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The door to Ace’s room creaks open, and Riddle goes straight to the bed, collapsing on it with a content sigh. “So, how was it?” Ace asks, sitting down beside the redhead and squeezing his hand. “Meeting them for the first time, I mean.”
“Your family truly is something,” Riddle says with a laugh. “I can see where you get your personality from, at least.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“I mean it in a good way, really! It’s just that…”
Ace raises an eyebrow. “That?”
“Your family is wonderful, but I’m just wondering if it really is alright for me to stay here. I wouldn’t want to burden them, after a–”
Ace puts a hand over Riddle’s mouth, and the redhead tilts his head questioningly. “Ah, ah! Stop it right there. How many times do I have to tell you, you’re not intruding on anything, I swear! They’re happy to meet you, and I’m happy to have you here.” Ace lifts his hand, and after a moment of fondly gazing at Riddle's face, wraps him in a tight hug. “So don't you dare say you're intruding, or that you're a burden. Because you're not, and you're absolutely amazing.”
Riddle closes his eyes as he melts into the embrace. “If you truly say so, Ace. Thank you.” The first-year pulls back just enough so that the redhead can see his warm smile, and Riddle can't help but smile at the way Ace looks at him like he just hung the stars and moon in the sky. For a few seconds, he even thinks they might kiss.
Then the door slams open with a bang, and Ace snaps his head back so quickly Riddle swears he heard something crack; he’s just about to ask if Ace is alright when they hear a familiar voice.
“Hey, bro, dinner’s ready,” Lance calls, peeking his head around the corner. He raises an eyebrow as he flatly stares at Ace and his close proximity to his boyfriend before continuing. “Stop being gay and get your ass downstairs or I'll eat all your food.” Then he turns to Riddle and nods at him. “We made some for you too, little guy. Come down and join us, yeah?”
Ace sputters indignantly, letting go of Riddle to glare at Lance. “What the hell is with that favoritism?! Also, you couldn't even eat all my food if you tried!”
Riddle, for his part, nods back and stands. “I’d love to join you for dinner. Come, Ace, let's go.” The first-year grumbles under his breath, but of course, he can't say no to Riddle, so he gets up and slips his hand into the redhead's. They pass through the door, and that's when Lance gleefully whispers something that sounds suspiciously like “oh, you are so down bad”.
It takes all of Ace's self control to keep himself from strangling his brother right then and there.
~-~-~-~-~
Cordelia’s just finishing setting up the table when Riddle steps into the kitchen with Ace and Lance behind him, and she smiles as she looks up at the three of them. “Just in time! Sit anywhere you’d like, Riddle,” she says, motioning to the table. “I made tonkatsu curry tonight. Unfortunately, I didn’t really know what you liked, since a certain someone –” Cordelia shoots a sharp glare in Ace’s direction– “hasn’t mentioned it, so I hope the food is to your liking.”
“Thank you, but I’m sure it’ll taste wonderful no matter what it is,” Riddle replies, pulling a chair out and taking a seat. “I’ve never had this kind of curry before, so I’m quite curious to see how it tastes.”
Lance grabs a seat beside him, picking up his fork and pointing it at the redhead. “Yeah? Go ahead and try it, I bet you’ll like it!”
Riddle scoops some of it up and slowly eats it, his eyes going wide. “It’s certainly different, but I was right. It’s still delicious.”
“Well then, I’m glad you like it! Eat up, boys.”
Ace, who’d already taken the other seat beside Riddle, quickly stabs all the carrots on his plate, reaching across the table to slide them into Lance’s plate. “Oh man, just look at all these carrots! I think someone else should have them to color up their hair a little~”
“Dude, what the hell, no! Take them back!” Lance swats Ace’s fork away and pushes everything back towards his brother. “And what do you mean, color my hair?! We’re not flamingos!”
“Hm, I don’t know, bro, your hair’s looking a little less shiny than usual! Wonder why that might be~?”
“It’s literally just because of the highlights and you know this, damn it, Ace! Also, stop deflecting and just take them back!”
“Ehh, mom says it’s no good to be picky, y’know? You should eat them since they’re already on your plate!”
“You can’t talk, you’re the one who put them there in the first place!” Riddle’s gaze flicks back and forth between the two as he quietly enjoys the food. Their voices are noisy as they keep arguing, and though he’s never had a meal quite like this, Riddle… doesn’t hate it.
Arguments during meals aren’t new to him, but the noise is comforting rather than frightening, and the curry is sweet and rich on his tongue. It’s so different from the dinners back at home that he can vaguely remember, and yet Riddle feels like his chest could burst from how warm it is.
So this is what a family truly feels like, he thinks to himself. The thought makes him smile, and a laugh slips out without his knowing. Ace and Lance stop right in the middle of their argument and glance questioningly at him as he chuckles, and Ace tilts his head as he leans towards Riddle.
”Rosebud? Hey, uh, you ok– w-wait, are you crying?!” The first-year reaches out and holds Riddle’s face with both hands. “What happened?”
“C-crying? Am I?” Riddle swipes a hand under his eyes, and his mouth makes an ‘O’ when it comes away wet. “Oh. My apologies, I didn’t mean to–”
“No, no, don’t apologize, it’s fine! Just tell us what happened!”
“Yeah, you alright, little guy?”
“Is it something with the food?” Cordelia frowns from the opposite end of the table. “Or was it too loud for you?”
“No, I- I’m just very happy to be with you all, that’s it…” Riddle sniffs and wipes at his eyes again. “Dinner back home wasn’t like this, so I’ve never really had a meal quite so lively, but I do find I quite like it.”
The other three simultaneously sigh in relief. “Okay, well, at least it wasn’t anything too bad,” Ace says. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” The first-year holds his hand out, and Riddle takes it as he murmurs another apology– to which Ace quickly shushes him and pulls him closer as they disappear up the stairs.
Once they’re gone, Cordelia immediately leans closer to Lance, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper. “We need to get that boy a gift for our holiday party.”
Lance raises one eyebrow as he eats another spoon of curry. “Eh, why?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, how many times have I told you?” Lance rolls his eyes, but closes it anyway. “Well, for one, he’s Ace’s boyfriend, and a guest in our home. Second, this will be the first holiday he's spending away from his parents, and something tells me they never let him celebrate, so we should at least try to make it special for him. He's such a sweet boy, he deserves that much.”
“Well, I guess, but we don't know anything about him. How are we going to get him something if we don't even know what he likes?”
“Out of us three, the one who would know him best is…” Cordelia's eyes go wide, and she smiles. “Yes, I've got it. Just wait.”
Before Lance can say anything more, Ace returns with Riddle in tow, and the first-year kisses his boyfriend one last time before plopping down into his chair.
“Ah, you’re back! Feeling better then, Riddle?” Cordelia asks. Riddle merely responds with a nod, and she smiles warmly at him. “Wonderful. Enjoy the rest of your meal, alright? And if you want seconds, there’s plenty more to go around.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
Riddle gets up to put his plate and utensils in the sink, and he turns to Cordelia as soon as he’s stepped away to let Ace and Lance do the same. “Would you like any help with the cleanup?” He asks with a tilt of his head. “You, ah, might have to teach me a bit, but I can certainly help if you need it.”
“You’ve had a long day, haven’t you? I’ll take care of it,” Cordelia replies. “You should go and rest.” Riddle frowns hesitantly, and she gently nudges him towards the living room. “How about I teach you another day instead?”
The redhead smiles and dips his head in a miniature bow. “If you say so. Thank you again for the meal.”
“You don’t need to be so formal, dear! Now then, off you go.”
“Yep, looong day, I’m exhausted~” Ace takes Riddle’s hand with a grin and waves to the other two. “That’s us, alright! I’m just gonna go with him and–”
“Not you, young man. You’re staying here and doing the dishes.”
“But I–”
“No ‘but’s. It’s your turn for the dishes tonight.”
Ace deflates and lets go of the redhead with a pout. “Man… okay, okay, I’ll do the dishes.”
Riddle gently pats Ace’s shoulder. “I’ll be waiting for you, don’t worry. Work hard, alright?”
The first-year immediately perks up with a bright grin. “Okay! I bet I won’t even have you waiting ten minutes.”
“I’ll hold you to that, then.” Riddle smiles one last time and rounds the corner into the living room, and Ace turns back to the sink and starts scrubbing.
Lance, who’d watched the entire exchange, smugly crosses his arms and whistles. “You are so in love with that boy.”
Red blush blooms across Ace’s cheeks, and his ears burn as he scrubs particularly hard at a plate. “O-okay, and?! It’s not my fault he’s so cute!”
“Lance, don't tease him for it,” Cordelia chides. Ace sighs gratefully and starts rinsing, but the relief is short-lived. “After all, it’s already obvious they’re perfect for each other.”
“Mooom!” Ace resists the urge to fling soapy water at his mom and brother, and instead sulks as he dries his hands on the towel. “Ok, there, I’m done with the dishes, so I’m gonna go watch a movie with Riddle. Bye.” The first-year throws it down on the table and stomps off, and he’s just about to push the whole interaction to the back of his head when his brother calls out one last time.
“Make sure you’re actually watching that movie!”
“I said good bye !”
~-~-~-~-~
Ace wraps his arms around Riddle with a sigh of content as the movie runs, and the redhead snuggles closer even as his eyes stay fixed on the screen. “That is not how the court works,” Riddle huffs, crossing his arms and sinking deeper into Ace’s hug. “He can’t just update the autopsy report like that! And without telling the defense ahead of time? Who let this man be a prosecutor?!”
“It’s just a show, rosebud,” Ace chuckles, slowly intertwining their fingers together. “Some things are bound to be inaccurate in stuff like this.”
“No! Ace, love, you don’t get it–” Riddle grabs the remote and presses pause before turning to the first-year with a fire in his eyes. “The judge didn’t even do anything to stop it! He even took the prosecutor’s side!”
The redhead goes off on a rant, something about unfairness and proper lawful conduct and that it’s most definitely not how a lawyer should be conducting himself in court, and Ace merely listens with his head in the clouds.
Ah, there’s the passionate Riddle I know and love. Honestly, I’m glad he’s feeling better after what happened with his mom, even if it took a shitty law show to fire him back up. And speaking of those lawyers, if Riddle was in that guy’s suit, I bet he’d be kinda…
“Cute…”
Riddle stops abruptly, staring at him with wide eyes. “What?”
Ace blinks, belatedly realizing that Riddle was talking to him. “Huh? What?”
“Did… you mean to call me cute just now?”
“Ha? No, I don’t think I–” A realization strikes him, and Ace's face flushes red. “Oh Sevens above, I just called you cute out loud. I didn’t mean to, I- I was just imagining you in that red suit!”
“You did, yes. I don’t mind it, though.” Riddle grins teasingly. “But what was that about seeing me in the red suit?”
The first-year stiffens (damn, why'd he go and open his big mouth) and grabs the remote back with a pout. “Nothing. I didn't say anything.” He slams down on the play button harder than he needs to and tries to will the heat in his face away. Keyword, tries , because now Riddle is more focused on him instead of the show, and he has that soft smile that shoots arrows straight into Ace’s heart.
“Well then, if I’m the one in the red, then you can be the one in blue, yes?” Riddle reaches up and ruffles the first-year’s spiky hair with one hand. “You even have your hair the same way.”
“It is not!” Ace lightly swats Riddle’s hand away with a pout, even if he can’t help but smile alongside the other. “Besides, there’s no way I could pull off a suit like y– like he can. Those kinds of outfits really aren’t my style.”
“Really? I think you’d look good in a suit like that.”
The first-year’s eyes go wide with surprise, but he quickly covers it up with a smug smirk. “Oho? What’s this? The great future prosecutor Riddle Rosehearts has thought about what I look good in?”
Riddle’s hair shoots up, and he flinches as he waves his hands around. “Th-that’s not–”
“Aww, it’s ok, rosebud~ I mean, you can pull off everything, but I just know you’d look really good in–”
“Ace.” Cordelia comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Do you have a moment? We need to talk.”
The redhead glances confusedly between the two before eventually narrowing his eyes at Ace. “Love, what did you do.”
“I don’t know! I swear I haven’t done anything!” Ace glances up at Cordelia with a frown. “Also, can it wait? We were kinda having a moment.”
“No, it can’t. Just come to the kitchen and we’ll talk there.” She goes back around the corner, and Ace waits for Riddle to sit up before pushing himself off the couch.
“You kidding… what the hell did I even do this time?”
“Not sure, but you’d best speak with her first.” Riddle takes the remote and pushes pause again. “There. We can watch it together after you’re done.”
“Okay, okay.” Ace leans down and kisses the crown of Riddle’s head. “I’ll be back soon. Try not to get too cold without me, yeah?” Riddle flushes red and waves him away with a flustered look, and the first-year chuckles as he walks into the kitchen– and is immediately met with his family.
“Finally,” Lance says with a sigh. “I thought you’d never get here. Guess you never did end up watching that movie, huh?”
Ace crosses his arms and frowns. “Okay, one, shut the hell up, and two, what do you need me for again?”
“Actually, I just–”
“Lance. Not the time.” Cordelia holds up a hand to shush him, and he sticks his tongue out at Ace. “The reason we needed you, Ace, is because we’re planning to do a little extra something for our holiday party soon, and we were hoping you could help…”
The front door clicks shut, and Ace shoots his mom and brother a thumbs up through the window as they leave for the local markets. Once they’re fully out of sight, the first-year runs into the kitchen and slips a pod into their single-serve coffee maker.
It’s certainly not as good as what they have back at Sage’s Island, but even though he’d love to always give Riddle the best coffee ever, Ace has noticed his boyfriend yawning pretty much all day. He’d be concerned about the redhead’s coffee addiction, if not for the fact that it’s Ace’s coffee he’s drinking more often than not. And thus, the first-year has no problem with it.
The machine beeps, so Ace takes the cup and heads upstairs; Riddle’s reading yet another law book when he sneaks into his room. He has no idea how many books the redhead’s packed in that suitcase of his, but that’s not his concern right now! He puts the cup down, creeps up behind the other with a wide grin, and puts a hand over Riddle’s eyes. “Guess who~”
Riddle jolts, the book falling into his lap, but he quickly realizes what’s going on. “Ace, dear, don’t scare me like that,” he sighs, taking the first-year’s hands and holding them in his own. “Was there something you needed?”
“Yeah, actually. Look here for a sec?” Ace watches as Riddle slips a bookmark into the pages of his book and shuts it, and as soon as he’s done, the first-year gently kisses his lips. “I love you.”
Riddle exasperatedly shakes his head. “Love, did you really do all that just to tell me that?”
“Yeah, kinda, but I also brought you this!” Ace takes the cup and hands it to Riddle. “Coffee for you! Just don’t expect it to be that good, because we don’t really have a proper espresso machine in the house.”
Riddle’s eyes widen, and he smiles as he holds the cup with both hands. “If it’s brewed by your hand, I’m sure it’ll taste just fine. Thank you, Ace.”
“Aww, thanks!” Ace slides up beside the other and lies down with his head in Riddle’s lap. “So, what’re you reading?”
“It’s a collection of laws and prominent cases from the Coral Sea. Azul lent it to me, but I haven’t had the time to read it, since…” Riddle’s voice trails off, and by now, Ace knows enough to fill in the blanks.
“Since you were so stressed about going back home?”
“Essentially. Which is why now that I have the time to go through it, I might as well.” The redhead picks up the book with one hand, the other rhythmically carding through Ace’s hair. “Would you like me to read it to you?”
“Sure. No guarantees I’ll stay awake though, ‘kay?”
Riddle laughs softly. “Alright then. Now, where did I leave off… ah, here. When it comes to the deep sea, there are…” Ace zones out after that, only focused on Riddle’s voice and the soothing motion of the hand running through his hair. He could even fall asleep like this, with how comfortable his boyfriend’s lap is…
Eh, screw it. Maybe he will.
(When Riddle hears Ace’s breathing even out, he sighs and smiles fondly, slipping a bookmark in between the pages before closing it and setting it beside his empty coffee cup. He brushes Ace’s hair aside and leans down to kiss his forehead, then settles back and closes his own eyes.
Logically, he knows they should move to the bed; sleeping on the couch as they are will just make their backs hurt, and as much as Riddle doesn’t want to admit it, sleeping at his desk already does that enough for him.
Emotionally, however, Ace’s body is a warm, grounding pressure on his, and Riddle decides he’d rather have the sore back than risk waking Ace up to move someplace else.
When Cordelia returns and enters Ace’s room to call him down for dinner, she finds them curled up on the couch in each other’s arms; if she snaps a picture before gently shaking them both awake, then no one else has to know.)
~-~-~-~-~
“And you’re sure you have to do this errand today?”
Ace stops at the doorway, glancing back at Riddle over his shoulder as he puts his shoes on. “Yeah, it’s kinda urgent,” he replies with a sheepish grin. “I put it off too long, gotta do it now!”
“Alright then.” Riddle stands from the couch and walks over, tugging the first-year’s collar down and kissing his cheek. “Stay safe.”
Ace flushes red, but quickly swoops in and returns the kiss. “I will! Don’t worry, I won’t be out too long.” With that, he shuts the door, and Riddle goes back to where he was sitting on the couch, somewhat at a loss for what to do.
He had been talking with Ace, but now said first-year had already left. He could read a book, but he’d already gone through all the law books he’d smuggled over from Sage’s Island. Watching a movie didn’t seem right without Ace to provide commentary, and so–
“Ah, Riddle! Would you like to help me with laundry today?” Cordelia appears from around the corner with a clothing basket tucked under her arm, and Riddle hesitantly tilts his head towards her. “I can teach you how to fold it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
The redhead thinks for a while, then nods. “If you’re sure.” He settles down on the carpet beside her and crosses his legs, watching intently as Cordelia takes the shirt and neatly folds it up in a few swift motions. “Th-that was fast! How did you..?”
“It’s just practice, dear,” Cordelia chuckles, picking another shirt from the basket and handing it to Riddle. “Here, why don’t you try this one? Imagine there’s a line going down both sides of the collar and fold both sleeves in on that line. Make sure the fold goes all the way to the bottom– yes, there you go! Now just fold the bottom up to the top, and…”
“I did it!” Riddle smiles widely, his eyes sparkling, before he stops himself and looks at the floor in embarrassment. “Sorry, I- I didn’t mean to get that excited… it’s just a shirt.”
“But you got it on your first try! And quite well at that.” She reaches over and puts a comforting hand on Riddle’s shoulder. “It’s your first time, right? I think you’re doing just fine, so I’ll leave the rest of the shirts to you.”
They work in silence for a few minutes, Riddle slowly going through his section of the laundry. He doesn't notice Cordelia’s gaze as he focuses on the shirt in front of him (he thinks he's seen Ace wear this particular jersey once), but the redhead glances up when someone nudges his shoulder. “So,” Cordelia starts with a smile. “How long have you and Ace been dating?”
“Not very long. If I had to guess, I'd say perhaps a month and a half,” Riddle replies, his hands smoothing out the wrinkles in the cloth. “However, I have known him for quite a while.” He smiles fondly at the thought of his boyfriend. “A bit of a troublemaker, if I’m completely honest, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“That sounds like him, alright. He really hasn’t changed since he was little.” Cordelia gets a spark in her eyes, and she grins mischievously. “Say, would you like to see all the photos and stories from when he was young?”
Riddle tries his best to imagine a younger Ace, then realizes he actually doesn’t know that much about the first-year’s past. “Would that be okay?”
“Sure! I think I have an album of when he was just about five lying around.” She gets up and walks into the hallway, returning with a thick book in her hands. Laundry forgotten, Riddle scoots up to her and barely manages to hold his laugh in from how adorable little Ace looks. There’s pictures of him holding a deck of cards, of him putting on little shows with Lance, of him in a magician’s cape and hat too big for him.
“He’s so cute,” Riddle murmurs, gently running a finger across one of the photos. “Ace never told me about any of this.”
“I can tell he loves you a lot. I’m sure he just wants to look cool in front of you,” Cordelia says with a laugh. “But of course, if you wanted to see any more pictures, I do think I have a few more albums in the closet.”
“Ah, I think just this one is fine… for now. Do you mind if I flip through it?”
“Go right ahead.” Riddle takes the album into his hands and slowly turns the pages; the album is filled with pictures of young Ace performing various magic tricks (and quite a few of his failures, accompanied with a little pout). Cordelia stays at his side, pointing out a few of the pictures and retelling the stories that led to that moment. They’re just about halfway through the album when the door creaks open, and Ace sighs in relief while he kicks his shoes off.
“Man, it’s cold out there,” he groans, his shopping bags slumping with his shoulders as he pulls the door shut. “At least it’s better in here.”
“Make sure to line your shoes up properly, Ace,” Cordelia chides. “I don’t want anyone tripping because of that.”
Ace rolls his eyes, but nudges them into place with his foot. “Yeah, yeah. Whate–” Then the first-year sees what Riddle’s looking at, and his face burns bright red as he rushes over to them. “Hey, whoa, are those my baby pictures?! Riddle, wh– how’d you get those?!”
“Your mother gave the album to me.” Riddle flips another page, then smiles when he looks up at Ace. “If you’re worried about them ruining my perception of you, then rest assured I don’t think any differently of you now. Besides, you were a very cute kid.”
At that, Ace gets even redder, and his hands twitch at his side as if debating about whether to snatch the album back. He glances between the album and the shopping bags on his arm, and after a few moments of silence, turns his head away and hurriedly walks to the staircase.
Riddle decides not to mention how adorably red Ace’s ears and neck have gone. Not out loud, at least.
A few days later:
Ace can’t remember the last time he’s woken up before Riddle– mostly because he never has– but now, he’s practically shaking with excitement as he gently nudges Riddle awake. The redhead’s nose scrunches up, and he weakly swats Ace’s arm with an unintelligible mumble. “Rosebud, c’mon, wake up,” the first-year whispers into Riddle’s ear. “It’s the winter solstice today!”
Riddle groans and tosses the blankets over his head. “Mnh… Ace, please…”
“It’s solstice, Riddle! Aren’t you excited?” The redhead merely shifts in bed with a quiet huff, so Ace pulls him closer and keeps going. “You’re so cute when you’re sleepy~ but we still need to get up! C’mon, rosebud, you always wake up early, don’t you?”
Riddle doesn’t move for a while, but eventually, he sits up and rubs the sleep out of his eyes with a yawn. “I don’t know how you can be this excited after we stayed up so late watching that movie,” he grumbles, running one hand through his tousled hair. Then he sighs and leans forward to kiss Ace’s chin. “And good morning to you too. I doubt I’ve ever seen you wake up before me.”
Ace beams and kisses Riddle back. “That’s cause I haven’t. But today, I wanted to be the first to wish you happy solstice!”
“I see. Well then, you’ve certainly accomplished your goal.” The redhead draws the blankets tighter around them. “Happy solstice, Ace. I do have to ask, though, why the insistence on waking up so early?”
“We like to exchange presents before breakfast! And now that you’re here, you have to get in on it too, duh.”
Riddle’s face falls a bit. “But I didn’t get anything for you or your family. Does it really count as an exchange if I don’t have presents for you all?”
“Not gonna lie, that was kinda the point. So, uh… surprise?” The redhead rolls his eyes and sighs exasperatedly, but Ace just grins. “Besides, it’s your first time! You wouldn’t have known, so it’s fine. Now c’mon, we gotta get there before my ass of a brother does!” The first-year leaps out of bed, tugging Riddle with him, and the two of them laugh together as they make their way downstairs.
Much to Ace’s disappointment, Lance is already sitting there, and though the redhead is intrigued (and just a bit horrified) by the way they mutually flip each other off, he chooses not to comment on it and sits in the middle of the couch instead. Ace plops down on Riddle’s other side, smiling when he sees his boyfriend gazing at the tree in wonder.
“Rosebud, you helped with that, y’know,” Ace says, playfully nudging the redhead. “I thought you would’ve gotten used to all the pretty lights.”
“Really? Because I still haven’t gotten used to the prettiest light sitting right next to me,” Riddle replies calmly. Ace’s eyes go completely wide, and it clicks for the other a few seconds later. “W-wait, I didn’t mean to– I was going to say that–”
Ace puts his hands on Riddle’s shoulder and ducks his head, but when he shyly looks up, his cheeks are flushed. “Not fair… you can’t make me want to kiss you this early, rosebud…”
Riddle smiles and leans in until their foreheads touch. “Then why don’t you? Go ahead.” Ace tilts his head and goes in, but right before their lips meet, the first-year’s pushed away from Riddle.
“Blech. That’s disgusting, get a room, bro,” Lance protests, shoving Ace’s leg. ”I’m literally right here.”
“Dude.” Ace scowls at his brother with all the malice he can pull from his brain with Riddle sitting in front of him. “We were having a moment.”
“You can have your moment somewhere that isn’t in my face.”
“I swear on the Seven, Lance, I’m actually going to–” Soft lips on his cut him off, and Ace just sputters when Riddle pulls back with a smirk.
“No fighting with your brother, Ace. Alright?” The first-year glares at Riddle, then at Lance, but eventually settles for a pout and a reluctant nod. “And no inappropriate gestures either. Don’t think I didn’t see your hands moving.” Ace grumbles under his breath, to which Lance smirks and opens his mouth to say something, but Cordelia steps in with boxes piled high in her arms.
“Alright, these are all for you,” she says, setting them down on the floor. “Right, this one’s for you, Lance, and Ace, this one’s yours.” Then she picks up the lone red box and smiles as she holds it out towards Riddle. “And this one’s yours, dear!”
“I- I’m sorry?” Riddle tilts his head as he stares at it. “For me? Are you sure?”
“Yeah, we’re sure, little guy.” Lance pulls something from behind a pile of pillows and slides it across the floor. “Take this too.”
“Lance, no– you two, what is all this?”
“That’s not all, rosebud!” The redhead turns around in surprise, and Ace plops down on the floor with his arms full of gifts. “Look what I got~”
Riddle’s hair shoots up as the first-year pushes a bouquet of roses into his arms. “Wait, Ace, this is… where did you even hide all this?”
“Closet. I figured you’d be too polite to poke around, and I was right.” Ace grins cheekily and puts two more boxes down. “There we go. All that’s yours, rosebud!”
The redhead glances between the gifts and the warm looks of Ace and the others; his voice fails him for a few seconds, and when he finally speaks, it’s quiet and shaky. “S-so… you three really got all this just for me..?”
“Damn right we did.” Ace takes Riddle’s hands in his and presses a kiss to his knuckles with a smile. “From all of us, to you. Happy solstice, Riddle.”
Well. Now Riddle’s sure his heart really will burst. He’s hardly known Ace’s family one week, and yet here they are, doing all this for his sake. This is family. This is home.
He feels Cordelia’s arms hugging him tightly before the first tear can even leave his eyes. Before Riddle knows it, he's wrapped in a group hug, tears spilling out from his eyes as he struggles to hold everyone in his arms. “Thank you, thank you so much,” he sobs, his cheeks aching from how hard he's smiling. “It's perfect, truly, thank you for everything– how can I ever pay you all back?”
“You don’t have to do a thing, Riddle.” Ace hugs him tighter, but Riddle can’t help but laugh at the way at how he was still pushing Lance away; even in a moment like this, the redhead took comfort in knowing Ace was just the same as ever. “You’re one of us now, and don’t you forget it.”
Ace is already sleeping when Riddle enters the room, and he smiles fondly as he brushes the first-year’s soft hair aside. “I see today tired you out,” the redhead murmurs, lying down and pulling the blankets over himself. “Well, that was to be expected, I suppose.” Ace latches onto him almost instantly, and Riddle chuckles quietly as he closes his eyes and lets the day’s events wash over him one more time.
He’d ended up sharing the strawberry tart Ace bought for him with everyone, despite them insisting that he should at least try to repay the favor (and as it turned out, tarts did taste better when shared with the people he loved). Then they’d actually gotten to the present-opening part, and Riddle had only gotten more surprised with each gift he pulled out.
From a fountain pen to rose-patterned stationery and the latest edition of the Queendom’s legal codices, it was clear someone had told the rest about what he liked, and he knew exactly who it’d been.
(“Ace,” Riddle said accusingly, poking the first-year’s chest, “you mean to tell me you knew ? And never bothered to tell me?”
Ace had only shrugged with a soft smile. “Yeah, but it’s not a crime to want to see your boyfriend happy, right?”
And Riddle found he had no answer to that.)
Then they’d had breakfast, even though it was more like brunch at that point, and Ace had brought out yet another surprise present. Though the sweater was two sizes too big for him and Cordelia insisted on taking pictures while Lance did his best to not laugh, Riddle didn’t mind having matching sweaters with his boyfriend.
This led to Ace deciding it was high time for another movie, and in a signature show of Ace being himself, he’d brought out all the blankets he could find and made what he declared “the best blanket fort of all time” before pushing Riddle into it. He’d then returned with two cups of tea, a popcorn bucket, and an annoyed Lance asking where his drink was, only to be met with some… choice words from Ace as the movie began to play.
That had all been hours ago, and now that the party is over, Riddle can simply stare at his peacefully-sleeping boyfriend.
Ace– the one and only person who’d started all of this, who’d let Riddle into his home with no questions asked, who’d given him a winter break unlike any other.
Ace, his wonderful boyfriend. And Ace is his .
Suddenly, Riddle can’t sleep anymore. His heart is thrumming from how warm it feels, and he knows he has to get the words out of his mind now, while Ace is asleep and can’t hear them– because as much as he loves his boyfriend, the redhead thinks he’ll probably combust if he has to say them while the first-year’s awake.
“I love you so much,” Riddle whispers, nuzzling into the crook of Ace’s neck, “I love you, I really do. I don’t think I can thank you enough for today, or for everything you’ve done for me. I want to try, though. So I love you, and thank you so much for all the kindness you’ve shown me.”
Riddle carefully slips one arm under the first-year and hugs him tight, trailing feather-light kisses across Ace’s face and down his neck until he can’t ignore the sleep pulling at his eyelids anymore. The redhead kisses Ace one last time, then settles in and closes his eyes, falling asleep near instantly.
A few moments of silence pass in the room, then…
“Seven damn it, rosebud… you thought you could say all that while I was asleep?” Ace whispers back, pouting as he opens his eyes and gazes at the sleeping Riddle. “That’s so not fair. Also, how did you know where I was ticklish, huh? Did Deuce spill or somethin’? Actually, no, never mind.
“I told you already, I love you, and you deserve the world. I did all that for you because I adore you, dumbass. Having you by my side this whole time was more than enough, I promise. And what do you mean, you don’t think you can thank me enough, huh? If that’s the case, I don’t think I’ve told you nearly enough how much I love you, and how much I always have. Though somehow… I guess I don’t really have to.
Ace kisses the crown of Riddle’s head and tucks him in closer before drifting off to sleep with a small smile.
“You already know, after all.”