Sentient ball of moss

Ace and the prefect were just friends in books 1 and 2. Ace slowly developed feelings when Yuki always had time to hangout with them rather than gets stuck in her room doing research. He developed feelings whenever he asked her for something and she listened. He developed feelings whenever he invites her to do something, she said yes without hesitation.

Ace developed a little crush when he jokingly ask if she and him can share a bed together and she said yes but she just offer him the whole bed while saying she will sleep on the couch because Riddle's collar looks uncomfortable. Deep inside his conscious, he doesn't like the fact he stole the bed from her so they argued and in the end, they just slept on the floor and this became normal during sleep overs.

Lowkey, Ace felt a bit pampered.

This is something his previous relationship doesn't have. He's not used to see someone he has a slight liking to ask him about what he likes or how he's doing. He was surprised when he saw her carrying grocery bags when she, Grim and Deuce went shopping for his tart supplies. He knew Deuce won't allow a girl to carry stuff and yet there she was carrying a few bags. Something his ex girlfriend doesn't do.

What Ace have was admiration hidden in a form of a crush. Some people caught this and teased him but he denied or ignored them. He rather be awkward alone than be awkward with her.

Ace continued to admire the prefect when she tried to risk her safety and her dorm because of a stupid decision he, Deuce and Grim made with Azul. Ace knew he often had decent and passable grades to exams without studying but getting a clean line of 90 and above in all subjects was very tempting.

When he heard Yuki and Grim got kidnapped by Scarabia. He took a risk and made a deal with Azul and Floyd to save them in exchange of a box of cakes and taking Floyd's 10 shifts for cleaning the gym during basketball practice. RIP his wallet.

At this point, both Ace and Yuki had mutual admiration and respect to one another, still hidden in the form of a crush. They like each other but it wasn't that obvious to the other because Deuce and Grim were with them.

The moment Ace knew he like likes Yuki is when she came home one night after his SDC practice. She told him, she finally found a way to go home to her world but still having second thoughts for reason she can't say. She was holding tears.

Ace didn't say anything. He just can't tell her to stay here after months of looking for the solution but a part of him wants to but he didn't said it.

From that moment on, he kept thinking of the future. Both futures with Yuki and without Yuki. It kept him awake until midnight but whatever decision she had, he's fine.

It especially kept him awake when Jack told them Grim went to STYX with Rook and Epel to save Yuki and the overblotters. The last time he and Deuce wasn't there for the prefect, she got kidnapped and hearing that she was part of the reason Riddle and the others were kidnapped made his stomach churn. He kept thinking, is this THE way she goes home to her world? She's going home without a proper goodbye.

After a few days, all of them were back. He felt relieved seeing the prefect alive and well. He and Deuce hugged Grim and Yuki. Ace even hit the Ramshackle Duo slightly in the head because of his irritation that they made him worry.

Grim laughed and snickered of how cool he was but the prefect cried. She kept saying she's sorry and she wouldn't go back home to her world.

Ace didn't know what happened back in the Isle of Woe but that doesn't matter. His friends were saved. He'll just Riddle what happened if Yuki didn't tell them the details.

Ace felt torn when Cater and the others told him that everything was a dream. He was celebrating Yuki's decision of staying in both worlds with his closest friends in a private island that he managed to convince Kalim for some reason.

He was torn when Sebek told him he's not really dating the prefect. Well, he knew that—he is well aware he wasn't dating her, he hasn't even confessed but he likes to feel being lovey-dovey after months of him pining.

Why do they have to fight the overblots and clean their mess? He fought those overblots because he has no choice, he was in that moment where he has to. If he has the choice to not fight an overblot, he would. He's tired of cleaning someone's mess because of their poor decisions. He walked away.

"Let's break up." Yuki said, a bit flustered, when she joined him watching the river.

Ace squinted. He knew that they weren't dating.

"I decided to go back to my world and I'm not going back." she tried again.

Ace stared. He remembered her declaration of staying despite Crowley finding a way for both worlds so it doesn't matter, he'll just visit.

There was silence.

"I'm dating Cater-sempai!" she blurts flustered.

Huh? That came out of nowhere and so does Cater who appeared from the trees and started to bully him physically with the other Caters as proof he was dreaming.

"Ace…" she began. "I like that you punched Riddle-senpai in the face."

Eh? What? The pain from getting punched and kicked disappeared for a while.

"So please wake up and come with us!"

Soon, Ace was having second thoughts now as the darkness tried to consume him. He strongly believes what they said it's the truth. He has fought and witness almost all the overblots in their school and even though they won, The thought of fighting Malleus, one of the top best mages in overblot form, is something a normal student can't just do.

He doesn't have any unique magic, what can he do?—

"Ace! I need you to punch Riddle in the face one more time!" Yuki said.

Cater backed this up since they have to wake Riddle up too.

During the time when Deuce and Ortho is on wits end and can't land a hit against Riddle in his dream, Ace felt he was deadweight all throughout the journey but retreating is the most sensible option. He was secretly admitting jealousy that his classmates were already fighting and he's hiding. Grim's persistence to go out to battle and Yuki's silent look made him think of what Yuki said before, can he punch Riddle or can he can do something more.

When Yuki and Grim told him he was glowing, he immediately panicked, letting out a whimper and called out Yuki's name. He has the idea what glowing means…it's happening. He's finally getting his own signature spell.

Mixed emotions filled in his head. He was excited, scared, terrified…what if this self doubt of his made this glowing stop. He knew he needs to calm down in this situation, he needs to be brave but the thought of failing on his first time using this spell scared him. If he did use and failed then Riddle will no doubt capture the three of them and everyone who fought reaching this point will be for naught.

Then he felt warmth around his hand. He locked eyes with the prefect. His hands clasped between hers. She didn't say anything but that's enough to calm him down. He can do this…he was muttering, encouraging himself but still has that self-doubt.

"Ace, you'll definitely ace this!" Yuki said encouraging him.

Ace blinked. His cheeks turned pink. She made a pun with his name at a name like this and that's both cheesy and cute.

Grim also encouraged him reminding him that he's born to ace this because that's his name. Their words encouraged him and managed to shake off his anxiety.

With Deuce left on standing, Ace ran towards the scene, He was filled with adrenaline as he shouted. He was standing near the two and raised his magic pen and casted his signature spell, giving Riddle a taste of his own medicine and for Deuce to punch Riddle instead with his own signature spell.

Few days have passed, even after celebrating Silver's 18th birthday and Malleus' party, Ace hasn't confessed his romantic feelings. Even if he knew Yuki decided to stay permanently and even when Deuce and Grim left the two of them alone for a while, he still can't have that confidence.

When Ace lay down on his bed one night, he recalled the moment when Yuki encouraged him with that cheesy pun in Riddle's dream and thought, that would be a cool transition to confess. He'd imagine after she said that line, he would show his handsome smirk and then went to immediately say: "Date me." To her—

Ace brushed the thought, his cheeks flushed. He knew he wouldn't pull that off. Given the life and death situation they were in, there's no way that's possible but he was hoping that the prefect using puns to make his heart beat would happened again.

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