a tiny goblin

Your heart stuttered, as it always did whenever he declared his chosen reward. “You’re relentless, aren’t you?”

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying." He said with a smirk.

"Alright, then." You poked your index finger right on his bare chest, "And if I win, you're doing my dishwashing duties for a week."

"Only a week? You're being generous today." He teased. “Meet you back here around noon? Should be enough time to circle the area.”

As you go your separate ways, left only with the company of the still forest, your mind wandered to the man you considered your closest friend. It would be a lie if you said you never thought of him as something more, but everything was always a gamble with Ace. Most of the time, it was impossible to tell whether he was serious, or merely playful about his advances towards you.

Distracted by the noise in your head, noon came swiftly with nothing to show for your mediocre efforts.

Ace was already there when you returned — seated on the ground, his back against a tree trunk, and his hat covering his face. Fast asleep. A pile of mushrooms, exactly like the drawing Marco showed you and Ace before he sent you two off on this hunt, was resting right next to him.

“Wake up, idiot.” You crouched to place his hat back upon his head. “You won.”

Ace's eyes slowly opened, bleary at first, but instantly alert — pupils dilating — once he noticed you. He grinned, “I told you today’s the day.”

You cautiously sat beside him, quietly fidgeting with your trembling hands before finally saying, "Well, go on, then.” You turned to face him, only to find him already looking at you. Leaning in slightly, as if pulled by an invisible string, you breathed out, “Get your kiss.”

Ace’s gaze flitted down to your lips, staying there for a second before returning to your eyes. The rhythm of your heart went awry as he inched closer and closer. Your eyelids were fluttering shut when, rather abruptly, Ace pulled back.

“Double or nothing?”

“W-What?” You spluttered, face burning.

Ace cleared his throat, "There's another herb Marco wanted us to find, right? Those little leaves shaped like hearts. I bet I can collect more than you within 30 minutes.” He patted your cheek, "And because I'm a gentleman, if you win, I'll even still honor your wish instead of you just owing me nothing."

Confusion turned to embarrassment, then frustration, and you shot to your feet.

"Fine! Double the bet, for all I care." You snapped, storming off towards the trees without another word.

Damn him for playing with your feelings like that.

You resisted an urge to scream as you trudged deeper into the forest, your trampling footsteps scaring a few rabbits along the way.

The heart-shaped herb was not a challenge to find at all. Unlike the mushrooms, they seemed to grow everywhere on this island. You furiously, but carefully — Marco would've scolded you if you were reckless with the plants — plucked as many as you could.

You stomped all the way back to the meeting spot with a few minutes to spare, but again, Ace was already waiting for you.

His lips curled upwards when he saw your bag full of the herb, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He showed you his empty hands. "I circled my side of the forest twice but couldn’t find those blasted plants anywhere.”

Liar.

“Why?” You demanded.

“Why what?”

“You won the first bet. Why didn’t you just… You know…" Heat rushed to your cheeks, “Claim your reward?”

"Well," Ace chuckled humorlessly, eyes soft as he slowly confessed, "That’s because when— if we kissed, I want it to be because you wanted it. Not because you lost some stupid bet.”

Birds chirped brightly from the branches above, blissfully unaware of the tension thickening the air between you.

“So!” Ace suddenly clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. “Two weeks of taking over your dishwashing duties, is it? Not too bad, could be worse.”

“Wait,” you cut, cursing yourself for how shaky your voice was, “I change my mind.”

“That’s not how bets work, sweetie. You can’t just change your—”

“A kiss.”

Ace's breath hitched, “What?”

“I want a kiss as my reward.” You stepped closer to him — fists clenched, chin up. “Two kisses, actually, since we doubled the bet.”

His eyes shifted as he scratched the back of his reddening neck, "You don't hav—"

“Ace.” You caught his gaze, letting him see how sincere you were, “Do you know how many times I secretly wished I'd lost our bets?”

“Y-you did?”

A smile made its way onto your face at the way Ace's eyes shone with hope. “It’s a miracle how you couldn't manage to win even a single bet until today.”

“Hey!”

You laughed and pulled him in by the strap of his hat, your chest bumping his, “C’mere,”

Gently, unhurriedly, you pressed your lips against his. His lips carried a warmth that coursed through you, and already, you were craving for more. You pulled back just a touch, your rapid breaths mingling with his as you said, “That’s one.”

You didn't know who leaned in for the second kiss, but before you knew it, Ace had you pressed against a tree, lips hungrily devouring yours as if he had waited years for this. He probably had.

You had lost your grip on your bag at some point, the strings untying as it slammed into the ground, sending green hearts flying like confetti as you returned the kiss with as much fervor, savoring the heat emanating from his body as your arms wrapped around his neck. His palms burned deliciously as they settled on your waist, his lips never leaving yours aside from a sharp intake of breath to refill his lungs with oxygen.

Hearts raced in tandem as the kiss deepened, filled with an eternity of longing and words unsaid.

The passionate kisses eventually made way for shorter, sweeter ones, but neither of you had the willpower to move away from the other just yet.

“I bet Marco’s gonna be mad that we took so long,” Ace finally said, still sneaking in light pecks between words.

“Oh, we don’t need to bet on that.” You smiled, nuzzling his freckled cheek, “I know he'll be furious.”

“Then it wouldn’t be much of a difference if we take a few more minutes, right?”

Laughing freely, you gladly claimed his lips again,

“I guess a few more wouldn’t hurt.”

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