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Ashton was ******** pissed. He growled to himself as he wiped some blood off of his chin. The guys wasn’t supposed to know that he was coming and he certainly wasn’t suppose to know that Ashton was coming after him. Someone must have told him. He was totally going to rip Rah’s toes off he is snitched on him. He knew the Egyptian was new to this, but that wasn’t an excuse for getting him smacked in the face with a garbage can.

He never knew the weasel had it in him to fight back. Then again, most things will fight for their life when cornered with no way out. Ashton had no idea how he would explain the bleeding fore head. Maybe he would be able to get back and change by the time he got back from class? If not Ashton could always call ahead and say he is working later, then he can clean up a bit.

The b*****d also broke his favorite violin case, he is definitely going to end up in the news with this guy. Ashton might have gone a bit over board with beating this one up. But the pull of his muscles made his jaw clench as he wondered through the narrow alleyways that made up the darker side of Tokyo.

He took his identification card out of case and left the broken violin sitting next to the body. He really didn’t want it anymore. Too many bad feelings were with it now, he didn’t want to only be able to play angry music out of that one, so he might as well leave it for the scavengers.

Now that Ashton was rooting around his bag for pain killer and something to clean his head wound with he noticed that he wasn’t the only one in the back alley. But as he listened it sounded like a tail end of a fight. Goddammit he hoped it wasn’t one of the gangs, he really wasn’t up for another fight or one of their hissy fits.

Ashton just simply pulled a water bottle out and poured it over his head to try to find where he was actually bleeding, since his hair was dyed red with his blood at the moment and he didn’t want to go poking around until he figured out where it was.

But as the person came around the corner, stepping on the guy in the process Ashton thought with a smirk, it was only a girl with a torn shirt covered in blood. Ashton narrowed his eyes.

“None of that is yours is it?” He gestured with his water bottle as he shook his head a bit to spray some of the water off. It seemed it was just the left side that was bleeding.

Ashton nodded and was bending down when he realized the girl wasn’t hurt. She was certainly rambling enough to be perfectly fine, he rummaged around in his pack for one of his extra shirts, he couldn’t let her walk around with her bra showing, no matter how small her boobs where. That was just asking for more trouble.

“They were looking for what was under your clothes. When you dress like that you get the creeps coming after you, they think with their dicks and nothing else.” The pounding in his head was starting to come back and he grabbed the bottle of pain killer and tossed a few in his mouth and swallowed them dry.

He glanced up sharply at mention of getting a shower, his eyes losing some of the steel when he stared at the girl in confusion. He held out the navy blue button up out to her and said, “Put this on first.” Ashton stayed where he was though, he really didn’t get what the girl meant. “Pardon?”

Really. How was Ashton supposed to stay mad at this girl? Was she totally delusional? Would it be a bad thing to laugh at her? Not really at her, but at the things she is saying?

Ashton really didn’t know what she was getting at, so he slowly put the towel to his head, he didn’t want blood to get everywhere again, he didn’t have another shirt he gave the girl his last one and the undershirt he packed was the only thing he had left. His black slacks hid the blood pretty well.

“They wanted to,” Ashton stopped himself and looked at the girl again his visions wasn’t swimming so he wasn’t in danger at all. But maybe there was a reason why she thought they wanted her pants? Was she that sheltered that she didn’t know what rape was? Or even molestation?

Ashton blinked and took off his own button up (he stupidly wore a white one because he thought this would be an easy job) with a bit a maneuvering to keep the towel to his bleeding head. But was finally able to take it off. Now he just had to put his undershirt on, this one was black because he was a lot smarter about backing a clean set of clothes. Blood shows up everywhere.

“They must have wanted them I guess, they didn’t look like the type that would go and buy them in the store anyway.” Ashton rolled his eyes a bit, he couldn’t believe that he was actually doing this. He blinked at the girl, what was she, twelve? She really had no signs of maturity, no lines or curves.

“You look like you have an over large shirt on?” It really has huge, like she was wearing something from her older boyfriend. Ashton blanched at the thought of that. Maybe he could take it back and run away really fast?

Ashton chocked on his lung as tore a bit of the towel and placed it to his head and put a hat on, so he wouldn’t have to hold it there and so he could follow this girl where she wanted to go. Then he would take his shirt and hope that Finnegan isn’t home from work yet. He needed to go cry in the bathroom and put ice on his face before it started to swell.

“We?” Ashton hoped he heard wrong, didn’t she just want to get a change of clothes? They had to go around Tokyo looking like they just had a quicky in the alleyway and he was the awesome boyfriend who let his girlfriend have his shirt? That was not cool with him.

“Wait? Pipe? When did I say I would help?” The hopelessness in his voice might have been detectable as the girl left the alley without him. s**t, he couldn’t let her do something stupid, even if she could take care of herself.

When he jogged up to her ignoring the pounding in his head that was starting to make itself more noticeable he almost reached out and grabbed her before she went into the shop. Ashton didn’t know he was this close to Finnegan’s shop.

s**t. ********. God stinkin’ dammit.

Ashton quickly ran into the store, not letting the door close behind the girl and hid behind some of the shelves right away. Hopefully Finn wouldn’t see him and he could sneak out when the girl was looking around for the bubble pipe that was totally here. Finn brought some home a few weeks ago, one was still sitting on the kitchen counter from where they had a bubble fight.

“Welcome!” Finnegan shouted from the front of the store, eh was stuck behind the counter, which was awesome in Ashton’s opinion, but he would totally come back if they took too long.

“Why are we tracking evil? I thought you wanted to go change your clothes?” Ashton might have hissed it out but he really really didn’t want Finnegan to see him. He would recognize the shirt that the girl was wearing and would jump to conclusions and then there would be no more movie cuddle time. And then Ashton might kill someone. Like himself.

Ashton wanted to say something about their being a difference between caring and action, but he just kept his mouth shut because he didn’t think the girl would really get what he wanted to say. She was one strange little girl.

He knew there was no reason to keep on hiding, the girl was shouting enough to make the people walking by the store turn and look. Finnegan had looked back down at the magazine that he was looking at before they walked in and was glancing back up with a polite smile (Finnegan was really good at those in Ashton’s opinion) which turned into a look of shock when he saw the young girl.

They knew each other?

And then a real smile and laugh burst out of him Ashton tried not to gape. When did Finnegan meet this strange girl? ********, was she the one that beat the crap out of him the other week? Finn still had bruising on his back from where he was pushed against a wall. Ashton still hadn’t found out who did it, but he would make blood fly when he did, none of his contacts were talking and he really hated looking at Finnegan and seeing the fading black eye.

As soon as the thought of the girl being a part of the violence he threw it away, that was stupid, Finnegan might not be the smartest all the time, but he wouldn’t smile that like for someone why made him cry.

“Hey Ciri!” Finnegan grinned and looked a little over whelmed as well, the smile dropped a bit when he noticed Ashton. “I thought you were working Ash?” The question in his voice was there. It seemed like he noticed that she was wearing one of his shirts. ********. s**t. Goddammit.

“You guys are fighting evil?” The jealousy in his tone wasn’t noticeable but it stabbed Ashton in the heart just as well. He really needed to take him out more, there were many places they still haven’t gone yet.

For one scary moment Ashton had the urge to reach out and rip the girls face off. The possessiveness ran so deep so quickly that Ashton had to look away before the horrible face was noticed. Not that he had to worry, Finnegan and Ciri were too busy trying to keep the little girl balanced on the small counter top.

Finnegan blushed scarlet when he basically had to catch Ciri as he jumped over the counter, he looked like he wanted to say something but he smiled soon after. “I work here little when I am not in parks painting pretty people.” To Ashton’s astonishment (but he really shouldn’t be surprised anymore) Finnegan snuggled the girl right back.

Ashton might have went a little pale, he couldn’t compete with a girl after all. He looked up at them just in time to see Finnegan giving him a strange look and place his hands on the girls shoulders instead of on her back. ******** roommates.” Finnegan once more grinned at the girl and gave Ashton a quick glance as to make sure it was true. Ashton might be sick.

“Yeah.” Ashton coughed. “I saved him from wondering around Tokyo with his luggage.” It wasn’t as hard to smile after remember how he got the Irishman to room with him. And right on cue Finnegan laughed and smiled again.

“He basically told me that I should move in with him because he needed a roommate and he was jealous of my shoes.” Finnegan sighed sadly. “But even after the shoes came and gone he won’t kick me out.” He really liked those shoes too. Bright orange doesn’t usually show up on male footwear. Though Ashton had his suspicions that they were in fact girl shoes. Finnegan had tiny feet.

The cheer seemed to go out of Finnegan at once and he tensed up glaring at the counter before looking at Ashton as he walked forward to stand near them. Having a conversation from across the store was a bit odd.

“Someone tried to steal your panties?” Finnegan asked in a way that seemed to hint that he knew just how ridiculous the girl could be at times.

“I found her on the way home from work and couldn’t leave her.” Ashton quickly said in Gaelic Finnegan seemed to blink before he was able to switch brains to understand what he said but he seemed to not be as angry.

“Isn’t that a little dangerous Ciri?” Finnegan asked giving her a squeeze, even if he winced as some of his sore muscles where pulled.

Finnegan flinched a bit when Ciri kissed his cheek but was able to keep his smile in place, and against his better judgment he looked over at his roommate and stopped breathing.

He has never seen that kind of expression on Ashton’s face before.

“Y-yeah,” Finnegan quickly looked away his heart beating so fast Ciri must be able to feel it as it echoed around the shop. “I got it shortly after I moved in with Ash.”

The slip of the nickname seemed to shock Ashton out of whatever came over him, the blond cracked his knuckles and gave a tight smile. He didn’t know what he was about to do, but seeing the girl get so close was something that he didn’t like. Not at all.

Finnegan was his.

“Just make sure that he isn’t really busy when you come over,” Ashton tried not to make his voice dangerous, but he couldn’t help it. If he had hackles they would be standing on edge. The little girl has crossed the line, he just needed to get them out so he could get this stupid thing over with. “The old bat that owns this is really terrifying when she gets down to it.”

There was an aluminum bat that was sitting behind the counter had a few dents in it.

“Known each other for a few months at least.” Finnegan said, but not long enough to find out that Ashton is indeed straight he thought to himself with the wince.

“The shoes were bright red with orange stripes, I wouldn’t be surprised if they couldn’t be seen from space.” Ashton walked up to the counter and lifted Ciri off of it. There must be laws about not allowing people to sit on counters that deal with food. “They met their untimely end a few weeks ago.”

“We buried them in the back of the apartment complex.” Finnegan grinned totally forgetting about the fact that Ashton was picking his girlfriend up, running away from the landlord in the middle of the night was too entertaining not to laugh at.

Finnegan blinked again when Ciri talked about the panty thief, can he be for real? He smiled a bit awkwardly and waved him and Ashton off. “You can just take it. I’ll put it on my tab, she lets me have a certain amount of money each week.” It might be just a touristy shop, but there was still place for drinks and a little fridge filled with snacks and sandwiches.