Chapter Text
when ash was five, he remembers listening to his brother reading him a poem he wrote. it was about love.
it wasn't the first time griffin read him his poems but it was the first time ash payed attention and listened carefully to the words that were slipping through his brother's mouth.
it was at that moment that ash fell for poetry. hard.
after that day, ash would beg griffin if he could read him the same one, every night before going to sleep. griffin didn't seem to mind. ash looked like he enjoyed the way his older brother pronounced difficult and big words or the way he made suspense pauses making ash scream because he wanted to know what was next.
griffin just laughed, ruffled his hair and kept going.
they did that for most of ash's childhood, sometimes griffin would say a different poem to show his younger brother a new perspective about the same thing.
ash listened to all of them but it was the first poem that made him feel, besotted. at least that was the reason he used when asked why he took the page with that poem from griffin's journal and pasted it with glue on his wall.
griffin wrote a lot of love poems. making ash adore those more, it was every day that his brother taught him about that sentiment through pretty words or day to day situations.
ash wasn't going to lie. everything he knew about loving, loving, someone was thanks to griffin. even if he wouldn't admit that now that he was seventeen.
so yeah, thanks to griffin and his tremendous experiences with love ash became himself a poet. more specifically a hopeless romantic of a poet.
even if he wouldn't admit that. not even to griffin.
but it was thanks to his poems he learned about music, he learned to play the guitar, learned how to sing and was now in a band with his best friend shorter and a new guy they met in shorter's sister restaurant, chang dai, his name is alex and was in college.
he would admit that he preferred his poems become song lyrics and silence spaces the melody. ash was completely infatuated in the way the guitar sounded in a mix of chords, he was obsessed with music, he wouldn't lie about that.
music was his true passion.
and poetry, but music was an umbrella so he didn't worry about it.
______
"yo! ash!"
ash looked behind. there was shorter running towards him, with his bass in hand, ash shaked his head. the dumbass hasn't bought a thing to hold the instrument.
"hey, shorter."
they started walking together to school. it was late, their first class was probably already starting but both of them didn't really care.
"i found a new way to play that song you wanted. the bass sounds a lot better, so don't think about leaving me behind with your loud-ass guitar!" ash barked a laugh.
"loud-ass? please, it's pure passion in my veins, baby." ash winked at shorter but he just rolled his eyes.
ash didn't knew that tho, shorter always wore his sunglasses but he could bet he did since he always do that when ash calls him a pet name.
or when ash was saying straight up bullshit but they wouldn't get into that now.
"so what? you told alex about it? you know he would have to change the drum beat too right?"
shorter just grumbled. now ash rolled his eyes.
"moroon."
"hey! at least i am trying to make this work while you're just making lovey-dovey eyes to okumura."
ash stopped his steps and looked at shorter, indignant.
"what? don't even try to tell me it's not true. i saw you yesterday almost DROOLING when eiji smiled to his girlfriend."
ash felt a pinch in his heart. that hurted.
shorter sighed looking at the floor. as if he would find the right words there. "look, ash. that was a dick move, sorry."
ash just shaked his head. trying to collect his thoughts and not let them fall like waterfall through his mouth.
"it's fine. i mean, it's not something new."
"tell me about it, that akira girl? his girlfriend? man isn't she obnoxious as hell, damn, don't know how eiji can stay so calm when she's literally annoying him all the time."
ash rolled his eyes but agreed. akira ibe was, truly something else.
not the, something else cool, more like something else you-just-want-to-forget-for-how-annoying-is.
"yeah, eiji must be sleeping after school, there's no way he can spend a whole day going through that." ash mumbled. shorter laughed out loud.
"that's fantastic. god-" and kept laughing. "you know-, you know, you could be good for eiji, man, just need to grow some balls."
at that ash hit him in the shoulder. he had balls thank you very much.
"aye! take those claws away from me, geez. you really can't control yourself if it's about eiji huh? have you at least talked to the guy?"
ash thought about it for a second.
"well, he did knew my name was aslan when i, accidentally stumbled near him and dropped my notebook."
shorter looked at him in shock before grinning so hard and shaking ash's shoulders.
"dude! you talked to him! when did it happen? why didn't you tell me about it?"
"it was just yesterday but super fast. like my notebook fell and he looked at me and said 'oh, sorry aslan' i was honestly ready to respond you know? like i was dreaming about the moment i could talk to him for the first time. and right when i was about to pull prince charming, fuc-, akira, arrived and took eiji's arm like if he was a doll and fucking left! like, what the hell?"
ash was kinda angry right now remembering yesterday. it was so so so perfect. ash felt like in one of those rom-com movies he saw with shorter or griffin. when the girl gets her chance to prove the guy who she is but then the fucking evil comes and ruins everything.
ash was angry. full anger, he wanted to scream or just take out his journal and start writing fuck fuck fuck in a complete page.
he has done it before, it's therapeutic and nice.
"hold, on, hold on, hold on, calm down. you know how akira is, well i don't think you know but you have seen how she acts, right?" ash nodded. shorter continued. "i think it's so cool eiji knows your name, even if i could've told him if you let me-"
"no. i told you before i don't want help in this. i don't want to seem as a coward who can't talk for himself."
shorter looked at him expectantly but ended up nodding. "alright. so what's your next move, romeo?"
"first of all. i'm not romeo."
both of them finally arrived to school. the halls were silent letting them now everyone should be at class now. ash took his things from his locker fast and left his journal and guitar there. some kids were not cool about ash's tastes.
not like ash gave a fuck. he could cold cock them right there but he already had too many detentions last year about fights.
this year eiji okumura arrived. this year ash fell hard for him and now didn't want him to know him as a troublemaker.
more like, his true love.
"did you really just said you wanted eiji not to know you as a troublemaker but as his true love?"
fuck. he said it out loud. thankfully they were the only one's running late.
ash just closed his locker suddenly with books in his arms, trying to give shorter a confident look.
"and what about it?" responded ash nervously.
shorter just sniggered.
"nothing, nothing. what was second of all?" asked shorter amused.
starting to walk towards their classroom, ash smiled devilish.
"you'll see."
______
ash actually didn't have a second of all. he just didn't like the nickname because he knew romeo fucking died.
ash didn't want to fucking die. at least not yet. not now that eiji knew his name was aslan.
that was a sign of the gods. the universe, encouraging him to just grow some balls and talk to the boy of his dreams.
shorter would laugh at him when he found out ash didn't do anything in his power to get near to eiji. not like he didn't at least try.
there just was a problem that started with 'a' and finished with 'kira'.
it was break time, and ash knew shorter liked going to chang dai to eat. maybe the food was better or simply because he didn't have to pay. besides the restaurant is very close to the school so it was fine.
ash, most of the times joined shorter but there were other times where he would rather look at eiji during break, it was definitely creepy and not cool at all but he couldn't help it! eiji just looked so good today. wearing those blues jeans that made ash go crazy and a nice pastel pink shirt.
it was at the moment ash saw eiji with a clothing color pink that ash knew he was a god damn goner.
he didn't notice, while he was looking at eiji laugh about something a kid ash knew was named sing, that someone sit right by ash side, making him jump.
"jesus fu-!"
"i guess you get scared easily. my bad…actually no, it's your fault for drooling and not seeing your surroundings."
ash looked surprised at the guy. he thinks he have seen him before, and it clicks the moment the guy takes of his sunglasses.
yut lung lee. eiji's best friend. why was yut lung lee, eiji's best friend here? with him?
ash tried to ask but asked the most important question before.
"why are you wearing a hat, and sunglasses?"
yut lung scoffed at that and a gave a strange look at ash.
"none of your damn business."
ash just raised his eyebrows and ate another chip.
"alright. what are you doing here?"
yut lung looked at their surroundings. extra, ash thought. and then he got near his ear.
"i have a plan, and i need your help."
now ash looked at him in pure confusion because why in the world would yut fucking lung lee need him? ash's help?
yut lung seemed like he noticed ash's thoughts and looked at the front. his gaze pierced in what seemed the table where eiji, akira, sing and other members of the pole vault team were.
"you know who frederick arthur is?"
ash nodded. like hell he knew who arthur was.
"and i guess you must know who our dear akira ibe is right?" yut lung looked funny at ash, like if he knew the reason why ash flinched quietly at the name.
"yes, why?"
"well. look at this."
yut lung showed ash from his phone that was in his lap a picture. ash had to squint his eyes because of course he forgot his glasses today.
"god, you're such an old man." yut lung cringed and put the phone closer to ash.
now ash understood and felt disgust rise.
it was a picture of akira kissing someone.
someone that didn't seem like cute and angelic eiji.
someone more like…
"arthur." ash hissed and yut lung nodded putting his phone back in his pocket.
"don't tell anyone, your hear me?"
ash didn't payed attention at that. "when did it happened?"
"these is from last thursday, i have seen them together before, like ever since school started, but now i have proof."
so akira had been cheating on eiji for, a month.
ash felt completely sick.
what the fuck. what the actual fuck.
why did fucking akira ibe thought cheating on eiji was a good idea? why did she even think about it? why is she still doing it?
"what, what is gonna happen? how did you found out?" ash was completely shocked
of course, a part of him wanted to celebrate because there was a very slim chance of eiji noticing him.
but not like this. ash definitely didn't want eiji to be hurted like this.
what the fuck was akira even thinking?
"i was leaving my house when i saw them. akira leaves near me and they weren't even subtle, making out outside of her house like if they were in a cheap motel." yut lung groaned. "disgusting."
"and you haven't told eiji?"
ash could see yut gulp.
"no."
"fucking hell." murmured ash.
he looked at eiji who was looking at akira so adorably, in that moment ash knew that if yut lung didn't told him what was going on he would think that akira was making eiji happy and that would be enough to ash.
but not anymore, god. ash wanted to tear akira apart from eiji's arm and never let her near him again.
"i thought of a plan. and you can help."
ash glared at him, how in the world would ash help yut lung with this conspiracy?
"what do you want me to do?"
"details later, just answer. are you in or not?"
ash actually thought about it.
he definitely wanted eiji to be happy. but yut lung could be shady and ash didn't knew how everything would end up.
but one thing was for sure. akira cheating on eiji wasn't cool. not fucking cool at all. besides maybe eiji would finally look at him.
so ash smiled at yut lung who smiled back.
looks like ash did have a second of all.
"im in."
______
yut lung should give himself a gold medal for putting up with everything he had to deal for eiji okumura.
he wouldn't lie, he had his suspicious the moment eiji introduced akira to him.
it was on the first week on school after summer finished. eiji was the new kid and from the second he arrived to that high school that particularly, everyone, was head over heels for the guy.
yut lung wouldn't blame them. eiji okumura is cute as fuck.
he decided he would be friends with him. it wasn't really hard and yut lung was taken aback the moment eiji started talking to him like if they have been friends forever.
yut lung was even more surprised because he didn't mind being with eiji. it was really nice to have someone to talk to. after the last period on the first day, both of them decided to become best friends.
and after that, it was so amazing, god, yut lung adored having someone who didn't care about what was told about him, eiji was a really fucking nice guy, that's why yut lung was in shocked the moment he was introduced to someone like akira ibe.
yut lung believe in the idea that eiji could do so much better. he deserved so much better.
apparently, eiji and akira went way back. they knew each other when akira's uncle, shunichi ibe, another really sweet guy, had his gallery and a picture of eiji pole vaulting was there. then ibe introduced them and they became friends.
yut lung have never seen that picture for many times he has asked eiji to show him, but beggars can't be choosers so he had to deal with it.
after eiji and his family moved to new york because his mother had a job opportunity, he stopped talking to akira. that was in june but then a month later shunichi arrived too since he always had work there. this time he took akira with him, looks like she was gonna stay there for her last year of high school.
it was apparently on that summer that eiji and akira started dating.
everything sounded completely romantic the way eiji told yut lung. he could bet that akira was the luckiest girl for having such a gentleman of a boyfriend.
even yut lung thought that akira would also be truly nice when he meet her for how eiji talked about her.
he didn't expected for akira to roll her eyes, mumble a vague 'nice to meet you too' and ask eiji if they could leave because she was hungry.
trash. absolute trash.
he wasn't surprised at all the moment he saw akira with arthur. his expectations for her were low but fuck, he didn't thought it was going to be that low.
he tried to talk to eiji about it, but every time he was about to show the picture akira would arrive and take eiji wherever she wanted.
seemed like akira had an idea of what was going on so yut lung thought about a plan to show eiji who he's girlfriend was.
it wasn't a crazy plan or anything, but he did need someone. yut lung didn't want to admit that, he really didn't wanted to but oh well.
the things he did for his best friend's happiness.
that's why he was in front of chang dai. a restaurant he has seen before but have never entered a look how's inside.
aslan 'ash' callenreese told him they could meet there after school so that yut lung could explain everything. it was a good idea since akira was a complete lunatic and could perceive the people that was bad talking about her.
or that's what she told him when she saw him talk to ash, yut lung was shocked thinking he could be under the radar with his sunglasses and hat.
looks like no.
"yut lung!"
looking at a corner of the place was ash waving like an idiot at him. yut lung sighed and walked there to sit right in front of him.
"well, what are we going to do?"
yut lung opened his mouth to start explaining when he heard a loud screech and a glass fell.
"what the fuck shorter?"
"what the fuck ash?"
both guys looked at each other seemed like they were having a telepathic conversation. yut lung coughed and gave a glance to both.
"why is yut lung here, with you, in my restaurant?"
"this is not your restaurant." said another voice, yut lung looked behind and there was a girl looking at shorter with a raised eyebrow.
shorter just smiled.
"heh, sorry nadia."
"if you're gonna work, work. or sit there and have no pay." nadia left and ash laughed making shorter hit him in the neck.
"hey!"
"are we gonna talk about it or i'm leaving." yut lung declared looking at both dumbasses.
is he really asking them for help for god's sake.
"what, what are you talking about?" asked shorter sounding worried.
"uh, can i tell him?" asked ash lamely. yut lung rolled his eyes and nod. the more the better if he was honest.
after ash told a very in shock shorter everything, he rushed to the kitchen and came without his working attire.
looks like he decided to stay and not get paid. yut lung smirked at that.
"hey man, if there's something i can help so that eiji can leave that bitch i'm in." shorter said seeing yut lung's face.
"that's fine. now let me talk." he didn't want to waste any more time.
"i tried showing eiji the picture since i had it. every damn time, that bitch stopped me and took eiji with her so the first step is: separate them. it sounds a lot easier but believe me, that girl never leave eiji's side just on a small period of time, that's when i saw her with arthur."
"when is that?" asked ash.
yut lung smiled. "pole vault practice. even then sometimes akira is there but she's not there to support eiji."
shorter looked like he knew where he was going. "she's there for arthur."
"bingo. eiji gets tired after practice and usually doesn't see akira till the next day. after that he goes home, does whatever the hell he does and that's when i need you. the fact that shorter and you are together in a band works."
"you know about our band?!" shorter exclaimed cheerful and yut lung nodded.
"have never seen you play live but heard you guys were good."
both ash and shorter seemed proud about that.
"doesn't mean it's true, i have to see it for myself… when is your next gig?"
"friday, here, at seven." ash informed.
yut lung nod. that was in four days, soon, but perfect. he couldn't wait any longer.
"alright. let's talk about eiji. " both boys nodded. ash seemed shinier about it. "eiji is a, how can i say this…when he likes someone, he commits. he isn't one to play with someone's feelings and i'm sorry, ash, but it's a fact he really likes akira. can't say love but he will definitely be heart broken, hard, when he finds out."
ash's happiness left and he looked down.
"that's why i asked for your help."
"why?"
yut lung smiled shortly. "i can see you be someone good for him."
ash looked at him with wide eyes.
"are you serious?"
"deadass serious. i could have asked to someone else, there's a lot of people attracted to eiji in school you're not the only one. but you are different. i can see that you like him but have never had the guts to say that, this ash, is your chance to do something about it. "
ash looked at shorter in complete shock. shorter was in shock. even yut lung felt shocked because he said that out loud.
"you're definitely not what i expected to be." ash observed.
"don't think this means anything, callenreese. im just doing this for eiji."
ash smiled. "thank you."
"so what are we gonna do then?" shorter insisted.
"ash, tomorrow you will have to talk to eiji. talk. to. him. it's not that hard just go straight to him and say a hi for all i care, just talk, believe me it will flow everything nicely after that."
ash nodded but yut lung could see him get nervous about it. he would be too if this was his crush they were talking about.
"got it. just talk?"
"charm him, talk to him, walk with him to classes, come here with him, i don't know! like i say just start the conversation and do everything you wanted since the beginning."
yut lung could see ash daydream about eiji, he was so loud and looked so smitten, yut lung wanted to fucking throw up.
"what if i, uh, i, uh-"
"kiss him?" shorter suggested.
ash blushed so hard. "fuck! shorter no! what the hell."
"i don't care what you do unless you hurt him. still don't know if he would kiss you back, even if he knew akira is cheating on him he would feel ashamed, he isn't one who just kisses someone just for the sake of it."
"damn, is he really that hard on himself?" shorter asked.
yut lung nodded with a sigh. "sadly. but well. what type of people come to your gigs?"
"what do you mean with type?" shorter raised an eyebrow.
"as in, arthur type or-"
"fuck no, he has never come to see us. thank god we wouldn't even let him." ash responded.
"what happened with you two? i saw you last year fight a lot."
ash took ten seconds to answer. "he wasn't cool with some, things."
yut lung could see it was complicated so he didn't press about it. god knows he would act the same if asked about something personal.
"alright. the plan is you get closer to eiji, tell him about your gig next week, he will, hopefully come and after you guys finish i will show him the picture and if we jinx it, maybe then eiji and akira will break up. yay."
"why should we wait till friday? wouldn't eiji be mad you didn't told him sooner?" shorter asked carefully.
fuck. eiji could get mad.
"hum. i may know eiji well but honestly i don't know exactly how he could react, he may be the sweetest human ever but boy he could be angry."
"i don't know eiji at all but if anything he could be glad you told him, sooner or later." ash said thoughtful.
"that's true. but it's fine, even eiji knows he had been busy with pole vaulting, his dad and helping ibe-san."
"what happened to his dad?"
"who is ibe-san?"
shorter and ash asked at the same time. yut lung wondered if they could actually talk telepathic. it would be cool if he did that with eiji.
"not my places to say. he's akira's uncle and took some pictures of eiji back in japan. he now works for him as an assistant."
"akira's uncle? well, this is definitely gonna be hard." ash muttered.
"it will be fine if it has to be fine. don't think too much or else you won't be able to talk to eiji, understood?"
"huh, yes mom." ash chuckled while yut lung just rolled his eyes.
"and what will i do? i'm not part of the plan!"
"that's because you joined late." yut lung retorted back. "and you will have to put enough of a show for eiji, this would be his first concert after all."
both guys screamed. "WHAT?"
"and mine so you better do something cool."
"WHAT?"
nadia arrived and hit both with a towel in the head.
"you're scaring my clients leave or shut up."
"sorry nadia." they said in unison.
yut lung chuckled. it wasn't that bad to talk to them after all. they seemed chill and random at the same time, he couldn't admit he liked them already.
"that's it. questions?"
"don't you think it's necessary we have the picture to?" shorter wondered.
"god, no. it's safe with me you don't have to worry about that."
"i trust in you with that." ash said pointing at his phone.
"and i trust you that you will treat eiji kindly, amazingly an astonishing alright?"
ash smirked. "i wouldn't want you expect anything less."
yut lung smiled. "good, anything else?"
"if akira is at practice tomorrow how am i going to talk to eiji?" huh, he didn't thought about that.
"i assumed you could find a way. you're ash lynx after all am i right?" yut lung smirked.
ash didn't seem fazed by this, he still looked nervous.
"look, don't you have classes together?"
"math and literature." ash answered fast, too fast. "but akira is in both."
"i can help there." shorter said unusually quiet. "i'm in the same literature class. i can try to talk to akira and let ash talk to eiji."
"do that. sadly im one year behind so i cannot help during classes, but i'm joining you guys to eiji's practice and that way no one would jump to conclusions on why you are there, yes?"
both shorter and ash nodded.
"alright we'll do that." ash said, more like to himself than the other two.
"oh! let's do a groupchat! yut lung pass your number."
yut lung passed his phone to shorter who took it then seconds later yut lung was in 'gonna get you out of there, eiji'. yut lung snorted, hard.
"perfect." then took his bag and left money to pay his water. "i'm leaving, see you tomorrow."
he hears both guys said their goodbyes and left chang dai with a sigh. he hopes he was doing the right thing if not, he didn't know what else to do.
god, eiji, forgive me if i make you feel worse, i just want to help you
he knew ash could do it. the guy must be kind of a coward if talking about eiji but he seemed genuine about his feelings, yut lung noticed a glow in those jade eyes he has never seen on akira's dark eyes when mentioning the name eiji.
besides they had shorter too and yut lung knew he was known for being very down to earth, he just hoped akira would let shorter talk to her without eiji. she was so clingy it was horrendous knowing she was also cheating on him.
but the start of everything was on ash's hands. yut lung prayed so that the guy could grow a pair and talk to eiji. he had to.
yut lung sighed, he couldn't wait for friday to arrive.