Rides with Ace

t h r e e : Ace Club

Dedicated to FlawedInsideOut because she is just amazing and so are her works - check out her stories or vanish. 

NOT EDITED. 

 / t h r e e /

"Do you hug trees often?" Ace mused as he glided away from behind the towering wood and into my line of sight.

I wore a sardonic expression, frowning as I hastily retracted my arms from the tree. But then I cleared my throat, actually taking time to contemplate his question.

"No," I muttered begrudgingly, "This would be a first." 

But not the first time I’ve sunken into a pathetic abyss of pity because of a certain Kane boy. 

I still felt raw, depression inflating me to the brim. 

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, the anger of my question not entirely directed at Ace. I was just upset at the world. 

"Fixing my bike," he responded lightly.  

"Oh." 

Ace must have caught the waft of the gloom radiating off me since his eyebrows creased, his face contorting into caution.

"Are you," he paused hesitantly, "Alright?"

Ace obviously wasn’t accustomed to associating himself with grim girls whose emotions were haywire.

"No," I hiccupped, upset still boiling within me, "No really."

I felt him step closer to me but I refused to look up, afraid that he would be sneering at me with utmost disgust.

"I-" the scene with Kane before was causing me teeter at the edge of tears, "I'm just really - just really - sad." 

The fact that my time of the month is expected to be a day away wasn't helping in the least.

"Flo," Ace muttered as he lulled me towards him. “Flo, look at me.”

I did, our eyes locking, my breath withering. His eyes were so bright, the color of fresh green leaves. Woah, has he always been so gorgeous or is it the lighting?

Before I could truly process in reality, I was positively shocked when Ace circled his arms around me and pulled me into a breath stealing embrace.

He was hugging me - and I was hugging him back. The tempestuous aroma of his aftershave was so utterly beautiful. Beginning to rock back and forth, I buried my face into his chest. I was surprised how fast my depression faded, the weight on my chest taking to flight.

What am I doing?

Unconcealed shock burst within me and I pulled away quickly, nearly choking on my own spit. I was hugging Ace. And Ace was supposed to be a potential murderer. Although, due to these odd experiences with him, I was beginning to believe he was a teddy bear wrapped in thin steel.

"Sorry for being so weird," I muttered, stifling my roaring emotions.

Ace shrugged in an understanding manner, "Shit happens." 

“But, thanks for the hug,” I said with the most gratitude I could muster.

And then we were staring at each other again, as if the universe depended on the elongation of our eye contact.

"You're pretty," he stated rather bluntly.

Dragging my head downwards, I sucked in my initial shock at his statement.