@capriciousatropos Hey-yo! This is your Secret Santa! I hope that your new year will be great and wonder-wonderful, and this kid!Shorter would help you with it :) Be cool! Listen good music! Watch good films! And don’t worry, Shorter is proud of you ;)
My gift for @sodayona as part of @bananafishexchange2018! Happy holidays, and please enjoy this little bit of Yut-Lung angst even though it’s maybe not very seasonable.
Btw this was a really fun exchange and I’ve seen so many good fics and pieces of fanart already, good job everyone!!<3
Bonus happy end below:
P.S.: There’s a little snow on that last page because I drew this before the last episode and I assumed that winter had passed at some point a little earlier but…maybe not? Anyway, this is supposed to be like ½-2/3 through the plot but also winter somehow lol.)
Hi @sturanus ! I was your secret santa for the Banana Fish Gift Exchange!
It’s a few days after Christmas, but please enjoy the boys celebrating the holiday, featuring the best wingman and overall best boy, Shorter Wong.
It's just about evening when the others arrive, and Shorter breaks his attention away from the tree for a moment to answer the chiming doorbell. When he opens the door, Eiji greets him first, a small white box in his hands and a smile spreading across his face.
"Merry Christmas!" he says, and Shorter clears out of the way to allow him through the door. Ash follows, holding two containers - one looks like a carton of eggnog and the other-
“Bourbon? What kind of Christmas traditions did you have as a kid?”
“Griffin always used to buy me this stuff when I was a kid - the eggnog, not the whiskey. Just thought that might spice things up.”
“I like the way you think.”
Over his shoulder, Ash flashes a fond smile in Eiji's direction.
"Eiji's been excited to share 'Japanese Christmas' with us all day," he says and Shorter can see Eiji's face immediately light up at the mention.
"Yes!" Eiji exclaims through a bright smile. "I've brought Christmas cake!"
Shorter opens his mouth to ask, but Ash cuts him off with a shrug before he gets the chance.
"Apparently it's a thing."
"Ah, well you're going to get one hell of an American Christmas experience too. Complete with my specialty dim sum. Learned it from Nadia." Shorter gestures towards the kitchen and Ash scrunches his face into a grimace.
"That must be where all the smoke is coming from then," Ash says, and for a minute Shorter almost takes the bait. Ash responds to Shorter's glare with a brief smirk of his own before walking towards the tree to examine it.
"I'll have you know, it's a long standing American tradition to appreciate good Chinese food on Christmas," he gives a pointed look to Eiji as though to solidify his point.
“Usually by people not celebrating Christmas,” Ash’s voice calls out from behind him. Eiji looks confused by this statement, but Shorter’s guiding him away towards the kitchen before he can ask any further questions.
“Don’t listen to him, Eiji. He’s a grinch. Ash, you can put the finishing touches on the tree, there’s only one more decoration. Just check in the box that’s under it.”
Eiji places the cake box down on the table, and his eyes wander back to where Ash is standing, illuminated by lights - both the blinking lights on the tree and the soft paper lanterns hanging along the walls.
“What’s Christmas like in Japan?” Shorter asks, pulling his attention away, just for now.
“Hmmm. Not very exciting unless you have a date,” Eiji admits. “Which I never really did.”
Shorter catches the way Eiji’s eyes flash over to Ash again as he says this and finds himself smiling just for a second before Ash’s voice cuts through the peaceful moment.
“You have to be fucking kidding me.”
Ash is standing by the tree with the open box, a small porcelain angel topper in his hands.
“Saved the best part for you,” Shorter grins at him. “I think she looks even more like you than the card did.”
“What’s the matter, Ash? It’s a very nice decoration,” Eiji says innocently and Ash’s face tinges pink.
“Oooh,” Shorter pauses, enjoying the moment. “Did Ash ever tell you the story about when we first met in-”
“Let’s have a drink,” Ash interrupts.
Shorter considers telling him anyway but then reconsiders - embarrassing Ash will only improve after a few drinks, after all. While Shorter retreats to the kitchen to dish out the food, Ash pours out two glasses of eggnog and walks one over to Eiji. Ash stills before approaching Eiji, who lingers in the living room to watch the lights on the tree. Ash stands just outside of the living room, watching Eiji. Shorter can’t help but think to himself how hopeless the two of them are. Ash takes a few cautious steps forward, maybe thinking that he’ll get Eiji’s attention and bring him back to the kitchen. He pauses at his side and they turn.
Shorter’s grinning in their direction before either one of them knows what’s happening. He makes one brief gesture to the ceiling above them, and Ash looks up, only just barely stifling a humiliated groan.
Ash bristles at the comment and Eiji shoots Ash a puzzled look. God, they’re hopeless.
“I don’t think I understand,” Eiji says uncertainly.
“It means Ash owes you a kiss.”
Ash glares at Shorter once more before turning towards Eiji - he moves, as though he knows there’s no other way Shorter will ever leave it alone (which, of course, he won’t), and leans over to press a chaste kiss against Eiji’s cheek. Except that Eiji turns, just at the same moment, and catches Ash’s kiss against his lips instead. Both startle and step back, a deep red blush overcoming both of their faces. Shorter claps and lets out a whooping cheer in approval.
Finally, he thinks to himself. Or maybe he says it out loud, because both of their blushes deepen into an even darker red.
Okay, so he may have already tapped into the eggnog himself and had a glass or three. It’s the holidays and he’s in the mood to celebrate.
