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"Oh, pizza!" Ace said almost as soon as he stepped through the door to Deuce's apartment the moment the usual pleasantries were done, perking up at the smell of the food that had arrived barely five minutes before he had. Deuce honestly wondered if he'd passed the delivery driver on the way up to his floor, and if he'd pouted at the mere thought of missing out on food. As if Deuce wouldn't be prepared for this situation.
"And those brownies you like," Deuce said proudly, laughing at the starry grin Ace sent his way as he wrestled his still mostly-laced-up boots off his feet, hiking his backpack a little higher onto his shoulder to compensate.
“You’re the best ,” he declared, so earnest and warm that Deuce was sure he was blushing, and he hurried to grab Ace’s backpack before it threw his balance off completely, moving to flop onto the couch and set the bag down as Ace peeled off his coat and trailed after him. “Hey, new couch? This is...nice.”
“It’s alright,” Deuce grumbled, shifting a little as he sat back. It was deeper than he was used to, and felt oversized and too fancy in his little single-bedroom apartment, but it was hard to argue with the furniture delivery service when they showed up with a couch fully paid for and orders not to listen to his arguments when they hauled his old one away. Apparently the squashy comfortable sofa hadn’t lived up to his family’s standards, though he had to count his blessings they hadn’t gone and forcibly moved him from the building entirely.
“That’s not a happy new couch face,” Ace muttered, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees and turning to face him, dark eyebrows furrowed over his eyes. He examined Deuce’s face for a long moment, and then sighed heavily. “Your shitty dad stop by?”
“Few days back,” Deuce muttered, grabbing a piece of pizza and picking at the toppings in an attempt to avoid Ace’s gaze. “My brother too.”
“You’d think they’d have better things to do in the middle of the week,” Ace mused, his hand crossing through Deuce’s line of sight to snag a slice for himself. He was quiet for a moment, likely inhaling his pizza, and Deuce nibbled at his own. “You didn’t tell me they came through.”
“Like you told me about your Gramps kidnapping the three of you last month?” Deuce countered, a hint of a smile curling on his face. He’d found all three brothers nearly mummified in gauze bandages in their attempts to patch each other up when he’d gone over for a study session Ace had clearly forgotten about, and had been regaled with tales of their adventures hiding from Monkey D Garp in the woods and encountering bears as he’d picked up the first aid slack.
"I'm just saying, I would've brought the good rum my idiot old man keeps giving me to buy my love," Ace said, snagging another piece of pizza and grinning when Deuce snorted.
"I've got booze, save your bribe rum for special occasions like your mother wants you to," Deuce said, waving Ace off as he jumped off the stupid new couch.
"Good! Cause we're gonna need drinks tonight. Rum after finals," Ace cheered, rummaging through Deuce's fridge with far more familiarity than he could have ever expected when they met at the beginning of the semester. He twisted around to fold his arms over the back of the couch, chin braced on top as Ace mulled over their options out loud before getting distracted by whatever snacks or condiments Deuce had stashed away.
"...honestly should just move and not tell them. Less stress that way," Ace was saying, pulling a handful of bottles from the fridge and shutting the door with his hip, blinking and grinning when he caught sight of Deuce watching him. He passed a few over the couch to him and then beelined directly to the cabinet where Deuce kept the glasses, and Deuce couldn't help but marvel at how comfortable the other man was in his space, and how easily Deuce had learned to navigate the apartment Ace shared his brothers, and wasn't that something, when they'd only met so recently. How odd, that they'd begun to orbit each other in the past few months, where before Deuce had simply been happy to be away from his father and brother and on his own, even if it meant a new city and not knowing anyone at all.
"Okay," Ace said, pressing glasses into Deuce's hands and then flopping bodily over the back of the couch and rolling nearly into his lap, grinning up at him with mussed hair and bright eyes. "I know this was supposed to be studying time, but I think you're doing better in physics than you give yourself credit for and I might've actually forgotten that book for lit, so I vote we drink and jump up and down on this stupid couch until it meets our standards and not your stupid dad's."
Deuce's laugh was sharp in surprise but entirely genuine, and Ace's grin widened as he pushed himself back upright and began pouring out some sort of cocktail for them both, Deuce wasn't paying any real attention to the drinks. "I can do handstands on the arms until they collapse too if you think that'll help."
"Can't hurt the end goal," Deuce agreed, accepting the glass Ace slid his way and claiming another piece of pizza as Ace whooped and flung his backpack toward the door, barely flinching at the loud thud of a stack of overpriced course textbooks landing against laminate flooring.
"Excellent," he said, leaning into Deuce's side ever so slightly as he descended on the brownies and pressed the TV remote into Deuce's free hand. "Find something mindless to watch. This is officially fun 'screw-Deu's-family' night, got it?"
"Got it," Deuce said, grinning back at his friend, and the warmth pooling through his chest had nothing to do with the alcohol Ace had handed him and everything to do with Ace's warmth pressing against his side from shoulder to knee.
It was two stupid action movies, complete with giggling, scathing commentary, and several drinks later that Deuce remembered Ace actually had plans the next morning, namely tagging along with Luffy and his friends to a sports complex, and that required a certain level of lucidity that spending all night drinking and watching movies with Deuce probably wasn't going to help with. Ace was slumped back, fidgeting ever so slightly against the back of the couch, head leaning on Deuce's shoulder, and he hated bringing it up but refused to be the reason Ace ended up doing something stupid like falling asleep in the middle of rock climbing or something with his brother. His narcolepsy was bad enough on it's own, Ace should get a decent night's rest to try and curb the chances of a sleep attack later.
"Shit, it's late," he muttered, shifting slightly, half expecting Ace to sit up to check the time himself, but the other man whined and leaned a little heavier against his side, and he fell still again, holding his breath for half a second. He turned his head, soft dark hair brushing against his chin and cheek, and he sighed. "We should've stopped drinking ages ago, you can't drive back. I can call you a ride..."
"You fed me, no buying cabs," Ace grumbled against his shoulder. "I can wake Sabo up if you need me out of your hair..."
"I didn't say that," Deuce said, maybe a little too quickly and too loudly, and Ace turned enough to peek an eye at him. Hopefully the darkened apartment and the blue light of the TV home screen was enough to mask what had to be a hot blush on his face. "You know you're always welcome to stay. We're the same size, I'll find you something for pajamas."
"You're the best, Deu," Ace said for the second time that night, smiling up at him softly, and there was really no hope for the heat continuing to rise in his cheeks. Ace seemed to snuggle into his shoulder for another second, and then he pulled back with a groan, sitting upright to let Deuce free, rubbing a hand over his face all the while.
"You gonna be hungover in the morning?" he called over his shoulder as he stepped into the single bedroom just off the living room, hurriedly nudging a nearly full laundry basket into the corner by his closet and digging through his dresser for a spare pair of pajama pants and shirt.
"We didn't have that much," Ace called back, and Deuce could hear the smile in his voice. There was rustling in the main room, and once Deuce had spare clothes in hand he returned to find Ace on his feet, coffee table cleared of pizza boxes and trash, bottles returned to the fridge or discarded and finishing washing their glasses in the sink, and Deuce paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame just to watch Ace move, the way his shoulders moved under his sweatshirt, the way he shifted his weight in his hips and legs when he twisted to set the cleaned glasses on the counter before turning off the tap.
Ace turned his head to look at him before he could look away, something warm and bright sparking in his gaze when he caught sight of Deuce.
“Figured it’s the least I can do since you’re putting up with me overnight,” he said, leaning back against the sink as he dried his hands off and set the towel aside. Deuce rolled his eyes fondly, tossing the spare clothes across the room to him, which he caught deftly.
“I know I just told you you’re always welcome,” Deuce teased, moving toward the couch to pull out the bed tucked away and paused at seeing the new fancy sofa instead. It...had a sleeper couch feature, right? He could have sworn he saw one during the whole snafu of delivery and set up, but he’d been a little more focused on arguing with the delivery men as his couch was hauled out the door. Sleeper sofas weren’t really his father or brother’s style, maybe it didn’t have that feature after all…?
“Everything okay?” Ace asked, coming up around Deuce’s side and startling him out of his distracted staring at the stupid couch. He pulled his hand away from the cushions and straightened up, speaking before he could stop himself.
“I don’t think it’s a sleeper like the old one,” he said, catching the inside of his cheek between his briefly in a worrying gesture as Ace tilted his head.
“That’s okay, I can sleep on it as is,” he said, though Deuce caught the way he rolled his shoulders briefly.
“We were both shifting around on the dumb thing all night, I doubt it’s gonna be any more comfortable to actually sleep on,” Deuce commented. He should just check if it pulls out into a bed, problem solved in a minute or two tops, but instead… “My bed is big enough. For the both of us, I mean. If you don’t mind sharing, that is.”
Fuck, that could’ve been smoother. He sounded like an idiot, and it took most of his willpower to keep facing Ace as he blinked over at him, clearly surprised. He tilted his head, glanced over at the couch, and then met Deuce’s gaze again, biting down on his lip gently for just a second.
“Sure,” he said, and Deuce’s breathing hitched softly, for just a second. “If you’re okay with it.”
“Yeah,” he breathed softly, chest tight as he nodded. “I, ah, I’ll be in in a second. Gonna grab some water.”
Ace smiled, and that same warmth from earlier filled his chest again before the other man turned toward his room, and he took a deep breath. He reached for the couch cushion and pulled the corner up and yep, there was the sleeper, folded up, the thin mattress still covered in plastic. He swore softly and jammed the cushion back into place, chewing on his lower lip as he made his way to the kitchen and got himself some water like he’d told Ace he would. This was stupid, and he was an idiot for getting them in this mess, and he should just explain to Ace that they could pull out the sleeper couch and would just have to unpack it a little, sure, it would take a bit, but it would be better than this insane idea…
Ace was just straightening up when he made it to his room, tugging the waistband of his borrowed pajama pants over his hips and into place. The band of his fitted boxers peeked above the flannel material, and Deuce paused for a moment to linger over Ace’s back, tanned skin and freckles and muscles before the soft grey shirt was lifted over his head and shifted to cover his torso entirely. That was a shame, Deuce had had plenty of instances to see Ace shirtless over the last few months, between Ace dragging him to the gym sometimes and the way Ace had a habit of taking off his shirts without any real thought when they were at his own apartment. Deuce had even witnessed Ace fall asleep shirtless more than once while wrestling Luffy when he and Sabo ended up falling into discussions about books or classes. Didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate those moments when they came up, even if he had to be surreptitiously casual about it.
His mouth felt dry, and he took a drink as he stepped into the room as Ace shifted his own clothes out of the way and grinned at him, accepting the glass when he offered it over in favor of tucking himself into a corner and changing into his own pajamas, and he could have sworn he felt Ace’s eyes on him but the other man was turned away and fiddling with the edge of the blanket on his bed when he finally turned back.
Ace looked almost shy as Deuce climbed into his bed, tucking himself under the blanket and gesturing for Ace to do the same, but he smiled and thanked Deuce when he handed over his phone cord for Ace to charge his phone overnight. He was the one who needed an alarm and a way to get in contact with his brothers in the morning, Deuce would be home all day.
“Thanks for having me over,” Ace said once Deuce had turned off the lights and laid down. He could feel Ace shifting slightly, rolling, and their hands grazed against each other when he realized Ace was mirroring his position, curled on his side facing Deuce. He was so warm, always was, but now that heat was seeping into the sheets and blankets they shared, warming Deuce more thoroughly than anything else ever had. He could smell Ace’s shampoo and deodorant, feel his skin just barely grazing him with how close together they were curled, and Ace’s voice whispering in the dark made a pleasant sort of shiver run down his spine. He’d never be able to fall asleep like this, as hyperaware of his friend as he was in that moment, and he didn’t even care.
“Thanks for making me feel better,” Deuce whispered back, and the little light coming through the window from a streetlight outside caught Ace’s white teeth when he grinned.
“Don’t mention it. And tell me next time, if they come around again. Sabo and Luffy and I can chase them off with our loud hooligan ways,” he said, huffing a little laugh that ghosted against Deuce’s face and made him shiver again even as he smiled again.
“Good night, Ace,” he breathed, sure he’d be up all night, vowing to not be a complete creep and watch Ace for too long once he fell asleep. Their friendship was far too important for him to ruin by being weird like that.
“Sweet dreams, Deu,” Ace murmured back, and his hand slid from under his pillow to press against Deuce’s a little more firmly before he shifted again, settling into the bed a little more comfortably, and then sighed, eyes slipping shut. Deuce smiled, watching the way long dark eyelashes brushed over freckled cheekbones, and found himself drifting to sleep far more quickly than he'd anticipated, lulled by the soft sounds of Ace's breathing and the heat curling under the blankets around them.
The beeping was incessant, and Deuce groaned loudly, burrowing his face further into his warm, comfortable pillows and blankets, desperately trying to stay asleep for a little longer. It was a weekend, dammit, and he knew that wasn't his alarm tone, so he didn't have to get up. Had one of his neighbors gotten an alarm clock from hell?
His pillow groaned, his blanket moved, and he remembered Ace had slept over, curled into the other side of his bed. Apparently they'd both migrated throughout the night, because Deuce's head was cushioned on Ace's arm, forehead pressed into his collarbone, and Ace was wrapped around him in return, an arm over his waist and breathing against his hair.
He groaned again when the alarm started blaring once more, his arm leaving Deuce's waist as he twisted to grab it from somewhere behind him on the bed, and Deuce mourned the loss of warmth and weight but stayed still, watching Ace grope for his phone fruitlessly for a moment before huffing when he found it and jabbed the alarm off. The moment the beeping went silent, Ace sighed in relief and rolled right back to Deuce, arm slinging around him easily once more and pulling him a little closer as Ace nuzzled into his hair. He barely resisted sliding his arm around Ace in return, though he did press a little closer, not quite able to help himself.
Ace hummed, his hold around Deuce tightening, and his lips seemed to press into Deuce's hair just a little, though he couldn't tell if he was saying something or just snuggling into him again. He lifted his head again when Ace huffed, loosening his grip and beginning to push himself upright, just in time for Ace to tilt his head down and brush their lips together, a soft, chase contact for only a second before Ace sleepily murmured a 'good morning, Deu,' and rolled himself upright, staggering toward the bathroom with his phone in hand, clearly autopiloting his way through the morning.
Deuce stayed right where he was, staring after his friend, stunned silent, and only let his head drop back onto his pillow once the door shut behind Ace. His fingers rose to press against his lips, and he blinked slowly, trying to get his brain working again.
Ace had kissed him. Ace had kissed him. Ace had still been half-asleep, surely, but he'd greeted Deuce by name, mere seconds after kissing him, so it clearly wasn't like he thought Deuce had been someone else...
The bathroom door flung open again, and Deuce jumped and looked up at Ace, who was staring back at him, shirtless and wide awake and harried and looking straight at where Deuce's fingers lingered over his mouth.
"I'm so sorry," Ace breathed, tearing his gaze away from Deuce's mouth to look at him properly, and he sat up slowly. This probably wasn't a conversation to have while still lounging in bed. The shirtlessness was going to be distracting though, especially since he was getting a full, unobstructed view now. “I didn’t even think about it, I just saw your hair and…fuck I don’t even know, I don’t have a good excuse, I’m really, really, really sor…”
“Do you regret it?” Deuce asked, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, curling up defensively against Ace’s expected response. He didn’t think this was how it would all come out, but maybe they could still salvage some semblance of their friendship out of it.
“I…” Ace began, before pausing, seeming to look him over for a moment. Deuce wasn’t even wearing his glasses, for goodness sakes, but he was almost relieved to not be able to see Ace’s thoughts playing over his face as clearly as he usually could.
“No,” Ace finally said, and Deuce froze again, nearly as startled as he’d been by the kiss itself. “No, I don’t regret it. I regret not kissing you before bed last night. I regret not kissing you when I walked in the door. I regret not doing this all a lot sooner. Like maybe that first month we met.”
Deuce blinked, lips parted in surprise, and took a startled breath. Ace was looking at him earnestly, seeming both relaxed now that he’d finally said something he was clearly holding onto for a while, and on edge, like he honestly thought Deuce might react poorly to such a revelation. He felt strangely calm, curled up on his bed and wearing an old pair of pajamas and looking at Ace standing in his room, in his clothes. There really wasn’t anything else to do but answer with equal honesty, was there?
“I would have said yes,” he said, releasing his hold on his knees and sitting cross-legged as Ace’s eyes widened, a smile starting to form on his lips, and Deuce couldn’t quite stop the return smile curling his own lips. Why would he want to?
“So if I asked now?” Ace asked, taking a slow step forward, eyes fastened on Deuce. “If I could kiss you again? If you’d maybe want to go out for dinner sometime? Or coffee?”
“I’d say yes,” Deuce replied softly, turning as Ace’s knee met the mattress, hands settling in front of Deuce’s knees, and he leaned in just enough to let their noses brush together, a shiver of breath and a moment of eye contact, and Deuce took matters into his own hands and pressed the last inch forward. Ace’s breath ghosted against his cheek, head tilting just a little, and when Deuce sighed into the kiss and leaned a little bit more Ace was meeting him with a smile and a hand curling over his cheek, into his hair, holding him close, and this was far better than whatever daydreams he could come up with, soft and hidden away in his bedroom, sleep mussed and morning breath and neither of them were at their best, but it was right.
Ace’s phone shrilled out a notification tone he recognized, and Ace’s lips pressed against his just a little more firmly before pulling away, mouth twisting into a pout as he opened his eyes again and looked up at Deuce so softly and warmly he thought he might melt. He smiled, leaning over to rest his cheek against Ace’s shoulder, watched goosebumps rise over his skin briefly when his breath met Ace’s neck when he turned to check his phone.
“Luffy’s wondering if I can bring him food,” he muttered in exasperation, before snorting when a second message came through. “And if we can get more food on the way to the complex.”
“He’ll clearly starve if you don’t,” Deuce commented, laughing softly, and Ace’s arm curled around him before he dragged them both back down onto the bed, Deuce’s legs tangling in his blankets, one of Ace’s hooked over his, more thoroughly wrapped up in each other than Deuce had ever thought they would be. A warm hand cupped over his cheek again, and he met Ace eagerly, easily when he moved to kiss him again.
“I don’t want to go now,” he breathed against Deuce’s lips, and his arm moved around Ace’s waist in a reciprocal hold, twisting the back of the shirt he’d loaned Ace into his fist at the small of his back.
“Go spend time with your brother, you promised,” he said, tilting his head to meet Ace’s eyes again. “But you can come back later. Tonight. If you want to, that is.”
Grey eyes were bright, and Ace’s grin was wide. “Inviting me over again so soon? Knew it was a good idea doin’ those dishes last night.”
Deuce’s head tipped back in laughter, and Ace held onto him tighter, looking absolutely delighted.
“Dinner?” He asked when Deuce’s laughter trailed into softer giggles, leaning his head into Ace’s touch again. “My treat this time.”
“I could cook,” Deuce offered, and Ace’s head cocked to the side, considering.
“Together?”
“Deal,” Deuce said, turning enough to press a kiss to the palm of his hand. Ace looked at him like he was something wonderful, and Deuce felt his cheeks heating as he pulled away just a little, loosening his hold so Ace could get up again, which he only did after another kiss and a long, disgruntled groan. He sent Deuce a sultry sort of smirk over his shoulder once he was up and moving back toward the bathroom, and Deuce flopped back onto his pillows again with a breathless little laugh when the door closed once more.
He had a date. He had a date, with Ace, that night, and they’d kissed, and they’d woken up tangled in each other’s arms, and Deuce couldn’t quite believe his luck. He retrieved his glasses and phone from his nightstand, rolling to lie on his stomach and start searching for easy recipes he could probably pull off without destroying his kitchen.
Ace flopped back down beside him once he was done in the bathroom, rinsed clean and minty fresh, fawning over any recipe featuring any sort of meat or spice, and they only got up again when Ace’s phone shrieked another notification, Deuce following him from the warmth and comfort of his bedroom to say goodbye at the door, watching Ace wrestle his way back into his boots so similarly to how he’d wrestled them off the night before, watching him throw his jacket on and shoulder his backpack again. Ace’s arms wrapped around him tightly when they kissed one last time, and he let his hands cradle Ace’s face simply because he could.
The moment the door swung shut quietly Deuce sighed, planning to get his phone charging, get showered and changed and maybe do some homework before setting to work figuring out what to do for dinner. He caught sight of the couch again, the stupid monstrosity his stupid father had forced upon him, and couldn’t quite stop a mad little laugh that that was what finally brought him and Ace together. What a turn of events, really.
He considered unpacking the sleeper within, just in case, and shook the thought off just as quickly. It didn’t seem like something he’d need to use anytime soon, after all.
Several months later:
“I can’t believe you’re ditching out on me for Dragon, ” Ace continued to pout, undeterred by the way Sabo rolled his eyes at him for the nth time.
“Paid internship, good for degree,” Sabo replied, also for the nth time, though each retort seemed to come with fewer and fewer words.
“Both my brothers, abandoning me,” Ace said dramatically, leading the way back into Deuce’s apartment and scanning over the remaining boxes and furniture that needed to be moved. Most of the smaller, important things had already made the migration to Ace’s apartment, formerly shared with his brothers, but Luffy was taking off for parts unknown with his band of lunatic friends, and Sabo was supervising at least the beginning of that adventure before settling into an internship as an aide for Monkey D. Dragon’s campaign headquarters.
“I’ll give him a punch for all of us,” Sabo placated, patting Ace’s shoulder condescendingly and dodging back when Ace swiped at him with a scowl. “Besides, you and I both know you’ve been wanting to move in with Deuce for ages now. It’s been a year, you guys are sickeningly sappy together, it’s about time.”
“I’m not sappy ,” Ace argued, offended, and there was no stopping the loud snort that escaped Sabo. “ I’m not. Pull your weight and help me with this dumb couch, you brother-abandoning traitor.”
“What’s with the couch scorn?” Sabo asked, moving around the sofa in question. It was nice, though it didn’t seem to be Deuce’s style, and absolutely wasn’t Ace’s.
“His evil dad bought it way back. Thing’s uncomfortable as hell, but it’s too nice to justify throwing away until we find a decent replacement.”
They could have just abandoned the damn thing and kept using the ASL couch, except Luffy had tackled both Ace and Sabo into a wrestling match on top of it over a month ago and destroyed the thing beyond repair. Just their luck, really.
They stooped to hook their hands under the frame, lifting it briefly before setting it back down. Figures the thing would be stupid heavy too, and Ace didn’t see any separations to make moving it easier.
“Ditch the cushions, maybe we can get a better handhold,” Sabo said, reaching for the backing and pulling the closest cushion away, and together they stripped the couch down, and Ace gaped at the sight of a still perfectly packaged sleeper folded within the couch, plastic wrapping still wrapped tight around the thin mattress.
“What?” Sabo asked, catching sight of his expression and raising an eyebrow as Ace’s stunned expression shifted into amused disbelief.
“That little liar,” he said, turning on his heel to leave the apartment, forcing Sabo to chase after him. “He said it wasn’t a sleeper couch!”
“Huh?”
“We got together because I slept over in his bed when he got this new couch and he said it didn’t have a sleeper! Oi, Deu!”
A head of pale blue hair poked out the back of their rental moving truck, Deuce’s navy glasses a little smudged and crooked on his nose as he blinked at them when Sabo started laughing. “What’s up? I thought you were grabbing more stuff?”
“Wanna share anything about the couch?” Ace asked, folding his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow, smirking up at his boyfriend. Deuce blinked again and then hummed, amber gaze shifting upward as he feigned thoughtfulness. “Perhaps about the sleeper feature?”
“Guess you spotted that, huh?” Deuce asked, smiling back at him innocently. “Like I told you, the couch is uncomfortable, I doubt the sleeper’s any better. Are you saying you wanna start sleeping on that, cause I’m willing to take over the bed myself.”
“You orchestrated a one bed situation!” Ace accused, laughing, and Deuce gave another considering hum, utterly failing to hide his amusement. “You smartass!”
“Problem with the results, love?” Deuce asked teasingly, and Sabo snorted, clapping Ace on the back and turning around.
“I’ll get more boxes. You idiots can take care of your couch, got it?”
He didn’t get an answer, but he wasn’t really expecting one, as Ace pulled Deuce bodily out of the truck to haul back toward the apartment building, ignoring his boyfriend’s laughing struggling for all of a minute before setting him down and kissing him fiercely, completely uncaring of doing so basically right in the main entrance for the building.
“Can we just ditch the couch here?” Ace asked, combing his fingers through Deuce’s hair when they pulled apart, and Deuce’s eyes sparkled as he smirked.
“Sure you don’t wanna burn it? Should be able to find a new one easily enough. It’ll be cheaper if we don’t get a sleeper one too.”
“Works for me,” Ace breathed, pulling him into another kiss before letting them get back up to the apartment to grab more boxes. The sooner Deuce was moved into his--
their
--apartment, the happier he’d be.