. It was an offering to whatever higher power was out there to bring them together once more. Moreover, it had been one of the last places Eiji recalled Ash’s touch. So it grew, untouched, sanctified. He had no idea how much time had passed since he’d gotten back to his apartment. Never kept track of how long he’d kept company with the silence.

Disappointed with himself, he slid his camera to block his face, masking his frustration. Seconds spilled into minutes before he turned his on camera with one hand and set it for long exposure. Laying back down and with the camera obscuring where his face would be, he snapped a picture of his reflection in the television, uncertain what sort of results the photo would yield in his dim apartment, illuminated only by external lights and the soft glow of his atrium.

“Our story is not over,” he concluded defiantly. Resigned not to maintain the space between them, he began to wonder what words would coax fate to change course.

“Come back safely. I’ll be waiting for you, forever,” he whispered, his unused voice scratched at his throat.

--

A/N: The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I needed to include Eiji's perspective as well. Sometimes we project our insecurity on others, fill their mouths with words they never said and hopefully this was a sufficient remedy for that.

Also explains why the title convention is so weird, I for sure thought this would be a one-and-done. Banana Fish, however, had another thought.

ANY WAY, thank you for reading my gratuitous musings. Please remember, there are always people to talk to and resources available if you need them.

[ac3th3shark]

Eiji gets the news that ash is dead.

you might wanna read tags before reading idk.

Eiji had barely been back home in Japan for a week when he got the call.

When he got it, he thought that Max had just wanted to check up on him. He had given him his number right before he left, and he hadn't called or texted yet. Honestly, he was excited to see how Max was doing, being back with Jessica and all.

"Hi max! How are you guys doing?"

"Oh, uh, I'm fine, I guess. Look, uh, I have something to tell you. Don't freak out or anything, ok?"

"..ok?"

"Ash uh, right after you left... Ash.. uh, died."

there was nothing but silence for a few minutes while Eiji was trying to process this. Ash was dead? no. No, he must have misheard something, Ash wasn't dead! No! Ash was way too strong to die! He was alive, he had to be, he was going to finish everything up and come visit him in Japan! Ash wasn't dead, he just couldn't be. Eiji wasn't sure when he started crying, or when and how he ended up on the floor or how long Max had been saying things, but he couldn't make out what it was that he was saying. Ash wasn't... Ash couldn't be... Ash.. Ash was.. Ash was dead. Ash is dead and there's nothing Eiji can do about it. His boyfriend was dead, and he couldn't do anything at all.

"Eiji!"

Eiji snapped out of his thoughts, becoming very aware of the hot tears pouring down his face and the choked sobs coming out of his mouth. He tried to respond but all that came out was more poor attempts at sounds.

"Eiji, it's ok...it'll be ok." Now that he payed attention Max was definitely crying too.

"No..." He managed to force out. It's not ok. Ash is dead. He never should have left, Eiji should have stayed there, in America. He should have stayed there with Ash, protected him, maybe then Ash would still be alive. "No..It's not..It's not ok.."

"Oh, Eiji..." Max doesn't know what to say either, he's been crying too. He couldn't save Griffen, he couldn't save Ash, he can't save anyone can he? And he can't even comfort Eiji.. oh Eiji... He thinks about how upset Eiji must be about this. He cared about Ash a lot, but Eiji was in love with Ash.

The two just sit there for a while, silently crying in each other's distant presence. Neither of them know what to do or say or if they even can say anything. The silence is finally broken when Eiji speaks.

"When... uh.. when's the funeral..?"

"Probably early next month, I'll tell you when I know for sure."

"...Ok, thanks.. I'll see you then."

"Yeah, sure."

Eiji hangs up but continues sitting there on the floor. He curls up into himself more. Ash was really dead. Ash was really dead and there was nothing he could do about it.

[candysweetslover]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga), Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Okumura Rin & Okumura Yukio, Okumura Rin & Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji, Okumura Rin & Everyone, Okumura Rin & Shima Renzou, Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Okumura Eiji & Okumura Rin, Okumura Eiji & Shorter Wong, Okumura Eiji & Sing Soo-Ling, Okumura Eiji & Everyone, Kamiki Izumo & Okumura Rin Characters: Ash Lynx, Okumura Eiji, Okumura Rin, Okumura Yukio, Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji, Shima Renzou, Shorter Wong, Sing Soo-Ling, Skipper (Banana Fish), Mephisto Pheles (Ao no Exorcist), Moriyama Shiemi, Miwa Konekomaru, Kamiki Izumo, Alex (Banana Fish), Bones (Banana Fish), Kong (Banana Fish) Additional Tags: Demons, Crossover, Eiji is Rin and Yukio’s older brother, Okumura Eiji is a good brother, Found Family, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Dino is a piece of shit that deserves worse than hell, religious trauma, Mentions of Cultish behaviour, Banana Fish-Typical Content, Human Experimentation, BAMF Okumura Eiji, BAMF Okumura Rin, Okumura Yukio Not Being An Asshole, Good Sibling Okumura Yukio, Okumura Rin has ADHD, Okumura Eiji Needs a Hug, Ash Lynx Needs A Hug, Okumura Rin Needs a Hug, Yukio Okumura Needs a Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, please read the tags, no beta we die like ash in a library, Alternate Universe - Crossover, Protective Okumura Eiji, Protective Ash Lynx, Protective Okumura Rin, one sided Lee Yut Lung/ Eiji Okumura, Yut Lung doesn't actually like him romantically, he just doesn't understand the difference between romantic and platonic attraction Summary:

The cram school students of True Cross Academy have been sent to America to help out with the recent increase in demon activity, but something much more severe is going on under the surface.

Will they be able to find out the truth while concealing their identities as exorcists?

In New York, the start of a world-ending conspiracy is taking place, and a 17 year old gang leader has a bone to pick with the ones behind all of this.

Will he be able to get his revenge? Especially when he suddenly has so much to lose.

Demons of the past will keep haunting you, no matter what you do. The question is whether you will learn to control them before they ruin you and the people around you.