A New Beginning

by Brave orange blossom

After speaking to Lance and hearing that he's going to leave again, Ace can't help but feel disappointed. Thanks to Garnet's meddling, though, Ace meets up with Lance. They talk about Lance leaving and their feelings for each other. Set after episode 89. One shot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Puzzle & Dragons X/Cross

Author Notes: Puzzle & Dragons X is officially over, and I'm still having trouble letting go. I still plan on writing LanceAce stories. It would make me happy if my stories could put a smile on your face or help brighten your day if you're having a rough day. Seeing everyone enjoy my stories makes me really happy.

This story's setting is after episode 89, so episode 89 spoilers are in this. If you haven't watched episode 89 yet and don't want to be spoiled, I would suggest you turn back. If you don't care about being spoiled, though, feel free to continue reading.

I hope you all enjoy it!

A New Beginning

Ace wasn't distracted.

Okay, so maybe his eyes kept glancing at the door to his house.

But that didn't mean he was distracted.

He was… checking that everyone had arrived.

(Even though everyone had arrived a couple of hours ago.)

After getting the light back and saying a tearful good bye to Tamazo, Ace had returned to his normal missions.

Before accepting any missions, though, he and Lance had visited Dragoza Island to check on the monsters, residents of each city, and the number of drops in each area.

Upon seeing everyone happy and healthy, Ace and Lance had smiled at each other.

Ace remembered his heart beating faster at Lance's smile, belatedly noticing that Lance had smiled at him a lot more recently.

And while it felt strange (since he was unused to the sight of Lance smiling at him), it wasn't a bad thing.

If he was honest with himself, the smiles made him happy.

He wanted to make Lance smile more.

His mom had wanted to throw a party for him, Lance, and the other good things that had happened recently (like his dad returning home and the light returning to their planet).

She had told him to invite his friends and anyone else who could come, but knowing what kind of person Lance was, Ace had only invited his closest friends, thinking his rival might show up if it was just them (and his parents) at said party.

Garnet, Charo, and Tiger had arrived a couple of hours ago.

Even Tamazo had showed up (which had shocked Ace and almost made him start crying in front of his friends).

His surprised shout had caught his parents' attention, making them rush downstairs. They had looked as shocked as Ace and his friends, but their shock wore off quicker, smiling at the small dragon and welcoming him back.

When Tamazo had told him that Tera Dragon allowed him and Devi to return to their respective partner's sides to watch over the world's future, Ace had hugged his partner close to his chest, tears welling up in his eyes, indescribably happy and grateful Tamazo had returned.

But even he knew that his tears weren't just for Tamazo's return.

Some of it was for Lance.

He had felt happy and grateful that Tera Dragon had allowed Devi to return to Lance's side, knowing how much Lance cared about his partner and close friend.

With Tamazo there, the party had livened up even more (if it was possible), and the noise level had increased tenfold (much to Garnet's irritation).

But to everyone else's surprise, Garnet had only snapped at Tamazo a few times during the duration of the party.

Garnet had said that it was troublesome to scold Tamazo every time he got too loud, and after sighing exaggeratedly, she had said that she would have to put up with it, not wanting to ruin the good mood of the party.

But Ace, Charo, and Tiger knew that Garnet was just as happy as them when Tamazo had returned.

She just wasn't honest.

Even after all that, though, Lance still hadn't arrived.

While Ace wanted to deny it, he knew a large part of him hoped Lance would show up (despite his refusal of the invitation earlier that day).

He couldn't stop the frown from forming as he remembered how his rival easily refused his invitation.

He understood that his rival hated crowded places and probably didn't like parties, but this party was a small gathering of their friends.

His rival had told him that he wouldn't see him for a while, making Ace feel disappointed.

It wasn't fair.

He had just met up with him again, and his rival had no problem announcing that he would leave again.

If he was honest with himself, the thought of his rival leaving made his heart ache with loneliness and sadness.

… Which was stupid considering he had talked to him earlier that day.

How could he be missing his rival already?

And yet…

"Where's that arrogant jerk?"

An amused hum brought him back to reality, belatedly realizing that he had said that out loud.

His cheeks flushed pink, looking away from the door and at an amused Garnet (who he had been in the middle of a conversation with).

Of all people to hear his comment…

Why did it have to be her?

Before she could tease him, he held one hand out. "I don't want to hear it." He used that same hand to grab his glass of water and brought it to his lips, hoping the temperature would help cool him down.

Garnet smirked. "You're the one who said it. Didn't you invite him?"

After taking a few sips of water, Ace placed his glass on the coaster that laid on the counter.

He huffed, almost pouting. "Of course I invited that guy! But he refused to come. He thinks leaving me—" His eyes widened, belatedly realizing what he was saying and cut himself off. "I-I mean, he thinks leaving us is a better use of his time."

Much to his irritation, Garnet looked way too amused at his slip up. "I didn't know you two were an us. It's about time."

Ace cursed as his cheeks flushed pink at the implication of that statement. "W-What are you talking about? I meant us as in all of us." He hastily gestured toward her and the rest of their friends who stood not too far away from them.

And what did she mean by 'about time'?

Garnet raised her eyebrows, unconvinced. "Of course you did. I'm sure you wish you two were an us."

"N-No I don't. We're friends."

She rolled her eyes, still unconvinced. "Yeah, like I believe that. You keep looking at the door every few seconds out of friendship, huh?" She watched as he looked at the door once more, resisting the urge to shake her head.

Her friend was so obvious with his feelings.

It was a wonder that the white haired Dragonoid didn't already know about his feelings for him.

… Then again, the white haired Dragonoid was almost as much an idiot as her friend.

Ace, who had quickly looked back at the door, felt his face heat up as he saw Garnet watching him, realizing she caught him red-handed. "Stop saying that I have feelings for that guy! He's just a friend and rival."

"But you wish he was more than that."

"Garnet!" His voice rose to a shrill, catching everyone else's attention.

Charo and Tiger quickly crossed the distance that separated them, joining them next to the counter.

"Ace? Are you alright?" Charo said, concerned.

Ace turned his head to look at Charo and nodded sheepishly. "I'm fine." He turned his head to look back at Garnet and glared, almost huffing at noticing the smug smirk on her face.

Charo and Tiger felt relieved their friend was alright, noticing the silent faceoff between the other two with amusement.

Ace was the first to turn his head and look away, unable to stop the huff from escaping.

Stupid Garnet.

She didn't know what she was talking about.

Garnet couldn't stop the victorious smirk from forming, turning her head to look at their other friends. "We were talking about Lance."

And with that, Charo and Tiger understood what happened.

Charo smiled reassuringly. "Maybe he'll show up later, Ace."

Ace turned his head to look at Charo and shook his head, unable to stop the disappointed look. "He said that he was leaving. He probably already left."

He could feel his heart dropping at the thought, a large part of him wishing his rival would stick around.

But his rival had made it clear that he needed to leave to find what he could do for their planet.

Tiger reached out and patted his shoulder. "You never know. Maybe he's still on the island."

Ace looked at Tiger, confused. "Why would he stay? I doubt he could find what he could do for our planet while staying at Vienna City."

His friends shook their heads, looking amused.

Poor Lance was going to have his hands full with their oblivious friend.

Though they knew he wouldn't mind (if the lingering looks and soft smiles were any indication).

Ace furrowed his brow, looking at each of his friend's amused looks and feeling confused.

"Maybe because a certain someone is here," Garnet said, looking at him meaningfully.

Ace blinked, not understanding the meaningful look at first. It wasn't until the rest of his friends gave him meaningful looks that he belatedly realized what they were trying to say.

The thought of Lance staying at Vienna City because of him…

It made him feel warm and giddy inside (even though he knew it was only wishful thinking).

He felt his cheeks heat up and shook his head, looking frustrated. "He wouldn't stay because of me. I already tried to make him stay by inviting him, but he refused."

Garnet raised her eyebrows. "So you admit you wanted him to stay."

Ace felt his emotions from earlier bubbling over, Garnet's comment pushing him off the edge.

"Of course I wanted him to stay! That guy's always disappearing and never sticking around." He brushed the hair away from his face agitatedly. "He talked about our bond in front of Tera Dragon and said that I'm not alone after we got the light back. Then he had the nerve to say that he was going to leave. That cold-hearted jerk doesn't care about me or our bond at all!"

And while a part of him understood why Lance had to leave, a larger part of him wanted him to stay.

But did Lance care?

No, he didn't.

But asking Lance to stay would be selfish.

And no matter how much he wanted him to stay, he refused to entertain the thought of asking him to stay, not wanting to stand in his way.

His friends exchanged unreadable looks, and Ace was about to rant some more, uncaring if his friends thought he loved Lance because of it.

But before he could, a familiar white and orange dragon entered the room, holding a plate with a slice of chocolate cake on it.

Upon spotting Ace, Tamazo quickly set his plate on the counter and flew over to him, looking concerned. "Ace! What's wrong, tama?" He stopped once he was close enough. "Tama's here now."

Ace turned his head to look over at Tamazo, eyes softening at the sight of his partner. "Yeah. Welcome back, Tamazo. Did you help Mom with the cake?"

Charo and Tiger felt relieved as Ace turned his attention to Tamazo.

Garnet shook her head, exasperated and pulled out her D-Gear.

Enough was enough.

If Ace wouldn't send a message, she would.

She typed out a message, nodding once she finished. She sent it to a certain white haired Dragonoid with a smirk on her face, making Charo and Tiger look at her warily.

Ace would thank her later.

Tamazo placed his arms on his hips and puffed his chest out. "Tama helped with the mixing, tama!"

Ace shook his head, looking amused. "Which means the place is a mess right now."

Tamazo shook his arm at him. "Rena said Tama was a big help and gave Tama the first slice, tama." He grabbed Ace's hand, pulling him over to the piece of cake that laid on the counter. "See, tama?"

Ace looked at the slice of cake before looking back at Tamazo. "That's a small piece. Will you be alright with that?"

Tamazo smiled cheerfully, letting go of Ace's hand to sit down on the counter. "Rena said Tama can get seconds whenever Tama wants!"

Ace rolled his eyes.

His mom had a (bad) habit of encouraging his partner's gluttony.

He reached out, petting his partner on the head for a few moments before walking away. "I'll go see if Mom needs help."

He walked to the back of his house, unable to stop the smile at the sight that greeted his eyes.

His mom scrubbed the countertop, smiling. She wore her normal apron over her clothes.

His dad, on the other hand, stared at something on the ceiling with a frown on his face. He wore a dark blue apron over his normal outfit.

Ace noticed with amusement that his dad had chocolate cake batter on the back and top of his head as well as on the front of his apron.

No doubt Tamazo had something to do with that.

"How did Tamazo get cake batter on the ceiling?" King complained, looking up at the spot and wondering how he was going to clean it. "Remind me not to stay in the kitchen the next time he helps out."

Rena laughed softly. "You're the one who wanted to help."

"With the cake. Not clean up."

Ace couldn't stop the laugh from escaping, making his parents jump and turn their heads to look at him. "Did you get into a food fight with Tamazo and lose, Ancient of Water-sama?"

King gave him an unamused look, the frown on his face deepening at the mention of his new title. "That isn't funny, Ace."

Ace smiled, walking over to the countertop and stopped, noticing the mess with amusement.

Cake batter was everywhere. It looked as though Tamazo had thrown the cake batter around the room instead of mixing it in the bowl.

Rena let go of the sponge and wiped her hands on a towel, smiling at him. "How is everyone? Are they having fun?"

"They're doing great. Everyone's having fun, Mom. I came to see if you need help."

"Well, your father was supposed to be helping me," she said, giving her husband an unimpressed look. "But all he's done is complain."

King sweat dropped, laughing sheepishly

Ace smiled softly, resisting the urge to laugh. "I can help you, Mom."

Much to King's disappointment, Rena shook her head, placing her hands on her hips and looking at her son sternly. "You are supposed to be out there having fun with your friends. This party is for you and your friends."

Her eyes softened as she walked closer to her son, smiling at him. "I do appreciate the offer, though. Thank you, Ace." She stopped a few feet away.

Ace nodded, unsurprised his mom refused his help. "In that case, I'll leave you two alone to clean up this mess."

He turned around and walked away, resisting the urge to smirk at his dad's groan. He stopped by the entranceway, making his parents look at him, confused.

Ace turned his body to the side, looking at King. "By the way, Dad…"

King raised his eyebrows. "What is it, Ace?"

Ace smiled, resisting the urge to hug his dad. "I know I said this before, but welcome back."

King smiled softly. "Yeah. I'm back, Ace."

"One more thing."

King blinked, confused. "What?"

Ace smirked. "You do know that you have cake batter in your hair, right?"

He ran away quickly, laughing as his dad groaned and shouted Tamazo's name.

A few moments later, he returned to the front of his house, smiling at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Tamazo sat on the counter, eating his cake.

Ace felt surprised Tamazo hadn't already eaten it.

Charo, Garnet, and Tiger stood by the counter, talking about something.

What about, he didn't know.

He walked over, about to join them, but something blue out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention.

He stopped, looking over at the door.

He could've sworn he saw a familiar blue cloak…

His eyes widened, impulsively running over to the door and pulling it open.

But no one was there.

Ace walked out, closing the door behind him softly and stopped in front of his house.

But he still didn't see anyone even after looking in every direction.

Maybe it was his imagination?

He nodded, walking back to his house.

Lance didn't even know where his house was.

And if he did come by, why didn't he come in?

He knew what kind of person Lance was, but if he had come by, he could've at least stayed for a little bit.

Grumbling about Lance under his breath, he stopped several feet away from the door, unable to stop himself from turning around and looking at the sky.

Stars dotted the black sky, twinkling brightly. He noticed that he could only see the silhouettes of the three moons.

Many drops floated in the sky, making him smile.

He was about to head back inside, not wanting anyone to worry.

But someone slammed the door open, making him jump and turn around, startled.

"Ace! Why did you disappear, tama?" Tamazo closed the door and flew over to him, stopping once he was close enough.

Ace smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Tamazo. But I thought I saw... someone out here. It was probably my imagination, though."

"Who, tama?"

Ace hesitated. "… Lance."

Tamazo narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "He's rude, tama! He didn't even bother to come inside to greet Tama. Especially after everything Tama's done for him, tama."

Ace sweat dropped. He didn't think Lance even knew that Tamazo was back, although he might suspect it if he had already met up with Devi.

"I don't think Lance would come inside just to greet you, Tamazo."

Tamazo uncrossed his arms, placing them on his hips and puffing his chest out. "Tama's someone important, tama! Tama watches over the world's future, tama!"

Ace shook his head, unable to stop the amusement in his eyes.

Tamazo was already cocky and easily got carried away before everything that happened.

But Tera Dragon sending Tamazo to watch over the world's future and back to his side only seemed to boost his (already huge) ego.

He turned back to the door, planning on going inside.

Tamazo flew in front of him, tilting his head, confused. "Ace, what are you doing, tama?"

Ace blinked, confused. "Going inside?"

Did Tamazo forget that a party was going on inside his house?

"Ace isn't going to look for Lance, tama?"

Ace's eyes widened, feeling his cheeks heat up at the thought of looking for his rival.

He shook his head, trying to will away the red in his cheeks. "W-What are you talking about, Tamazo? I told you earlier, right? Lance already left."

He cursed as his heart clenched at the thought.

"But Ace saw Lance, right, tama?"

Ace frowned, turning his head away. "It was probably just my imagination."

Maybe he only saw something blue because he wanted to believe that Lance was there.

Maybe his mind made up the blue looking thing.

Tamazo frowned, placing his arms on his hips. "If Ace thinks he saw Lance, I believe him, tama. We should look for Lance, tama."

Ace turned his head to look at Tamazo, surprised.

Tamazo wanted to leave the party and look for Lance?

"Tama's going to make him apologize for not coming inside and greeting Tama, tama!"

Ace rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Somehow, he should've known Tamazo would say that.

The idea of leaving the party to look for Lance was a tempting one, but then he thought of his friends and his parents.

He couldn't leave them to look for Lance.

His mouth opened, about to refuse.

But nothing escaped his mouth.

His tongue refused to work, a large part of him protesting at refusing to look for Lance.

"But we don't know where Lance is. It could take us hours to find him, Tamazo."

He felt surprised that the thought of looking for Lance eclipsed the thought of not wanting to worry his friends and parents.

Deep down, he knew why he felt this way and why the thought of… being in a relationship withLance easily flustered him.

He wished he could say that it had only happened recently, but he knew he had found himself thinking about Lance ever since he met him.

At first, he thought Lance was an arrogant showoff, and he didn't like him.

But even when he didn't like him, a large part of Ace admired him.

He had told himself at the time that he admired Lance's strength and that he wanted to become a Dragon Caller like him.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he not only admired Lance's strength, but Lance himself.

And those feelings only seemed to grow with time.

Garnet had (correctly) pointed out that it wasn't just out of friendship that he kept looking at the door.

"That doesn't matter, tama. Ace wants to see Lance, right, tama? You shouldn't give up so easily, tama."

Ace shook his head, unable to stop the amused smile. He couldn't believe that Tamazo was the one who was encouraging him to meet up with Lance.

What happened to eating his chocolate cake?

"I want to see him," he muttered, frowning. His cheeks, which had returned to their normal color, flushed pink. "But Vienna City is huge, Tamazo. Lance could be anywhere," he said in a louder voice.

"That doesn't mean you should give up, tama. Ace knows Lance, tama."

Ace scowled. "Apparently I don't know him that well since he's leaving. Again."

And it made him feel like an idiot.

He should've expected that Lance would leave again (although he wouldn't have correctly guessed his reasons for leaving), but he hadn't thought of it, a large part of him hoping that Lance would stay this time.

Or let him go with him.

But Lance wasn't the type to invite people to come with him, so he had dismissed that thought.

Tamazo narrowed his eyes, shaking one of his arms at him. "Are you stupid, tama? Lance came to see you, tama! Think about the places he would go to, tama!"

Ace couldn't stop his face from flushing at the thought of Lance coming to see him. "H-Hold on. We don't know for sure if Lance came or not."

"Think, tama!"

Ace narrowed his eyes, turning his head away. "Fine! I'll do it!"

Stupid Tamazo.

Why was he convinced that Lance had come to see him?

And while a large part of him wanted to believe in what Tamazo said, the more rational part of him knew that was just wishful thinking.

They didn't even know where Lance was.

That was if Lance was still here at Vienna City.

If he had already left, Ace wouldn't know where to find him.

Lance didn't tell him where he was going.

If Lance was still here, though, where would he go?

Not the city.

Maybe the forest or the mountains?

Maybe somewhere he had visited before?

His eyes widened, a hopeful feeling growing inside his chest.

He turned his head back to look at Tamazo, smiling. "I know where he would go. Let's go, Tamazo."

Tamazo smiled cheerfully, raising one arm into the air. "Yes, tama!"

He turned around, starting to run with Tamazo quickly following him.

One place stood out in his mind, and it was definitely a place Lance would go to.

He didn't want Lance to leave him again.

Not without talking to him and letting him know his feelings.

But would Lance actually be at the place he was thinking about?

It was a special place to him, but he didn't know if it was special to Lance.

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes.

It was better than nothing.

This was his best lead, and he trusted his intuition.

Let me get there in time!

ZZZ

Lance stood on the road near the pier of Vienna City, looking out at the ocean.

Each time the huge waves approached the shoreline, it would swallow more land than it had before, crashing against the wall of the road overlooking the shoreline.

Normal humans wouldn't dare walk along the shoreline or swim in the ocean when the waves were this high.

And while Lance knew Plesios could handle the waves, he had already decided to leave Vienna City by transport dragon in the morning.

After speaking to Ace earlier that day, he had walked along the shoreline, trying to choose a destination.

He had told Ace that he wanted to leave to find out what he could do for their planet.

But he didn't know where to go.

Ace had no problem mentioning his duty earlier that day, clearly assuming he could share his duty with him or that Lance would help him.

Lance smirked as he remembered teasing Ace about replacing him if he failed in his duty. He had laughed at Ace's reaction, his laughter catching Ace off guard.

Ace's reaction to his laughter was… cute.

It had only been playful teasing since he knew Ace wouldn't fail in his duty.

But at the same time, he hoped Ace knew that if he ever wanted his help, he wouldn't hesitate to give it to him.

It was the least he could do after everything Ace had done for him.

And it would be a good excuse to meet up with Ace again.

He frowned as he remembered sad blue eyes.

Ace had chased after him, asking him if he had to leave and couldn't wait until tomorrow.

He had mentioned that everyone would come to his house that night.

But Lance had refused, scolding him for thinking that he would come.

When Ace had laughed and agreed, he remembered stopping and looking over his shoulder, unable to stop himself at hearing Ace's laugh.

Ace had a smile on his face, but as he had continued watching, that smile disappeared. The brunet had looked away, sadness in his blue eyes.

He remembered his heart hurting at Ace's expression, almost turning around to comfort him (even though he wouldn't know what to say or do to comfort him).

But Ace had quickly plastered on a smile and looked at him, making Lance's heart clench.

He had received a feeling that he should've talked to Ace more and that walking away (literally and figuratively) was a mistake.

But he remembered turning his head around and continuing to walk.

That time, though, he hadn't heard Ace's voice or footsteps behind him.

His eyes had darkened with guilt and shame, knowing that he had (once again) hurt Ace.

And while he knew Ace understood why he had to leave and that he wouldn't come, he had found himself resisting the urge to turn around and… do something.

What he had wanted to do, he didn't know.

All he knew was that if he had turned around, he would've done something that he would regret.

Ace only saw him as a friend and rival.

And while that made him happy, he wanted more.

After getting back the light, Ace hadn't been able to stop himself from mentioning a world without pain, undoubtedly thinking of the world that Tera Dragon could've built had they not succeeded.

Knowing that Ace felt alone and feeling his heart hurt at his expression, Lance had reached out, placing a hand on Ace's shoulder and telling him that he wasn't alone.

He didn't know when it started, but he had found himself wanting to touch Ace more.

And while he knew he could get away with platonic touches, he had to stop himself from pulling Ace into a hug at times.

Although when they had to say good bye to their Tamadora partners, he had to hold Ace close to him, not wanting him to fall.

That moment was definitely bittersweet.

Speaking of their Tamadora partners…

His head turned to look at his left, blinking at seeing Devi's frown.

A couple of hours ago, a meteor had hit Vienna City's shoreline.

Or Lance had thought it was a meteor at first.

He had felt surprised to see Devi, unable to stop the hopeful feeling inside his chest.

He had immediately made his way over to where his partner had landed, gently picking him up.

Once Devi had recovered from his painful landing, he had told him that Tera Dragon had allowed him to return to his side to watch over the world's future.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Lance had hugged Devi to his chest, happy and grateful his partner had returned.

It hadn't taken long for a certain idiot to enter his mind, making him pull away from Devi to ask about Ace's partner.

But Devi had reassured him (in an irritated tone) that Ace's partner had arrived with him, shooting off like drop power and making his way back to Ace before Devi could say anything.

Lance had shaken his head, unable to stop the amusement in his eyes.

But he had also felt happy, grateful, and… relieved that Ace's Tamadora partner had returned.

He knew the separation had hit Ace harder than he was actually showing, and he felt relieved that he wouldn't have to see those nostalgic smiles that he couldn't do anything about anymore.

(Maybe if he was braver, he could've tried to talk to Ace about it.

Maybe if he was braver, he could've touched Ace's shoulder. Or better yet, maybe even hold his hand or hug him.

But unfortunately, he was a coward and couldn't do anything besides watch Ace suffer in silence.

Every time he thought back to how he had let fear take over and how he couldn't help Ace, it made him feel angry with himself.

He had already resolved not to let anything like that ever happen again to Ace, and if it somehow happened, he would do everything in his power to be there for Ace and help him through it.)

He had already told Devi about his plans to leave, but he had felt surprised by Devi's reaction.

Devi had unsurprisingly understood why he wanted to leave and immediately said that he would go with him, but when he had told him it would only be the two of them, Devi had frowned.

Of course, he had asked if something was wrong, but Devi had surprisingly refused to answer.

He had felt confused with Devi's reaction, but he had decided not to force him to answer, thinking that he would tell him when he was ready.

Remembering Ace's reaction earlier in the day, Lance couldn't stop himself from checking on him, wanting to see him one last time before he left Vienna City.

(A certain idol Guild Dragon Caller had messaged him about Ace looking miserable and already missing him, telling him to hurry up and come so that Ace wouldn't mope anymore.

And while he knew the girl enjoyed teasing him and Ace (much to his annoyance), his heart had beat faster at the thought of Ace missing him.

But it wasn't because of her that he decided to check on Ace.

He had already decided before the message came that he was going to check on Ace before he left.

It was just… bad timing that the message came before he started walking to Ace's house.)

After noticing that Ace was smiling, he felt relieved and left without going inside.

It wasn't until he had started walking back to the pier that Devi spoke up, asking why he didn't invite Ace to come with them.

Lance had uncharacteristically paused before asking what he meant.

Devi had brought up how they planned on leaving Vienna City. Once again, he had asked why he didn't invite Ace to come with them.

Lance had automatically replied that Ace couldn't fulfill his duty if he went with them.

But Devi had surprisingly argued with him, asking if he knew that for sure.

Lance had immediately argued back, saying that he didn't know his destination yet.

If they went somewhere with no humans, Dragonoids, or monsters, how could Ace fulfill his duty?

Devi had pointed out that they could go back to Dragoza and that Ace could go with them.

But Lance had stubbornly refused, not wanting to tear Ace away from his family (especially since his dad finally returned home).

He had thought it was over with that, but Devi was equally as stubborn, asking him to at least consider inviting Ace to come with them.

(He had also muttered about how Ace would definitely accept if he invited him, and while those words had given him some hope, Lance didn't say anything.)

Lance had reluctantly agreed, but he had no plans on inviting Ace to come with them.

The idea of inviting Ace to come with them was a tempting one.

But inviting Ace to come with them when he didn't know their destination or what he was going to do when they got there as well as tearing him away from his family…

It was selfish, impulsive, and unfair.

It didn't matter what he thought or felt about Ace.

He was willing to leave Ace for an unknown period of time, so Ace could have some time to reconnect with his dad.

It didn't matter that he would miss Ace while he was gone.

(And Ace would miss him too (if the idol Guild Dragon Caller's text was telling the truth).)

Not liking the frown on his partner's face, he was about to open his mouth and ask if something was wrong.

But he didn't get a chance to as a familiar voice called out to him.

"Lance!"

Lance and Devi's eyes widened at the familiar voice, immediately turning around.

It couldn't be…

But it was.

Ace was still at a distance, but as he continued to run toward them, the distance shrunk with each second.

Lance could easily pinpoint when Ace realized he was looking at him, the brunet's eyes sparkling like a Super King Sapphire Dragon's scale.

His bright smile seemed to shine brighter than the sun, causing Lance's heart to beat faster.

To Lance and Devi's surprise, Tamazo flew beside Ace, the small dragon already waving at them and giving them a cocky grin.

Devi rolled his eyes at the other Tamadora's behavior, grumbling about how he shouldn't have worried about him.

Lance smirked, amused.

But he kept his eyes on Ace.

What was Ace doing here?

How did he even find him?

A large part of him felt happy that he got to meet up with Ace again (especially before he had to leave).

A few moments later, Ace stopped a few feet away from him, breathing heavily. His cheeks flushed red from his exercise.

If his heart didn't already race from his exercise, he knew his heart would race at the sight of Lance's smile, unable to stop himself from returning the smile.

Lance raised his eyebrows at his heavy breathing.

Did Ace run here from his house?

Warmth grew inside his chest at the thought of Ace wanting to see him.

Tamazo broke their unofficial staring contest by floating closer to Lance, pointing at him with one arm. "Apologize to Tama, tama!"

Lance looked at Tamazo and raised his eyebrows.

Ace turned his head to look at Tamazo and groaned, tempted to cover his face. "Tamazo! Don't start on that."

Devi, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at the other's nerve. "How dare you speak to Lance-sama like that, white dumpling! Why should he apologize to you, devi?"

Tamazo huffed, crossing his small arms in front of his chest. "Lance didn't come inside and greet Tama, tama! After everything Tama has done for him, the least he could do is greet Tama, tama!"

Lance was unable to stop his eyes from widening, glancing over at Ace.

If Ace's Tamadora partner knew he had visited Ace's house, did that mean Ace knew too?

Was that why Ace was here?

Devi pointed at Tamazo with one arm. "Lance-sama can do whatever he wants, devi! And you haven't done anything for him, devi!"

"Stop, Tamazo."

Tamazo ignored Ace, placing his arms on his hips and puffing his chest out. "Tama took the time to come back, and Lance won't even take the time to thank Tama for bringing Devi with him, tama?" He let his arms drop to his sides, narrowing his eyes. "Tama wants an apology, tama!"

Devi scowled. "It was thanks to Tera Dragon that you came back, white dumpling! And don't try to make it seem like it's thanks to you that Devi came back, devi!"

Tamazo floated closer, about to lean in close to Lance and use his impressive glare to make him apologize.

But Ace, who had had enough, reached out with one hand, grabbing one of his arms and pulling him back to his side.

"Tama?" Tamazo's eyes widened at the look on Ace's face.

Noticing that Tamazo wasn't trying to move, Ace let go, narrowing his eyes. "That's enough, Tamazo. Quit bothering Lance."

Tamazo shrunk back at the stern voice, but he quickly recovered, furrowing his brow. "But Lance hasn't apologized yet, tama. And that isn't the only thing Tama wants Lance to apologize for, tama."

Assuming his partner wanted Lance to apologize for something else he did to him, Ace shook his head, starting to feel exasperated. "Enough, Tamazo. Don't continue."

"But Tama wanted him to apologize for hurting Ace, tama!"

Lance and Devi's eyes widened at the other's words.

Devi looked over at Lance, noticing how the visible golden eye darkened with guilt and shame.

"I said that's enough, Tamazo!" Ace glared, oblivious to Lance and Devi's reactions. He blinked a few times as Tamazo's words finally registered. "Eh? Apologize for hurting me?"

Tamazo waved his arms rapidly. "Tama knows he hurt Ace, tama. Tama will forgive him for not greeting Tama if he apologizes to Ace, tama." He stopped moving his arms, placing his arms on his hips and puffing his chest out. "After all, Tama has a big heart and forgives easily, tama."

"That isn't something to brag about, white dumpling," Devi muttered.

To Ace's surprise, Devi didn't mention anything about Lance not owing him an apology, making him blink, confused.

When Lance only gave a quick look to Devi before looking at Ace, Devi huffed. "Let's go, white dumpling!"

Tamazo looked at Devi and tilted his head, confused. "Tama?"

"Let's give them some privacy, devi."

Ace's cheeks flushed pink much to Lance's amusement.

"Good idea, tama! Tama wanted to check if that ice cream shop was open anyway, tama!"

"Like I believe that, devi," Devi muttered.

Ace looked at Tamazo, surprised. "You're going to eat more? If you were hungry, you should've stayed home and ate the chocolate cake." He furrowed his brow. "I doubt that ice cream shop is open this late at night anyway."

Tamazo turned to look at him and shook his arm at him. "Tama always has room in his stomach for ice cream, tama. Ace should know this by now, tama."

Ace resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah." His hand dug into his pants pocket and took out his wallet, handing it out to Tamazo. "Here. Just in case it's open. Don't spend too much."

Tamazo's eyes widened before sparkling, reaching out and taking Ace's wallet with both arms. He held the wallet reverently. "You can count on me, tama."

Before Ace could give a retort, Tamazo flew off in the direction of the ice cream shop.

Devi cursed before flying after him. "Wait, white dumpling! You're going to get lost, devi!"

"Tama isn't a little kid, tama!"

Before they could start an argument, Ace turned his head to look in their direction and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Remember to buy some for Devi, Tamazo!"

Lance's eyes softened, giving Ace a soft and grateful look.

Tamazo huffed. "Fine, tama. Tama will buy some ice cream for black dumpling only because Ace asked him to, tama."

"What was that, white dumpling? Don't act like you're doing Devi a great favor when you're not, devi!"

Ace let his hands drop, shaking his head as he watched them argue with each other.

He would be lying if he said he didn't miss Tamazo and Devi, but the one thing he didn't miss was their arguments.

And yet…

Maybe it was because he hadn't seen them in a while, but he found himself unable to stop the fond look in his eyes.

He turned his head to look back at Lance, yelping as he noticed the distance between them had shrunk.

Lance smirked at his reaction, amused.

Ace's eyes widened, belatedly realizing that Lance was still here. He stepped closer, watching as Lance's eyes followed his movement. "Lance… You're here," he breathed.

With his excellent hearing, Lance had no problem hearing him over the noise of the waves below them. His eyes widened at Ace's words, unable to stop himself from stepping closer.

Unlike Ace, though, he stopped a few inches away from the other boy, reaching out with one hand to touch Ace's left shoulder. "Yeah."

Ace could feel a cool ocean breeze as they stood on the road overlooking the shoreline, but Lance's presence and proximity made his skin heat up, almost not feeling the temperature of the breeze.

His eyes glanced over at the hand on his shoulder, the touch warming his skin through his clothed shoulder.

The worse part was that he didn't mind the touch.

No.

The worse part was that he didn't want the touch to disappear.

He looked away from Lance's soft gaze, raising his right hand to rub the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed. "I thought you had already left."

But much like how a monster returned to its Dragon Caller's side, he found his eyes looking back at Lance, letting his hand drop back to his side.

Lance shook his head, letting go of Ace's shoulder. His hand was about to move away, but he paused at Ace's frown, unsure what it meant and what he should do.

He finally moved his hand away much to Ace's disappointment, but it didn't take long for Lance to reach out and ghost his fingertips over Ace's hand gently, making goosebumps form on Ace's arms. "I plan to leave in the morning. Is everything alright?"

Ace felt surprised he could still breathe under that soft look, feeling his heart clench at the thought of Lance leaving again. "A-Ah… Y-Yeah. Everything's alright." He watched as Lance frowned, looking concerned. "Why do you ask?"

Lance smirked, amused. Ace hated the way that smirk made Lance more attractive than he already was. "You're here. You said earlier that everyone would come to your house tonight."

Ace laughed nervously, resisting the urge to rub the back of his neck once more. "I thought I saw you outside. It made me wonder why you didn't come inside."

Lance blinked, confused.

Ace came here because of that?

That couldn't be the only reason why he came.

He couldn't stop the happiness and warmth he felt at Ace coming to see him, though.

"Everyone would be happy to see you. And…" Ace paused, coughing as he felt his cheeks heating up and inwardly cursing as Lance smirked, obviously thinking it had something to do with him and feeling smug.

Arrogant jerk.

"You're always welcome at my house. I'm certain Mom and Dad feel the same, so don't forget that."

Lance hid his happiness by raising his eyebrows. "I didn't know you thought so highly of me."

Ace's cheeks only seemed to redden further at his teasing, calling himself an idiot for thinking that Lance was implying something else. "I-Idiot! You're my friend. My friends are always welcome at my house. That's all I was trying to say."

But Lance only smirked, amused. "Is that so?"

"Y-Yeah." Ace shook his head, clearing his throat. "I mean… Yeah. Of course it's like that," he said in a louder voice.

Lance nodded, still smirking. "I see."

Desperate to change the subject, Ace remembered something that was bugging him. "How do you know where my house is? You've never been there before."

Lance noticed Ace blatantly trying to change the subject, but he didn't mind, deciding to follow along. "Devi and I have eaten there before. I didn't know it was your house until I dropped you off after we got back from Yumiru, though."

Ace couldn't stop himself from squeaking, his face turning red much to Lance's amusement.

After leaving Tamazo and Devi behind and returning to their world, Ace and Lance had found themselves on Vienna City's shoreline.

After getting to his feet, Ace hadn't been able to stop himself from closing his eyes. His body had swayed dangerously before falling forward.

Thankfully, Lance had quickly crossed the distance that separated them, grabbing him before he could fall.

Exhausted and unable to hold himself up any longer, Ace had slumped in Lance's arms, opening his eyes and apologizing weakly.

Lance had shaken his head with a soft look in his eyes, telling him not to worry about it.

Ace couldn't remember what happened after that, assuming he had fallen asleep.

When he had opened his eyes, he found himself in Lance's arms much to his embarrassment, noticing his rival was walking somewhere.

Still exhausted and not wanting Lance to put him down, Ace had given him directions to his house, unable to stop himself from closing his eyes immediately after he finished speaking.

The next time he opened his eyes, Ace had found himself lying in his bed. Desperately trying to stay awake, he had thanked Lance.

But when Lance had turned around and started walking away, obviously about to leave, he hadn't been able to stop himself from reaching out and telling him not to leave.

He remembered shivering as Lance stopped at the first syllable, turning around to face him.

After Lance had walked back to his bedside, he had kneeled, reassuring him that he wouldn't leave.

Ace had smiled brightly at him, Lance returning the gesture with a soft smile of his own.

He had closed his eyes, unable to resist the pull of sleep any longer.

And when he had woken up the next morning, he had noticed that Lance had disappeared.

"I-I thought that was a dream," Ace muttered, resisting the urge to cover his face.

He couldn't believe Lance had carried him in his arms to his house.

Not only that, he had told Lance not to leave.

How embarrassing.

Lance shook his head, reaching out once more to ghost his fingertips over Ace's hand, making Ace look at their hands before looking up at him, surprised.

Feeling confident since Ace didn't react negatively to his touch, he reached out with his other hand, placing it on Ace's shoulder. "I didn't mind. You were exhausted."

He squeezed Ace's shoulder once gently before letting go, unable to stop his fingertips from ghosting over Ace's upper arm as he did so, smirking as Ace shivered.

"That's not what I mean! I'm talking about when I asked you to stay that night!" Ace burst out.

Ace and Lance's eyes widened at his words.

Ace belatedly realized what he said and hastily turned his head away, calling himself an idiot for speaking without thinking.

He missed the way Lance's eyes softened, his rare gentle smile forming on his face.

Ace almost jumped at feeling Lance's hand on his cheek, unable to resist as Lance gently turned his head to make him look at him.

His response died in his throat at the soft look Lance gave him, his breath taken away.

Lance felt his heart race as Ace leaned into his touch. He knew it was probably an unconscious motion, but he couldn't stop the hopeful feeling inside his chest. "I didn't mind that either."

Ace's mouth opened, unable to stop the gasp from escaping.

Lance didn't mind?

True, Lance had agreed back then.

But he had assumed Lance only stayed to make sure he fell asleep.

That was why Lance had left sometime in the middle of the night, right?

"Lance… Why?" Ace breathed, unable to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing his rival's hand. Much to his surprise and delight, Lance only squeezed his hand gently before letting Ace hold it.

Was this a sign of Lance returning his feelings?

Lance knew he could respond with almost anything, and Ace would believe him.

A large part of him wanted him to respond with his feelings.

But what would happen after that?

He had to leave in the morning, and Ace would stay at Vienna City.

Would they try something, or would they wait until he came back?

Coming back…

Even he didn't know when he would come back. Presumably, he would return when he found what he could do for their planet.

But he didn't know how long that would take.

He couldn't ask Ace to wait for an unknown amount of time, but he didn't want to start something if it meant he might disappear for a long period of time.

That would only hurt Ace.

And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

And yet, he wanted… he needed Ace by his side.

Ace was… everything to him.

Maybe he was selfish for wanting to keep Ace by his side, but he couldn't live without him.

"… You're important to me."

Ace's cheeks, which had returned to their normal color, flushed pink much to Lance's amusement. "L-Lance… You mean because we're friends, right?"

Some part of him not focused on what was going on noticed Lance had yet to remove the hand on his cheek, making him feel hopeful and confused at the same time.

Lance shook his head, his hand in Ace's hold squeezing his gently. "… Idiot," he muttered.

It seemed he would have to take the direct approach with him.

Although if he were honest, he didn't mind.

Ace knew he wasn't one to beat around the bush anyway.

If Ace didn't stand a few inches away from him, he felt certain he wouldn't have heard him over the noise of the waves crashing below them.

He frowned, not understanding why Lance called him an idiot. "Lance?"

Lance was unable to stop the fond look from appearing in his eyes at Ace's confusion.

He knew Ace would understand if he confessed his feelings.

But then again, actions spoke louder than words.

He let go of Ace's hand, causing Ace to look disappointed. The disappointment didn't last long, though, since Lance reached out and wrapped his arm around Ace's waist, pulling him closer.

Ace let out a surprised noise, noticing how close he was to his rival.

He wanted to hit that smug smirk off his rival's face, but as his hand touched Lance's chest, it disobeyed him, gripping the front of his cloak.

If anything, Lance seemed even more amused (and smug) at his action (if it were possible), causing Ace to narrow his eyes.

He moved his head away from the hand touching his cheek, causing Lance's eyes to darken. "What do you think you're doing? Let go!"

His free hand reached up, touching Lance's chest and about to push him away.

But Lance effortlessly thwarted his plan by grabbing his chin with his free hand, leaning in, and kissing him on the lips.

Ace froze, his eyes widening at the contact.

Lance was…

Lance was… kissing him?

Lance's lips were warmer and softer than he could've imagined.

His free hand, that he had felt determined to push Lance away with, seemed to have a mind of its own as it backed away from Lance's chest, reaching out to wrap around Lance's back.

The surprise at Lance kissing him finally wore off, and he was about to respond to the kiss.

But to his disappointment, Lance pulled away, an impish gleam in his golden eyes as he did so.

The impish gleam immediately made Ace wary, wondering if it was still possible to act like a Chickenbowl monster and run away.

As if he could read his mind, Lance laughed, tightening his grip on him. "Enjoy that, did you?"

Ace wanted to hate the way he fell further into Lance's embrace, leaning in closer and wanting to hear that deep and melodic noise again.

He might've even leaned in to kiss Lance, but his mind belatedly registered what his rival had said.

His eyes widened, quickly pulling away. But because Lance was still holding him close and because his hands still buried themselves in Lance's cloak, he didn't pull away too far, only managing a few inches before reluctantly stopping.

His eyes narrowed at the smug smirk on his rival's face, wanting to hate the way his body reacted to Lance and his smirks. "W-What was that for? You can't just do something like that without warning!"

Lance's smug smirk remained on his face, feeling pleased at the reaction to his kiss.

While some of it might have been due to surprise, Ace hadn't pulled away or protested.

It had to mean only one thing.

The impish gleam returned to his eyes, feeling amused as Ace gave him a suspicious look. "How's this for a warning?"

And before Ace could reply, he leaned in close, stopping inches away from Ace's lips. His eyes darkened, noticing how blue eyes looked at his lips before licking his own.

"I'm going to kiss you."

Ace almost choked on his saliva, feeling his cheeks heat up. "W-Wait. What are you…?"

"… You don't want me to?"

Ace gulped, noticing how the impish gleam from earlier had transformed into something more serious.

If his heart didn't already race, it would race at the serious look on his rival's face.

"If you don't want me to, I won't," Lance said, pulling away a few inches.

His heart refused to stop racing, knowing he could easily lean back in and kiss Ace again. "Push me away. Hit me. Tell me you don't want it."

Ace gasped. "I wouldn't hit you!"

Lance resisted the urge to sigh, using his index finger of the hand grabbing Ace's chin to rub his bottom lip, causing Ace to close his eyes at the gentle touch.

"Tell me you don't want this," he demanded, his husky voice causing Ace to open his eyes and shiver.

Somehow, Ace received the feeling that Lance wasn't only talking about kissing him.

And while he felt confused about what his rival meant, he decided he didn't care about it enough to ask about it right now.

Maybe he would ask about it later.

But right now…

"… I want it."

Lance blinked, confused. He could've sworn he heard Ace say that he wanted it.

Any other person could blame it on Ace because he had spoken in a soft voice, but with his hearing, Lance could easily hear him.

And yet, for some reason, it was taking longer than usual to register what the younger boy said.

Feeling embarrassed at Lance's expectant gaze, Ace looked away with his eyes, resisting the urge to let go and rub the back of his neck. "Hurry up and do it." He looked back at Lance, eyes narrowing. "Or I'll do it for you."

Normally, Lance would feel amused at Ace telling him what to do and maybe even tease him about it, but he decided he could always do that later.

Although the idea of Ace kissing him…

He definitely liked that idea.

He felt tempted to tease Ace and see if he would go through with his threat.

But then again, he could always force him to go through with it later.

After all, Ace had given him permission.

He easily leaned back in, watching Ace's expression and feeling relieved (and happy) when he saw no doubt in his expression.

His lips met Ace's once more.

This time, though, Ace closed his eyes and responded to the kiss. His hand let go of Lance's cloak, moving around his body to wrap his arm around his back.

The kiss started off slow and gentle.

But Lance easily took things further by pressing harder, silently encouraging Ace to catch up to him.

To his delight, it didn't take long for Ace to moan, responding enthusiastically with as much passion as he was giving him.

His hand gripping Ace's chin let go, letting his arm wrap around Ace's waist and pulling him closer.

Ace smiled into the kiss as he felt Lance pulling him closer. His arms let go of Lance's back, and as Lance forced him to come closer, he reached out, wrapping his arms around Lance's neck.

Noticing that only a small space separated them, Lance hummed, approving Ace's action.

Ace's body trembled as Lance's tongue darted out and licked his lower lip, already feeling his knees go weak at the motion. Not wanting to collapse and have to break the kiss (especially after they just started), he tightened his hold on the older boy.

Feeling him tremble (and no doubt reading his mind), Lance smirked into the kiss, making Ace frown.

And Ace would've pulled away and protested, but Lance gently nibbling his lower lip made him have second thoughts.

Lance licked Ace's lower lip once more, silently asking permission. Ace slowly parted his lips, allowing Lance's tongue inside his mouth.

Ace moaned as Lance's tongue moved inside his mouth, touching different parts of his mouth. It was a little ticklish, but at the same time, it felt like something was burning inside him with every touch. Lance playfully touched his tongue with his own, teasing Ace and coaxing him to respond.

Ace responded hesitantly at first, but it didn't take long for him to try and match Lance's passionate and brisk pace.

He wanted to hate how easily he let his rival take control of the kiss, but even he couldn't deny that Lance taking control made goosebumps form on his warm skin.

He didn't want to stop kissing Lance.

Maybe if they never stopped, Lance wouldn't leave.

It was selfish.

He knew that.

But he didn't want Lance to leave him again.

Lance's exploration of his mouth was making him breathless. Ace continued to moan and make other pleased noises as Lance's tongue touched different parts of his mouth before touching his tongue once more.

Lance pulled away only to nibble his lower lip, and before he could recover or try to take control, Lance kissed him gently.

But as much as Ace wanted to continue kissing Lance, his body protested at the lack of air, making him feel lightheaded and forcing him to reluctantly pull away.

Their breathing was erratic, and both boy's cheeks were pink.

Blue dazed eyes opened, looking at Lance. Ace struggled to catch his breath, still feeling lightheaded and weak in the knees. His arms let go of Lance's neck, wrapping around his back once more. "Lance…"

For some reason, he wanted to hear his rival say his name.

Before Lance could respond, though, Ace's knees gave out, causing the younger boy to desperately hold onto Lance's back lest he wanted to fall and hit the ground.

"Ace?" Lance tightened his grip, lowering them to the ground.

Once their knees touched the road, Ace eased up on his grip but still held on, refusing to completely let go.

While he wanted his rival to say his name, he didn't want it to be like that.

Golden eyes looked into dazed blue eyes, giving him a soft, tender look. "Are you alright?"

It was unfair.

It was unfair how easily Lance regained his composure. Besides the light pink in his cheeks and his erratic breathing when he had pulled away, it was as if Lance appeared unaffected by the kiss.

It made Ace feel annoyed.

And if he didn't feel so weak and lightheaded at the moment, he would've kissed Lance again and try to make him feel the same way Lance was making him feel right now.

Lance felt smug at the reaction he caused. While he certainly didn't expect Ace's knees to give out, he didn't mind.

If anything, he felt proud he could push Ace to his limits and affect him that much.

Knowing they needed to talk, he gestured to the road with his eyes. "Why don't you sit down?"

Desperately breathing in air, Ace glared at Lance, noticing the irritatingly smug smirk and feeling even more annoyed.

He huffed, tempted to pull away and cross his arms in front of his chest. "… Alright."

Determined to do it without Lance's help, he pulled away from him, surprised when Lance didn't offer his help.

Feeling annoyed that he wanted his rival's help when he had decided to do it by himself, he stood up, oblivious to Lance keeping an eye on him.

To his embarrassment, his legs wouldn't stop trembling.

And as he went to try and walk forward, his legs gave out from under him, causing him to cry out as he fell forward.

A few moments later, he felt his body hit something hard and winced.

That was strange.

It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

"Idiot."

His eyes snapped open, recognizing the familiar voice above him. His gaze traveled from Lance's cloak up to the other's eyes. "Lance!"

When did Lance stand up?

And had he watched him this whole time?

Lance tightened his grip on Ace's waist, letting the younger boy rest his full body weight on him. "Why?"

Ace knew what Lance was asking. But instead of replying, he frowned and looked away.

He didn't need to ask him for help (even though he would've accepted if Lance had offered his help).

It didn't matter that his legs wouldn't stop trembling.

He could walk by himself.

Hearing Lance mutter something, he looked back at him, furrowing his brow. It was at times like this that he wished he had Lance's excellent hearing. "What did you say?"

Lance shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "It's nothing."

Ace would've continued asking if it weren't for Lance starting to move.

Lance helped Ace sit on the road, receiving a small grateful smile when he pulled away to sit next to him.

Silence enfolded them.

The only noise they could hear was the waves crashing below them.

Ace bit his bottom lip, wanting to ask about the kiss.

But at the same time, he didn't want to ask because it was embarrassing.

He couldn't stop himself from turning his head to look at Lance, breath taken away as golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

It was strange.

Normally, Lance's eyes didn't glow in the dark.

His eyes tended to glow when the sun was out, which was strange.

At the same time, though, it wasn't strange at all.

When the sun was out, his eyes seemed to glow more yellow than golden, always appearing softer when the sun was out.

Those glowing eyes always demanded his attention.

(He didn't know whether Lance did that knowingly or not.

But if he had to guess, he would say that Lance definitely did it knowingly.

That guy enjoyed competing with him and winning against him.

Not to mention, he knew that Lance would always feel smug at noticing that he got Ace's attention.

It drove him crazy because he was always falling for it.)

Of course, his glowing eyes that demanded Ace's attention was different than the ones that glared at him during his second Guild Dragon Caller's exam.

When it was night, those eyes would look a dark golden color.

They always seemed much more serious, and at times, those eyes seemed to warn people to stay away.

Other Guild Dragon Callers had mentioned being afraid of Lance and wanting to stay away from him at the sight of his dark golden eyes.

But Ace couldn't stay away.

Nor would he want to.

Just like how those glowing eyes demanded his attention with the sun out, those dark golden eyes drew him in like a fisherman reeling in a fish.

It surprised him that Lance's eyes were glowing in the dark (especially when they never did that before).

But he couldn't help but think that he could get used to the sight of Lance's eyes glowing in the dark.

Those glowing eyes were looking at the ocean.

Not at him.

But he couldn't help but feel that those glowing eyes were… calling him.

He moved closer, almost in a hypnotized state, wanting those eyes to look at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lance noticed Ace moving closer, making him turn his head to look at him.

He blinked, confused as Ace grabbed the front of his cloak and looked into his eyes.

"Ace?"

Hearing his name snapped Ace out of the trance he was in, blinking a few times as he noticed his new position.

That was weird.

When did he move?

His eyes widened, belatedly realizing how close he was to Lance.

He looked away, his cheeks flushing pink. "S-Sorry."

But as he went to move away, he froze at the touch to his hand.

He looked back at the hand grabbing the front of Lance's cloak, noticing the larger hand on top of it and looked back up at Lance.

He felt surprised he could still breathe under that soft look.

Lance shook his head, gently squeezing the hand that held onto his cloak. "I don't mind."

Ace felt something warm inside his chest and nodded, tempted to hide his face in Lance's chest.

Embarrassed by his thoughts, he let go of Lance's cloak.

But instead of moving back to his original spot, he stayed where he was, hyperaware of the older boy's presence beside him.

Lance couldn't stop the smile from forming as he noticed how close Ace was compared to before.

He felt tempted to pull him closer and kiss him again, but he knew they should probably talk about what happened before anything else happened.

He was about to speak, but he noticed Ace looking at the ocean and frowned, feeling his heart clench at the sad look on his face.

But before he could speak, Ace sighed, looking back at him. "… You're leaving tomorrow."

Lance blinked, surprised by the subject change.

But he understood why Ace looked sad now.

He inwardly cursed, wanting to reach out and comfort him.

But like earlier, he didn't know what to say or do.

"Yeah."

Ace hesitated, looking away to gather his courage.

He looked back at Lance, unconsciously forming fists by his sides.

He knew it was selfish of him, but…

"Do you have to leave tomorrow? Why don't you wait another day?"

This time, Lance couldn't stop himself from reaching out and placing a hand on Ace's shoulder. His eyes expressed his regret. "I have to leave tomorrow."

Ace frowned, a large part of him protesting at the thought of Lance leaving him. "Why?"

He felt his heart race as Lance smiled a soft smile, unable to stop the happiness he felt at seeing it.

"I told you earlier. Did you already forget?"

Ace shook his head, eyes expressing his frustration. "I know why you're leaving. What I don't understand is why you can't wait another day."

What was wrong with Lance?

He couldn't believe he would tease him over something serious as this.

Lance gave him an apologetic look, making Ace blink, surprised.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Ace blinked a few times, almost gaping at him.

Was Lance some kind of… mind reader?

Noticing his baffled look, Lance almost chuckled. "The reason why I can't wait is because of you."

This time, Ace gaped at him, looking even more baffled if it was possible. "Me?"

It was his fault that Lance was leaving?

Lance smiled a soft smile at him, his eyes expressing his fondness. "You have your duty. I want to find mine."

Ace furrowed his brow. "But you can share my duty with me."

To his disappointment, Lance shook his head. "That's your duty. If you want my help, I'll help you. But we can't share a duty."

Ace could feel his heart racing at the thought of Lance helping him. "But I can't do it by myself."

Back when he had first heard about his duty, he had felt determined to accept it and fulfill it.

But now, he couldn't help but feel uncertain about fulfilling it alone.

Knowing that Tamazo would be with him took a little of the uncertainty away, but he knew what he really wanted was Lance by his side.

It was selfish to keep Lance by his side when he wanted to go somewhere else, though.

Lance squeezed his shoulder gently. "You can do it."

Ace frowned at the reassurance, almost thinking he imagined the squeeze. "What makes you so sure?"

He hated the way he spoke in a small, wobbly voice.

Lance had the nerve to smirk at him. "You're the only Dragon Caller I lost to."

Ace's eyes widened at his words, remembering how Lance encouraged him when he fought Tera Dragon by himself.

He smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah. Thank you, Lance."

Lance leaned in closer, causing Ace's breath to catch.

But instead of kissing him, Lance lightly bumped their foreheads together, causing Ace to wince.

"Stop thinking stupid thoughts. I don't want to hear you mention this again." Lance gave him a serious look before pulling away.

Frowning at how Lance ruined the moment and wondering if a Dragonoid head was tougher than a human head, Ace reluctantly nodded.

He smirked as a thought came to him, causing Lance to raise his eyebrows at the rare sight. "You're only saying that because you don't like talking about your loss to me."

But instead of glaring at him or even looking embarrassed like Ace hoped he might, Lance smiled. "I lost to you because you're strong."

Ace's cheeks flushed pink much to Lance's amusement.

He thought he could finally tease Lance and get revenge for earlier.

But of course Lance had to one-up him.

It was frustrating and embarrassing.

But at the same time, he wasn't too surprised, considering Lance was his rival.

"I wouldn't be surprised if I lose to you again in the future. You're only going to continue to get stronger."

Ace's face turned pink, giving in to the temptation to hide his face in Lance's chest.

He groaned, the noise muffled by the fabric of Lance's cloak. "Alright. I lost. You can stop."

It was unfair.

Didn't Lance feel embarrassed saying those things?

Lance had no problem hearing the words muffled by his cloak, easily reaching out with his free hand and forcing Ace out of his hiding spot to look him in the eyes. "Stop? What do you mean?"

Ace's eyes narrowed, noticing that Lance's impish gleam from earlier had returned to his eyes.

That arrogant jerk…

Lance knew exactly what he meant.

That guy was enjoying this.

He huffed, turning his head to look away. "Be quiet."

But Lance only chuckled, the sound of it causing Ace to turn his head back and look at him.

He smiled a soft smile, reaching out to place his hand on Ace's cheek. He felt his heart race as Ace leaned into his touch. "I meant every word."

Instead of responding vocally, Ace hid his face back in Lance's chest, letting out another groan.

Couldn't Lance see he was about to die of embarrassment?

But at the same time, he couldn't stop the goofy smile on his face, feeling pleased and proud.

Lance only shook his head fondly, letting him stay there as long as he wanted and moved his arms to wrap around Ace's waist.

He enjoyed seeing Ace flustered, already thinking up ways to fluster him more in the future.

It made him feel pleased (and smug) that Ace became flustered over his actions and words.

Ace was adorable.

Neither knew how much time passed before Ace pulled away, his face back to its normal color.

Lance raised his eyebrows as Ace bit his bottom lip and looked away from him.

But before he could say or do anything, Ace looked at him shyly, bringing his index fingers together and making them touch repeatedly. "Um… Why did you… kiss me?"

Lance resisted the urge to smile.

Cute.

He let go with one arm, reaching out to grab one of Ace's hands. His eyes expressed his fondness as Ace looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at him.

"Ace, I'm in love with you."

Ace should've felt irritated his rival beat him to it, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel irritated. He felt happy Lance told him how he felt about him. "I love you too!" he proclaimed.

Saying those words made a smile form on Lance's face.

The younger boy couldn't look away from Lance's smile. It was the softest smile he had ever seen on his rival's face.

It was intimate and… beautiful.

He really wanted to kiss Lance again.

Lance leaned in and kissed him.

And as Ace closed his eyes and responded eagerly, he couldn't help but think that Lance could read his mind.

In cases like this, though, he found himself not minding it too much.

He would never admit it out loud, knowing it would only boost his rival's (already huge) ego.

Lance resisted the urge to smirk at Ace's eager response, tightening his grip around Ace's waist.

But much to Ace's disappointment, the kiss didn't last long, Lance pulling away several moments later.

His eyes opened, unable to stop the disappointed look on his face.

At the sight of Ace's disappointed look, Lance smirked, tempted to tease him.

But he still needed to talk to Ace about something.

"About me leaving—" He cut himself off as Ace's eyes widened, feeling amused. "You forgot."

"Ah… No I didn't. I just—" Ace cut himself off as Lance raised his eyebrows, clearly not believing him. "Alright. I forgot." He looked away, huffing.

It didn't take long for Ace's eyes to look back at Lance. "It isn't my fault! You keep on distracting me!" he burst out.

His eyes widened once more, belatedly realizing what he said.

He cursed as Lance's surprised look disappeared, leaving his smug smirk in its place.

He really needed to stop and think before saying something.

To his irritation, Lance's smirk remained on his face as he leaned in closer, letting go of Ace's hand to rub his bottom lip with his thumb. "Is that so?"

He felt really pleased with himself as Ace shivered, his blue eyes darkening as he unconsciously moved closer.

And Ace might've leaned in and kissed him.

But Lance abruptly pulled away, an impish gleam in his eyes.

To his embarrassment, Ace couldn't stop the disappointed groan from escaping his lips as Lance pulled away.

Lance barely stopped himself from chuckling at his groan, his hand moving back down to Ace's waist and wrapping around it once more.

He could've probably continued to tease Ace and make him flustered, but he didn't want the younger boy to forget (yet again) about him leaving.

His arms briefly tightened their grip around Ace's waist, feeling his heart race as Ace leaned in closer.

"You inspired me."

Much to his amusement, Ace's cheeks flushed pink. "I did?"

Lance nodded, turning his head to look at the ocean. "You're working hard. Seeing that made me want to find what I could do for our planet."

"… But do you have to leave so soon?"

Ace's soft voice made him turn his head to look back at him, feeling his heart clench at the sad look on his face.

Ace knew it was selfish, but he couldn't stop himself. "You just got here. Why don't you stay? It doesn't have to be for long."

Maybe he could convince Lance to stick around for a few days before leaving him again.

Unfortunately for him, Lance shook his head. "I already made up my mind."

"Then—" Ace cut himself off, turning his head away to bite his bottom lip.

No.

He was already being selfish as it was, trying to make Lance stick around when he wanted to leave.

Lance frowned, looking concerned. "Ace?"

And yet, Ace couldn't stop himself from turning his head to look back at Lance, leaning in to grab the front of his cloak with both hands.

His eyes expressed his determination. "Then let me come with you."

Lance's eyes widened. "You…"

"I know I'm being selfish and inviting myself, but I want to come with you. Maybe I could help somehow," Ace babbled. His stomach was in knots as his rival didn't do anything other than stare at him.

His hands holding onto Lance's cloak began trembling. "I know you don't need my help, but I'm sure I could help somehow. And I—"

He probably would've continued to embarrass himself, but he cut himself off as Lance easily picked him up and placed him in his lap, unable to stop the squeak from escaping his lips at his new position.

His wide eyes met Lance's soft ones, unable to stop himself from looking away. He looked back at Lance a few moments later, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry. Ignore what I just said. I—"

"Don't say that!"

Ace's eyes widened, noticing the frustration in the visible golden eye. "Lance?"

Lance shook his head, tightening his grip around Ace's waist. "I don't care if you're selfish. You can be selfish as much as you want with me."

Ace's cheeks reddened, tempted to bury his face in Lance's chest again.

It wasn't fair.

Didn't Lance ever get embarrassed saying that kind of stuff?

Lance leaned in, kissing his forehead before pulling away to meet wide blue eyes. "But you can't come with me."

Ace felt his heart drop, immediately frowning. "Why not?" And before he could stop himself, he leaned in closer. "You don't want me to come?"

He belatedly realized what he said, but this time, he didn't look away from Lance, awaiting a response.

Lance frowned. "Idiot. Stop thinking stupid thoughts. That isn't it."

A large part of him protested, wanting Ace to come with him and feeling happy Ace offered to come with him.

But then he thought of Ace's parents.

Ace probably wanted to spend some time with his dad (especially since King just returned home not too long ago).

"Then why can't I come?"

Lance gave him a fond look. "You should spend some time with King."

To his surprise, Ace huffed, turning his head to look away from him. "That's impossible."

Lance frowned, looking concerned. He knew how much Ace loved King, and he felt certain he would've wanted to spend some time with him.

Did something come up?

Ace looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, noticing his frown.

His head turned to look at Lance, releasing his grip on Lance's cloak to form fists and hold them at chest level. "Dad's leaving tomorrow morning too."

He looked down at his lap, missing the way Lance's eyes softened. "He said Grandpa Vahaton wants him to come to Crocus and start learning about his new duties as the Ancient of Water."

"Ace…"

Ace looked up at him, smiling a bitter smile. "It's stupid. I know he has to go."

He laughed a hollow laugh, the sound making Lance's heart clench. "Dad would love it if I asked him to stay. He dislikes the position enough as it is. If I ask him to stay, he would do so gladly."

Lance's eyes narrowed, giving him a stern look. "King would stay to make you happy. He's missed you."

Besides, he felt certain that Vahaton-sama wouldn't mind waiting a few days.

Ace smiled a small smile. "Yeah. I know. Thank you, Lance." His eyes started to sparkle, making Lance feel relieved. "He's already promised to spend some time with me after things settle down on his side. I can't wait."

Lance's eyes softened. "Vahaton-sama won't mind if King is late. He knows how much you two missed each other."

Ace laughed. Compared to before, though, it was his normal happy laugh, causing the rest of Lance's concern to disappear. "Yeah. But I don't want Grandma to get mad at him again. If he stayed to spend some time with me, he would definitely lose track of time."

Lance smirked, amused.

Like father, like son.

"What about your mom?"

Ace blinked, surprised at the mention of his mom. "Eh? Mom?"

Lance nodded. "Is she alright with this?"

Ace rolled his eyes good-naturedly, smiling fondly. "Mom's been spending the whole day with Dad. She's already put him to work in the kitchen."

His eyes lit up as an idea came to him. "You should spend the night."

Lance's eyes widened.

Ace wanted him to spend the night at his place?

Ace's hands, that had lost their tension when he laughed, reached out and held onto the front of Lance's cloak. "You should try my dad's cooking. If you think my mom's cooking is good, you'll like my dad's cooking."

He leaned in closer, his eyes expressing his happiness and excitement. "You can sleep with me."

Lance smirked at his word choice, feeling pleased and amused as Ace's face reddened to resemble a mapple.

Ace cursed, pulling away and resisting the urge to hide his face in Lance's chest. "I-Idiot! You know what I mean."

But Lance let go with one arm, placing his hand on the small of his back and forcing him closer.

Much to his embarrassment, Ace didn't try to resist as Lance forced him closer.

Lance raised his eyebrows suggestively. "I didn't know you thought of me in that way. I'm flattered."

Ace found his hands grabbing the front of Lance's cloak once more. "B-Be quiet! You know I was talking about sleeping with me on my bed."

But that only seemed to make things worse as Lance leered at him. "I don't mind where we do it. I'll go along if you want do it on your bed, though."

What Ace said only brought up more ideas in his mind.

And he couldn't help but think about sleeping with Ace while his parents were in the house.

It almost made him lick his lips, finding the idea very appealing and exciting.

Would Ace agree to do it if he asked him?

Ace couldn't stop himself from shivering. "N-No. I didn't mean…"

Lance's eyes darkened at seeing the shiver, leaning in to kiss Ace's neck. His smirk turned predatory as Ace gasped, tilting his head unconsciously.

But instead of kissing his neck again, he moved up to his ear, keeping the smirk on his face as Ace's eyes followed his movement. "You want to know what I think?"

He watched, feeling smug as Ace closed his eyes and nodded. "I think you're hot."

And before Ace could try and muster a response to that, Lance blew on his ear.

Lance pulled away as Ace gasped, opening his eyes and grabbing his ear with one hand.

"Lance!"

Lance laughed as Ace glared at him.

But whether the glare was for teasing him or blowing cool air on his ear, he didn't know.

If he had to guess, though, he would guess it was for both.

That thought only seemed to make his desire grow, tempted to push Ace down and start something, uncaring that they were out in the open.

Thankfully, Ace huffed before hiding his face in his chest, grumbling about how evil Lance was.

Lance smirked, amused.

Ace probably didn't realize he could hear him, and he wasn't about to let him in on that fact.

He reluctantly let his desire die down, knowing that Ace wouldn't want to do anything in public.

Once they were in private, though, he would have to watch Ace and see if he wanted to take things a step further.

Silence enfolded them.

The only noise they could hear was the waves crashing below them.

Lance was about to close his eyes and enjoy the comfortable silence.

But Ace pulling away from him caught his attention.

Ace's glare had disappeared, but his face still resembled a mapple. He watched as Ace looked away from him for a few moments before looking back.

"Let me come with you."

Lance frowned.

"I know what you're going to say. But it's alright. Mom and Dad won't mind." Ace paused before amending himself. "Well, I haven't told them yet, but I'm sure they won't mind."

Lance smiled fondly at him.

"We could go back to my house, and I'll tell them after everyone leaves." Lance's frown returned as Ace's eyes expressed his sadness. "I understand that you have to leave, but at least let me come with you."

A large part of Lance wanted to leap at the offer, but he stubbornly held that part of him back. "What about your duty?"

Ace huffed, letting go of his cloak to cross his arms in front of his chest. "What about it? I could do it when I'm with you."

He narrowed his eyes, looking determined. "It's not like you're going somewhere that won't have any monsters, humans, or Dragonoids, right?"

Devi's words from earlier came back to Lance, making him smile and shake his head.

Devi was right all along.

He would have to thank him later.

Ace watched him, confused.

But before he could say anything, Lance brought the hand that had rested on the small of his back to his side, reaching out to grab one of his hands.

Letting Lance capture one of his hands, he watched, confused and curious.

Lance held his hand in a gentle grip. He made sure to lock his eyes onto Ace's as he leaned down and kissed the top of his hand.

Ace, whose face had finally returned to its normal color, felt his cheeks heat up. He almost shivered at the intense and passionate, yet somehow soft gaze.

"In that case…"

He blinked at the older boy's words, feeling wary as Lance's smirk returned to his face.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"Come, Ace."

Ace couldn't help but shiver at the way Lance said his name, making Lance feel smug.

Maybe if he asked, Lance would say his name again?

Much to Lance's amusement, he squeaked, his cheeks reddening at his thoughts.

What was he thinking?

Although he could easily imagine a situation where Lance would pin him down somewhere and say his name, giving him that intense and passionate, yet somehow soft look.

And maybe the situation involved getting undressed…

No! Bad thought! Bad thought!

His face resembled a mapple once more as he remembered Lance teasing him earlier.

"Ace?"

Ace gasped, almost jumping at the sound of his name. "I'm not thinking anything bad!" he burst out.

He cursed as Lance blinked, feeling tempted to cover his mouth.

What was wrong with him?

Lance's mind registered what Ace said, noticing his red face.

He smirked, already guessing what (or more accurately who) Ace had thought about.

Bad thoughts?

No.

Dirty thoughts on the other hand…

And while he could easily tease him like earlier, he decided not to.

He could always force Ace to tell him later.

Clearly, Ace wanted something from him.

And he would be happy to help him with it.

"Come."

Finally registering what Lance was saying, Ace's eyes widened.

It didn't take long for him to smile brightly, causing Lance to smile back.

His free hand reached out and held onto the front of Lance's cloak, leaning in closer so that only a few inches separated them.

He laughed, feeling incredibly light and happy.

This was probably the first time all day that he felt this light.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Lance smirked, amused. "We're leaving tomorrow morning. Not right now."

Ace frowned, grumbling about how Lance ruined the mood. "Be quiet. I know that."

He watched as Lance's eyes darkened, the desire from earlier returning to his eyes, unable to stop himself from gulping at the sight of it.

And before he could even think about moving away, Lance leaned in, moving over to his ear.

Lance's smirk turned predatory. "If you don't want to do anything tonight, we could always wait until tomorrow night."

Ace shivered, tightening his grip on Lance's cloak. "S-Stop teasing me."

"But I'm not teasing you."

Ace opened his mouth, unable to stop the gasp from escaping.

Not teasing?

Did that mean…?

"L-Lance…"

But before Ace could try and say more, Lance blew on his ear.

Lance pulled away as Ace gasped, letting go of his cloak to grab his ear.

"Lance!"

Lance laughed as Ace glared at him.

Tomorrow would be a new beginning.

And Lance felt happy and grateful that Ace would come with him.

Although, as he watched Ace grumble about him, he had to wonder if making him mad before they left was a good idea.

He immediately dismissed the thought, unable to stop the smirk from forming on his face, feeling amused as Ace held his ear and gave him a suspicious look.

He would apologize, but he didn't feel sorry.

At all.

Teasing Ace was too much fun.

And he knew he would tease him a lot more in the future.

ZZZ

Garnet blinked, surprised as her D-Gear rang.

Honestly, she had expected it to ring earlier than this.

Those two idiots had lost track of time.

Not that she was surprised, considering who she was thinking about.

After Ace had left to search for his idiot boyfriend, she and everyone else had stayed at Ace's house, eating dessert and continuing to talk.

But after they finished their dessert (and making sure to let Ace's parents know where he was), Garnet, Charo, and Tiger had said good night and left Ace's house, politely thanking Ace's parents for the food and politely declining the offer to spend the night.

She knew a certain Dragonoid would spend the night, and she didn't want to lose any sleep over any… noises he and his idiot boyfriend would make during the night.

She was currently flying back home on a transport dragon.

And while she could feel a breeze, it wasn't cold or uncomfortable.

She pulled out her D-Gear, pressing a button to make the message appear.

It was a short message (not that she expected anything different from the person who sent it).

Ace says thank you.

She raised her eyebrows, feeling amused.

While she felt pleased Ace thanked her, she had to wonder why his boyfriend had texted her.

And not him.

… On second thought, she didn't want to know.

She typed a short message, smirking. Aren't you going to thank me?

It didn't take long for her D-Gear to ring, indicating a new message.

What are you talking about?

She typed quickly. Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about.

This time, she had to wait several moments.

Stop sticking your nose in Ace and I's business.

Garnet shook her head at his stubbornness. So you're not going to thank me? Even when it's thanks to me that that idiot and you met up in the first place?

Her D-Gear rang a few moments later.

Don't kid yourself.

Garnet scoffed, typing a short message back. You'll thank me one of these days.

A couple of moments later, her D-Gear rang.

Who would?

She smirked. That idiot. Or did you already forget?

She waited for a response, and when one didn't come right away, she smirked victoriously.

Ace wasn't the only one who could win against his boyfriend.

Several moments later, her D-Gear rang.

She pressed the button to make the message appear, surprised to see a long message this time.

The water dumpling eating contest that you participated in is coming up soon. Ace says you're going to participate again. Don't lose to a gluttonous monster like last time.

She scowled, glaring at her D-Gear.

That guy…!

Ace knew she wasn't participating as a participant, but as a special guest this time.

The people who held the contest remembered her from last time, but thankfully, they recognized that she was an idol, asking her to come and sing a song before the start of the contest.

She didn't like thinking about the contest last time, and Ace knew that.

She felt like stomping her feet on the ground.

Why did Ace have to go and blab it to his boyfriend?

She felt tempted to ignore the message.

But she knew that if she didn't respond, that guy would count it as his victory.

And she didn't want that.

Her eyes lit up as she remembered something.

She smirked, an impish gleam in her eyes. Did you know that idiot wore girl's clothes before?

It didn't take long for another message to arrive.

You're lying.

She shook her head, feeling amused. I'm not lying.

A couple of moments later, her D-Gear rang.

Tell me now.

She couldn't help but feel smug.

She knew that guy would be interested in that piece of information.

But instead of giving that guy what he wanted, she typed something else. Why don't you get that idiot to tell you?

She waited patiently for a message, but when one didn't come for a few minutes, she smirked victoriously.

No doubt that guy was demanding Ace to tell him about it right now.

She felt really pleased with herself, knowing that this counted as her victory.

A couple of hours later, as she got ready for bed, her D-Gear rang, making her blink.

Was that guy still trying to compete with her?

To her surprise, the message was from Ace.

The message had only three words.

I hate you.

Garnet smirked, typing a message that she knew would irritate him. You're welcome.

Meddling in the idiots' relationship…

Not only that, but winning against said idiots?

It was all in a day's work for an idol Guild Dragon Caller.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Author Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this story.

This ended up much longer than I thought it would be. Oops.

I would have to go back and watch all the episodes again, but I'm pretty sure that every time we see the three moons, the moons are full. I wanted to incorporate new moons into my story, though.

For those who don't know, the spiritual meaning of a new moon is a new beginning. The new moon is symbolic of the second chance we are given over and over again.

And now I feel like hitting myself because I didn't incorporate this into my Lean on Me story.

I did my best to translate the details and lines from the Japanese version, but translating from Japanese to English can get messy at times.

Tamazo and Devi returned to Ace's world at the end of the episode. We don't know for sure whether they returned to Ace and Lance, but I just had to include them in here. I only feel bad that I didn't get to write more of them. I really wanted to write two reunion scenes. One with Ace and Tamazo, and the other with Lance and Devi.

But this story was already getting long as it was, so I decided to write a short recap of their reunions instead.

Speaking of Tamazo and Devi, the ice cream shop was open much to Tamazo's delight. He ended up buying two triple scoops of ice cream on cones for him and Devi. They hung around the ice cream shop to give Ace and Lance some privacy. Once they finished their ice cream, they headed back to Ace and Lance.

Tamazo was surprised to find out that he and Ace would join Lance when he leaves, but Devi wasn't surprised, feeling smug when Lance thanked him (not that he showed the smugness on his face).

I'm not sure if King is in character. It's my first time writing him. I did my best to write him in character, though.

I don't know when I'll post another story. I'm officially done with my semester, so I have a lot of free time now. I'm hoping that it'll be up pretty soon, though. I have this plot bunny that was inspired by some LanceAce Pixiv art, and while the thought of writing it makes me nervous, I'm excited to start writing it.

See you next time!