Work Text:
19. Jacket
Leather Jacket
Eiji walked around the city, he had gotten lost— again—; Ibe was waiting for him at a cafe near the gallery he worked in, but Eiji had ended in a different side of town after a wrong turn. He questioned several people for directions but he managed to only walked in circles.
He sat by the stairs of a restaurant named Chang Dai and balanced his options: he should take a taxi to a safer place— Eiji knew Ibe’s address, however, that would only get him to the started point of his quest on getting lost.
He could ask for the taxi to take him to the gallery where Ibe worked, although he wasn’t confident in his direction-giving-power to be in the right place.
And honestly, he didn’t want to call Ibe just to let him know he was lost after spending a big part of his morning trying to rest the man assured, he would be fine on his own.
“Ugh— this is horrible.” Eiji sighed and complained.
“What’s horrible?” Asked a voice near his right and Eiji took all his will to control the high pitch scream which wanted to come out of his throat. A boy with purple hair and sunglasses was slouching, half kneeling, looking at his with obvious curiosity.
They had seen Eiji for a while now. This poor Bambi eyed boy walking around Chinatown, obviously lost; asking around directions only to be scam by amused gang members who led him into the wrong place. They all had a weird sense of humor.
“I think I’m lost.” You think? Shorter wanted to comment, he acted against it, though.
“Where do you have to go? I can help you.” Shorter recognized the tint of mistrust on the boy’s eyes and couldn’t help to give the boy an imaginary pat on the shoulder with pride. Good for you, Bambi. You can’t trust everybody on the streets.
Walking around aimlessly had taught Eiji this much.
By the hour, Shorter was leading Eiji to a better part of town. How on earth this boy had ended in Chinatown when he was suppose to be on the other side— the nicer side of the city, was beyond him.
With the chilling breeze Eiji shivered and Shorter lent him his jacket.
“Are you sure?” Bambi eyes wondered. “Won’t you get cold?”
“Nah— don’t worry about me! I’m used to the cold.” Eiji was still hesitant but with one bright smile from the other boy, he took the offering item with joy. Being surrounded by smooth warmth and the distinctive smell of shiny leather filled him with gratitude. Although the scent seemed familiar somehow. Eiji couldn’t pinpoint why.
They kept moving for a while. The streets cleared out the sight of him albeit Eiji didn’t notice nor commented on it. But Shorter knew his message was clear.
Do not touch this boy.
With a simple piece of clothing such as his jacket, the warning was clear as day.
This boy was under the protection of Chinatown and no one was to mess up with him.
Shorter led them to a busy avenue where Eiji would be able to catch a taxi and Shorter would tell the driver exactly where the boy needed to be— that’s when Eiji called for the figure coming on the other side of the street.
“Ash!” His accent was heavy by the name of the blond boy but the joy in his voice was palpable.
Ash rushed to his side as his expression turned worried.
“What are you doing here?” Ash sized him up and down, not missing the fact Eiji was wearing one of those jackets and soon found Shorter’s wide grin. He was so gonna get teased about it. “Don’t tell me— you got lost again.”
Eiji pouted then and there without realizing he was melting not one but two hearts at the sight.
“I was going to meet Ibe, but I think someone gave me the wrong direction.” Ash met Shorter’s eyes for the first time and Shorter shrugged, he wasn’t going to be sorry about how stupid his gang could be sometimes.
“I was gonna catch him a taxi.”
“It’s alright, Shorter.” Ash brought Eiji to his side. The other gang leader was witness of the easy familiarity in which Eiji hugged Ash and let himself be embraced. “I’ll take Eiji where he needs to go.”
“Friend of yours?” Eiji asked Ash once in the taxi. Shorter was waving them good-bye.
“Yeah— he’s a friend.”
“Oh—“ Eiji lamented once he was at the cafe Ibe was waiting. “I didn’t give him his jacket.” Ash smirked looking extra pleased.
“It’s ok, Eiji. You can keep it.” The weight of his words set with a soft brush of the fabric. A sweet touch on Eiji’s shoulders.
“He won’t mind?”
“No. We won’t mind.”