Come home to me.

Every day, Eiji tries his best to wait up for Ash. And every day, as the clock ticks over into the early hours of the morning, Eiji wonders if Ash will come back to him.

Eiji wonders why Ash would.

It's not an uncommon thought for him. Why anyone would care. Why anyone would ever want to come home to Eiji, of all people.

He's always known that he was destined to be alone, really, but for some reason he fooled himself into thinking that things would be different with Ash. He knows that Ash tries—he does, and Eiji's never doubted that. But ... Eiji's hard to be with. He's hard to be around, and he's even harder to protect.

And Ash has to protect him a lot.

Ash comes home late.