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To say that Riddle was in a sour mood was an understatement. He'd spent a very fruitless hour after classes ended looking for Jade, needing to talk to him about class 2-E's participation in an upcoming festival. How his classmate managed to disappear so quickly and then remain elusive as Riddle looked high and low for him was a mystery, and one that made him attend a prefect meeting in a pre-existing state of agitation. Malleus's absence and Idia sending his tablet again certainly didn't help either.
And then, as he'd questioned Azul as to Jade's potential whereabouts, a voice that was decidedly not Idia's came from his tablet. Sounding rather breathless and satisfied.
Azul had found Riddle's indignation hilarious , while the other prefects had barely batted an eyelash. Even Idia's mortified cry of " Jade !" had only further darkened Riddle's mood. He'd wasted all that time while Jade was off engaging in relations with Idia , who couldn't even be bothered to show up in person to their meeting because of it? It was all beyond rude! He should have their heads for that! He should—!
"Ah, prefect Riddle?"
Riddle was pulled from his vengeful thoughts by an unfortunately familiar voice. Spinning on his heel, he eyed Ace carefully, pushing down his anger as best as he could. As much trouble as Ace was, this wasn't his fault, and Riddle knew that he couldn't take out his frustrations on his junior. He’d certainly done that enough in the past.
"Yes? What is it?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he noticed the way Ace stood, with both hands hidden behind his back. "What are you hiding?"
The question came out more snappy than he'd meant, and a twinge of guilt ran through his chest as he saw Ace flinch. He deserved that, and he knew it all too well. Would there come a day when people wouldn’t be so weary of his temper…?
"Yanno, I can just catch you later if now's a bad time. You, ah, look a little stressed."
Stressed . Yes, Riddle was indeed stressed, and part of him knew he was being ridiculous. Yes, he'd wasted his time looking for Jade, but it wasn't as if Jade wasn't allowed to go see Idia. And there weren't any rules against sexual activities behind closed doors. It wasn't any of his business what they were doing, so why was he still so mad …?
I'm jealous so jealous I don't want to be alone I want someone to love me I want someone to fu —
"Now's a perfect time," he declared, stopping that thought before it could finish. In a far calmer voice, he tried again, "Now, how can I help you, Ace?"
Ace looked skeptical for a moment before he shrugged and a confident grin sprang to his face. “Well, Deuce lost a bet with Grim, so I went with him to buy tuna, cause I’m a great friend, yanno? And while I was there, I found this!”
Ace finally revealed what he’d been hiding, holding out a pink hedgehog plush out. It was, to Riddle’s awe, utterly adorable. Not to mention, it reminded him of Heartslabyul's pink hedgehogs, which only made Riddle love the stuffed toy even more.
"It's… very cute, Ace." His fingers itched to have it in his possession. It looked very soft; perfect to hug while he slept. "Were there any more?"
To his disappointment, Ace shook his head. "Nope, sorry, just this one. But it doesn't matter, right? I mean, I got it for you , after all."
Riddle froze at the words, feeling heat come to his face. "For me…? But… Why ? Why would you buy me a toy?"
The part of him that still found it hard to open up to people thought that there had to be a catch. Ace had done something bad, or he was at least planning to, and he wanted to get in Riddle's good graces. But the part that still felt guilty for snapping at Ace and accusing him of trouble without any solid proof wouldn't let him voice that thought. Trusting Ace probably wasn't the wisest move, but the troublemaker was at least getting better about his mischief not getting out of hand. Just as Riddle himself was healing and learning to calm his temper. He supposed that he could extend his trust to Ace this time.
" Why ? Prefect Riddle, come on, why else?" Ace laughed and stretched his arms out to offer the toy to Riddle. "Because it reminded me of you."
Riddle felt his flushed face burn hotter and his chest tighten at how softly— affectionately even—Ace said the last part. Riddle's thoughts raced and jumbled and ultimately concluded to one simple truth.
I wouldn't mind being with Ace .
Ace was a pain in the ass, but he was attractive and funny and charismatic. Maybe he wasn't quite the King to Riddle's Queen, but maybe he didn't need to be. And maybe Riddle didn't really care if his mother would approve. And if Jade and Idia of all people could find love in each other, he was pretty sure that he could put himself out there for the boy who’d helped to save him from himself. He wanted to try.
"Thank you," he murmured, accepting the toy and smiling gently at it. After a moment, he raised his gaze to Ace, steeling himself to do one of the most impulsive things he'd ever done in his life. "Ace, I'm aware that we hardly got off on the right foot, and I'm well aware that you call me a demon prefect. But I'd like to believe I've gotten better, and… I think I have you to thank for it, in part. Standing up to me couldn't have been easy, and now you've gotten me a thoughtful gift, and… And I…"
Ace looked a bit sheepish—Riddle certainly hoped that Ace didn't think he could call him a demon without being found out!—before reaching out and swiping his thumb under Riddle's eye. Riddle hadn't even noticed that he'd begun to tear up, but the warm smile that came to Ace's face only made his eyes sting more.
“I’m not gonna pretend like you didn’t need to be stopped or that you can’t still be a hardass, but yeah, you’ve gotten better. I’m not constantly in a collar anymore!” He chuckled and flashed Riddle a lopsided smile that made Riddle’s stomach flip. “I never thought I’d say this, but I like being around you now. Not that I like getting a lecture on my grades or anything, but at least now I know it’s because you care, yanno? It’s kinda nice knowing someone will get up your ass because they want you to succeed... A little. I guess.”
Seeing Ace get flustered brought a little smile to Riddle’s face. Not only was it a rare sight to see in general, but he’d been afraid that he was the only one who’d gotten affected by the conversation.
“Ace…” He let out a little chuckle as Ace unsuccessfully tried to play everything cool. “Your face is red.”
“W-Well! So is yours!” They stared for a few long moments, neither looking away despite the fact they were, in fact, both obviously blushing. Riddle wasn’t sure he physically could look away. “Prefect Riddle, I, uh, really didn’t think you’d react like this…”
“Like what?” he asked, knowing what Ace was talking about, but not wanting to say it. Let Ace say it instead. He started this, after all, so he could push it to the next level. Honestly, though Riddle would never admit it aloud, he was so far out of his element that he wasn’t even sure what to do next. “Don’t start being shy now . Say it, Ace.”
That did the trick. Even with a blushing face, Ace’s eyes filled with indignation. “Shy? Yeah right! I was just messing with you! I knew you were secretly into me! I was just testing you!” Riddle didn’t say anything, but he knew that Ace saw the smirk on his face. “W-Whatever… Look, I like you, okay? Even if you can be a pain, well, I know I can be a pain for you too. But you’re nice to be around when you chill, and you’re cute when you get excited about tarts and hedgehogs, and I love it when you smile like a kid getting candy, and the heels on your dorm outfit are amazing , and—”
“That’s enough!” Riddle felt his face burn—it wasn’t as if no one had ever complimented his looks, but it didn’t escape him that the compliments on his heels were absolutely sexual in nature. “You don’t need to say such things. It’s hardly appropriate—”
“Hey, relax! We’re teenage boys . You can’t tell me you’ve never thought about dirty things before. Even you must have had a wet dream or something.” Ace’s typical cocky grin was back, and the fluttering in his stomach was quickly moving south. “Ever thought about me like that, Riddle ? Have you ever jacked off after I’ve pissed you off a little too much? Thought about putting a collar on me and fucked my mouth to shut me up?” Ace stepped forward, and all of the heat in Riddle’s body was split between his face and his crotch. “Cause I’ve definitely thought about all of that.”
Between the proximity, Ace dropping his title, and the admission that Ace had touched himself to thoughts of him, Riddle lost it. He threw all caution to the wind and pushed Ace against the wall, immediately invading his personal space and getting on the tips of his heels to seal Ace’s lips with his own. He had no idea what he was doing, but luckily Ace was quick to take control, moving his lips hungrily and drawing a noise of surprise out of Riddle as a slick tongue slid into his mouth.
Fully distracted, Riddle wasn't able to fight back as Ace flipped their positions, trapping him between the wall and the delectable combination of Ace's greedy lips and wandering hands. His only link to the outside world was the hedgehog doll he had tucked in the crook of his elbow, and despite knowing anyone could turn the corner at any moment, he didn't want to stop Ace's welcome assault on his body. His body felt hot and needy, and his underwear was, no doubt, very damp. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before, and he never wanted the feeling to end.
Just before Riddle thought he might lose his mind, Ace abruptly broke the kiss, a thin strand of saliva connecting their lips for just a moment before breaking. Riddle had never thought he'd find someone else's spit in his mouth arousing, but he was learning a lot about himself that day.
"Hey Riddle, wanna see a magic trick?" Riddle blinked up at him, his hazy mind trying to make sense of the question. After a beat, Ace smirked and brought his lips to Riddle's ear, nipping at the cuff before clarifying, "I can make your virginity disappear."
In a normal state of mind, Riddle would have put a collar on him for such a cheesy joke, but he wasn't in a normal state of mind, and all he could do was shiver and nod.
"Very well." He braced himself for Ace to do, well, something to him, but his junior didn't make a move. In fact, Ace seemed to freeze, his eyes wide and his expression becoming a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Riddle felt his insides twist at the turn of events. "Ace Trappola, I swear, if this was all a joke, I'll—"
"No! It's not a joke! I just… I never expected you to say yes…" Ace averted his gaze, his face almost as red as Riddle's hair. "I mean, I'm a virgin too, yanno? You're only the second person I've kissed! Even if you like me back, I didn't think we'd get this far."
Ace would never say I don't know what to do but the sentiment was crystal clear. For all of his smooth confidence, he was just a teenage boy who'd had one girlfriend he'd barely had a real relationship with. Riddle knew Ace was a good actor—liar, he briefly thought, though he pushed that thought down, chastising himself—and Riddle had fallen for it.
...Still, he wasn't mad.
"Ace." He brought his present up and pressed the hedgehog's nose to Ace's, smiling fondly as Ace floundered to think of something to say. Feeling kind, Riddle desired to help him out. "It's alright. It's best that we both be prepared and, preferably, not be in a hallway when we consummate our relationship."
Ace nodded before turning his gaze sharply back down to Riddle. "Relationship?"
"Of course!" Riddle declared, standing up as tall as he could manage and jabbing a finger against Ace's chest. "Did you think you could do and say all of that and not be my boyfriend? However, don't expect special treatment! I expect your grades to stay up and for you to continue to follow the Queen's rules! You need to set an example and—"
Riddle was cut off by a firm kiss, and as much as he wanted to be upset, his touch-starved body enjoyed the closeness too much to get mad. He allowed the kiss to continue for several long moments before finally pushing Ace back and half-heartedly glaring at him.
"That's the demon prefect I know and love!" Riddle sighed, allowing Ace to pull him close until his head rested against Ace's chest. He could hear Ace's heartbeat, loud and a bit erratic. It made Riddle feel better to know that his boyfriend was just as nervous as he was, even if Ace hid it far better. "...I can't say I'll be a perfect boyfriend, but I'll do my best."
"So will I," Riddle murmured. "I'll be a better person and the best boyfriend I can be. You have my word."
Riddle didn't think of what the other students would think or how this would change his daily routine. And he certainly didn't think about this mother's reaction, or even Ace’s when Riddle inevitably had to share his secret. He just enjoyed being held and knowing there were people out there who could love him even after seeing him at rock bottom.
For Ace, and for himself and all the others who cared for him, he would keep healing.
---
"...You got that all, right?"
Cater nodded, making sure that the video saved properly to his phone. Trey looked like a happy father watching his son get his first boyfriend, and Cater was surely wondering how much of the video he could put on MagiCam without Riddle murdering him.
Deuce, on the other hand, watched his best friend hold their prefect so tenderly with an equal mix of happiness for the two and jealousy that he was still single. He needed to pull those moves on his crush! He glanced over to his seniors, a smile forming on his face. Surely he had enough money left over from buying that tuna to get a green hedgehog plush, right…?