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Rain pelted down onto the windows of Heartslabyul dorm, hammering onto the windows of their common room and acting as background noise for the chatting students that peppered the halls. Ace sifted a hand through his hair in boredom, groaning as he leant back in the cushy red velvet of the seat he'd perched himself on, with pen and homework in hand. He really wasn't in the mood for anything, especially with the weather, but homework seemed to be the most boring thing he could think of doing. Mr goody-two-shoes (Deuce, his ex-delinquent roommate), was somehow studying as hard as his little brain could comprehend from underneath his ever-growing pile of notes and textbooks, and from Ace's subtle glances he could tell that, despite Deuce's gallant efforts, he was no closer to finishing than Ace himself. Ace groaned, he'd do anything to not be stuck inside doing nothing. The groan itself, however, was loud enough to catch the attention of Deuce, who despite his best efforts to ignore Ace's fidgeting, finally caved, "What is it this time?" He asked, putting his pencil down to look at Ace.
"Nothing you could help with, Deucey," Ace sighed, leaning back further in his chair. He was playing up his anguish a little, sure, but even Deuce's ideas seemed better than just sitting around at that point.
Deuce hmphed and frowned, "I'm guessing you're still upset that we're all stuck inside on headmaster's orders?" Ace groaned in response, signalling to the affirmative. Headmaster Crowley had insisted that all students continued their studies indoors for the time being, as the school has somehow been affected by a freak magical storm that was the result of some sort of fae strike or warming of something, Ace wasn't entirely sure as he'd used the emergency assembly to catch up on the sleep that he'd lost while having a late-night call with his brother the night before.
"Well I'm pretty annoyed too, but just sitting around isn't going to do us any good, so let's study the best we can." Deuce's eyes glinted with enthusiasm, and he turned his attention back to the work in front of him, his brows knotting in confusion at some equation.
"Dude, you're a real stick in the mud sometimes, you know that?"
Deuce's pen faltered at Ace's comment, "Maybe compared to you, but I actually want good grades on our next test," he said, voice restrained as if he was trying not to punch Ace merely with his words. Ace wasn't stopping there though.
"The test's totally gonna be postponed though, so studying like that ain't gonna do anything, let's just goof off for one afternoon and then you can get back to kissing your books or whatever," Ace knew his friend wasn't able to refuse such a realistic claim, because even though he came across as someone with an honour student attitude, Deuce was still a bit of a slacker delinquent at heart.
He sighed, once again putting down his pencil despite not using it while it was in his hand, "Just one afternoon? And then you'll actually focus?"
"Promise, I swear on my grandmother's grave." Ace put his hand to his heart (the one that was in his chest).
"Aren't both of your grandmas still alive?"
"Eh, details."
Deuce pondered Ace's deal for a second, before nodding and putting out a hand for Ace to shake. Ace just grinned his smug little grin and grabbed Deuce's hand, the both of them firmly shaking in agreement. The two of them always seemed to battle it out to see who had the firmest handshake, squeezing each other's hands as tightly as possible. "So, what's the plan for slackin' off together?" Deuce leant back into the chair he was sitting on, barely concealing the delinquent-style speech that was slipping out.
Ace stroked his chin for a moment, thinking of all the possibilities of things to do, "I'm pretty sure that normally guys like us would spend time indoors either playing card games, arm wrestling or entertaining their girlfriends. And I am not gonna do the second two with you, sorry bud."
"What's wrong with arm wrestlin'? I'm ready for a test of strength, even if you ain't," Deuce smashed his fist into the palm of his hand, his eyes glinting with excitement and violent fervour, although his shoulders were deflating slightly in disappointment. Disappointment at what, however, Ace didn't know.
"Man I am never gonna get used to that," Ace sighed, "And even if we're both on sports teams, I think if I went up against you my wrists might never be the same again."
Deuce blushed bright red in embarrassment, "R-right," he paused, thinking about the other options, although his immediate opinion of them was a little skewed by the fact that he was still a little embarrassed, "In that case, I don't want to play any card games against you. You always cheat."
Ace laughed his surprisingly hearty laugh, smacking his palm on the table, "Come on man, how many times do I gotta tell you that bluffing isn't cheating? You just lose 'cause you're easier to read than the beginner's guide to the Great Seven: comic book edition."
"I'm not!" Deuce protested, his ears turning red, "I hide a lot more than you know."
Scoffing, Ace continued his mockery, "Really? Then tell me one thing you've hidden from me since we've met. I'll wait."
"I," Deuce paused, unable to meet Ace's eyes for a moment, "I can't tell you, 'cause then it wouldn't be hidden anymore," he bit his bottom lip. An obvious tell that Deuce was hiding something, which Ace had figured out pretty easily in the short time he'd known him.
"Lame excuses as always Deuce," Ace shook his head in mock shame, "Just face it, you couldn't lie to me even if you tried. But I guess beating down an easy target isn't that fun, so any more bright ideas?"
Deuce tapped his fingers against the table, deep in thought and nearly spilling over a pot of ink while he did, "I guess we could go for a walk outside." Ace very nearly slapped his forehead over to the other side of Scarabia's dorm with how hard he facepalmed. Going out? In that weather? Specifically against the Headmaster's orders? Ace couldn't tell if Deuce was some sort of hyper-delinquent in disguise or just an idiot. Or, knowing Deuce, a mix of both.
"Dude, do you have a screw loose? Going out in that weather will just make me catch a cold."
"I don't have a screw loose! Whenever I was bored or angry in the house, I'd go for walks outside to cool off. My Mom said it was a good use of my energy," Deuce shuffled in his seat, the raindrops casting weird shadows on his face that contrasted with his somewhat wholehearted suggestion, "You're right though, I guess catching a cold now would be a bad idea."
For a moment, something hurt in Ace's chest. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, especially to do with something as stupid as Deuce's Mommy's boy rants. He almost wished that he could grab that feeling by the neck and throw it out into the storm, let it be carried away by the wind and rain. But he couldn't do that, he really, really couldn't. "Actually, you know what? Sure. Beats sitting indoors watching you struggle over basic math problems."
"They're not basic, I'm just a little behind where you're at is all!"
"Behind by what? Six years?" Ace internally punched himself for agreeing, but figured that by insulting Deuce it balanced out. Totally. Although, who was Ace kidding. For some reason, ever since a few weeks back he was finding it harder and harder to deny Deuce's requests, that was how he'd got roped into studying with him too, despite the fact that his other friends had offered a much more interesting hangout plan. Ace's stomach flipped, thinking of the possibilities of what that could even mean. Before he could continue to think about it though, Deuce stood up in excitement, and while ignoring Ace's insult, prepared to slip away into the outdoors. Ace just sighed and followed suit, hoping that Riddle wouldn't catch them in the act of doing something that Ace still thought was entirely stupid. The things he did for the sake of 'stopping boredom', truly.
Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the two freshmen sneaking out, nor Deuce swiping two flamingo-shaped umbrellas from the dorm storage room, one neon pink, the other a vibrant blue. "Yeah, real subtle." Ace moaned sarcastically, taking the blue one from Deuce's hands.
Deuce struggled to open the bright pink one before it popped open, "It was all I could find without looking too suspicious, I had to lie to two upperclassmen about what I was doing too."
Ace laughed in response, "Let me guess, you were biting your lip the whole way through?"
"I wasn't!" Deuce shouted, a little too loudly for either of their tastes, "But if anyone asks we're actually Savanaclaw students who were going undercover on Leona's orders and our names are Benvolio and Mercutio."
"Uh, wherefore art thou much?"
"I panicked and started thinking about our classical literature test," Deuce looked down in shame, his slightly damp hair waving in front of his face. Ace had to admit, Deuce didn't look half bad with wet hair. The two of them left their awkward cover story at that, though, and began their slow walk through the hedge maze. The two of them had been living together for a pretty long time and had got used to the other's company, but that didn't make walking around in silence any less uncomfortable.
"Sooo," Ace trailed off his 'o', "This was your genius idea for something fun, huh?" He shifted his umbrella from where it was resting on his shoulder to a slightly different spot because his arm was getting sore.
"I never said it was genius," Deuce just looked around, his eyes darting from place to place, "Anyway it's not like your idea was any better, getting girlfriends in an all boys school is almost impossible."
"It was an example, dumbass. And some people still manage to get dates in these sorta schools too, you'd be surprised how many lovebirds I see in the halls," Ace's mind suddenly flashed with images of blond Pomefiore students with their partners putting emphasis on the P in PDA. He was never against that sort of thing, per se, he was just generally against seeing people getting all lovey-dovey when he was just trying to get to his fifth period lecture. Deuce, meanwhile, was lost in thought, a faint blush from the cold peppering his already slightly peppered cheeks. Of course he was going to catch a cold from his own stupid idea, Ace thought to himself, as he shrugged off his own jacket which he'd quickly grabbed from his dorm while Deuce was finding some umbrellas, "Here." For a moment, Deuce stopped, the rain tapping on his umbrella so loudly it almost drowned out what little voice he had, as he silently took Ace's jacket and nodded in thanks, slipping it on while lost in thought, his face still as rosy as ever.
"Um, Ace?"
"Dang, I give you my jacket and I don't even get a verbal thank you? Hanging around a bunch of spoiled assholes is really influencing your manners, Deucey," Teasing while shuddering a little from the cold himself, Ace continued, "But yeah, what's up man?"
Deuce stopped walking for a second, pausing to fidget with the hem of Ace's jacket, "Have you, um…" He trailed off into nothing but whispers, his face turning red and his heart beating almost as fast as the rain that was pelting their neon umbrellas.
"Come on out with it dude, don't tell me somebody's hit you with a silencing spell."
He took a deep breath out, and Deuce scrunched his eyes shut and began counting down from three, earning confused looks from Ace, "Have ya ever liked hanging out with, like, a guy a lot?" He said it so fast that Ace could barely make out what Deuce had said. Deuce's heart was beating in his chest so fast that he could barely hear the sound of the crows cawing in the distance and the rain pelting at their umbrellas. He could barely muster even breaking his eyes open enough to look at Ace, although if he did, he wouldn't exactly see a lot. Ace was just staring at his best friend in complete bewilderment, although his hairs were standing on end due to the cold.
"Uh, yeah? I like you a lot, although I guess that's debatable sometimes."
"That's not…" Deuce looked down at the ground, biting his lip. He didn't mean for it to come out that way but for some reason he just couldn't say that one crucial word. So, he tried again, "Have ya ever, um, liked a guy a lot, way more than you liked a girl?"
"Dude stop asking the same question over and over, of course I have. Most of my best friends have been guys." Deuce could almost strangle Ace from how much he wasn't seeing what he meant, it was at a point where if it wasn't for the fact that Deuce couldn't tell if Ace was lying unless it was so boldly in his face that he couldn't deny it, Deuce would've thought that Ace was purposefully avoiding the question, and who knows, maybe he was.
"Forget it then," Deuce sighed, "I'll ask Trey about it later." He sighed again, beyond defeated and with a heavy feeling in his chest.
"Suit yourself. I swear you've been acting so weird lately, you got a crush on somebody?" Ace teased once more, pointing his finger into Deuce's shoulder, making their plastic umbrellas clash together. And, at that point, Deuce could barely control it any more. He balled his hand into a fist, and reeled back, every one of his feelings culminating in a single punch. His knuckles hit Ace square in the jaw, the sound of wet skin meeting bone being drowned out by the downpour.
"What in the Queen's name was that for!?" Ace screeched, clutching his jawline and bleeding lip, "Are you insane?" Ace bent over, he was used to pain and punches at this point, but never ones that were so unexpected. Normally there was more provoking at the very least. He spat the blood that was pooling in his mouth out into the sodden grass.
"I…" Deuce just stared at his hand and at Ace, lying on the floor. Every time he'd fought so far, it'd been with an equal opponent that had asked for it. Now he was just fighting people because he couldn't control his emotions. The feeling of that emotional release after a punch wasn't something he hoped to feel again. He felt dirty, like a cheater.
Like filth.
But he wouldn't run away just yet.
"Ace I'm," he rubbed his hand, fresh blood still speckled across it, "I'm sorry I, I don't know what happened"
"What do you mean you 'don't know what happened', you just punched me for no reason." Ace cradled his face, "You've seriously gone off the rails this time."
"I haven't gone off no rails," Deuce shouted, slamming his umbrella to the ground and letting him and Ace's jacket get soaked, "You're the one who's been actin' like you know everything when you don't, I punched you 'cause…" Deuce paused again, even his delinquent self couldn't bear to say those simple words.
"'Cause what?" Ace said, seething in pain with every word. No matter what Deuce said, he could still pack a painful punch.
"'Cause," He willed himself to whisper it, "Cause I think I like you. More than like a bro."
"What did you say?" Ace was practically shouting at Deuce, the rain drowning out most of their conversation.
"I said," he began to shout, "I like, like you! I think I do, maybe"
"You WHAT?" For some reason, those words hit harder than anything else that Deuce could throw at him, punches or otherwise.
"I don't get it either, I don't know how I feel, really, 'cause everything's confusing. But I know that I don't wanna stop doing things by your side ever, and that's what guys feel towards their girlfriends so…" Deuce paused from his shouting, "Will you be my girlfriend but a guy?"
"You mean a boyfriend?" At this point, this felt more like a shouting match than a confession.
"I guess so, yeah."
"Huh," Ace tried to stand up and almost slipped in the mud, entirely in shock from what was happening. He paused, considering his options and trying to swallow the deep panic and unwanted feelings that were filling his chest, "I've never really thought about being with a guy before, but if you wanna try this stuff out," Ace paused again, his stomach turning and filling with a fluttering feeling he hadn't felt a lot before, "I guess it's better for you to try things out with me than some random schmuck who's gonna break your heart."
Deuce's eyes widened in shock, he'd just confessed for the first time in his life to someone he'd only ever thought of confessing to in his horrible, no good dreams, and his crush (if you could even call it that) had just agreed. A heartfelt confession in the rain, only slightly ruined by the dull feeling of pain in Ace's jaw and the pink and blue plastic that was rolling around by their feet. "Are," he stuttered, "are you serious? You're gonna be my girlfriend but a guy?"
"Yeah, terrible boyfriend I would be if I said no," for some reason, a warm feeling spread through Ace's chest when he referred to himself as Deuce's boyfriend, "Just stop calling me your 'girlfriend but a guy', and no kissing yet, got it?"
"Yes! I understand, uh, boyfriend." Deuce rubbed the back of his neck nervously, the wet hair sticking out in wild angles as he did it. For some reason, it made Ace want to smile, although he attempted to dampen down that feeling as he picked up his umbrella and dusted the wet mud from his behind.
"So, what's first on the agenda, boyfriend Deuce?" Ace half-mocked his new partner, a little shocked that he'd been confessed to but still trying to play things off coolly. Deuce just blushed redder than his partner's hair and bit his lip once more, "I know you wanna say something so spill before I make the next move."
Deuce somehow turned an even brighter shade of red, which was somehow physically possible, and silently offered to take Ace's umbrella. Ace did a fake curtsy in response and passed it over, the two of them huddling underneath it, the blue one long forgotten. Deuce held out his free hand and let his fingertips tingle with what felt like magic, waiting for Ace to take it just as they had done many times before. And Ace stared, he stared at the hand and the boy attached to it, and thought about the interaction that he'd just joked and teased all the way through. He thought about the way that he could tell whenever Deuce was lying, and about how terribly lame he could be sometimes. He thought about all of these things, and with a flip of his stomach and the smell of rain and hot, wet blood filling the air, he took Deuce's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Alright, let's go, boyfriend," Ace laughed, feeling the warmth of Deuce's hand in his, "You know, there's a couple things I wanna try too."