Title Tales From The Couch
Pairing Ace/Teddy
Warning Just a bit of bad language.
Author Notes This one is set when the boys are around 16. And gay. There is also reference to an OC of mine - Lightning.

"I'm ruined." Teddy flopped down on the couch next to Ace, sinking back against the cushion. "Totally ruined."

Ace raised one eyebrow and waited for a further explanation from Teddy. When one didn't come he knocked his friend's teddy bear off the couch and into his lap. "Why don't you tell Mr. Teddy all about it?"

Teddy glanced at Ace out of the corner of his eye, a little annoyed at the lack of sympathy. They'd been together long enough now, couldn't Ace tell when he was legitimately upset? "Why don't you kiss my ass?"

Ace grinned and winked at him. "If you stop whining, maybe I will."

Teddy sighed and picked up the teddy bear, clutching it to his chest. Didn't Ace even care about his problems? "Are you going to bother asking me what I'm upset about?"

Ace shook his head. "Dude, when you turn into such a woman? If you have a problem, tell me. I'm not here to play 20 Questions with you." He knew he was sounding like a bigger jerk than he meant to, but he honestly wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush. He had a history project to finish tonight, and he wasn't going to spend three hours pushing and prodding until Teddy finally told him what was bothering him.

"Never mind then, it's not that important." Teddy sank back further into the couch. Fine, let Ace be an asshole tonight! He had bigger things to worry about.

Ace watched the other boy for a moment before finally giving in. "Fine, I'll play along. What's bothering you?"

Teddy frowned at Ace's tone. "No, don't pretend to care. I'll just wallow in my own misery."

Sighing in frustration, Ace fixed Teddy with an annoyed look. "Teddy, quit being a drama queen. Come here and tell me about it." Ace grabbed his arm and pulled on him, and Teddy relented, laying in between Ace's legs with his head on the other's stomach.

The movement was enough to break open Teddy's defenses. "Lightning stole my phone after gym class and read one of your texts to me. He threatened to tell everyone about us unless I do his math homework for the semester." The only thing Teddy hated more than math was Lightning Harper, who seemed intent on harassing him and had been doing so since they'd met in junior high four years ago.

Ace snorted at the story. "Does he want to fail math?"

"Ace! This is serious!"

Ace couldn't help but grin. "Sorry, I just don't know why he wants you, of all people, to do his math homework."

"You're totally missing the point."

"On second thought, he probably assumes you'd tell me and I'd take pity on you and do it for you. He's a smart one after all."

"You're so not helping."

Ace grinned and laid a hand on Teddy's head, his fingers playing with the other boy's hair. "Calm down, Teddy. Seeing as how I'm the one who wrote the text, you could always deny it; my ass is the one that's really on the line."

"Not true. People might think differently about you, but no one would ever say anything. As for me, enough people hate me, so no one would have a problem spreading another story about me." Teddy frowned and closed his eyes.

"Do you honestly think I'd let anyone talk shit about you? All it will take is one word from me, and Lightning wouldn't dream of saying anything. You're getting yourself worked up over nothing." While Ace was surprised that Teddy was making a big deal out of something so minor, he was also happy that the problem wasn't anything more serious.

"I know. I just wish I didn't have to rely on your social standing to get me out of trouble." Teddy hated admitting it, but it was true. While he did have a lot of friends, he knew most of them were only friends with him because of Ace. He'd really made an effort to try making friends on his own, but he just didn't have the social graces that Ace possessed. He liked to blame it on his alcoholic parents.

Ace had heard this comment before, and it was one that bothered him. Teddy had developed a bad habit over the years of depending on him for things. "Stop acting like an idiot so often, then. People can only take so much of you, you know. Learning when to shut up goes a long way in keeping friends."

"I know." Teddy was quiet for a moment, thinking. "It's weird, what was funny to people when we were ten isn't funny anymore now."

Ace grinned. "Introspective Teddy, he's so cute." He leaned down and kissed the other boy's forehead, squeezing his shoulder afterwards.

Teddy couldn't help but grin at the comment. "If only people knew, huh?"

"They wouldn't believe it if they saw it." Ace looked down at the boy in his lap, smiling at him. "So are you done being a princess now?"

Teddy looked back up and frowned. "Nothing can ever be simple with you, can it? Just when I think you're through acting like a jerk, asshole Ace comes out again."

Ace laughed at the remark. "I can't help it, it's in my nature." He leaned over and pressed his lips to Teddy's briefly. "You need to move; my leg is getting numb."

Teddy frowned and sat up. "It's so obvious your parents weren't around, you have no sense of compassion." Teddy was only joking, and knew that if anyone else had said that to Ace, they would have hit a nerve with the other boy. But he was safe to make these kinds of jokes.

Ace grinned and shook his head. "That was cold."

Teddy grinned back. "Sorry, it's in my nature to be cold, didn't you know?" They both laughed at the comment, and Teddy stood up a moment later. "Let's get some food, I'm hungry."

Ace stood up next to him, happy that Teddy appeared to be completely over his worry from earlier. "Food sounds good." Before they got to the door, Teddy stopped in his tracks and looked at Ace, seriousness back for a moment.

"So you'll talk to Lightning tomorrow?" He didn't want to bring the subject back up, but he felt like he had to if he was going to forget about it tonight.

Ace smiled and nodded his head. "I promise. He won't say a word, he knows I could destroy him."

Teddy grinned and winked at Ace. "Social piranha Ace, he's so hot." Ace laughed at the comment before walking out the door, and Teddy grinned and followed him.