#and ash moved to Japan and married eiji

[enobariasteeth]

Oh God they’ve got banana fish on Prime video

[turnupswritessometimes]

AshEiji - Ficmas - Ch8 - Sleigh Rides

A03 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52217968/chapters/132084811

“And I can’t hold the camera, because…?” Ash trailed off, his eyebrows raised. His coat collar was turned up against the cold – it was snowing again, in New York. The flakes caught on his cheeks melted, leaving them rosy-pink. Eiji wanted to kiss them.

“Because you’re not the photographer,” he said.

Ash bumped his whole body against him, and Eiji stumbled. He had to catch Ash’s arm to stop himself falling; and when he did, pushed him back.

They were walking up a country road, following the directions on Ash’s phone. They’d been told to leave the car at the bottom of the lane, just beyond the sign that declared this all private property. They were headed to the homestead in the midst of the snowy plains and pine trees. It was like a Winter postcard.

“And what about all the photos of you?” Ash asked.

“I’ll teach you how to take some.”

“In a moving sleigh.”

Eiji stepped in front of him, his arms behind his back. “Are you scared of a challenge, Ash?”

Ash caught Eiji’s chin, tilting it up in his hand. He smiled smugly back at him.

“I’m never scared of a challenge.”

And he kissed Eiji. Peppered his cheeks with kisses, until Eiji had to catch Ash’s shoulders. “Stop – we’re going to be late!”

Ash did relent, then, and lead Eiji along, through the snow. They were here on a job: Max had been the one to recommend them for it. Recommend Eiji. It was a piece about a farm upstate that were offering sleigh rides for the festive season. The story would help the business promote their work; year-round, the horses were used for therapy.

“Most importantly,” Max had said, pushing a coffee onto Eiji’s desk. “They’re offering you and a plus one a free ride on one of their sleighs.”

“Oh,” Eiji said, scrolling through the website.

Max waited. He raised his eyebrows. “You and a plus one, Eiji.” And when he still didn’t react, Max prompted, “Ash?”

“Oh!” Eiji felt his cheeks go hot. “Like a date?”

“That’s right.” Max grinned at him, and Eiji ducked his chin. It felt odd, that his boss was also a family friend. Felt even odder, when Max ruffled his hair good-naturedly. As though Eiji was Ash, or Michael. Made his chest feel warm.

So here they were. Eiji armed with his camera, very aware that Ash still hated photos, and not too sure how he was going to take photos in a moving sleigh. But they still reached the farmhouse; it was decorated with twinkling lights that made it look like a gingerbread cottage. The horses grazed in the paddock next to it, flicking their tails, their breath steaming in the cold air.

And there was the sleigh. A beautiful, red polished affair with gleaming blades. Two chestnut brown horses were attached; their fur long on their legs, so it looked as though they were wearing snow boots. They were bigger than Eiji had thought they would be.

The owners were stood in front of them, and rushed forward to shake Eiji’s hand. He still wasn’t used to that; much preferred greetings in Japan. They were both the picture of what lumberjack men would look like.

“Thank you so much for coming all the way out here,” the one with the trimmed, dark bead, said. “We do appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But, I thought your boss said he was sending a couple?” the man asked.

Ash put his arm around Eiji’s waist, tugging them together. “Actually, we’re married.”

Eiji hid behind his bangs, unable to stop smiling. He’d never get tired of hearing that. Married. It was such a fantastic word.

“That’s great!” The other guy said; his beard was bushy, and ginger. “Sorry – we didn’t – we’d love that.”

“This is my husband.” The dark one said. “So, this would be lovely. Really.”

“Oh, good.” Eiji still smiled, but he felt slightly baffled.

“It’s our pleasure.” Ash’s fingers squeezed Eiji’s side. He seemed completely at ease; his own charming smile in place. They were all smiling at each other, and Eiji was at a loss as to what to say next.

“Well, then, boys, let’s introduce you to the horses.”

So they were introduced to the horses. One was Cinnamon, the other Nutmeg. Both were big and beautiful. Their noses were soft, like velvet, as they snuffled at Eiji’s palm. He patted their snouts, unable to stop smiling. Nutmeg nuzzled at his shoulder, searching in his coat for treats, his fur tickling his cheek.

When he looked up, he saw that Ash had his camera. He took it back.

“That’s my job,” he said, untangling himself  from the horses. Nutmeg followed him, snorting. “You say hello to them, too.”

Ash did. Rolling his eyes like it was a chore. But he did. He rubbed his knuckles up and down their snouts, and told them were lovely. Eiji got a photo of Ash holding Cinnamon’s head, his hair falling over his face. But it fell in such a way that it was still clear Ash was smiling, softly.

He noticed Eiji was watching him, from above the camera, and paused. “What?”

Eiji shrugged. “You’re beautiful.”

Ash’s eyes softened. Very green against the white around them. He still smiled, that special smile he had for Eiji that made him feel like he was electrified. Made him remember why he’d risked everything, again and again, for this boy. Just how much he loved Ash.

“You guys are just adorable together. Let’s get you in the sleigh.”

So they did. Ash went first, and offered his hand to Eiji. He accepted it, hauling himself up and into the sleigh. There was a woven blanket to go over their laps, and embroidered cushions behind them. It all felt very cosy; almost too cosy to do work. He fiddled with his camera, whilst the owners brought the horses round to the start of the trail. Ash held the reins, looking just as at ease as if he was driving a car.

The snow had slowed to a powder, and it felt like they were inside of a snow globe. The owners rode behind them, on their own horses, to make sure the sleigh stayed on course. The horses trotted, the wind catching their manes. The ride was bumpy. Eiji found himself catching Ash’s shoulder, laughing.

Ash rested his head on the top of Eiji’s, still with both hands on the reins. But he was chuckling too.

“You have a job to do, sweetie,” Ash said, gently.

“Then, slow down.” Eiji pushed him, fumbling with his camera. He wore fingerless gloves to work it better, but his hands were numb.

“When have I ever driven slowly?” Ash replied.

Eiji could only laugh, and shake his head. The sleigh continued, and it felt like magic. The snow continued falling dreamily; the horses trotting through the pine forest. Eiji tried his best. Took photos of the horses; the scenery; Ash’s  hands on the reins; Ash next to him. Leant forward, to brush Ash’s hair back behind his ear, murmuring, “This one’s just for me.”

The sleigh jolted, as he did, and he lost his balance. His camera swung, and he caught Ash’s knee to stop himself falling headlong.

Ash just laughed. He shifted, putting his arm around Eiji and pulling him close, still keeping hold of the reins.

“I think you’ve got enough,” he said.

“Ash.”

“Yeah, that’s enough.” Ash turned to kiss the top of Eiji’s head. He kept his grip tight, even as Eiji tried to wiggle away. But Ash was stronger. And warmer. And it was hard to argue very much when they were in a horse drawn sleigh in the snow. It wasn’t like the owners protested that Eiji had stopped taking photos.

So shifted, sitting under Ash’s arm properly, and resting his head on his shoulder. Listened to the sounds of the horse’s hooves, and smelt the pine around them, felt Ash’s breath underneath him. It was cold, but he felt very warm. And thought he would be happy if they stayed like this for hours.

But they finished the route, and the sleigh ride came to an end. Ash let go of the reins, letting them hang over the edge of the sleigh.

“Come on, sweetie.” Ash nudged him with his shoulder.

Eiji let himself have another minute, with his arms tight around Ash. Relishing in that feeling, his heart pounding. Then gave in. He pulled away, looking up at Ash. He kissed him, forgetting that they weren’t alone.

Forgetting that he was here on a job, not a date, like Max said. A job to take photos to market the sleigh rides offered at this farm. And the photos he did have, of the forest, the horses, the sleigh, looked beautiful. They looked great next to Eiji’s story for the article. (Max had wanted him to write it; had been helping him draft up some of his own stories.)

But it was a photo that he hadn’t taken that was at the top. A photo one of the ranch owners had taken on his phone, and they hadn’t noticed. It was the moment at the end of the ride, when Eiji had kissed Ash. The snow fell around them, their hair caught in the wind, the trees green behind them. The blanket was around them, pressing them together.

“It’s a great article,” Max said, looking at it. Eiji couldn’t. It made him feel flustered and embarrassed. That there would be a photo of him and Ash kissing on the internet. “It’s a great photo too.”

“I have to check if Ash is alright with it,” Eiji asked. Because that was only fair.

“Sure. But it looks great, with the article. The guys were really happy with the job you did.”

Which made Eiji feel warm for a different reason. He nodded, fiddling with the pens on his desk. There were only a couple of days until Christmas Eve, and he couldn’t wait to be finished for Christmas. He had a whole two weeks off, for Christmas and New Years.

“Eiji, do you enjoy doing this?”

“Yes!” He looked up. “Of course!”

Max smiled at him. That warm smile, as he put a hand on Eiji’s shoulder. “Because, you’re good at this job. I think you could do more than photos, if you wanted. You could train up as a journalist.”

As a real journalist, like Max, instead of just a photographer. A proper, full-time job. That was the goal, wasn’t it? He should have said yes just as enthusiastically. But he paused – and hated that he did pause.

Max saw his hesitation. “Why don’t you think about it, over the break?”

Eiji nodded.

And wondered why it felt like such a scary decision.

[foundmywei]

Banana Fish Fanfic Recs

Here are my favorite banana fish fics, mostly asheiji. Please always check the tags for trigger warnings. Enjoy!

Masterpost

Asheiji: Post-canon

Growing Pains by Exiledfromazerath1316

(23,426 words | Mature | Completed)

"If I've got no one to fight than how do I know who I am?!"

Moving to Japan with Eiji is a start, but there is no cure all for something like this.

Growing pains will never be easy.

Odour of Chrysanthemums by nyanja14

(20,915 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Two years Eiji was gone with barely a word sent back home to his mother. Two years of her son’s life that Hiroko will never know.

Hiroko is angry at Ibe for failing so spectacularly at keeping her son safe. She’s angry at Eiji for not coming home at the first opportunity. But her true fury has nowhere to go.

Ash Lynx is already dead.

(except he's not really because this is my fic, and I say Ash lived; welcome to my post-series "Eiji's Mom Meets Ash" fic)

Measure In Love by goldendraeconis, Snow_Falls

(33,509 words | Explicit | Completed)

"If he really never did see Ash again, at least Eiji had the comfort of knowing he was free. Finally, finally, Ash was somewhere no one could touch him, even as that was what Eiji longed to do. He felt like he could die from how badly he wanted to hold Ash again, just one more time. But, it wasn’t fair to want something so selfish. Ash was his own person, and he deserved to live for himself, wherever and however that may be."

After the showdown in New York, Ash goes missing. Eiji returns to Japan alone, heartbroken and unsure what to do now. After one year of radio silence from Ash, the two meet again, getting closer over the course of a year, and fulfill the promise of forever.

Find My Way Back (To You) by mara_cas

(23,263 words | Not Rated | Completed)

What if Eiji hadn’t been hurt that badly by the two Chinese men sent by Yut-Lung? What if he was out of the hospital the next day, with nothing but a scratch, well decided to retrieve Ash? Banana Fish is history, Dino Golzine is dead, but it seems like Ash Lynx still can’t rest. Lee Yut-Lung has a favor to ask him, one Ash and Eiji can’t refuse. As they join forces to unravel a new menace, Eiji has to put his life in danger and Ash must learn to step back. This new adventure could be the opportunity for them to learn more about each other, and to have some very needed talk.

Fool For Lesser Things by Snow_Falls

(29,736 words | Explicit | Completed)

"He knew irrefutably that if Eiji left he would take something fundamental to Ash with him, and without that, what would be the point in living? He might as well have let Foxx finish him, if he was going to cop out now. No, Sing was right, the little brat, what the fuck would be the point if he didn’t go with Eiji? God, he was an idiot."

Or the fix it fic we all need. The alternate ending I cherish in my heart of hearts.

The Way It Should Be by Snow_Falls

(8275 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“You know we can’t technically be married here, but a lot of same – sex couples do this instead. They add the younger partner to the older one’s family registry, they become next of kin, and it gives them a lot of the same rights as a spouse,” Eiji hadn’t been able to hold Ash’s gaze the whole time he spoke, he was looking down at the bedspread now, tracing lines on it with his finger.

Ash looked up at him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

The question hit Eiji with a stronger force than he would have expected. He felt it in his stomach, in a hot shiver up his spine, and blood rushing to his cheeks. He was suddenly incredibly nervous, because – “Yes, I am.” Eiji took a breath and tried not to feel the sudden way his hands shook with adrenaline, sheer anticipation. “Will you marry me?”

Breaking The Habit by EmirAttemptsToWrite

(17,582 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash had no idea where he was.

He felt a dull pain in his side. His entire body was aching, but his mind couldn't register what was going on. It was dark everywhere he looked - was he asleep? Or about to wake? Or was the place he was in just pitch black on its own?

He thought he could hear a faint beeping noise - but it was echoing somewhere in the distance.

Or, my take on the Banana Fish ending that follows Ash on the journey of accepting love.

you keep me without chains by ADreamingSongbird

(10,060 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

They say time heals all wounds. If that's what it takes, Ash is just about ready to throw himself into a fucking hourglass.

This Quiet Life by elena_stidham

(15,820 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash's life can be divided by the sounds each location makes. Cape Cod was a world that only sounded like the wind and sea. New York is a world full of noise.

Japan only sounds like Eiji.

dull swords, sluggish arrows by ADreamingSongbird

(10,605 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

An unexpected visitor shows up on Eiji's doorstep, seeking answers about Ash's death.

Except that Ash isn't dead, and there is very little Eiji wouldn't do to keep him safe. Even if that does mean yelling at a very tall Russian man in public.

harbor by ADreamingSongbird

(27,567 words | Series - 5 works |  Teen And Up Audiences)

shatterpoint by ADreamingSongbird

(8,611 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

"I was wondering.” Eiji even smiles. “Would you like it if I kissed you?"

And everything goes wrong.

A long-overdue conversation, one rainy day in Japan.

we are the people that rule the world by kybelles

(9,068 words | Series - 2 works | Teen And Up Audiences)

AU where Ash and Eiji have their happy ending.

when honey spills and apple swells by ADreamingSongbird

(8345 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash turns twenty-two. No, not like the Taylor Swift song. No! Not like—will you stop singing, Eiji!

(Ash and Eiji move back to New York. Eiji decides Ash deserves to have the best birthday he's had in a long time. Mild shenanigans ensue.)

won't even wish for snow by ADreamingSongbird

(2,121 words | General Audiences | Completed)

It's the stupidest hat Ash has ever seen. Who would even buy something that tacky? It's ugly and ridiculous and so, so dumb. What a waste of money.

...but Eiji would love it.

God dammit.

gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is a new bird by ADreamingSongbird

(60,824 words | Series - 4 works | General Audiences + Mature)

Three Christmases, and then some.

like ribbons, worn bright on my sleeve by ADreamingSongbird

(3,030 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Eiji is fine.

What happened in America happened, and he's accepted it. It was terrible, but it's over. He's in Japan now, living with Ash, and they're happy. He's fine.

(Until he isn't.)

Wash away the pain by liuniverse

(3,000 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“Hey, love,” Eiji almost whispers, his voice slightly trembling. “Look at me, please.” He wants to make sure that Ash really wants this.

The blond man turns slowly, making eye contact. He is blinking a bit faster than normal.

“If that is what you really want, then I would love to.”

Or, Asheiji exploring their intimacy by taking a bath together.

Hold me close by liuniverse

(1,191 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

And then Eiji pulls his hand away.

Ash feels like his heart was just ripped out of his chest. He lets out an ugly sob, struggling to see in front of him, his eyesight is too blurry.

“Ash, are you—”

“Please touch me!” he cries out.

Or, touch-starved Ash and his thoughts.

Asheiji: Canon timeline 

Ain't it like thunder under earth by Snow_Falls

(11,172 words | Explicit | Completed)

'Alex clarified, when again it seemed like Ash wouldn’t reply. “Whoever goes with the boss has to spend some time fooling around with him.”

“Who is going with Ash?” Eiji had to ask.

There was a significant pause. The boys looked at Eiji and away.'

Fake dating, then real dating, with the mildest of heists thrown in for flavour.

Snapshots by Snow_Falls

(16,277 words | Mature | incomplete as of october '22 but can be read with no problem)

A collection of missing moments between Ash and Eiji.

Let's Pretend by Kamikama

(4,754 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Set during episode 21 of Banana Fish. They need to pay Frog a visit and get the pictures, only Max is not available to go with Ash inside the gay club.

Eiji comes to rescue.

this dream, realized by luftballons99

(4,805 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“It’s just dancing,” Ash whispers, knowing that nothing he does with Eiji could ever be ‘just’ anything. “You’ll be a pro in no time.”

or

Ash teaches Eiji how to dance. Eiji teaches Ash how to hope.

talk so lightly by ADreamingSongbird

(4,200 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash comes home after a long day only to find Eiji missing. The apartment was supposed to be safe! How did they find him, and how did they take him without Ash knowing they were coming? If they've hurt him, there will be hell to pay...

Eiji, meanwhile, has been thoroughly enjoying Mrs. Coleman's macaroni and cheese casserole.

fishbowl by luftballons99

(4,588 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

In which Mrs. Coleman means well, Alex sees God, Sing loses, and the age-old question “What’s with Ash and Eiji?” is answered.

"It’s like watching a goddamn soap opera."

Enough by ginkohs

(1,106 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash only allows himself the smallest scraps of comfort from Eiji. Eiji surprises him by giving him just a little more than he expected.

Skipping Stones by TurnUps

(54,304 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

A collection of oneshots filling in some scenes that probably didn't happen in between episodes/scenes, but that I like to think did because these boys need to talk to each other.

“Didn’t think you had it in you.” Eiji had been expecting to drive in silence. Or maybe he had just hoped they would drive in silence. Ash’s voice made it all too real. A large part of him had wanted to concentrate on what gear to shift to and when the lights would change. That would distract him from the feel of his heart trying to escape from his ribcage and his hands shaking on the steering wheel. “I didn’t think I had it in me either,” Eiji said. His voice shook and he tried to give a shaky laugh to cover it up. Ash was looking at him. He could tell. Those eyes pierced into the side of his head. He swallowed, trying to think of something – anything – to say. The whole city seemed like a big grey blur. He drove where Ash said, but he couldn’t separate roads.

Hangin' Tough by TurnUps

(48,533 words | Mature | Completed)

A series of oneshots set in the 80s during that one Summer where Eiji is telling Ash he's going to go home soon and yet not leaving. (Episode 11-12) Also mostly set at 3 a.m, so late nights and early mornings. (Slow dancing in the kitchen in socks at 3 a.m) *** A loud noise woke Ash. He immediately thought ‘gunshot’. Eiji. Someone had shot Eiji. Then his mind recognised the sound as a crash. Intruder. Someone had broken in. He swung out of bed, pulling his gun out from under his pillow, pulling the door to the rest of the apartment open - To find Eiji standing in the kitchen, staring back at him wide-eyed. He had turned on the light over the hob and it bathed him in yellow light. Ash's Walkman was skewed over messy hair and an 'I love New York T-shirt' covered him like a tent. Ash's stomach flipped, despite the fact that he was aiming a gun at this boy. Adorable, really, he looked adorable. But that was something wouldn't appreciate hearing.

the half life of what we become by amaiyo

(14,055 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash just wanted Eiji Okumura’s attention.

He couldn’t justify it, couldn’t unravel the logic of why he always craved the older boy’s dark eyes on him. Ash had spent most of his life being the centre of the show; the disgusting old men in Golzine’s club, the patchwork of gang members who followed his every move like he was a messiah. Even simple passerby seemed to watch him like they were cataloging something glamorous, something other worldly.

He always hated the attention he drew, and yet—he would do anything for Eiji to look at him, to focus on him, to stay with him just a little bit longer.

[Ash's need and Eiji's unconditional love, in four snapshots.]

knight in shining armor by aalphard

(2,293 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“Come on, Eiji,” he whispers. “Let go of me now.”

“Dangerous,” is what he says back.

For a few seconds, Ash tenses up. Every fiber in his being is screaming at him, urging him to run, run away, hide, take Eiji with you and hide, hide, hide, as his eyes desperately scan the room searching for something that could be used as a weapon against whoever it is that’s hiding here. But when Eiji sighs, nuzzling him again, his muscles start to relax on their own, although Ash is still very much concerned about potential danger now. When Eiji starts to babble about the princess dragon in the tower and something about the sword of swords, Ash almost screams.

So that is why he was mumbling about danger. He’s dreaming.

Angry, Drunk And Sad by Anonymous_Cupcake

(2,144 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Eiji gets drunk and reveals feelings he's kept bottled up. ---- "Well, you know what?!" He screams, the others flinching at the sudden change in voice and tone. He continues his drunken ramble, because like it or not, people are listening . "Eiji CAN be in a bad mood. And right now... Eiji in a bad mood."

The tears return as the truth finally makes it out. His mind finally recognizes the danger of being this vulnerable. They're gonna tell Ash, they're gonna make him go home, he doesn't want to go home—

"What the hell is going on here?"

Ah, speak of the devil and he will appear.

you make the winter feel warmer by ADreamingSongbird

(7,120 words | General Audiences | Completed)

"Let's take a walk," Eiji said, already pulling on his coat. He didn't need to use those big soft eyes to convince Ash, but he did anyway, turning to look at him with hope shining in his face. "I want to see the lights for Christmas! Please, Ash?"

And who is Ash to tell him no, some kind of monster?

Pain Management by Wings_and_Feet

(8,007 words | Mature | Completed)

The only thing worse than a stab wound, is an infected stab wound.

And the only thing worse than an injured wildcat is an injured wildcat that is still grieving his best friend's death.

Add in the sure knowledge that Eiji saw him at his most feral and now knows yet another of his shameful weaknesses...

Well, so far no one has gotten shot. Yet.

But Eiji is stubborn, and Ash's guys really deserve more credit.

Or

Golzine uses drugs to control the kids in his club. The aftermath.

five more minutes by fioletovazirka

(8,185 words | General Audiences | Completed)

It’s hard to believe that people call Ash an angel when he has one of his own waiting for him back home.

Little Pieces by Wings_and_Feet

(12,597 words | Mature | Completed)

Not everything that happens makes it to the retelling. And some secrets are best kept for everyone's safety.

Which is why after everything that happened, Ash and Eiji never mentioned running into Shorter's old girlfriend in LA. Not when Shorter died. Certainly not when she shows up back in New York carrying a little piece of their lost friend.

What started as a need to save the child of the friend he couldn't save becomes a story of endings and new beginnings and maybe, finally, the family that Ash deserves.

Ready or Not by Wings_and_Feet

(5,102 words | Mature | Completed)

Ash loves the way he feels in Eiji's arms, safe and protected. Loved.

He would die for this feeling, even if he doesn't quite know what to do with it yet.

But what if Eiji wants more than a cuddle? Most people do. He can do this. He can do anything for the man he loves.

He can't do this. Oh God.

I'm Ready by Wings_and_Feet

(9,196 words | Mature | Completed)

Eiji told Ash "When you're ready or not at all." And he meant it.

That doesn't mean waiting is easy.

How do you know if you're really ready? How do you know if your partner is? How do you quell your worries when the first time was such an unmitigated disaster?

Told from Eiji's point of view, this takes place six or so months later. When Ash is finally ready to try again. Sex on his own terms.

if i could fly by ADreamingSongbird

(5,320 words | General Audiences | Completed)

The night after cornering Blanca and Yut-Lung's men in the Natural History Museum, Ash can't sleep.

Secret Things by Shapeshifter99

(1,706 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Eiji Okumura knew many things about Ash that no one else did.

In His Eyes by peachcitt

(2,684 words | Not Rated | Completed)

“This is how you see me?”

“Yes.” Pause. And then: “This is how you deserve to be seen.”

or: eiji uses up expensive photo paper while ash gets a little more comfortable with touch

all creatures wild and tame by Quintessence

(5,775 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

"But even amid the haze of relaxation and warmth, one thought comes through with uncomfortable clarity.  How much longer is Eiji going to keep this up?  How much longer will he treat Ash with affection and kindness before his patience finally runs out and his touch turns cruel and demanding?  Ash knows violence, so intimately that he can rarely be bothered to mourn for his own suffering anymore.  But when it’s Eiji, when he imagines Eiji’s hands as the ones bruising him, something deep within him cries out in protest.  It’s only a matter of time before the inevitable--Ash knows this--but he wishes it weren’t.  He wishes he could live in this bliss, this gentleness, forever.  He wishes that, just this once, there could be a different ending to this story.

But there never is.  Ash would stake his life on it."

Ash knows touch well. Too well. But then he meets Eiji, and suddenly something about it is different than before.

golden hour by ADreamingSongbird

(5,502 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash turns eighteen on a warm late-summer's day. Amid all the plotting and running and guns and death, Eiji decides the birthday boy just needs a day in the sun to unwind.

Asheiji: AU

like a light i'm luring you by kybelles

(33,109 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

One night, world famous musician Ash Lynx drunk tweets about a cute boy he saw in a magazine and all hell breaks loose.

“Oh my God, just show me!” Eiji yells nervously.

Yut-Lung presses his lips tightly, turning his phone screen for Eiji to see. Eiji tenses when he sees the photos from his photoshoot on Twitter, but it’s nothing compared to the way his body freezes when he notices the person who tweeted them.

Ash Lynx ✓ @ash-lynx

who are you where do you live how old are you why are you so fine how do you like your eggs in the morning

[IMAGE] [IMAGE]

73.231 Retweets 101.762 Likes

Eiji stares, and stares, and stares while his brain processes the fact that Ash Lynx, the Ash Lynx –famous musician whose entire discography is on Eiji’s Spotify list— has tweeted about him and called him fine.

A long moment later, Eiji’s mouth falls open and a scream rips from his throat.

Color my Skin by SuperChorifly

(68,553 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Okumura Eiji, his mother decided, would be greatly loved throughout his life. Time seemed to prove her right, since as he grew up; Eiji would grow colorful rings on his wrists as if he was collecting them.

Aslan’s father had once told him -a cheap beer bottle in hand and eyes trained on the TV- that he didn't come into this world to be loved.

Or: Soulmate AU where the first time you and your soulmate touch, a colored line shows up in your skin

satin birds by kybelles

(48,619 | Mature | Completed)

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Mr. James R. Callenreese and Ms. Hideko Aoki are very delighted to announce the engagement between Mr. Callenreese's son and sole heir to Callenreese Corporotions Mr. Aslan J. Callenreese and Ms. Aoki's beloved nephew Mr. Eiji Okumura. The happy couple haven't decided on a wedding date yet.

(Except, Ash and Eiji are not happy at all because they don't want this marriage.)

the branches we bind by ADreamingSongbird

(7,145 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have miles to go before I sleep.

Or: The Darkness returns, and Ash Lynx would do anything to protect his love.

Yut Lung redemption

Half a Letter by Hamliet

(28,594 words | Mature | Completed)

The letter Ash got in the library was not Eiji's letter, but rather a letter about Eiji. With Eiji and Sing in danger, Ash tries to team up with Yut-Lung and a reluctant but guilt-ridden Blanca to save them.

Stray Phoenix by Hamliet

(64,924 words | Mature | Completed)

Yut Lung grew up as a pawn in the Lee family. Determined to topple his brothers and grasp a new role for himself, he is accustomed to playing every person he knows. When he is warned about Golzine's intentions to inject Shorter with Banana Fish, he chooses to free Shorter instead, and then finds himself in a new game, one he may not know the rules to.

it's my fault (i know i'm selfish) by Livesinbooks

(18,251 words | Mature | Completed)

“It seems that our guest of honour is late.”

For a moment, Yut-Lung is incredibly disoriented, and he has to blink a few times, head still ringing with Ash’s screams. He’s at the dinner table for Golzine’s little dinner party. There’s the table, Ibe across from him, Lobo across from Arthur. The ugly green curtains and the red carpet. The door opens and Ash enters the room, looking cleaned up, calm and collected, nothing like his appearance just moments ago. What’s going on?

[ashandeiji]

if ash and eiji ever got married, ash would wear his ring on a chain around his neck. well, majority of the time, anyway.

ash has said before he thinks his hands are “dirty”; unclean because of the unknown and copious amounts of spilled blood on them. he’s also always using them, and very often for dirty work. he wouldn’t want to tarnish the symbol of one of the only pure and true things in his life: his love for, and relationship with, eiji.

it also comforts ash to know he can tuck the chain into his shirt and have his ring hidden under the fabric. it won’t get lost; no one can see it; no one can take it. it’s for him to know he has; for eiji to feel the imprint of it under the cotton with a gentle caress. it’s grounding for ash to feel the cold metal brushing against his chest as he moves.

sometimes, ash will wear his ring on its rightful finger. when he goes to bed- eiji sleeping next to him- he’ll slip it onto his left hand. when they go visit eiji’s family in japan, he wears it out all day. when he and eiji go on dates, they sport their matching jewelry.

ash loves his husband deeply and it means a lot to him that he has a physical reminder of their love when the man himself isn’t there.

[cosmicjoke]

Further commentary on the ending of Banana Fish (Spoilers):

Look, I understand the controversy and upset surrounding the ending of Banana Fish.  My last post on this topic seems to have pissed some people off, which was never my intention.  But I think maybe I could have worded things a bit better, so I’m going to try again to explain why I feel like the ending of Banana Fish was so perfect.

It’s not a happy ending, and I don’t think anyone, anywhere, will try to tell you that the ending was meant to make anyone happy, or satisfied.  That’s the point.  It’s not MEANT to please the reader.  It’s meant to remain true to its narrative realism.  And in that realism, it’s meant to break the readers heart.  And boy does it do both.

I don’t think anyone would tell you, anyone with any ounce of feeling in their heart, anyway, that Ash didn’t deserve a happy ending, or that he deserved to die after all the awful shit he went through.  I think we can all agree that we would have wanted, if we had a choice, to see Ash have a happy, hopeful ending with Eiji in Japan.  We all agree that Ash DESERVED a happy ending, because he was a good person who was dealt about the shittiest hand in life a person can have.  And despite all that shit, he retained that innate goodness of heart that made him who he was.  He never became a monster, like the people who used him up and abused him over and over again.  That’s what makes him such an extraordinary character that’s deeply loved by so many people. He absolutely deserved to be happy.

But that’s the thing. Banana Fish is a story that deals in reality.  Everything that happens in the story, despite the often extraordinary, larger than life circumstances, is dealt with in a way that is, very often, brutally, painfully honest and realistic.  It doesn’t give us what should be, it gives us what IS.  And that makes perfect sense in accordance with its relation to writers like Hemingway and Salinger.  They wrote stories that dealt in brutal honesty and reality too, and both writers are referenced throughout Banana Fish.  And it’s Banana Fish’s commitment to that brutal honesty and reality that makes it an authentic piece of art.  People want a fairy tale ending, where Ash gets to ride off into the sunset with Eiji and live happily ever after, but at no point in Banana Fish are we given any indication that the story is, at any point, going to delve into the realm of unreality and fantasy, and give us such an ending.  To do so would have been a betrayal of the genuine nature of the narrative. It would have ultimately robbed it of its authenticity as a piece of art, and the story, as a result, would have been left hollow and lacking.  

Banana Fish, throughout its narrative, shows us that terrible things happen to good people, and that good people are often forced into doing terrible things.  It never shy’s away from that cruel, heartbreaking reality, and the ending is no exception.  

It affects us so deeply, and leaves us so upset, because it’s so REAL.  It feels genuine to us, it feels real, because it refuses to betray its honesty for the sake of a happy fantasy.  It remains loyal to the harsh truth of reality, and the harsh truth of Ash’s reality in particular.  Ash is a deeply damaged, broken person, who’s experiences in life are the very definition of cruelty.  Here is a boy who, since the age of seven, has experienced sexual, mental, emotional and physical abuse repeatedly and on a scale truly unfathomable to almost all of us. A boy who was forced into a life of prostitution in order to simply survive on the harsh streets of an unforgiving city.  A boy who, again out of a necessity for survival, has had to kill other human beings. A boy who, out of a desperate situation in which he was forced to choose either to save his soulmate or watch him be murdered by his best friend gone berserk in a mad, drug induced insanity, had to kill his best friend by shooting him straight through the heart.  A boy who, each time in his life that he’s tried to build real and meaningful relationships with other people, Griffin, the girl he liked when he was 14, Skip, Shorter, Eiji, he’s had to watch those people he allowed himself to grow close to either die or almost die, over and over again.  All of that combined creates a level of trauma that’s so far beyond the normal scope or understanding of a regular human being, so far beyond any discernable mechanism for coping with trauma, that to expect Ash to just get over it, for it all to magically be okay just because he moves to Japan with Eiji, is the height of unrealistic, and, again, would be a betrayal of the authenticity the story marries itself to from start to finish.  

Ash’s death is a tragedy, as his life was a tragedy, and the story is a reflection of that.  It stays true to that narrative, and never compromises on it.  That’s the point.  Life doesn’t always have a happy ending.  People that have suffered severe, irreversible trauma don’t always recover, and can’t always heal from it.  People who have suffered in the obscene and brutal ways that Ash has aren’t always going to be alright.  Sometimes it’s just too much.  For Ash, it was just too much.  Too much damage.  Too much heartache.  Too much pain.  Too much loss.  Sometimes we can’t overcome our damage, and that reality presented in this story scares people, I think, because it’s so nakedly honest and unapologetically expressed.

The ending is so god awful painful too because we see, in that moment after Ash reads Eiji’s letter, hope bloom inside him.  For an instant, this belief that maybe he can have a happy ending, when he thinks he’ll catch Eiji at the airport, and maybe go with him.  And in the next instant, he’s mercilessly reminded of that hope’s falsity. Hope springs eternal, but not always true.  Hope and happiness were never meant for Ash.  The chance for that was taken from him before he could even understand what those concepts were.  The thematic arc of the story was telling us from the start that it was going to end in tragedy.

People weren’t meant to LIKE this ending.  It wasn’t meant to make them feel good, or okay with what happened, or fulfilled.  In fact, I’d say, it’s meant to make you feel completely devastated.  As the story reflects reality, so often too does real life end in a way that leaves us feeling lost and confused and heartbroken.  Banana Fish is so good because it stays true to that sense of reality, right until the very end.

The ending doesn’t leave us feeling happy, but it sure does leave us FEELING.  Like any real piece of art would.  The emotions it conjures are immense and, for some I guess, too real. That sense of loss and hopelessness and pain it leaves us with is so effective because, again, it’s so honest. And I guess that because those emotions are so real, and felt so deeply, and with such intensity, it leaves some readers and viewers feeling angry.  Lashing out at a reality which they don’t want to accept.  The irony, of course, is that their hatred and rejection of the ending is testament to just how deeply the ending touched them.  It didn’t leave them feeling nothing, it left them feeling too much, and they then go into a state of denial, which is really just a stage of grief.  A refusal to accept.  You know Banana Fish is a true piece of art for that, in how it conjures sincere feelings of grief and mourning in us for its lead character in Ash.  We CARE about him, deeply.  We want him to be alright, because we love him.

But real art isn’t concerned with placation.  It’s concerned with truth.  So many great pieces of literature have unhappy endings, because that’s the truth of the human condition, and the condition of life in general.  Real art won’t shy away from those painful, awful truths, nor is it afraid to conjure the feelings which go hand in hand with those truths in its audience.  

With all that said, the tragedy of the ending doesn’t demand a feeling of meaninglessness or desolation at all.

Eiji’s love for Ash and Ash’s love for Eiji is still so pivotal and, ultimately, essential in how the story ends.  It’s what allows, maybe not a feeling of hope, but a feeling of peace.

You sense throughout the story that Ash knows he’s going to die.  Like he senses that his life is too fucked up, that he’s been through and had to do too many horrible things for it to last very long.  It’s like the saying of he who burns brightest burns twice as fast.  Ash is burning, and he knows it.  He’s already accepted it as an inevitable conclusion.  He doesn’t actively seek death, but he doesn’t fear, nor fight against it.  At points throughout the story, even, he asks for it, when the horror of what’s happening to him becomes too much.  He knows death is coming for him.  The only thing keeping him from giving in so easily I think is his lack of agency in how he will.  Everything has been taken from Ash, and he doesn’t want to give this last thing away. This choice in how he dies.

Eiji’s love is what finally gives him agency in that decision.

Ash died knowing Eiji loved him, and that knowledge, that certainty that he was loved, genuinely loved by another human being, without any strings or conditions attached, simply loved for himself alone, is what allowed Ash to finally find the peace in death which alluded him in life.  He no longer feels like he has to keep fighting, or struggling on through an endless malaise of misery and pain, because he’s finally found the calm and acceptance which comes with knowing he has this one, pure thing for himself, which nobody, none of his abusers, can ever touch or take away.  With everything else that’s been stolen from Ash, his innocence, his sense of agency, his own body, his own mind, Eiji’s love for him is the one thing nobody could ever steal away.  And that’s, I think, why Ash dies smiling, because it’s that knowledge, that he was worthy of another human being’s true love, that at last shows him that he was a human being himself.  Not an animal.  Not a monster.  He was a human being worthy of love.

Ash’s death is heartbreaking, and brutal, but there’s deep consolation to be had in knowing he spent his final moments with the feeling of Eiji’s love for him alive inside his heart, allowing him at last to feel like a person deserving, worthy of love.

It’s that which allows Ash to finally let go of his struggle, and let’s death’s embrace take hold of him.  It’s his own. Eiji’s love, and his choice to let go of life.

It doesn’t make the ending any less heart wrenching or brutal.  It doesn’t make us any less devastated by Ash’s death.  But it gives us a sense of peace, in knowing, even if we are left feeling lost and heartbroken, Ash himself left life with the fulfillment of knowing he was loved.

[northernscruffycat]

3, 5, 10, 12?

3. characters you would marry in an instant?

Bismuth. If Pearl doesn't marry her, I will.

5. what is your favorite overused trope?

Found family. It's a simple answer, but I just love when a story brings the patchwork quilt of loveable outcasts together into a family.

10. characters that deserved worse? >:]

Another PL answer, but Bronev was a shitty villain who didn't deserve that ending credits montage that tries to retroactively make the audience feel sorry for him.

12. if you could change one ending to a book/show/game/etc, what would you change about it?

I could say the obvious "Aurora doesn't die" for Azran Legacy, but let's go with Banana Fish instead. Banana Fish could've had a heartwarming ending where an abuse victim overcomes everything he's gone through and finds love with a supportive, understanding partner, moving away from the place that harmed him to start a new life in Japan. But instead, Ash dies, Eiji goes home without ever knowing the love of his life died and it sucked. A bad ending that sadly affected by enjoyment of the series as a whole. :(

[incorrectbananafish]

For your Uni AU, do you already have ideas how some of them met?

yes!!! bear with me because the following is going to be a little messy but hopefully it makes some sense lmao you’ll notice a lot of similarities between canon and AU since I just like to do that with my AU timelines~

the earliest connection is Ibe and Eiji. Ibe knew Eiji’s parents and he’s always been an honorary uncle to Eiji. Max and Ibe met during their graduate work in NY at the same university the kiddies attend (obviously wau before the children). Max and Jessica get married in the time that Ibe goes back to Japan. Ibe encourages Eiji to apply at the university in NY when the time comes, especially since Ibe will be going back there as a guest lecturer, as he always has been for the past few years.

on the other side, Shorter has known his adoptive brothers Lao* and Sing for most of his life. he was closer with them when they were younger, but didn’t have much contact while Shorter was in high school because he moved out of their house. he ended up at the same university as Lao coincidentally. in Shorter’s 2nd year, Sing had to move in with him. 

now here’s the bridge that closes the gap: Ash meets Max by chance. Max nags him into applying his old university that he still has ties with. though the circumstances are weird, Ash ends up living with Shorter and Sing and they all quickly get along well enough. the main plot takes place during the 2nd semester, wherein Ash, Shorter, Eiji, Yue Lung, Bones, Kong, Alex, and Arthur are all in the same business/economics class. as you can guess, that’s simply a recipe for disaster. 

some smaller relationships: Ash is Skip’s tutor through the university. Yue Lung eventually meets Sing through their group’s nearly-reluctant friendship. 

*I actually didn’t factor Lao into the AU originally alsdkjflsd so his role is still kinda being worked on. 

[peacesmovingcabaret]

fandom meme #25 for 🍌🐟

25.) How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?

Well for starters I’d give that piece of shit Dino a way more satisfying death. I would love to go into detail with how I would have that play out, but I’m pretty sure tumblr would flag my post for inappropriate content. So I’ll leave it to your imagination.

Then I would have Ash and Eiji get married at the library surrounded by their friends with Sing and Max as their best men. (And I don’t know why I imagined Yut-Lung tied to a chair while dressed as a flower girl, but I did. Maybe Sing or Blanca forced him to come, idk). Anyway they tie the knot and recite the most beautiful vows to one another. Then they both move to Japan, and the two live happily ever after with their plethora of adopted children they rescued from trafficking rings (and one is named Shorter).

[stygianicee]

Banana Fish Ending

the ending is just pure hell - regardless of whether you accept it or not. It’s difficult to say how much Ash is really going through or what Ash’s thought process is, since, throughout the show, the whole thing’s in 3rd pov.  However, I do remember in one episode when Ash goes to the gay club with Max and they meet the owner and Ash holds him at gunpoint, we get a glimpse of his thought process then and it’s absolute hell. We get to see Ash remembering what disgusting things were done to him and how photos were taken. “snip, snip, snip” Ash isn’t like Eiji, who’s much more straightforward and easier to predict. Firstly, let’s get one thing out of the way. Even though Ash was stabbed, he didn’t lose enough blood to die, nor was it a vital organ which was hit. If he’d receive medical treatment, he would have survived. Which means that he made a conscious decision to stay in the library, reread Eiji’s letter and bleed out during his final hours. So basically suicide.  I’ve read arguments which state that it’s out of character for Ash, who’s always had a fight in him and he’s said that he never wanted to die, although he didn’t fear death. Ash when talking with Blanca in his last meeting, already made up the meeting to always think about Eiji but never go and meet him. He saw the letter and saw the ticket and ran to catch up with Eiji. When he was stabbed, he cried out Eiji’s name. I guess at that point, he made the decision to protect Eiji. It was never about him dying, it was about him protecting Eiji. He knew that as long as he was alive, he’d be in neverending fights, and he also knew that he could never stay away from Eiji. His life goal of making sure his abuser died was fulfilled and all the loose ends were tied up - with Max, Blanca, Dino, Yut-Lung, Mannerheim, Fox, Griffin, Soo-Ling and most importantly banana fish(with it being destroyed and all). The place where he was abused and how senators were coming in and what they were doing was also known to the world. Ash read the letter and finally found peace and happiness, and felt pure, unconditional love. He was probably in never-ending torture in his head as well. The way he was abused, assaulted,  used, raped and how he had to kill so many people - he always viewed himself as a monster. He was getting through everything with the hope of killing Dino and bringing him down. Once that was done, the full toll of what he had to endure must have started kicking in. Like a dam that had water breaking through, everything must have flooded all at once. It must have been a struggle to bear. We all know Ash acts tough on the outside while he struggles internally. On the other hand, I truly do think if anybody would have helped him through it, Eiji could. If he had gone to him to Japan, they would have had a fresh start and be happy. I’ve heard that in the manga Eiji doesn’t get married out of the love he has for Ash and he possibly has fallen into his depression yet again. Another thing that bothers me is how he thought his actions would protect Eiji instead of harming him. He knew Eiji was depressed before. Did he think his death would leave Eiji unharmed? Or that he would move on and find someone else to love? It’s utterly heartbreaking. Throughout the anime, I hoped Ash would not break, not after all he’d gotten through. When he went to Dino as his slave in exchange for saving Eiji and seeing him breaking down a couple of times(especially the scene when he’s in bed and goes on about how he’s a toilet - god, utterly heartbreaking), I really hoped he would pick himself back up. And he did. Only to break down at the end. When he was so close. I thought at least for Eiji he would have picked himself up and willed himself to get healed so he could go back to Eiji, but I guess everything that’s happened was too much.  I do accept this ending. I do wonder if Ash would’ve known the kind of impact his death had on Eiji, would he have still chosen suicide? 

[din-skywalker]

HEY COULD I HAVE AN AU WHERE ASH IS ABLE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WITH EIJI AND BE THERE FOR HIM AND SEE HIM RECOVER AND GET CONVINCED TO MOVE TO JAPAN WITH HIM AND ACTUALLY GO AND BE OKAY AND MARRY EIJI K THANKS

[melodaia]

So I know Sing ends up marrying Akira and all but I have a counterproposal: Sing x Eiji’s sister

Ash lives and, after spending some time with Eiji and his family in Japan, they move back to NYC. When Eiji’s sister finishes high school, she decides to go study in new york (with a scholarship) and gets introduced to her brother’s friends there. Since Sing is her age and also starting college they hit it off pretty well. On one hand Eiji is okay with it since he trusts Sing but on the other hand he’s like “really? you move all the way from Japan as a barely adult only to start dating a gang boss?” and Ash is looking at him like “uhhh”

[incorrectbananafish]

Hey remember that american soldier/japanese cutie AshEiji AU? It's basically madam butterfly!

you’re talking about this ask right? lol

wait ok at first I didn’t know what Madame Butterfly was but when I was rereading that ask, I was thinking about the play Miss Saigon that I watched a while back. I looked it all up and Miss Saigon is actually based on Madame Butterfly (though based in Vietnam obviously)! :0 

spoilers below!

the basic plot of the play is a solider on duty in Japan marries a geisha, who gets disowned by her family because the solider forbids their visiting. he leaves Japan and the young woman has his child. many people advise her to move on and marry a new man who will properly take care of her and her son, but she’s still in love with the man. eventually the man returns, but with an American wife. the geisha decides to kill herself, but her servant convinces her not to using her son. 

after watching Miss Saigon, my heart held so much anger towards white men LKDFLSKD this was a very common occurrence in so many countries during war and it was full of bullshit. obviously the synposis I provided above isn’t very detailed, but trust me when I say white men have hurt “exotic” women in so many more ways than most could imagine. 

this wouldn’t happen between Ash and Eiji. in the past life au (I just named it that as a placeholder idk), I like to think Ash straight up dipped from the army or came back as promised and they get to live happily. or, sadder but much more probable, Ash dies and Eiji lives on with full belief in Ash’s faithfulness, even though he doesn’t know that Ash died (basically what happened in canon..... fuk)