Aspiring Storyteller

Silas flipped the photo around, searching for some sort of information about the picture because he couldn’t remember ever doing this or who the other kid even is.

“So? What’s the picture?” Alistair leaned closer, trying to look over Silas’ shoulder.

“‘Dunno, doesn’t say. Just says it was taken in 2004 so . . . Eighteen years ago apparently. God, how old was I then? 7, 8?”

Alistair leaned down even closer and looked at the photo once more. “Who’s the other kid?”

“Good question. I have no clue.”

The mail slot clanked the arrival of a letter. Both Silas and Alistair turned their attention to the door. “Wonder what we got in the mail.” Alistair braced himself to stand but Silas beat him to his feet and headed over to the front entry. He saw the letter on the floor, a simple envelope sealed with wax. It was clearly not spam mail.

Silas turned the envelope over after taking a good long look at the insignia embedded in the wax seal. It was addressed to him. Elegant cursive littered the backside of the envelope, telling Silas of the sender’s origins. “The Royal Advisor to the Crowned Prince of Nephlis?!” Silas almost dropped the letter in his shock. Why would the royal advisor to a foreign prince be mailing him anything? Silas didn’t even have any ties to the country of Nephlis. Not as far as he knew anyway. “What? What are you talking about?” Alistair joined his roommate by the door, peering into Silas’ personal space to inspect the letter. “Well, what are you waiting for, you should open it already. See what it says!” Alistair pulled the letter out of Silas’ hand but before he could rip the seal, Silas snatched it back. “Not with your bare hands, you barbarian, go grab me a knife.” Silas pointed to the kitchen, holding the envelope up and behind his head, away from his grabby friend. Alistair rolled his eyes but did as requested. He handed Silas a butterknife and Silas ripped the letter open smoothly with little damage to the paper. He pulled out the letter inside and dropped the now empty envelope in favour of unfolding the letter with both hands. “Mr. Sayer, By the King’s decree, you are hereby invited to journey to the kingdom of Nephlis to honour the commitment you share to the crowned prince through your marriage vows eighteen years prior. As the crowned prince’s coronation draws near, it is vital the crowned prince’s spouse be present henceforth. Arrangements have already been made for your travels. Sincerely, Royal Advisor Enfield,” Silas finished the last sentence aloud, almost dropping the paper, his grip so slack, his jaw on the floor. “Marriage? Spouse? Prince?! I’m not married. I’ve never even met the guy! How can I be married to him!” Then it hit him. The photo. That must’ve been the wedding. But Silas couldn’t even recall the full memory to be certain. “So? You’re going right?” Alistair asked, much too excited for Silas’ comfort. How he wasn’t just as freaked out as Silas was beyond him. “What—no—I don’t know.” “You’re kidding me. You have to go. You’re being summoned. By the king! Ooh, I wonder if they’ll allow you a plus one. You know, like your best friend for instance?” Alistair waggled his eyebrows, a sneaky expression making its way to his baby face. Silas could barely answer, cut off by a sturdy knock at the door. The arrangements obviously. Whatever those were. Alistair was quick to answer the door without taking the time to look through the peephole. Standing outside the doorway were a tall, intimidating adult and a shorter, just as intimidating young man. Before either Silas or Alistair could ask who they were or even invite them in, the tall individual pushed through the doorway and forced both Silas and Alistair out of the way to make room for the young man. “Wha—hey! Watch it. Who even are you?” Silas barked, stepping into the stranger’s face without hesitation. They weren’t bothered, and regarded Silas with one cold, calculating look before their attention was on the short man as they helped him inside the apartment before shutting the door like they owned the place. “Are you the ones helping us travel to Nephlis like the letter said?” Alistair dared to ask the tall one, his tone much more diplomatic than Silas’ had been. It wasn’t the individual who answered, but the young man. He shook his head. “No, quite the opposite, I’m here to dissuade you from coming to my kingdom if I can.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a medallion with the same insignia the wax seal had borne. “I’m the crowned prince, next in line for the throne, Sylvie Faeris. We’ve been married since we were kids, you and I, Silas Sayer.” Sylvie addressed Silas and only Silas. He wasn’t mean with his words, but his tone clearly told that he wasn’t happy with the present situation. “How? We’ve never met, I don’t think. I’ve never even been to Nephlis before.”

Sylvie looked around the front entry, searching for something. When he didn’t find it, he focused back on Silas in perplexion. “You have the photo, do you not?” “Yep! We found it today, actually.” Alistair answered for his friend, running back to the living room to retrieve the photo. He came back just as quickly, waving it in his hand proudly. Sylvie took the photo and handed it to his companion who inspected it very closely before they looked at Sylvie and nodded. “Right then,” he said resolutely, not bothering to reveal whatever thought it was he just had. “Can you please, please, explain how in the fuck we’re married? How does that photo mean anything?” Silas urged. “Did your mother never tell you? We’ve met before. Your mother used to have a position in the royal court as an advisor to the queen. Whenever she was busy, she left you in the castle’s care. We played together often. And one day, while our mothers were out with us, having tea, you proposed by the swings. You made us flower crowns and told me we’d be together forever, that I was your best friend. When my mother noticed, she took a picture of us as we said our vows. Then, you moved away and I never saw or heard from you again.” Silas had to sit down, his legs were jelly and wouldn’t support him standing for a moment longer. So he sat and leaned against the wall. “How . . . how come I don’t have any—any memory of this? How could I have forgotten all of this?” The prince—Sylvie put his medallion pack in his pocket, crossing his arms after. “How should I know?” He says very unhelpfully. Though Silas could hear a hint of hurt in the other’s words. “Wait, Silas. Didn’t you have an accident around then? No, yeah, I remember, I heard your mom telling my dad about it when you guys came over for the day. Your mom was saying how worried she was since you had recovered otherwise, but were still missing all your memories from before the accident. I think that’s what she said anyway.” Alistair sat on the floor beside his friend, patting his shoulder rather awkwardly, but comforting in its own way. “Why didn’t she tell me? About any of this?” It was a rhetorical question, really, Silas knew no one in the room had the right answer. “I don’t know why your mother never told you any of this, but at least now I know why you never once tried to find me.” Sylvie leaned against the shut doorway, refusing to look at Silas for even a moment. “What now then? We divorce right? That’s why you’re here, right? You don’t want to be married to me, I don’t want to be married to you. Divorce and problem solved.” Admittedly, he was a bit crass with his phrasing, but Silas couldn’t say he knew the prince, even if the prince knew him like he claimed he did. After all, it seemed like the prince regarded Silas as a childhood friend from the way he told of their past. Still, as he said it, Silas saw Sylvie twitch before his expression went stony. Trying so hard to be unreadable, Silas knew the prince was hiding how much he was truly bothered by this situation. Clearly, he hated Silas with how he was acting. Sylvie didn’t respond though, he just kept staring at the floor. “Your highness,” the prince’s companion finally spoke, drawing his attention. Sylvie shared a look with his advisor in which his expression seemed to break and he heaved a sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go then.” The advisor nodded, saying no more as they pulled out a folded paper from inside their coat, grabbing a pen from their breast pocket. With a graceful click of the pen, the advisor handed both to Silas. “Sign this.” Their instructions were as short as their tone, leaving no room to further a conversation. Silas unfolded the paper, too intimidated by the advisor to ask any questions. He read through the document quickly, skimming the headers and bolded words, ignoring the fine print as one does. “I sign this and we’re divorced?” He asked, just to be safe. The advisor nodded, while Sylvie kept still, having resumed looking at the floor stoically. “Alright then, here you go.” Silas

pressed the paper to the floor and signed his name on the dotted line without a moment’s hesitation. He gave the pen and paper back to the advisor, standing as he went. “We’re done here, then, right?” “Yep.” Sylvie spitefully responded, hurt evident in his voice. He pushed himself off the door, ready to leave at any moment. “You don’t seem happy. I thought this was what you wanted?” Silas couldn’t help himself from asking. Sylvie glared. He looked about ready to snap. “What I wanted was to not be married to someone who doesn’t give a damn about me. I came here, thinking you knew about me all this time and just didn’t care to find me. Yet when I arrive, I find out that really, it was out of your control, you—you just didn’t know! I’ve spent years thinking about you, thinking of the promises we made to each other by those swings and how I was fully prepared to honour them when the time came and you weren’t. I’ve hated you for years, thinking you hated me! For years I kept looking forward to the day you would come back. And you never did and I never got to know why.” Sylvie had to stop to breathe, having worked himself up. “This isn’t easy for me, being here like this. I agonised for days whether I should sign those papers or not. The hope that you might come back still and explain yourself after all this time, and that we’d continue where we left off as kids—I just couldn’t let go of it. . . And then here you are, and you sign them like it’s the easiest thing in the world because you—you don’t even know who I am! God—I feel so stupid—for thinking I ever meant something to you. That you’d decide not to sign, that you still wanted to be with me—” Sylvie cut himself off too late. He’d spilled his guts in a moment of impassioned rage and although it felt freeing to get it all of his chest, he never actually wanted Silas to know any of it. Those thoughts and feelings were meant for the confines of his journals, meant to be told to Aeson, his advisor and only friend to hear and validate him for when things got too bottled up inside him. Sylvie’s outburst had stunned Silas, a heavy silence falling over the four of them. Silas wasn’t sure what to say. Comforting him felt inappropriate, given the situation but apologising also felt wrong because Silas didn’t think he had anything to apologise for. Plus, Silas imagined any measly little apology he could come up with wasn’t what Sylvie wanted anyway. “Whatever, I don’t care anymore.” Sylvie crossed his arms, turning around to face the door. He didn't have any patience left to wait and listen to whatever crushing rejection Silas would give.

But for someone like Aeson, who just wants to live a quiet and uneventful life, who doesn’t even believe in that sort of thing, it’s one of the worst possible things to happen to them. It was a purely coincidental encounter, Aeson is certain. They’d come across a drunkard passed out on the bench at their bus stop and they don’t know what came over them, but they helped the young man that night before carrying on home. The next day, the man from the bus stop showed up at Aeson’s doorstep, claiming to be a fallen angel wanting to thank Aeson for their goodwill. And now the angel won’t leave them alone no matter how much Aeson asks him to. It’s been a very trying few weeks. “I’m working now, don’t bother me.” Aeson glances at the angel—Alistair—glaring harshly before leaving the living room. Aeson sequesters themself in their studio. They’re a freelance artist, allowing themself to work from home. Working’s been hard to do with an unwanted guest getting into trouble every minute of the day, so Aeson’s vowed they’ll get some real work done today to make up for the lost time before they get even more stressed out than they already are. They sit down, put on some music and get down to business. Aeson works for maybe fifteen minutes before there’s a scream for help elsewhere in the apartment. They want to ignore it and keep working but they can’t ignore the urgency in the angel’s voice.

Aeson paused the music, quickly saving their work. They hastily extricate themself from their desk and chair and rush out of their office into the living where they heard the scream originate. Aeson’t isn’t sure what they’re expecting to find. A bloody crime scene maybe. Or a scene of utter destruction maybe, from the way Alistair shrieked. They certainly weren’t expecting what reality has to offer. Alistair, an actual holy being, crouched atop the couch using a throw pillow as a meagre shield. He’s cowering pathetically, whimpering like a frightened animal. Aeson’t doesn’t see the cause for distress right away. They’re too busy internally mocking Alistair to notice. It’s only when the angel notices Aeson that they find out the source because Alistair oh so helpfully points it out, frantically pointing at Aeson’s cat. Ah, they know what happened now. “What’s wrong, now?” They still want to know and hear it from the angel himself though. Alistair’s hand shakes as he points at Nuggy Chicky, who is sitting down on the floor, grooming herself in a very innocently, but smug manner. As cats do. “It attacked me! Your feline beast bit me!” The angel wails. Aeson can’t see any visible marks or blood on Alistair so at most it was probably just a warning nip on Nuggy Chicky’s part and nothing more. “Well, were you bothering her?” Aeson asks condescendingly, showing no concern for the angel. Alistair turns shocked eyes on the human. “Are you trying to say I deserve to be attacked?” he demands indignantly. Aeson doesn’t confirm nor deny. Alistair huffs when Aeson doesn’t respond, his hand lowering from his assailant as he focuses on Aeson. “Even so,” Alistair starts to say, “doesn’t your beast know I’m an angel?” Aeson would’ve laughed in Alistair’s face if they were in a better mood, but with how annoyed they’re with the angel and all his trouble, they don’t have the energy to do so. “Even if she knew, she wouldn’t care,” Aeson deadpans, walking over to Nuggy Chicky. They kneel down, softly stroking the cat’s forehead. Aeson admires their pet fondly for a few seconds before glancing over to the angel with a very cold expression. It makes the angel flinch and Aeson enjoys the satisfaction blooming inside them. They’ve never intimidated an angel before meeting Alistair and it feels good to know they can. “You’re not as high and mighty as you think you are, especially to a cat.” Aeson has not been merciful with their blunt, cold reality checks towards Alistair’s inflated ego and sense of superiority over mortal beings. Alistair does not take these reality checks well and usually reacts like a bratty child. This time is now different. Alistair crosses his arms—something he learned from television much to Aeson’s annoyance—and frowns deeply, looking every bit the brat Aeson thinks of him as. “You don’t have to say stuff like that all the time, I get it already.” Oh. Aeson didn’t expect Alistair to react so dejectedly. He usually reacts hugely, saying more, yelling sometimes even, and he normally sounds much angrier. Aeson’s never heard Alistair sound so genuinely heard before. They stall, their hand stopping mid-pet atop Nuggy Chicky’s head. Aeson feels hot with an unfamiliar sense of shame. They need to leave, run away from the tension Alistair’s created. It’s making Aeson feel like the only asshole in the room. Which is preposterous because Alistair has been nothing but insufferable the entire time he’s been staying with Aeson. Aeson gets off the floor hastily and walks briskly back to their studio. They shut the door with a soft click. The clear, overwhelming sense of guilt working its way through them relieves Aeson because it means they’re not a completely horrible person with no hope for redemption. They just need to wait a bit and apologize to Alistair for being a rude asshole to him. Aeson resumes working with a distinct lack of motivation than before. They work for hours, managing to distract themself from the ever-growing guilt inside them from all the self-reflection of their past

treatment towards the angel. Okay, maybe Aeson didn’t fully distract himself, but they did manage to complete their work goal. “Okay, Aec, now that you’re done working, you have no excuse to avoid him. Now stop being a little bitch and go apologize for being a little bitch.” Aeson gives themself a rather harsh but daily needed pet talk after they finish putting all their work away for the day. Going back into the living room, Aeson rehearses in their head their apology, double-checking its sincerity and clarity before they deliver it. Alistair is found on the couch, staring at Nuggy Chicky as she grooms herself on the floor. He still looks hurt but no longer scared by the cat. If anything, Alistair looks intrigued by her. If Alistair notices Aeson arriving, he doesn’t show it. Standing in their own living room has never felt so awkward before. The quiet tension that settled before hasn’t dissipated at all, it’s only gotten worse. Aeson doesn’t know how to start now that they’re here. Apologizing seemed so much easier in their head. They know as the offending party, they should be the one to start, to break the silence themself, but Aeson doesn't know what to say that won’t just create more tension. They stand at the cusp between the living room and hallway, feeling like a fool with each passing second they don’t do anything. “How long are you going to stand there all quietly, human?” Alistair breaks the silence before Aeson can and they immediately regret not being the one to do it first. Taking Alistair’s question as an invitation, Aeson walks stiffly to the couch, stopping in front of the angel. Aeson’s never considered themself a coward. They’re not timid, not shy, and certainly not afraid of confrontation. They are, however, an awkward, asocial individual with very little experience when it comes to apologizing to others. Still, Aeon doesn't let their weaknesses stop or hold them back. “I’ve come to apologize to you.” They just go on and say it. Blunt and clear, that’s how they roll. “I realize now that my words have been hurtful to you on several occasions and so I’m sorry for the way I’ve been speaking to you.” That should be good. If they add too much, it could muddle everything up and they could end up ruining the entire apology. It does feel good, however, to have apologized. They still feel bad but their conscience feels lighter now that they’re trying to make amends. Alistair looks down at the floor, a contemplative expression forming. Such an expression makes the angel look so much older, more mature than his baby-faced appearance lets on. It reminds Aeson that they’re dealing with an immortal being, and they’re suddenly acutely aware of how disrespectful they’ve truly been towards Alistair. Such a thought has Aeson’s head swarming with all the different ways Alistair could enact revenge against them for their behaviour. The fact that the only bad thing Alistair's done in retaliation is simply verbal and nothing more says a lot about his character and level of restraint. Alistair’s silence has left Aeson thinking their apology wasn’t good enough. He doesn’t say anything for a good five minutes, leaving Aeson tense on their feet. They’re about to apologize again when the angel finally moves, lifting his head. He locks his gaze onto Aeson’s eyes, forcing them to look back. Aeson normally despises eye contact, but now isn’t the time to be focused on themself. “Thank you for the apology.” Alistair’s words sound careful like he’s reciting a script. He probably is. The angel has had to familiarize himself with how humans talk to each other culturally. “I’m sorry too. For earlier. You were right, I was bothering your feline and so she bit me.” Aeson quickly glances over to Nuggy Chicky at the mention of her. She’s laying on her side, sleeping. They focus back on Alistair. “She’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Alistair nods, lowering his head, looking down at his lap. Aeson takes the lapse in conversation as an opportunity to sit down. They sit at the end of the couch as far

So, Sylvie set up a time to hang out with Ace at his place, where they could easily keep Ace from running away upon seeing Aec. Hiding in Sylvie’s kitchen, Aec isn’t nervous about Ace’s arrival. No, anything but. They’re angrily anticipating it. They’re frustrated too, but mostly they’re hurt. Ace suddenly avoiding them like Aec is the plague like this, it hurts a lot more than they’d care to admit. Silas, enlisted as well, is stationed in the hallway, blocking access to the washroom and any other lockable space. Sylvie’s stationed in the living room, trying to act like everything’s fine and normal for when the guest of honour arrives. He pulls out his phone and checks the time. “Ten minutes,” Sylvie calls. Ten minutes doesn’t sound like a long time but Aec can;t think of an instance where time moved any slower than it is right now. In just ten measly minutes Ace will arrive and they can finally put an end to this ridiculous farce between the two of them. Just the thought of it has Aec’s hands shaking in anticipation. They want this to be over already and have their best friend back. “He’s here,” Sylvie informs only seven minutes later instead of ten. It's routine for Ace to overestimate his time of arrival to give himself some wiggle room without stressing about being late. A hush falls over the apartment as the sound of footsteps grows closer to the door. Then a quick knock. What was once excitement turns into anxious trepidation as Aec’s heart seizes to the sound of Sylvie opening the door. They thought they were ready, that they could handle this, but hearing Ace's casual, jovial greeting towards Sylvie has Aec’s throat closing up and their stomach twisting up in envious, painful knots. What changes tha Ace could no longer talk to Aec like that? “I’m glad you could make it, it’s been a while since we last hung out like this.” Sylvie smoothly leads Ace over to the couch. They sit and get comfortable. Sylvie has to ease Ace in first before giving the signal for Aec to come out and for Silas to actively block the hallway. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” Ace says lightly, not wanting to drag on the topic more. “But you’re here now! So, let’s chat.” Sylvie claps his hands. “I’ve been wondering something.” This is it. “What about?” Ace inquires naively. The curious, almost pure tone of Ace’s voice has Aec’s heart squeezing with the accompanying thought of he’s too cute.

“Well, Aec, really. What’s going on between you two?” Sylvie crashes right through the gate boldy. Ace doesn’t say anything right away and Aec can just imagine him hiding his face, twiddling his fingers in his lap while he tries to find the right words. “It’s . . . it’s nothing.” They’re disappointing if not expected words. Of course Ace isn’t going to disclose such sensitive information right away, even if he trusts Sylvie. “You’re sure?” Sylvie prompts gently. The signal is on the tip of his tongue. Aec crouches on the tiled floor, readying themself to act. Ace takes a deep breath, preparing himself. “Actually,” Aec’s nerves are tingling, their heart picking up the pace at the promise of a dramatic reveal. “Yeah?” Sylvie urges once more. “I’ve been avoiding them lately.” Ace finishes with a relieved sigh like he’d just let the biggest weight off of his chest. All the build-up in Aec crashes to a disappointed halt. “Why?” Sylvie feigns shock. “It’s hard to explain,” Ace confesses. It’s not much but it’s more than what Aec knew before at the very least. “Maybe you should try explaining anyway.” Aec isn’t sure if that’s the signal, in fact, they’re almost positive it isn’t but they find they don’t care, they move anyway, speaking up as they go. “Yeah, maybe you should, so I can fucking understand.” Immediately Ace is on his feet at the sound of Aec’s pissed-off voice and the sight of their equally pissed expression. “Aec! What—what are you—why are you—how long have you been here?” Sylvie heads for the door, locking it before Ace has the thought to leave. Silas almost comes into view, making himself as big and intimidating as he can to completely block the hallway. He doesn’t say anything and Ace can’t see him from where he’s standing. Aec crosses their arms, growing generously. “How long do you think?” It’s a rhetorical question with a heaping helping of sarcasm. When realization dawns on Ace, he looks accusingly at Sylvie, wordlessly asking if he planned this with them. Sylvie nods resignedly, leaning further back on the door. “So? Why have you been ignoring me?” Aec doesn’t let the conversation drag on or veer off-topic. Ace doesn’t say anything, too shell-shocked to speak. This only further aggravates Aec’s nerves. “Seriously?” Nothing to say? God, what the fuck is going on with you?” Aec lets their voice rise with the frustration and hurt bubbling over inside them. They don’t miss how Ace flinches slightly at the volume, his shoulders tensing up. He looks guilty now, staring at the floor with a forlorn gaze. When Ace shows he has nothing to say for himself and his actions, Aec prepares to shout once more but Sylvie recognizes the signal before Aec can follow through. “Aec,” he says calmly, if not paternally, “I know you’re upset and you have every right to be, but yelling at Ace won’t help. It’s not constructive.” In an instant, Aec feels hot with shame, their desire to shout curses at Ace now feeling like a capital offence. They back down like a properly scolded beast that was on the verge of attack. Sylvie, satisfied with the reaction, is glad he had the sense to quell Aec’s attack before it could start and do any lasting damage. He focuses on Ace from the door with a sympathetic look. “Now then,” Sylvie addresses Ace gently, still sounding paternal. Sylvie is the “mom friend” of the group, though “dad friend” might be more accurate. He usually shares the paternal roles with Ace, who could be considered the “mom friend”, but with Ace’s absence, Sylvie’s taken up both roles. “Is there anything you want to tell Aec? It’s clear they’re hurting right now.” Sylvie directs Ace like a teacher dealing with a silly dispute between grade-schoolers. It’s condescending but needed. Ace knots his hands together anxiously, unable to look up. He nods, it’s a promise to talk. Sylvie smiles encouragingly even though Ace isn’t looking. It takes time but Ace finally lifts his head and looks at Aec sorrowfully. “I’m sorry . . .” he whispers. An apology isn’t what Aec wants though. They want

an explanation, to know what happened, what they did. Aec grits their teeth, a glare forming. “Okay,” they spit carefully, “you’re sorry, great. But I need more than that. You just suddenly disappeared.” Aec keeps their voice level but doesn’t hide their anger. Ace doesn’t flinch like before, instead, his eyes start to water and his lip quivers. Normally, seeing Ace about to cry would immediately have Aec trying to comfort him but in this instance, Aec wants Ace to cry, to suffer because he should for all the grief he’s caused them. Ace quickly starts nodding, swiftly wiping his eyes before any tears spill. “You’re right—you’re ri—right. I’m—I’m sorry . . . I—I . . .” Ace’s stuttering words filled with remorse twinge at Aec’s heart, having them almost falter in their anger. Seeing how much this was also affecting Ace is eye-opening for Aec. They haven’t had a clue about how Ace was feeling about avoiding them. Ace tries to calm himself with simple breathing exercises and Aec patiently lets him, despite wanting answers immediately. It takes a few minutes before Ace looks composed enough to continue his thoughts, but he gets there all the same. He keeps his gaze low, still fidgeting with his hands. He finally opens his mouth to speak and Aec waits with bated breath, raw emotion bubbling under their skin. “Remember the last time we were together?” Aec nods, unable to figure out where Ace is going with this. The last time the two of them were together, it was a completely normal if not boring hangout. No lasting incident sticks out of Aec’s memory. The two of them had gone to see a movie and lunch. The movie was enjoyable, no masterpiece, but good. They’d gone to a small cafe for lunch. And ate pastries if Aec is remembering right. What happened that forced Ace to run away from them? “Remember how the cafe had a discreet little pride sticker?” Aec could vaguely picture it. They nod hesitantly, a sign for Ace to continue. “And how as we're were leaving, a few guys walked in talking about it, making homophobic comments and jokes?” This is news to Aec. Did that really happen? They don’t recall hearing anything like that. Truthfully though, Aec will admit they don’t notice the people around them when Ace is by their side. This is because no one matters more to Aec than their best friend, the unrequited love of their life for almost twelve years. Aec shakes their head, making their confusion on how that’s related to Ace avoiding them known. “No, I don’t remember that part, but why would some assholes being assholes make you run away from me?” Aec asks bluntly but with less fury in their voice than before. Ace pulls a dry smile like he’s disappointed but not surprised that Aec hasn’t figured it out yet. He finally lifts his head and looks at Sylvie. “I’m not going to run away, so can I talk to them alone?” he asks hopefully like it’s up to Sylvie to decide if he’s allowed privacy or not. Sylvie smiles and pushes himself off the door and walks past Ace with a soft pat on the shoulder. “Of course,” He disappears down the hallway, taking Silas with him, someone Ace hadn’t noticed was here. With Sylvie and Silas gone, everything suddenly feels so much more intense. Whatever it is Ace can only say to Aec alone it must be big because they both trust their friends almost as much as they trust each other. “So,” Aec says, “spit it out. What’s going on with you?” They step into the living room, wanting to be closer to Ace. They haven’t gotten this close to him for far too long. They find they’re not sure if they want to kiss Ace or hit him. It’s conflicting because on the one hand he’s severely hurt them and they’re rightfully furious, but on the other hand, Aec still loves Ace and they’ve missed their best friend beyond belief and to be in arms reach again is agonizing.

Ace doesn’t move despite Aec’s advance. That’s a good sign. He continues to fidget with his hands, staring at his shoes. Ace doesn’t answer the question right away, even though it looks like he’d been ready before when he asked Sylvie to leave. Instead, he chews on his lower lip and cheek restlessly. Aec doesn’t know what compels them, but they find they don’t fight the urge to let loose their deepest thoughts. “Alistair,” Aec says almost desperately. Ace stiffens at the full name treatment but doesn’t talk. “I don’t know what’s going on with you. You’re not talking to me at all. How can I help or—or fix anything if I don’t know what I did? What did I do?” They step even closer, every intention to make contact. Ace doesn’t move away at the threat of Aec touching him, he almost leans into it, which has Aec’s heart squeezing. Aec reaches out and places their hand on the side of Ace’s shoulder, the other reaching down and grabbing one of Ace’s hands, halting the fidgeting. Aec’s hand on Ace’s shoulder travels to Ace’s jaw, ducking their own head and finally catching Ace’s gaze. “Please,” they choke, hand squeezing Ace’s tightly, “just talk to me.” Aec’s voice wavers. They’re not someone who cries but right now their voice betrays them. And so is their heart. “. . . I love you.” What? Ace closes his eyes, starting to cry. Softly at first, but cries harder and harder with each second. He becomes incoherent, no longer talking, just sobbing Aec can only pull him into their arms, cradling his head in their shoulder, the other hand placed firmly on his back. Aec tries to decide what Ace could possibly mean by I love you and why it would tear Ace up to say it, why he’s crying so hard just saying it. They don’t ask for elaboration, not with Ace crying so hard. Aec merely holds Ace and waits for him to calm down and if they started humming softly the tune of a cherished childhood lullaby, well there’s no need to comment. Aec isn’t sure how long the two of them stood in Sylvie’s living room, Ace crying while they comfort him in their quiet way, but eventually, Ace calms down enough that Aec thinks they can finally continue talking. Aec leads the both of them over to the couch and sits Ace down before joining him. Ace is quickly wiping his eyes and nose ineffectively. “I’m sorry,” Ace whispers in a shaky voice. “What are you apologizing for now?” Aec asks, trying not to sound too rude. It’s an effort on their part. |Ace shakes his head, wiping his nose with the back of his once more, sniffling quietly. “For . . . for just—for everything . . . everything I’ve put you through lately.” Aec frowns, tilting their head. “You’ve already apologized for that. Stop,” they chastise Ace gently. Ace nods, wiping his eyes again as they continue to water. Aec reaches boldly for Ace’s free hand and grasps it tightly. Holding Ace’s hand like this is euphoric and Aec can feel all the fury in them just melting completely away, replaced with concern and joy at being so close to Ace again after so long apart. Aec catches gaze once more and holds it. “If you’re apologizing for everything, then are you also apologizing for saying you love me?” They don’t know where the courage to ask so clearly came from but Aec is grateful for it all the same. Ace shakes his head yes quickly, effectively shattering Aec’s heart with each shake. “Why?” Aec asks, their voice dropping to a whisper, threading to break as they feel their throat close up. “Because it’s wrong! I’m wrong! I shouldn’t feel this way.” Ace doesn’t shout but the intensity of his tone speaks volumes. Aec can feel themself getting swept up in the newfound intensity. “Why? Why shouldn't you? Why is it wrong?” Aec demands, feeling themself grow angrier and angrier. They’ve essentially been insulted by the most important person in their life. Why is it wrong of Ace to love them? Ace vigorously shakes his head, disagreeing despite nothing having been said to disagree with. Aec wants to scream, but they restrain themself, restricting themself to only talk in a

levelled tone. Shouting won’t help after all. “I’m supposed to like girls! Only girls! I can’t—I can’t be—I can’t be feeling this way about you. I just can’t.” Ace’s head falls into his hands, losing Aec’s grip. “That’s absolutely fucking ridiculous,” Aec deadpans, the intensely growing anger dying down to a simmer. Ace doesn’t react. So, Aec continues. “So What! So what if you don’t like girls? So what if you love me instead! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. Just look at me. If there’s something wrong with you, well then, I’m fucked.” Aec gives a sarcastic laugh, a mirthless smile. Ace stays still, still not reacting. He’s always been aware of Aec’s lack of cishet-ness. They’ve been out about their identity since they were old enough to comprehend as much. Aec almost sighs in defeat at the clear sign of their words having no effect. “Alistair.” It’s the second time in such a short period that Aec has used Ace’s real name. It’s a testament to how serious Aec is right now. Ace finally lifts his head and stares with glossy, red-rimmed doe eyes, the very same that Aec fell impossibly in love with. “I love you.” Ace’s eyes somehow grow even wider and Aec can’t help the little smile on their face. They reach and cup Ace’s jaw once again. A gentle caress of their thumb along his skin. Aec doesn’t move in to kiss Ace, the blatant internalized homophobia telling them Ace isn’t ready for something like that no matter how much they may want to gently kiss his pain away. “And it breaks my heart to see you like this.” Aec drops their head, eyeing Ace’s hands in his lap, smiling in disbelief at what they just said, shocked at their capability to say such vulnerable words without fucking up. “To see you so upset, hating yourself for how you feel, you whom I love so much.” Aec doesn’t know where the confidence comes from, to continue being so sappy and vulnerable. They’d never talk like this with anyone other than Ace. To hear Aec like this is a privilege only Ace has.

Ace takes a deep, wavering breath and to Aec’s surprise, grabs their hand with his, squeezing tightly. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispers. It’s a clear cry for help that Aec vows to answer. They return the gesture, squeezing Ace’s hand before lifting their head. Aec tries to smile as big as they can. It’s not very wide, but their eyes say all that’s needed. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.” Aec leans in like they always do to comfort Ace, and gingerly kisses Ace’s forehead. Their lips linger just a second past pure comfort Ace and towards selfish desire on Aec’s part. They pull away when they gather their senses. They hold Ace’s gaze, conveying how serious they are with just a look, wanting Ace to know they mean every word. To Aec’s surprise again, Ace breaks into a quick sob, pushing his head down onto Aec’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” They ask, bewildered now by Ace’s tears. Why would Aec comforting him like they always do make Ace cry again? The sobs turn into wet laughs, confusing Aec even further. “Just. Why are you so great? How can I—how can I not love you when you’re like this?” Oh. Aec can’t help the little smirk on their lips, the tensing from their shoulders relaxing. They pat Ace’s shoulder affectionately. “Jeez, you had me worried there.” Aec pulls Ace’s head away from their shoulder to look at him. Ace is laughing as he’s drying his eyes. To finally hear Ace's laugh is like finding an oasis in a desert and finally quenching an aching thirst with them. Aec just can't get enough of the melodic sound. As the moment passes and Ace quiets down, a tranquil silence falls over the two of them. They gaze into each other’s eyes in a very cheesy fashion. Now as much as Aec loves to stare at Ace’s face, they still have a few questions that need answering before they are satisfied. Aec sighs, breaking the moment, tilting their head to the side. “I still have a few questions,” they say, adopting their normal tone finally. Their naturally quiet, cold sort of tone of voice, even when they mean otherwise. Aec has to manually alter their tone to be more warm and approachable, even more so than most people would think, and they’ve been doing so since they said they love Ace. Ace immediately stiffens, his back straightening, shoulders rising. He nods as confidently as he can. “Okay,” Ace manages apprehensively. “Were you avoiding me because you were in denial?” Was running away from me your way of running away from yourself and your feelings?” It seems obvious as Aec asks, but they need absolute clarity from Ace anyway. He nods and that’s enough for them. “How long have you actually been feeling like this?” It’s not an important, necessary question, rather it’s a pretty invasive, probing question on Aec’s part. The thought of retracting their words comes too late and Ace is answering before Aec can say he doesn’t have to. Ace adverts his eyes to the floor, turning his head away. “A few months now, I think. It—it didn’t really sink in at first.” He chuckles wryly. “In fact, I was building the guts to talk to you about it. I was finally reaching a point where I thought maybe it was okay to feel like this but almost immediately after, I was reminded of the reason why I was struggling so much and why it’s wrong and I just couldn't handle it.” Ace flicks his eyes over to Aec warily, shamefully. “Or you.” Aec nods stonfeully. All the questions they had harboured all this time have finally been answered, some without them even asking outright. They thought once they knew why Ace was avoiding them, they’d feel better, but now that they’re here, Aec doesn’t feel as good as they thought they would. Maybe it’s because they’ve essentially been rejected? Ace did reject them right? “Where does this leave us then?” Aec asks, hiding the uncertainty and anxiety they’re feeling. Ace’s answer will make or break their relationship after all and from where Aec is standing, the odds aren’t in their favour. Ace fidgets, chewing his lip almost viciously. His eyes dart around the room frantically

The dress looks okay if not a bit ugly. The colours are purple, blue and salmon, not a good mix. “No, I’ll look so foolish. I’ll stand out too,” Ace complained, turning to Aec with an anguished expression.

Aec merely bent down and grabbed the dress by the hanger and turned to Ace. They held the garment up to Ace and evaluated how well it’ll fit him while Ace made noises of protest. “Oh, hush, love,” they chided their whining boyfriend before setting the dress back down, now leaving it crumpled and folded on the bed. “You know you have to wear this and there’s no getting out of it.” Ace conceded with a slump of his shoulders and sat on the bed with a heavy plop. He dipped into the mattress before bouncing lightly. Aec shook their head at how Ace was acting. It was his own fault that he had to wear a dress. He messed up and ate Aec’s cake and to make it up to Aec, Ace pledged that he would do anything (within reason) that Aec asked of him. So, they are asking him to wear a dress to their next date and Ace can’t say no. Ace lied down on the bed and spread his arms out. He heaved a heavy sigh as Aec moved around the bed to the door. “You just stay here and pout then, I’m going to go and watch TV.” It was a harsh farewell, something normal for Aec. It didn’t help that they were unimpressed with their boyfriend’s attitude though. Ace lifted his head and watched as Aec walked out briskly with their hands in their hoodie pocket. As soon as they were gone, Ace felt cold, all alone in the bedroom. He rolled his head to the side and glared at the dress beside him. He resented the clothing with all he could. It was ugly and embarrassing and he was going to look so stupid on their date. People were going to laugh and stare at him, maybe even take pictures when he’s not looking. “God, why are they such an evil jerk sometimes?” Ace pondered to himself about his enbyfriend. Ace hauled himself up on the bed and got to his feet. There was no pleading with Aec, the dress was happening, but Ace was still going to give them a piece of his mind, or at least get an explanation as to why this was the price for the cake. Or something. Some sort of emotional closure. Ace left the bedroom in a huff and stomped into the living room where he heard the TV on, playing whatever episode of Bleach Aec was watching. “Love! We’re not done talking about this!” Ace announced with a shout. The TV paused. Ace stomped in front of it and faced Aec, who was lounging in their seat on the couch. They were slouched back into the cushions with their hand resting on their stomach lazily, the other putting the remote down before going to their stomach.

“Yes, we are. You’re wearing that and we’re going to go and eat dinner and have a walk through the park, then we’re coming home, end of discussion. If you didn’t want this, you shouldn’t have eaten my cake and then tried to hide it from me.” The icy tone to their voice made Ace shiver and want to step down from his position and just accept everything, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t just let Aec embarrass them like this in public for something so trivial like a slice of cake being eaten.

Though, Ace knew that even though it was trivial to him, it wasn’t to Aec.

That was the thing with Aec, they were mature, yes, but even mature people have their childish moments, and for Aec, this was that. They couldn’t just forgive and forget like people expect them to. They held grudges and got even with people, it wasn’t a nice trait for Aec, but they didn’t try to work on it.

Ace clenched his hands into tight fists and stuck them in his pockets and held his ground.

“Love, I apologized and I said I would get you some cake to make up for it. You don’t need to publicly humiliate me like this because you’re mad at me. Why are you doing this?” Ace stepped toward Aec with a pleading expression.

Even with how well these two knew each other, it wasn’t like they could read each other’s minds. Sometimes, what Aec did made no sense to Ace.

Aec let out an annoyed sigh and pushed themself forward, no longer reclining into the couch.

“I don’t like it when you lie to me, it bothers me and I hate it when you eat my desserts without asking, and I want to make sure you’ve learned your lesson. So, I’ve gotten you a dress, something I know you despise wearing, and I want you to wear it for me,” they said with a low, commanding tone, so sure of what they were saying.

The large, cat-fur covered black hoodie, messy long hair in a low ponytail, and sweats riding up unevenly on their legs gave such a different effect in comparison to their voice, their hard-set gaze and harsh posture all just screaming power and confidence. Aec attracted Ace and made him fall for them every time he saw them like this, so sure of themself and confident and uncaring of their shabby appearance because they knew how amazing they always looked. Ace had to take a deep breath, locked in place by Aec’s harsh gaze. He forgot his train of thought, he forgot what he was going to say to convince Aec not to make him do this.

Aec could see their boyfriend had lost what he was going to say, they let out a sigh before standing up with lazy effort. “How about this, because I do still want to enjoy our evening together and don’t want to hear you complaining for the entirety of it, we don’t have to go for a walk after dinner. We can eat then go home, and to make it better, we’ll drive, we won’t take transit. Okay? Because I am not letting you out of this, but I don’t want you to hate me by the end of it and if anyone says anything, you know I’ll deal with them.” The compromise was not at all what Ace had in mind, though he couldn’t quite remember what it was he did have in mind. The gentleness in Aec’s voice just made him swoon, made him accept everything the other had said without a second thought and he found himself nodding along like a fool.

Aec stepped forward, reaching out a hand and caressing Ace’s jaw before moving to tousle Ace’s spiky, messy hair affectionately. Aec was a full head taller than Ace and the height difference always smacked Ace in the face whenever they stood so close to each other like this and he had to look up to see his enbyfriend. Ace lifted his head and saw that Aec was smiling fondly down at him. It made his heart jump and he felt heat in his face, suddenly feeling small in Aec’s presence. He looked away quickly, now sporting a very childish pout to his lips. “Why are you smiling like that?” he asked in a mutter, not really asking Aec why they were smiling so fondly at him when the two of them were supposed to be mad at each other. Aec didn’t reply right away, instead, they just stared at Ace before they leaned back and shrugged casually. “You’re just adorable. Especially when you’re mad.”

How dare they? Ace frowned even more, though it had no real malice. He stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from crossing his arms like a child. “Oh, shut up,” Ace said before he stepped away, going and sitting on the chair with his arms now crossed and out of his pocket. “Your complimenting privileges have been revoked. You’re not allowed to call me cute until I say you can,” Ace told his enbyfriend quite childishly. He was a lot more expressive in his lack of maturity than Aec but it wasn’t like he was like this all the time, just when he was mad but it wasn’t the explosive sort of anger an adult experiences, more petty anger that makes you want to cross your arms and ignore everyone until you’ve let go whatever pissed you off. Aec laughed a gentle, bemused chuckle at their boyfriend, “whatever you say, Love.” They moved and sat back on the couch where they had previously sat. Aec unpaused the TV and Bleach began to play. Ace didn’t want to watch it, didn’t want to act like everything was fine between the two of them, so he pulled out his phone and began to play on that instead, ignoring both the anime and person next to him as best as he could. Due to messing around on his phone, Ace periodically kept on checking the time. Their reservation for dinner was in two hours and Ace was positive it would take him a good long time to get ready because he had to do makeup and stuff to look less like a drag queen and more like a regular queen. If he can hide that he’s actually a guy in a dress, then there will be fewer whispers, fewer stares, and fewer opportunities for a bad time. “We should start getting ready. I’ll need help with my hair and makeup.” Ace didn’t sound enthused at all, getting up from the chair with apathetic movements.

He didn’t wait for Aec to get up and walked back into the bedroom where he found the dress laid on the bed still crumpled like how Aec had left it.

He frowned at the thing before he sat down on the bed as far away from the dress as possible, which wasn’t very far. Ace knew nothing of makeup or how to put a dress on properly and was going to need Aec’s help because they knew a lot about both ends of the spectrum for clothes and makeup. A moment later, Aec was entering the bedroom with a confident but lazy saunter. | “Have you showered yet?” Aec asked as they moved over to the dresser where on top was a makeup box that Ace never really paid attention to. “No.” “Then go shower.” “Okay, okay, I’m going,” Ace got up from the bed in a hurry and walked over to the joint bathroom. It was nice that they were able to find a place that had two washrooms, one in the main bedroom and one in the hall and it was even nicer that both had a tub and showerhead. Though Ace figured even if there was only one shower, the two of them would’ve made due either taking turns showering or showering together. After a quick, cleansing shower, Ace stepped out and walked back into the bedroom with a towel around his waist.

Inside, Aec was sitting on the bed with their makeup box seated beside them, open with various things spewed about the bed. “Good, you’re clean. Are you dry?” Aec distractedly addressed Ace while they messed around with some makeup brushes. Ace stalled for a moment. “Uh, do I have to be dry?” he asked, clutching the towel at his waist hesitantly.

Aec lifted their gaze to their boyfriend and gave him a very unimpressed look. “Yes,” they said like it was obvious, though, in retrospect, it was.

Ace nodded and turned back to the bathroom, going back in and grabbing a clean towel. He dried off his face first, figuring most of the makeup would be going there. Then, he did the rest of his body. His hair would have to be blow-dried through. Ace dropped the towel on the ground, deciding he would deal with it later, and readjusted the damp towel around his waist before he reemerged back into the bedroom for a second time. “Alright, I’ve done the best I could,” he announced, “what do I do next?”

“Now, you put something on, please. Then, get over here, I’m going to dry your hair so it doesn’t get in the way.” While Ace moved to the dresser, Aec got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom and there was a thump before Aec was back with the hairdryer in their hands. Ace threw on some boxers before he watched Aec to see where they were going. Aec went and plugged the hair dryer into the power bar on the floor by the right side of the bed. They sat down on the bed and beckoned Ace over. “I’ll dry your hair for you.” It wasn’t an offer, it was an order for him to get over there and sit down and stay still. Which, Ace followed promptly, hurrying to Aec and sitting down on the floor between their legs.

It wasn’t routine for Aec to blow dry Ace’s hair like this, but they’ve done it enough that it just worked best when Ace sat on the floor like this. “Here I go.” The air was brisk at first, startling Ace for a moment. His wet bangs were being blown right into his face and round and it was annoying having his hair in his eyes but he knew there was nothing he could do except resign himself to his fate. This would only take a few minutes, then he was bound for something worse, makeup.

— “God, I hate this, I hate all of this.” Ace resisted the urge to punch his reflection in the mirror opposite of him hanging unsuspectingly on the wall. “I think you look beautiful,” Aec’s condescending voice was grating to Ace’s ears. He didn’t want to hear it. Ace turned his head to the doorway and was shocked by what he saw. There, in plain sight, was Aec in a tux. Their hair in a low but neat ponytail, bangs cascading down the left of their face like usual. There was no bowtie around Aec’s neck, instead, the top two buttons were undone, giving the slightest hint to pale skin. There was no vest, just the shirt and a two-button jacket, which was done up neatly. The whole thing hugged Aec’s body in a flatteringly androgynous way. Ace must’ve been staring too hard because Aec rolled their eyes before stepping closer. “Stop gawking, you look stupid,” came Aec’s harsh statement while they focused in the mirror, ruffling their bangs accordingly. Ace blinked, jumpstarting his brain to give a retort, but nothing came to mind. “Well . . . you – you look . . . you look . . .” Ace’s words were jumbled and slow. He swallowed thickly and frowned. “You’re not allowed to go out looking like that, not while I look like this.”

It was not fair at all for Aec to go out tonight looking absolutely dashingly while he looked so humiliating. “Don’t be ridiculous. You look fine. The makeup is helping, trust me. And remember, I promised you if anyone says or does anything, I’ll handle them.” They were really doing this. They were really going to go on a date looking like this. Ace threw himself another glance in the mirror, taking in the added details to his appearance. His skin was “clear” though it was just foundation and other makeup stuff that Ace didn't know the names of. His lips were a glossy and flattering shade of pink, bringing out the natural plumpness of his bottom lip. His eyes were painted in muted eye shadows, going with the entire colour scheme of his pink, purple, and blue appearance.

Aec had somehow softened his jawline and cheekbones, giving him a more feminine look to his already soft face. He did look a lot better than before. Ace heaved a heavy sigh before nodding, tearing his gaze away from the mirror. “Fine, you’re right. Let’s just get this over with before we’re late.” He walked out of the bedroom and over to the front door. Slipping on his black high top converse, Ace was distracted by the reminder that he was wearing skin-tone stockings. He only agreed to wear them because he refused to shave his legs and didn’t want to wear such a short dress with hairy legs. The stockings felt weird, especially the sock part. Ace was grumbling about them immediately. Aec was by his side in seconds, putting on identical but bigger shoes. “Do you have everything?” they asked.

It was a stupid question, only succeeding in making Ace glare at his partner.

“I. Have. No. Pockets.”

Aec nodded immediately, understanding Ace’s predicament. “Right. Do you want a little bag to carry your things?”

“Don’t you mean purse? And no, I do not. The dress is bad enough. I do not want to carry around a clutch bag all evening on top of it. Can you just carry my phone and wallet and I’ll leave my keys here?” It seemed like the least Aec could do for him was to carry his things for him. Aec hummed softly before they nodded. “Sure thing, Love.” Ace quickly rushed through the apartment with his shoes on and ran back to the bedroom, grabbing his discarded phone from the bed and swiped his wallet from the dresser before he ran back. The handoff was quick and soon enough, Aec had two phones and two wallets and one set of keys in their large pockets with some room to spare. It felt awkward.

It was truly unfair that most feminine clothing did not have functional pockets like men’s clothing usually did, Ace thought bitterly.

The couple grabbed their respective motorcycle helmets from the coat rack. Both had slick, black helmets that covered their entire heads and faces completely. The only difference was Aec’s had a subtle, small white stripe along the bottom to tell the difference without having to put their names on the helmets.

Aec opened the door and let Ace walk out first before following. They swiftly locked the door and the two of them headed down the hallway to the elevator. Each step grew heavier than the last and Ace wasn’t sure he would be able to handle the ride down the lift without throwing up. Inside the safety of the apartment, the reality of going in public like this was daunting but almost surreal, but now that he was outside, the reality set in painfully and immediately Ace was on edge, his stomach twisting in aching knots. Was tonight really going to be fine like Aec said? As soon as they were ten steps away from their door, Ace reached out and clutched Aec’s hand tightly.

“Aeson, I – I don’t know if I can do this.”

Ace was surprised with himself. He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so pleading and desperate, though it was accurate to how he was feeling. Aec stopped, squeezing Ace’s hand tightly. “You can do this and if you really can’t, then we’ll go home.” That was also surprising. All afternoon, Aec made it sound like they weren’t budging on their position in this. The soothing confidence that Aec carried with each word did well to settle a few of Ace’s nerves. He wasn’t surprised that Aec would be so comforting, they were naturally like this when pushing Ace out of his comfort zone. For a moment, this didn’t feel like a punishment anymore, the revenge forgotten just for a moment and it was just the two of them going on a date in clothes they don’t normally wear. Ace took a few deep breaths before nodding hasty and resumed the treacherous walk to the elevator. The elevator ride itself was proven easier than Ace anticipated. Fortunately, there wasn’t anyone in the elevator and the ride itself was smooth so it didn’t trigger Ace’s motion sickness. He still felt sick with nerves though. The walk through the underground parkade was also easier than Ace thought it would be. It must’ve been either before the dinner rush hour or just after, because there was no one in sight, no families either leaving or coming home from a nice dinner, nothing. The two reached Aec’s motorcycle without conflict and they were seated and ready to go in record time. “Holding on tight, Love?” Aec asked, looking over their shoulder with the visor on their helmet lifted to see Ace. Ace, his black visor down and covering his face, nodded. His arms were wrapped around Aec’s waist tightly, his hands entwined and resting on Aec’s abdomen. “Good,” Aec flicked down their visor and started the vehicle before pulling out of the parkade skillfully.

Silas’ armour weighed him down even more than anyone else in the party, making each step harder than the last. The party walked along the dirt path leading back to the nearest town, heads hung low. They looked like a pack of zombies with their groaning and moaning accompanying their trudging stride.

After an hour of walking down the mountain, the party came across a farmer and his horse-drawn wagon full of wheat. They were able to hitch a ride back to town, making the journey significantly easier for the party despite the bumpy road they traversed along only aiding the aches in everyone’s bones along the way.

No one spoke. All four tired adventurers merely slumped against each other onto the large haystack behind them, closing their eyes and trying to fall into some much needed sleep before the ride was over and they would have to go back to walking until they found an inn to stay at. When the farmer reached the town, he leashed his horses to a nearby post and walked to the back of the wagon to see how his passengers were doing. The party was fast asleep. “Hey there, kids! We’re here.” The farmer slapped the side of the wagon, waking the party up with a violent jolt. Sylvie and Ace looked around blearily while Silas and Aec stretched their arms. They all hopped off yawning and groaning. Sylvie faced the farmer. With a grateful smile, he stretched his arms, “thank you, sir, for the ride. What do we owe you?” The farmer chuckled, “nothing, my dear boy. It’s thanks to young adventurers like you four that our lands are safer. It was my pleasure to help you. Good day, and get some rest. It looks like y’all need it.” The farmer waved them off as the party all nodded and walked off with slow strides, still waking up from their naps. It wasn’t hard to find an inn. It was even easier to find an inn that provided food and drinks. Aec and Silas were very happy about that. They were definitely going to be drinking later on after they’d settled in their room and rested for a bit. At the top of the stairs and down the hall was the party’s room. Dragging themselves up the rickety staircase, the party eagerly awaited the beds they’d just paid for. The four walked the remaining few metres before finally reaching their door with a renewed sense of vigour. Sylvie, who had the key, let everyone in. The room wasn’t overly cramped despite having two twin beds and a dresser. But it was about to be with four occupants. “We’ll take the bed by the window,” Ace announced, walking to the end of the room and to said bed, Aec following behind him. The two sat down on either side of the bed, back to back and started undressing their outer layers to get comfortable. “Okay,” Sylvie replied, closing the door and stepping over to his bed with Silas. Silas sat down on the bed, his armour noisily clashing together with each bend. He let out a long, grateful sigh now that he was off of his feet. Slowly, but surely, Silas then stripped of his outer armour. He had Sylvie help with the places where he couldn’t reach. It was a slow process but Silas was glad in the end anyway when he was finally in his gambeson. “Thanks,” Silas yawned, leaning against Sylvie on the bed. “No problem.” Sylvie patted Silas’s thigh before getting up.

“Who’s staying in, who’s going for drinks?” Sylvie addressed the room. He personally wasn’t as physically exhausted as Silas and Aec for he fought with magic instead of brute strength and didn’t move as much as they did when fighting monsters. That didn’t mean he wasn’t mentally drained though. Magic takes a lot out of a person when used in excess. The Aces were laying together on their bed, Ace holding Aec and chanting under his breath. He was casting relief spells on Aec with the little mana he had left from the reprieve the wagon ride provided. It was no wonder why Ace was doing as such, he wanted to ease Aec’s aches and pains after they had been running and jumping and hacking away at the enemies in the dungeon today. Their bones and muscles were definitely sore and would be for a few days. Sylvie couldn’t help but smile at how sweet the scene was. He felt a bit bitter at the fact he couldn’t do the same for Silas because he wasn’t a healer, not like Ace and his skill. Sylvie knew basic healing magic but it only worked for visible wounds, not aching bones like he was sure Silas had since Ace had healed everyone of their lacerations before they left the dungeon. “I could drink. I just need like a minute before I start moving again,” Silas replied with a long sigh while he laid down on the bed, stretching his arms above his head and pushing his head into the pillows. Sylvie nodded with a fond smile at the sigh of his partner. Aec also reacted, raising their arm in the air, saying aye before lowering it.

Ace finished his hushed chanting before lifting his head, “I’ll join too. A drink sounds nice.” It was decided, the four of them would go for a drink and some dinner later on in the evening. “Perfect, I’ll go cash in our loot and notify the guild we’re finished today’s mission.” Sylvie, as the leader, was always the one to handle such business.

So, Sylvie dragged the sack of loot across the floor. He hauled it over his shoulder at the door and headed out of the room.

Aec turned their head and snuggled into Ace’s chest, wanting to fall asleep and never wake up.

It was amusing to Ace and he resumed petting Aec’s hair down gently while the three of them waited for their leader to return, no longer chanting this time. His mana was almost all used up and he needed to rest and let it build up again. In the silent room of tired warriors you could hear much more clearly now the rowdyness downstairs in the tavern being made by other patrons all drinking and being merry with friends and family. “Sounds fun,” Silas commented after a moment of listening. He didn’t sound excited or particularly interested though that was because of how tired he was. The more he waited for Sylvie to return the more he wondered if he really wanted to go and drink or he just wanted to stay in for the night. Aec twisted their face out of the sanctuary that was Ace’s chest and looked over at Silas. “Super fun,” they replied deadpanned, earning a quiet chuckle from Silas that turned into a stifled yawn. Ace rolled his eyes at the two, amused by their somewhat cynical humour. “Neither of you sound very enthused about going for a drink,” Ace commented as he stroked his fingers through Aec’s hair, hitting a snag before gently brushing it apart.

“Just exhausted. How do you seem so energetic?” Silas inquired, turning his head to look at the Aces. Ace shrugged at Silas’ question. “Not sure. Guess I’m just not as physically drained as you guys. That isn’t to say I’m not mentally drained. My mana is practically gone.” Ace brought his free hand to his forehead, feeling it lightly as the beginnings of a familiar throb began to sprout. Silas whistled, turning his head upright and gazed at the ceiling. “Sounds rough. Bet you could order an elixir downstairs instead of ale? Before the headaches kick in?” Silas was well aware of the side effects one would experience when they’re low on mana, it happens to both Sylvie and Ace a lot and neither hid it when they were depleted. It would then turn into Silas and Aec nursing their magical partners back to health afterwards. Ace nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Bet Sylvie should as well. He was going crazy earlier today, I’m shocked he’s still able to move even now.” There was a hint of concern in Ace’s voice. It was possible that Sylvie was hiding how affected he was by today’s treacherous battles. “I’m sure he’s fine. Sylvie’s not one to hide that sort of thing from us, plus he has more mana than the three of us combined.” Silas didn’t doubt Sylvie and his strength for a minute, knowing if there was something wrong, like a headache, that Sylvie would come to him, complaining like a child begging for help and Silas wouldn’t hesitate to comply Before Ace could reply, the door swung open and the topic at hand strolled in heartily, an empty sack swung over his shoulder. “Speak of the devil. How’d it go?” Ace perked up, addressing their leader. Sylvie shot him a prideful grin and a peace sign. “We’re loaded, lads.” Immediately all three bedridden adventurers were invigorated with life, each sitting up in their respective beds with shared expressions of excitement. “Hell yeah! I knew today was gonna be lucrative.” Silas reached his hand out, beckoning Sylvie over who didn’t think twice before closing the door and rushing right over to Silas’s awaiting embrace.

The Aces exchanged very pleased looks with each other, nodding in a very satisfied manner. A beat of silence fell over the room as the four basked in their newly acquired wealth. It was Ace who broke the silence. “It’s thanks to you two, though, Silas, Aec. Without the two of you being our offence, we would never have succeeded today.” Ace leaned down and kissed Aec’s cheek, the fondest, most loving smile on his face. Sylvie couldn’t help but agree. If it wasn’t for Silas and Aec’s offensive skills, their party would not be nearly as strong as it is. Sure they’re not a completely balanced unit, but they cover each other’s weak spots pretty well thanks to Aec and Silas.

“I suppose we get a drink to celebrate today then,” Sylvie suggested with a smug grin, getting up from the bed which earned a little whine from Silas who had just gotten comfortable with Sylvie in his arms. Ace also got up from the bed, leaving Aec cold and lonely in the bed but they didn’t react. “Let’s,” he replied to Sylvie, joining the blond’s side immediately. The two more energetic party members left the room arms linked, leaving their partners behind to join them when they’re ready.

Ace and Sylvie made their way down to the tavern and got a table. The surrounding patrons were varying in appearance from small and forgettable to strong and memorable. Ace shrunk in his seat a little as he surveyed the room. “Sure are a lot of adventurer types in here, huh?” he commented, hiding his face with his hand, social anxiety kicking in. Ace is fearless when it comes to monsters, fighting them, or anything that has to do with them, but when it comes to people, Ace is nothing more than a meek mouse. “Yeah, no one recognizable though,” Sylvie assessed, doing his own little survey without the nerves. That did little to ease Ace’s anxiety but it wasn’t ineffective. It was comforting to think that if they didn’t recognize anyone in here, no one would recognize them and bother them, gossip about them, spread rumours, nothing. Sylvie hailed down a bar wench to get drinks and dinner. “When do you think the others will join us?” Ace asked, changing the subject to distract himself. “Probably pretty soon, they wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to drink after a day like today.” Sylvie was right, Aec and Silas were the heavier drinkers of the party and would not pass up a chance to knock a few back. No matter how roughed up they were. The bar wench came and went with their orders before Aec and Silas arrived, Ace and Sylvie had passed the time with idle chat. Silas found Sylvie and Ace first and directed himself and Aec over to them. They sat down next to their respective partners before immediately slumping their shoulders and resting their foreheads on the cold tabletop. “Good evening to you two, feel a little better?” Ace asked, already patting the back of Aec’s head comfortingly. “Yeah, more awake, and definitely more inclined to drink now, did you two order yet?” Silas asked with a yawn, lifting his head finally from the table.

“Yeah, we ordered dinner for you two as well,” Sylvie notified Silas, noticing in the corner of his eye an adventurer not far from their table glaring at their table. There wasn’t anything memorable or recognizable about the adventurer. He was scarred and muscled but no more scary looking than a measly boar. Sylvie didn’t say anything to his friends, ignoring the adventurer in favour of enjoying the evening with them. Their dinners arrived shortly after Silas and Aec joined the table and the wench was a lot less confused about four dinners being ordered after seeing them. Drinks were ordered and meals were eaten. As Aec and Silas were revived by the ale, Sylvie noticed the adventurer from earlier hadn’t stopped staring for most of the evening. It was unnerving but as he didn’t come over to start anything, Sylvie left it alone.

With three orders of drinks downed, Aec, the quietest and arguably most intimidating of the party, was letting loose now, letting themself be known to the rest of the establishment without being a nuisance, speaking their mind a bit more freely, being less tightlipped under influence. They were all over Ace, arms draped over the cleric’s shoulders, spouting about how amazing Ace is, how they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his magic. In between each compliment was a sloppy peck to the cheek or forehead while Sylvie and Silas laughed. Needless to say, Ace was embarrassed and beet red but he didn’t push his love away because that would be more trouble than just letting Aec be clingy and talk him up.

“Ugh, this makes me regret getting only one room. Please tell me you two aren’t gonna . . . you know?” Silas asked, grimacing at Aec’s behaviour.

Ace immediately began to shake his head, even more, embarrassed now if that was possible. “Oh no, no, no! No! It’s to bed for us, I promise!” “Good.” Silas didn’t press the matter after Ace’s clear discomfort with the topic.

Aec, hiccupping a little, pointed at Silas accusingly. “Neither are you two allowed to either,” they grimaced before dropping their arm and reclusing back to Ace’s side for support. Ace patted down their hair gently. Off to the side, Sylvie noticed the adventurer was now getting up from his table. Maybe he was finally leaving and Sylvie could relax. Sylvie kept a close eye on the brute as he walked. To Sylvie’s no surprise at all, the burly, angry-looking adventurer headed their way.

In moments he was at the party’s table, glowering accusingly at Aec. He took an intimidating stance, towering over the table.

Sylvie, who had made note of him earlier, looked up at the man, keeping a neutral expression. “Can we help you sir?” he asked, unable to keep any snobbiness out of his tone. With Ace being the only other sober person at the table, he knew to keep quiet and let Sylvie deal with whatever this could be. Though he doubted Silas and Aec had the same train of thought. Silas immediately leaned across the table, staring the brute down with drunken confidence. Aec ignored him in favour of finishing the last sip of their drink before grabbing another cup they’d had at the ready.

“Yeah, what the fuck do ya want?” Silas added to Sylvie’s question, with no regard for keeping the peace. The broad, angry-looking adventurer with scars across his face leaned down a bit, narrowing his gaze on Aec. He completely ignored both Silas and Sylvie’s questions. “You’re Aeson, the rogue thief, aren't cha?” he asked, barely biting back a snarl.

Aec, intoxicated beyond belief, didn’t make a move to look at or respond to the brute.

This angered the man. He brought down his fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle a bit. “Hey! I’m talking to you, asshole!” he growled, growing more hostile by the second. Ace shook when the table did, lowering his head, feeling terrified. What did this guy want with Aec?

Nothing good, that was for sure. Silas and Sylvie narrowed their gazes at the adventurers, not happy with the brute’s behaviour. “Look man, I don’t know what you want with our friend, but we’re trying to have a nice dinner after a very long day, so if you could leave us alone, that would be great.” Sylvie kept his tone as polite as possible, which was growing difficult. It was clear this guy was very aggressive and probably had a few over the course of the night, and Sylvie didn’t want to unnecessarily set him off anymore and cause a fight. Scar-Face finally turned to Sylvie, as if only acknowledging him now. “Shut up and stay out of this. I just want the thief,” he declared, almost spitting on Sylvie. “They’re not a thief.” It was so quiet that it almost went unheard, but only almost.

Everyone turned their attention on Ace, the one who’d spoken up meekly. “What’d you just say, cleric?” Scar-Face spat at Ace. It was clear he thought that Ace’s class was lower than his own, weaker. Ace lifted his gaze from his dinner plate and looked Scar-Face in the eye, though terrified, and glared as hard as he could. “I said: they’re not a thief.” Ace clenched his hands under the table, feeling sweat build-up, sticking his shirt to the back of his chair. Scar-Face leaned in real close to Ace, glaring even harder back. It took everything Ace had not to back down in fear. Scar-Face was bigger than him and way stronger than him. Challenging him like this was an incredibly stupid idea but Ace couldn’t stand listening to this scary nobody insulting his partner. A shuffle of movement and the sound of a mug hitting the table at Ace’s side and suddenly, Aec was paying attention to what was going on. “Get any closer to him and you’ll regret it,” Aec threatened coolly. Their tone was relaxed, no sign of intoxication, yet their words were as sharp as any knife they held. Scar-Face didn’t back off, but he didn’t move to get anymore in Ace’s face. Surprisingly, he was thinking his options through. Ace didn’t move either. He was paralyzed with fright but didn’t want to appear weak in front of Scar-Face. A moment went by.

Then two.

No one said anything, locked in an intense staredown with each other. “Move away from him,” Aec suddenly ordered Scar-Face, their voice as steady as before but now a hint of anger was being restrained.

Scar-Face didn’t move for a second, only quickly flicking his gaze onto Aec, who returned the gesture with a cold glare that showed Aec’s patience was wearing incredibly thin.

Scar-Face finally straightened up, moving away from Ace. He looked down at the table with a nasty scowl, the maliciousness enhanced by his ugly appearance. At last, Ace felt he could breathe again. He immediately slumped in his seat and inched closer to Aec, their shoulders bumping gently. “Good to see you’re not as stupid as you look,” Aec smirked at their cup, knowing full well that they were antagonizing Scar-Face. They just couldn’t stop themself, they were drunk and this guy upset Ace as well as Silas and Sylvie, of course, they won’t hold back. “What’d you just say, thief?!”

Aec turned to Scar-Face, their signature shit-eating smirk on their face. “Deaf? Or was I wrong and you really are just as stupid as you look?”

“That’s it!” Scar-Face reached over Ace and grabbed Aec’s collar, effectively dragging them out of their seat and to their feet.

Ace immediately ducked down under Scar-Face’s arm, instinctively shrinking in on himself to be less of an obstacle.

On the other side of the table, both Silas and Sylvie jumped out of their seats, reacting to Scar-Face’s aggressive movements. Aec, unfazed by Scar-Face’s actions, looked up at their opponent with a bored expression that did well to hide any hint of alcohol or anger underneath.

“Gonna hit me or just gawk at me like an idiot?” “Stop calling me stupid!” Scar-Face growled, winding back his fist, following through with a crisp punch to Aec’s jaw, knocking the rogue to the floor. “Hey!” both Silas and Sylvie exclaimed, stepping around the table with their fists raised.

By now, the party had caught the attention of the other patrons and the whole floor went quiet in anticipation.

From the floor, Aec sat up and held their jaw. They didn’t groan, didn’t make a sound. They held up their hand, stopping Silas and Sylvie from advancing, effectively telling them both that they had this. Aec got to their feet and cracked their knuckles, stepping around Ace’s chair and in front of Scar-Face. “It’s on now, buddy.”

— “Ow, ow, ow! Stop!” “Well, if you stopped squirming, it wouldn’t hurt, now stop moving.”

Aec punches Silas’ shoulder lightly. Silas lets out a weak, fake groan immediately, cradling his shoulder. “Owie, you meanie,” he whines.

Aec rolls their eyes at their friend, knowing he’s fine. They both take a breath once the moment’s passed and they’ve shared the typical small laugh and resume staring at their mutual friend.

Silas doesn’t understand what it is that Aec sees in Ace. The boy’s a fool, an utter fool.

“I mean, I guess he’s cute, in a weird, nerdy way. If you’re into short, emotional smart-asses.” Silas considers Ace one of his best friends along with Aec, but that doesn’t mean Ace is his type at all.

Next to Silas, Aec scoffs, “Isn’t your boyfriend a short, emotional smart-ass?”

Immediately, Silas is thinking of his boyfriend and how short he is, how emotional he gets, and how smart he is. He’s stuttering a retort right after. “Sylvie’s . . . Sylvie’s . . . different . . .” Silas started to say, stumbling over his thoughts. Aec nods smugly. “Riiiight, different,” they drawl, only succeeding in making Silas annoyed at them.

“Because I thought,” Aec continues, “that Sylvie was pretty short, pretty emotional, and very much a smart-ass about everything.”

“Shut up.” Silas wants to cross his arms, but he knows he’ll only look childish. Aec only chuckles in response before they resume gazing at their energetic fool across the room.

Ace, across the room, has now quieted his explosive movements. You can still hear him all the way across the living room, but it’s less obtrusive and eye-catching than before.

The two friends sit and watch their friend for another minute before Silas can’t take it anymore. “Just, tell me, what is it about him that you’re so drawn to? Because I really can’t see it.” Silas motions at Ace with a harsh wave of his hand. Ace doesn’t take notice, still cooped up in his own world across the living room.

Aec shrugs after a moment of contemplation. They can’t put it simply for Silas to understand just what it is that they see in their childhood best friend. “I don’t know.” Silas gives a look of dismay at Aec’s words. “What?! How can you not know what it is that you like about him?! It has to be something!” Silas takes Aec by the shoulders, twisting to face his friend. He shakes them violently for a moment as if that would snap some sort of epiphany onto Aec about their feelings for Ace. Aec lets Silas manhandle them for a few seconds before they shove Silas’ hands off of them gently. “I don’t know what it is exactly. Okay? It could be because of how stupidly happy he gets when he comes across something cool on Instagram or Tumblr. Or it could be how he always holds doors open for people when we’re out, even if the people are too far away, he waits for them patiently with this polite smile that suits him so perfectly. Or maybe it’s because he’s so smart and almost always has an answer for a question I have and he has no problems showing off his intellect to people yet he’s still full of insecurities and no self-esteem so he makes up for it with faux confidence that isn’t really there. Or – or maybe I fell for him because he’s inherently kind where I am rude and he’s calm where I’m freaking out, and he solves the problems I can’t. Maybe I love him because whatever I lack he has an abundance of and where I have my faults, his strengths keep me together. He’s warm when I’m cold and I look at him and I just . . . it’s like when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes–” Aec stops when they realize they’re rambling, saying too much.

They drop their head and lace their hands together on their lap. Aec stares at their entwined fingers intently while their face reddens a bit just under their eyes. It’s embarrassing how much they have to say about their best friend. Silas is definitely going to tease them now. They squeeze their eyes shut, pulse now racing in their ears while they wait for the inevitable remarks from their friend. “Whoa,” is all Silas can say, as Aec’s rambled but clear confessions put him into a stupor. He shakes it off and places a gentle hand on Aec’s right shoulder. The words of surprise and the friendly contact startle Aec into looking back at Silas. They find their friend is smiling fondly at them. “Wha–” Aec starts to ask when Silas interrupts them with: “that’s a lot, dude, that you clearly needed to get off your chest. I’m guessing you haven’t told Resident Dumbass over there how you feel yet?” Aec shakes their head regrettably at Silas’s question while their whole system calms down. Their pulse goes from deafening all over back to quiet and steady. They have not yet confessed how they feel towards their best friend just yet. Silas removes his hand from Aec’s shoulder and turns towards the subject of their conversation. It appears that now Ace has finally gotten all that raw excitement out of his system and has calmed down fully. Silas gazes at his friend with a new perspective about him. This time, instead of seeing an immature smartass like before, Silas sees a young man who wears his heart on his sleeve, too trusting and kind for the hardships society will throw at him. He sees an earnest and smart man who will give more to the world than he’ll take.

Silas looks at his friend and he sees more than just surface.

He remembers all the times Ace was there for him and everyone else, every time they were out and he did in fact hold doors open for strangers even when it inconvenienced him.

How every time someone bumped into him, he would apologize instead, and how he always said thank you.

How every message or email was worded so formally and properly with seldom any mistakes.

Aec is right to fall for this person. Sure, Ace wasn’t perfect, everyone has flaws, but Ace’s strengths outshone his weaknesses. It’s only when Ace looks Silas in the eye when Silas realizes he’s been staring, deep in thought. Ace, now noticing his two friends, strides over contently. “Hey guys, what’s going on over here?”

Ace asks, taking a seat next to Aec, filling out the rest of the couch. Aec immediately reacts to their crush’s presence and twists, facing them.

“Nothing really, we’re just brainstorming ideas for Silas on how he’ll plan his and Sylvie’s next anniversary. It’s coming up, right Silas?” The tone of Aec’s voice when they address Silas with their smoothly concocted lie tells Silas to play along, so he does. He won’t bring up Aec’s feeling like a jackass. When Aec wants to confess, they’ll confess, Silas isn’t going to take that from his friend. “That’s right. One year, it’s right around the corner.” Ace smiles brightly at the news, believing every word that’s fed to him. “Wow! That’s amazing! Congrats, man.” Silas doesn’t feel guilty for lying to his friend and he’s sure Aec doesn’t feel guilty either. With Ace now focused on his friends instead of whatever piqued his excitement, Silas figures he should get going. He’s been here long enough and Sylvie will be off the clock soon. Silas yawns, stretching his arms higher above his head than needed and gets up. “Well, I should get going. Sylvie will be getting home soon and I wanna make dinner before he gets there because he’ll definitely be stressed.” The excuse is true so Silas doesn’t feel like he lied at all. Aec gets up too. “I’ll walk you out,” they say, their tone leaving no room for negotiating. Silas nods, accepting the offer without complaint because of it. They both walk to the front door of the apartment. Aec leans on the wall while Silas gets his shoes on. It’s quiet for a moment before Aec speaks up. “Thanks . . . you know, for not telling him. I don’t think I could handle it right now if he found out and didn’t feel the same.” Aec focuses on the floor, staring at a particularly unique part of the tiles. Silas finishes tying his shoelaces and smiles, getting to his feet. The vulnerability Aec is showing makes the respect Silas has for them grow tenfold. “Don’t worry about it, dude. I wouldn’t and won’t say anything. This is for you to tell him, not me. And hey,” Silas claps Aec on the shoulders, gaining their attention, “I can definitely see it now, what you see in him.”

The kind words bring a tiny smile to Aec’s face and they nod, staring their friend right in the eye.