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Ace glared down at her roommate talking to Epel a few seats below her. They were chatting cheerfully about something they were both clearly passionate about. Ace couldn’t help the sting of jealousy that pierced her chest at the sight. She thought she and Deuce patched things up after the VDC, but clearly not well enough. Deuce still clearly preferred Epel over her, and it made her sick.
She didn’t understand what exactly made Epel so much better than her. Was it her cuter and softer features? Ace had always been more of a tomboy, only growing out her hair when she got to NRC. Was it because she looked more like a girl? She certainly caught Vil’s attention, who was the queen of beauty herself. Was that it then? Or was it just the fact that Ace had a less than stellar personality than most of the other freshmen that went to their school?
“Hey Ace,” Jack greeted, sitting down next to Ace. When the redhead didn’t respond, she nudged her gently. “Hey, you okay?”
Ace snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards Jack. “Oh, hey. Sorry, just spacing out for a minute there.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. She sniffed the air around her friend worriedly. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Uh, yeah, why?”
“You just kind of smell like you’re tired. And not your normal tired.”
Ace raised an eyebrow. “What’s my normal tired smell like?”
“Like crushed cherries.”
“I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.”
“Well you smell like they’re rotting, so.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Truth be told, Ace had woken up with a terrible migraine that morning. She felt sluggish and tired all day, and even a little lightheaded. She thought maybe her period was coming early, but she never felt this tired before. She was so tired that she wasn’t quite able to get through her entire routine in the morning unless she wanted to be late for her first class. Jack’s concerns may not have been completely unfounded, but probably for the wrong reasons.
“Jacqueline, Ace, please stop talking and start paying attention,” Professor Trein spoke up as she began her lesson.
Jack straightened her posture while Ace just rolled her eyes and tried to pay attention to the lecture. It was hard to focus on writing her notes as she felt her chest begin to tighten. Jack’s worries about her wellbeing echoed in her mind. She couldn’t ignore the possibility of getting sick, but her anxiety also just made her think things were worse than they actually were. She just had to push through the rest of the school day and decide if she was actually dying or if she was crazy.
As class progressed, Ace grew more and more fatigued. She could feel her head pounding against her skull, and everything suddenly felt too loud and too bright. She lay her head down on her desk, hoping that the cool wood would provide some kind of relief. Or at the very least relax her a little bit. It did nothing but give her more anxiety.
Ace barely paid attention the entire class, and only lifted her head when she felt Jack’s hand come down on her shoulder. “Ace? Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” she groaned, squeezing her eyes tight and holding her head as she sat back up. “Just a headache.”
Jack’s ears flattened. “You should go to the nurse. Just so they can check you out.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ace insisted, pushing her chair backwards. “I just need to-”
Ace stood up, swaying side to side. Her vision blurred in and out of focus. Jack caught her in her strong arms. “Ace? Ace what’s wrong?”
“I-I’m fine. Really I-”
A wave of dizziness washed over her full force. She felt her eyes drift closed and knees buckle. “Ace!” she heard her friend cry just before she passed out.
—
Ace woke up in the infirmary, her entire body shivering from a chill in her bones. Terracotta hair clung to her forehead and neck, soaked from the sweat running down her body. She immediately reached up to peel it off, hating the way it stuck to her. When did she lose her hair tie?
“Hey,” a familiar voice greeted softly.
Ace jumped at the noise, lifting her head slightly to see Epel and Jack standing over her and staring down at her. She glared at them. “What the hell?” she asked.
“That’s a very vague question that can have a lot of answers,” Epel giggled, tucking her lavender hair behind her ear.
“You passed out and I took you to the nurse. She said you have a high fever.”
“Ah fuck that. That’s dramatic.”
As if on cue, her entire body shivered violently. Epel shook her head and placed a comforting hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Yer telling ya shiver like this on a daily basis?” she questioned, her country accent slipping out.
“Shut it.”
Epel couldn’t help but giggle. “Wow, you’re even more of a dick than usual when you’re sick.”
“We should probably leave you alone and let you recover,” Jack said. “Deuce said she was going to come by either later after classes or tomorrow to check on you.”
Ace tried not to let it show how much she wished her roommate was already here. “Tell her to wear a mask or something. Or disinfect the whole room.”
“I’m sure your dorm leader is already doing that for her,” Epel chuckled. She squeezed Ace’s shoulder reassuringly. “Get some rest, we’ll see you soon.”
Ace watched Jack and Epel walk out the door, leaving her alone with her misery. She felt her eyes flutter closed as another wave of exhaustion knocked her back out.
—
The next time Ace woke up, two full days had passed according to her phone’s lock screen. Her body still felt weak, but her aches and chills were completely gone. She pushed herself up and leaned back against her pillows, instinctively reaching for a hair tie to pull back her hair. She frowned and scratched where the ends of her curls tickled the back of her neck.
Anxiety almost immediately settled in as she realized she missed two full entire days of school. All that work she’d have to make up, including the day she initially got sick. She’d have to get notes from her friends and explain to all of her professors why she was out for so long. She prayed that the nurse had already written a note excusing her from all of her classes.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. She whipped her head around to see Deuce walking in with a tote bag. Deuce froze when she saw that Ace was awake.
Deuce’s shimmering green eyes sparkled at the sight of her roommate. “Ace! You’re awake!” she exclaimed, jogging up to her excitedly.
She immediately crushed her best friend into a hug, pressing their bodies together. Ace frantically tried to shove her off. “Hey, hey! I don’t want you to get sick! Get off!” she pleaded.
“It’s fine! I talked to the nurse yesterday while you were sleeping and she said your temperature is basically back to normal. So your infection is gone!”
Ace blushed profusely, mumbling, “Still…”
Deuce sat down on the edge of the bed and set her tote bag in her lap. “Here. I brought a few things while you recover.” She pulled out a container of soup that was still warm to the touch. “I know I can’t cook very well, but I still wanted to do something for you. I had Trey to help me, but in all honesty, he can’t cook very well either. Baking, amazing, but cooking? Not so much. We almost burned down the kitchen.”
Ace couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time out of your studying and track and all that.”
“It was no problem at all.”
Ace noted the way Deuce’s makeup didn’t fully cover her red rimmed eyes. She looked tired. “Did I worry you?”
Deuce’s smile flickered. “A little, but I knew you’d be alright.”
Ace frowned. “You look like you haven’t slept.” Deuce’s hair, while a little messy, was always perfectly tied back into a pin straight ponytail. Today, strands stuck out from all sides, like she had done it in a hurry. “And it’s really obvious when you lie.”
Deuce’s eyes now shone with fear, even if her smile was still intact. “Well I’d know you’d do the same for me, so you can’t really scold me, can you?”
Ace cast her eyes down to her lap. “I’m sorry.”
She grabbed Ace’s hand, caressing the back of her hand with her thumb. “I had to find out from Epel that you collapsed in front of Jack the next day. I thought that if you didn’t even text me that you weren’t coming back to the dorm, that something was really wrong. And after everything we’ve been through, I think I’m allowed to be worried about what happens to you.”
Ace let out a rueful chuckle, guilt gnawing at her heart. “I’ll be fine. I always am.”
Deuce sighed in exasperation. “You’re not, but whatever. I’ll accept it for now.”
She began to climb into Ace’s bed and sneak under the covers. Ace weakly pushed her away, her entire face going red. “H-hey! Don’t get in here with me! I’m sweaty and haven’t showered in days!” she protested.
“I don’t care,” Deuce murmured, curling into Ace’s side. “I missed you.”
Ace’s heart beat violently in her chest. “You can stay for half an hour, then you gotta get out.”
Deuce whined in protest. “One hour.”
“Fine. Whatever.” She suddenly felt soft lips press into her cheek, and she turned to her best friend with a mixture of shock and fear. “What was that?” she demanded.
“I just wanted to do it once. You don’t have to do anything back or anything.”
Ace saw her opportunity and gently cupped Deuce’s cheek. She pressed her lips into Deuce’s, her heart bursting with all of the affection she had for her. Deuce kissed her back eagerly, wrapping her arms around her torso to pull her as close as possible. It felt like it could last forever, even if it was only a few seconds.
When Ace broke away to say something, Deuce immediately dove back in for another kiss. Ace had to turn her head to the side just to speak. Deuce still continued to kiss her cheek and neck, causing her to giggle. “Dude, seriously. I don’t want you to get sick,” she said.
“But you’re fine now. Your fever’s gone down,” Deuce argued.
“No more on the mouth kisses until I’m fully better.”
Deuce pouted but refrained, giving Ace another kiss to her neck before burying her face in it. “Fine. Whatever you want. But I’m sleeping here with you tonight.”
Ace giggled and buried her face in Deuce’s hair. “Just don’t let Riddle find out you’re not in the dorm.”
The two held each other for what felt like eternity, and Ace not feeling as sick anymore in Deuce’s arms. They fell asleep, dreaming of life finally returning to normalcy.