Xavier
After Atlas and Phoenix went to his room, the apartment grew quieter. I stayed where I was, sitting at the dining table with Kuro comfortably curled up in my lap. He let out a soft purr every now and then, content with the gentle strokes I gave him.
Ace was still seated on the couch, his back slightly slouched, and his gaze fixed on the newspaper clipping. His brows were furrowed, and I could tell his mind was still racing with theories and possibilities. There was a faint crease between his eyebrows—a small detail, but one that spoke volumes about his concentration.
I couldn't help but feel a soft warmth in my chest just watching him. He looked exhausted but determined. Always carrying the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, especially when it came to Phoenix. It was admirable, in a way—how selfless and resilient he was. I didn't realize I was staring until Kuro shifted in my lap, stretching his little paws.
Ace must have sensed my gaze because he glanced up, catching my eyes. I quickly cleared my throat, trying to act casual. "You look tired," I said softly.
He gave a small scoff, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "You're one to talk. Didn't you barely get any sleep last night?"
I shrugged. "I'm used to it. You're the one pushing yourself too hard. You should take a break."
Ace looked down at the paper again, his fingers tracing over the faded ink. "Can't afford to rest when we're dealing with something like this. I don't want Phoenix getting hurt."
I hummed in agreement, but my eyes didn't leave his face. "You always put him first."
He gave me a look, almost as if I'd stated something obvious. "Of course. He's my brother. He's all I have left."
I smiled faintly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of Kuro's face. "That's one of the things I admire about you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Admire? You're saying weird stuff again, Xavier."
I just shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not weird to acknowledge someone's good traits. You're responsible, protective, and... surprisingly gentle, despite that sharp tongue of yours."
His cheeks tinted just slightly—a rare sight, and it made my lips quirk up into a smirk. He quickly tried to cover it up by scoffing. "You're weird, you know that?"
"Maybe," I replied calmly. "But I'm not the only one who thinks so. Phoenix looks up to you because of how reliable you are. Even Atlas, despite his flirty attitude, respects you. You don't give yourself enough credit."
Ace didn't respond for a moment, just staring at the paper again. I could see the subtle shift in his expression, like he was trying to process what I'd said.
"I'm just doing what I have to," he murmured, his voice softer this time.
I reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "And you're doing great. You don't have to carry it all alone, Ace. You've got me too."
He glanced at my hand on his shoulder, and for a moment, his eyes softened. I could feel the tension easing out of him, just a bit.
"Yeah... I guess," he replied, almost reluctantly.
A comfortable silence settled between us, with Kuro still purring in my lap. I just let the moment linger, content to sit there and be by his side. In that small, quiet space, it felt like maybe—just maybe—he didn't have to bear the weight of the world on his own.I glanced at Ace, who gave a casual shrug as if to say he didn't mind. "Yeah, sure," I replied, giving Phoenix a small smile. "I'll stay over."
Phoenix seemed satisfied with that and leaned back on the couch, letting Kuro curl up on his lap. Ace didn't say anything, but he didn't seem bothered either. I took that as a good sign.
Ace stretched his arms above his head, clearly trying to shake off the fatigue from the day. "Guess we're all crashing here then," he muttered, sounding more relaxed than usual.
"Do you even have space for all of us?" I asked, raising a brow.
Ace smirked, glancing at Phoenix. "I'll take the couch. Phoenix can have his bed, and Atlas can keep drooling on the armchair. You can take the floor."
I scoffed. "How generous of you."
Phoenix snorted. "You can just sleep in my room, Big Bro. I have space. Or I can just push Atlas off the armchair and take that."
"Don't you dare," Ace warned. "He'll break his neck, and we don't need more trouble."
I chuckled at their banter, shaking my head. "Relax. I'll take the floor. It's no big deal."
Phoenix gave me a look like he wasn't convinced. "You sure? I don't mind sharing the bed. It's big enough."
I glanced at Ace, half-expecting him to protest, but he didn't seem too bothered. "If you're offering, I don't mind," I said casually.
Phoenix just gave a slight nod before yawning and stretching out on the couch. Ace glanced at him, then at me, and muttered, "Don't keep him up all night talking. He's got school tomorrow."
I gave him a teasing smirk. "Oh, come on, Ace. I know how to be considerate."
Ace just shot me a flat look, but I could tell he wasn't genuinely annoyed. If anything, he seemed a little more at ease now that we'd gotten some things off his chest earlier.
Phoenix stood up and gave Kuro a gentle nudge to move. The cat meowed in protest but hopped down, trotting over to curl up by Ace's feet instead. Phoenix motioned for me to follow, and I got up, stretching a bit before heading into his room.
As we stepped inside, Phoenix grabbed an extra pillow from his closet and tossed it onto the bed. "You can take that side," he said, pointing.
I nodded and sat down, leaning back against the headboard. "Comfortable place you've got here."
He smiled faintly, seeming almost proud. "Yeah... Ace did most of the organizing. He likes things neat."
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Figures. He's got that responsible streak buried somewhere under all the sarcasm."
Phoenix snickered. "You're not wrong."
We lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Phoenix pulled out his phone, probably checking messages or something. I just watched him for a moment, wondering how someone so young ended up dealing with so much heavy stuff. I guess it wasn't all that different from Ace's situation.
"Hey," I spoke up softly, catching his attention. "You doing okay? With... everything going on."
Phoenix hesitated, glancing at his phone before putting it aside. "It's... a lot. But I'm dealing with it. I just—" He paused, looking down. "I don't want Ace to worry too much. He already does."
I hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, he does. But that's what family's for, right? Looking out for each other."
He gave a small nod, but his expression was still tense. I hesitated before reaching out and ruffling his hair, earning a quiet huff from him. "You don't have to act tough all the time. Ace knows you're strong. He's just protective. And... you've got us too. We're in this together."
Phoenix glanced at me, his lips twitching into a faint smile. "You're not that bad for a flirt," he admitted.
I chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
He gave me a teasing glare but didn't say more, just settling down and getting comfortable. I made sure to keep a bit of space between us, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Eventually, he closed his eyes, his breathing evening out as sleep took over.
I stayed awake for a bit longer, just listening to the faint sounds from the living room and the soft rhythm of Phoenix's breathing. My thoughts wandered back to Ace—how guarded he was, how he seemed to carry everything on his own shoulders.
Maybe tonight helped ease that burden, even just a little. And maybe sticking around wouldn't be so bad after all.
I walked out of Phoenix's room quietly, making sure not to wake either of them. Atlas was sprawled on the couch, looking completely out of it, while Phoenix was curled up comfortably on his bed. I couldn't help but smile a little at how peaceful they looked—especially Phoenix. After everything, he deserved some rest.
As I moved into the living room, I noticed Ace still sitting at the dining table, his laptop open in front of him. His eyes were fixed on the screen, and his fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard. The soft glow from the screen illuminated his face, highlighting the slight furrow in his brows.
I walked over and leaned against the wall next to the table, folding my arms. "Still at it?" I asked quietly.
Ace glanced up, a bit surprised to see me. "Yeah," he muttered. "Just going through some old case files. Trying to piece things together."
I nodded, moving closer and pulling out a chair to sit beside him. "Anything useful?"
He shook his head, sighing softly. "Just dead ends. Feels like whoever cleaned up this mess did a damn good job at covering tracks."
I could hear the frustration in his voice, and it wasn't hard to see why he was stressed. "You're pushing yourself too hard," I said, my tone softer than usual.
He didn't look at me, just kept typing. "It's gotta get done. I can't just sit back and let it haunt us. Besides, you're one to talk. Aren't you supposed to be sleeping too?"
I smirked. "Couldn't sleep. You know how it is."
Ace glanced at me, giving me a side-eye. "Or maybe you just can't stand being away from me for too long."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "You caught me. Your magnetic personality just keeps me coming back."
He scoffed but didn't hide the faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, right. You're just nosy."
I leaned back in my chair, letting the teasing atmosphere settle for a moment. Then I looked at him seriously. "You don't have to do this all alone, Ace. You've got people who want to help. You can lean on us sometimes."
He didn't respond right away, his fingers pausing on the keyboard. "I know," he muttered eventually. "But it's just... habit, I guess. After everything with my parents... and with Phoenix... I just don't know how to rely on anyone else."
My gaze softened. "You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders. You deserve to breathe too."
Ace gave a slight shrug, his expression guarded as always. "It's not that easy."
"I know," I said gently. "But just... try. You're not alone in this anymore. You've got me, Atlas, Phoenix... even Kuro would probably claw your face off if you kept ignoring your well-being."
That finally got a small laugh out of him. "Yeah, that furball's too protective."
I smiled at the sound, glad to hear it. "Get some rest. The case isn't going anywhere tonight. We'll figure it out in the morning."
Ace hesitated, glancing at his laptop screen before finally closing it with a sigh. "Fine," he relented. "You staying out here?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Just in case one of those idiots wakes up and does something dumb."
He gave me a look, clearly knowing I was just using that as an excuse to keep an eye on him. But instead of calling me out, he just shook his head. "Suit yourself."
As he stood up and stretched, I couldn't help but notice how worn out he looked, despite trying to hide it. Maybe, just maybe, tonight he'd actually get some rest.
I stayed in my seat, watching him disappear into his room before letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. It wasn't much, but it was something—a step toward getting him to ease up on himself. I just hoped he'd keep taking those small steps.
After a while, Ace came back out of his room, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at me with a slightly hesitant expression, almost as if he was trying to convince himself to say something.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
He shrugged, glancing away for a second before meeting my gaze again. "You know... you don't have to crash in Phoenix's room. You can just sleep in mine if you want. It's more comfortable than the couch—or dealing with those two if they wake up."
I smirked a little, catching onto his subtle concern. "Worried about me, huh?"
Ace scoffed, but there was a faint hint of pink dusting his cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want you hogging Phoenix's space or drooling on his stuff."
I chuckled and stood up, stretching a bit. "Sure, I'll take you up on that. Not gonna lie, your bed sounds a hell of a lot better than that cramped couch."
Ace gave a small nod and turned around, heading back to his room without another word. I followed, keeping my steps quiet to not disturb the others.
As we entered his room, I couldn't help but glance around. It was surprisingly neat—no clutter, just a few things here and there, and his bed neatly made. He walked over to his desk and grabbed his phone, then tossed a spare blanket onto the bed.
"You can take the bed," he muttered, almost avoiding eye contact.
I raised an eyebrow. "And where are you planning to sleep?"
He shot me a look like I'd just asked the dumbest question in the world. "There's space. I'm not that generous to give you the whole bed."
A grin tugged at my lips. "Fair enough. I guess we're sharing, then."
Ace just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, though his ears looked a little red. I didn't comment on it, not wanting to push his buttons too much. I pulled off my jacket and set it on the chair nearby before sitting on the edge of the bed.
As I leaned back and got comfortable, Ace sat down on the other side, pulling the blanket over his lap. We didn't say much after that—the quiet settled in, almost comfortable.
After a few minutes, I glanced over at him. His gaze was fixed on his phone, but his shoulders seemed less tense than before. I couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment for getting him to loosen up a little.
"You should get some sleep too," I said softly.
He scoffed, still looking at his phone. "I'll sleep when I'm done checking a few things."
"Yeah, right," I muttered, rolling my eyes. But I didn't push him any further. Just being here, sharing the same space, felt oddly reassuring.
I stretched out, letting the mattress sink beneath me, and before I knew it, my eyes were growing heavier. It wasn't long before sleep pulled me under, comforted by the subtle presence of Ace nearby.
When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I noticed was the warm, heavy weight on my chest. My mind took a second to catch up, and when I looked down, I saw Ace practically wrapped around me, his head resting against my shoulder and one arm draped across my chest.
I blinked, trying to process the scene in front of me. Ace, the ever-so-tough and guarded guy, was snuggling into me like some clingy cat. It was... oddly endearing. The steady rise and fall of his breathing brushed softly against my neck, and I couldn't help but feel a smirk tug at my lips.
Guess even the mighty Ace lets his guard down sometimes.
I carefully shifted, not wanting to wake him, but his arm tightened around me, and he made a soft, disgruntled noise, nuzzling closer. I bit back a chuckle, trying to hold still, because there was no way I was risking waking him up when he looked so peaceful.
He looked different like this—less tense, less guarded. It was a rare sight, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the chance to see it again. I wanted to memorize every detail—the way his hair was a little messy, how his lips were slightly parted, and that faint line of worry gone from his brow.
My hand moved almost on its own, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from his face. He hummed softly, and I froze, wondering if I'd woken him. But he just settled deeper against me, his fingers lightly gripping my shirt like he was afraid I'd slip away.
A soft chuckle escaped me this time, and I couldn't help the fondness growing in my chest. Who would've thought the ever-stubborn and independent Ace would be such a cuddler?
I let myself relax, sinking back into the mattress and just enjoying the unexpected closeness. I knew I'd probably get my head bitten off once he woke up and realized, but for now, I didn't care.
Ace shifted again, his forehead brushing against my collarbone, and I couldn't help but smile down at him. Maybe waking up like this wasn't so bad after all.
A few minutes later, I felt Ace stir against me, and I knew the peaceful moment was about to be shattered. Sure enough, his breathing changed, and I could feel the tension building as he slowly registered his position.
He froze. Then, in a split second, he pushed himself off me like he'd touched something hot, nearly falling off the bed in the process. I barely managed to catch his arm to steady him, but the damage was done—his face was beet red, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
"What the—!?" he stammered, looking anywhere but at me. "Why the hell are you—?!"
I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. His reaction was way too satisfying. I leaned back against the headboard, still grinning like a damn idiot.
"You're the one who decided to use me as a human pillow," I teased. "Not that I'm complaining, though. You looked pretty comfortable."
His glare could have set me on fire. "I did not—! I wouldn't—! Ugh, shut up!" He buried his face in his hands, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "stupid idiot."
I just kept chuckling, leaning forward to ruffle his already messy hair. "You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?"
He swatted my hand away, shooting me a deadly glare that didn't quite match the crimson on his cheeks. "Don't push your luck, Xavier."
I raised my hands in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, alright. Relax. You just looked too peaceful to wake up, so I didn't move."
Ace huffed, finally dropping his hands and giving me a pointed look. "You could've at least shoved me off or something."
"Nah," I replied casually. "You looked way too comfortable. Plus, I didn't mind."
He rolled his eyes but didn't argue, muttering something like "idiot" under his breath again. I couldn't help but smirk—flustered Ace was definitely a rare and satisfying sight.
"Fine," he grumbled, finally getting off the bed and stretching. "Just… don't get used to it, okay?"
I smirked. "No promises."
He glared at me one more time before heading to the bathroom, clearly trying to regain his composure. I just leaned back, still grinning. Totally worth it.