Ace Cooper lounged comfortably in the living room of his home, paper in
hand, gray eyes with their
brief tint of blue roving
curiously over the pages. It was a fine evening. Quiet, peaceful. Didn't
happen too
often. He grinned slightly
at that, turning the page. But then, his life was generally anything but
peaceful. Not
that the magician really
minded. No, Ace could never see himself holding still for long. There was
just too
much to do in life. Too
much to experience.
"Uhm.. Ace?"
Ace looked up at the hesitant words to see Cosmo hovering just inside the
door of the living room. He
frowned slightly as he saw
his partner, friend and apprentice fidgeting there. Fidgeting was something
Cosmo
didn't do. Even when he'd
been breaking the house rules.
"Whatcha need, Cosmo?" he asked pleasantly, folding up the paper. Cosmo
ducked his head and
came into the room, running
a hand along the back of his neck.
"Uhm.. Ace, I need your advice," Cosmo started uncertainly. Ace raised
an eyebrow. This was
unusual. While Cosmo came
to him often enough with a question, or an idea, he rarely sought out his
advice.
The teen was very independent
in thought and generally wasn't inclined to seek out second opinions. Not
that
this hadn't gotten him in
trouble a time or two.
"Sure, Cosmo. What's the problem?" Ace watched as Cosmo paced silently
in front of him for a
moment. Something had definitely
gotten the young man worked up and Ace frowned.
"Well.." Cosmo started tentatively. "You know Ulene and I have been going
out for awhile now..."
Ace nodded. That was true enough. Little over three years now. Cosmo had
always insisted it was
nothing serious, but Ace
would only just smile at such youthful denials.
Cosmo kept pacing, rubbing at his neck. If he kept that up he would rub
the red hair right off.
"Well... I was thinking of telling her about my magic, Ace," he blurted
out suddenly, stopping in front
of the older man. "What
do you think?"
Ace was frozen. So that was this was about. Cosmo was thinking of revealing
his secret. Not that he
could hide it forever from
the young woman. But still... Ace felt his own stomach grow unsettled.
Cosmo's
magic was a closely held
secret. As was his own. It was never something to lightly entertain, revealing
that
secret.
"Are you thinking of developing a more serious relationship with Ulene?"
he asked simply. Cosmo
blushed faintly and nodded.
"Yeah.. sort of. I... It's just that I know she suspects something's up
and I think it'd be better for me to
tell her now than for her
to learn through some accident. But man... Ace, I've never told anyone.
I.. What if
she freaks? Will she hate
me? Think I'm a freak?" he gushed, returning to his pacing.
Ace smiled sadly. The same truths he had had to face in his youth. He was
lucky Mona accepted his
magic. Though she had had
the advantage of learning about it early. Seeing the powers grow with Ace...
well,
on and off given their rocky
relationship early on. Ulene would be coming in cold turkey to that truth.
"Cosmo, it is a very real possibility that she will be afraid of your magic,"
Ace sighed honestly. "I don't
think she'll hate you, or
think badly of you, but she will be afraid. It.. it takes a very strong
individual to handle
the truth that magic exists,
and that some people can use it."
"I know, I know... but... Ace... I could lose her if I tell her, but I
can't... how can we have a closer
relationship and me keep
it secret? It's just.. man..."
Ace watched him compassionately and reached out and caught Cosmo's arm
as he passed. The
teen relented and sat beside
him on the couch.
"I understand, Cosmo. And if you are serious about starting a more permanent
relationship with
Ulene you will have to tell
her. She deserves no less from you. You have to trust her with your secret
if you
want her to trust you. But,
you also have to face the very real possibility that the magic will scare
her," Ace
explained gently.
"Scare her enough to drive her away," Cosmo added unhappily. Ace nodded.
A very real possibility.
"Are you planning to tell her about the shard?" Ace asked. Cosmo stiffened
and rolled his eyes.
"Heck no! Not at first at least. Man, that'd scare her off for sure. Let's
deal with one freak out at a
time, Ace," he muttered
darkly. Ace smiled and agreed.
"Good idea. If she can accept the magic, the idea of the shard will be
easier to accept with time," he
stated and patted Cosmo
on the shoulder comfortingly.
"I'm glad you feel secure enough to want to have a more serious relationship
with Ulene. I wish there
was some magic way to make
her accept your powers, but there isn't. You simply have to put your faith
in the
fact that Ulene knows you.
Knows you well enough to know you would never hurt her through your magic
or
bring her any harm," Ace
said gently. Cosmo nodded and sighed heavily.
"Yeah, I know. But, dude... I know how I felt when this magic thing started
and I was freaked. Man,
seriously freaked, but at
least it was me in control of the magic. How... how can I expect her not
to be afraid
of something she has no
control over?"
"She will be afraid, Cosmo. At first at least. But if she can find the
courage to face that fear, she can
over come it and still love
you in the end. Magic and all. I'm afraid, in the end, it's up to her whether
she can
face her fear of your magic."
Ace went on. "You just have to try to give her every reason to trust you.
To
assure her that your magic
will never cause her any harm."
"I've never hurt her with my magic," Cosmo muttered. Ace nodded.
"I know. I know. And I know you never will. But she has to accept that,
and believe that."
Silence settled between them as Cosmo wrung his hands nervously. Ace simply
waited, offering a
reassuring presence. It
was all he could really do. People feared the magic on a general whole.
It was a sad
truth. They were still human
after all. Neither gods nor supermen, but because they could touch on forces
others didn't even know
existed people would always fear them. Some could overcome the fear. Enough
to
accept the magic, but....
Ace sighed. Very few. He understood Cosmo's dilemma. Mona was strong. Had
conquered her fear to love
him, but she was rare. Very rare. There was honestly no saying whether
Ulene
could be just as strong.
For Cosmo's sake, Ace hoped so.
"Guess I'm not going to find the answer out here, am I?" he snorted at
last, a slump of defeat coming
to his shoulders. He looked
up, gray eyes worried, but set.
"I'm going to tell her, Ace. Tonight. "
Ace nodded his blessing. "If you feel it's the right thing, then you should
do it. I.. I hope she can
accept it, but, Cosmo...
you have to be ready. She will be afraid, maybe even..."
Cosmo nodded. "Yeah, I know, afraid enough to leave me," he interrupted
softly. "Yeah, yeah. Man,
this sucks. It's not like
I ever wanted this magic in the first place."
Ace smiled. It was an old complaint.
"I thought it was getting better?" he pointed out. Cosmo nodded and smiled
slightly.
"Yeah, it is. I mean, I'm used to it. And I like the shard and all... but
times like this.."
He let the sentence drift. Yes, times like this reminded you just what
a burden the powers could be.
"Might I suggest venting a little magic and some deep breathing exercises
first," Ace stated kindly.
The magic had been churning
around the young man, gathering to his emotional discord. He felt it easily.
Emotions always effected
the magic force. Drew it near and stirred it up.
Cosmo nodded. "Sheesh, I better. Last thing I need to do is blacklash a
spell in front of Ulene," he
chuckled, then sighed, sobering.
"Thanks, Ace. I.. thanks, man," he said shyly. Ace patted his shoulder
and smiled.
"No problem, Cosmo. Just be honest. Answer all her questions the best you
can and be completely
honest. You've got nothing
to gain by lying," he said. Cosmo nodded and shoved himself up. Taking
a deep
breath he flexed his hands
and looked unhappily at the door.
"Well.. guess I better do this before I chicken out," he muttered, unmoving.
Ace stood with him, laying
a hand gently on his shoulder.
"I wish I could help more, Cosmo,"
Cosmo nodded. "Me too, bud. Me too," he murmured, then drummed up a cocky
grin.
"Wish me luck?"
Ace grinned in return. "Good luck."
With a sharp nod, eyes bright with fear, Cosmo made himself leave. Hurried
out the door without
another word. Silently,
Ace watched the door slid shut and sighed sadly.
"Good luck, Cosmo. Good luck," he whispered, meaning it heart and soul.
As the door closed, Ace reached over and grabbed the phone, quickly dialing
in a number he knew
by heart.
"Hello, Mona," Ace greeted after a moment. "I'm afraid I'm going to have
to cancel tonight... No, I'm
fine, it's just.... Cosmo
is talking to Ulene tonight." He paused as he heard the soft sigh. Mona
understood.
She'd gone through this
once herself.
"Thank you, Mona. I promise to make it up." He smiled at her denial and
goodbye, hanging up the
phone. In the silence that
followed he looked about the quiet comfort of his home and felt a small
shiver. How
would this evening end?
Would it end well?
Or would it just end.....
Ace sighed. The answer would come soon enough, for good or bad. Taking
up his paper again, Ace
attempted to distract himself
in the crinkly pages.
***
"Ace?"
Ace jerked and looked up, actually having lost himself in his reading.
"Cosmo is home," Angel reported softly.
He felt a shiver. Of fear, of worry.....
Dread?
Possibly. He rose unconsciously as the door to the library opened.
And felt his heart go cold.
Cosmo stood there, head lowered, the thick red hair hiding the youthful
face. Hands were clenched
into fists, a quivering
bringing small tremors to the shoulders.
"Cosmo...?"
The young man said nothing, nor moved into the room. Tentatively, Ace approached,
a hand rising
uncertainly.
"Cosmo?" he tried again. "What happened?"
"What do you think happened?!" Cosmo spat, coming to wild life. Ace felt
his gut turn at the anguish
plainly written across his
friend's face.
"She freaked, man. Absolutely freaked!" Cosmo was now the epitome of motion.
Striding across the
room, hands a blur of movement.
"I mean. I told her everything, tried to tell her and she listened... she...
listened..."
He froze, staring blankly at a wall.
"Then you showed her," Ace said simply. The shoulders clenched and Cosmo's
head dropped again.
"Freaked, Ace.. She freaked," he whispered. "I was so stupid, Ace. How
could I expect her to
understand...? How?!"
Ace reached for his friend, laid a hand on one shoulder.
"Cosmo..."
"Why me, Ace?" It was a sad whisper as Cosmo shook his head. "I didn't
want this... I wouldn't hurt
her. I promised it."
"Give her time, Cosmo. It's always a shock. Even to us, and we are the
ones to wield the power."
Cosmo shook his head fiercely.
"She..... she told me to ... to..." The fists tightened.
She told him to stay away. Ace could read it in every inch of his heartbroken
friend. His heart
clenched. He wanted to help..
somehow...
But there was no way.
"Stupid, Ace.... I was so stupid!" Cosmo spun and headed for the door in
a huff.
"Cosmo," Ace called. The teen just made a mad gesture with his hand.
"Stupid, Ace!" he spat as the door opened, just in time to allow him exit.
Ace watched as the door closed, his heart breaking for his partner. He
didn't know what to say. What
could he say to relieve
the hurt? He hesitated, waffling between staying here and following.
Fists clenched, Ace turned, took two steps, then turned back.
Damn it!
Damn it! It wasn't fair. Cosmo was a good man. He didn't deserve this.
His feet were moving before
he was aware of it. Carrying
him down familiar halls.
And they stopped at the door.
He hesitated again. Cosmo probably didn't want to see him at this moment.
Hell... He was probably
the last person Cosmo wanted
to see. He would only be a reminder of everything that had just hurt him.
The
magic... the powers that
they were both blessed and cursed with.
But.. he had to do.... something!
He knocked lightly.
"Go away!"
That was not surprising. Ace took a deep breath, stilling his mind. The
last thing Cosmo needed was
the emotional resonance
of his own distress.
"Cosmo..." he called gently.
Silence followed, and while it went against the normal rules of the house,
Ace entered without
permission. He paused in
the doorway of the small hall that led into the room proper. Cosmo was
standing,
very much as he had been
before, body stiff, posture tense. Ace felt the magic hiss and bubble around
the
young man, building up dangerously.
He gritted his teeth against the rising tide of power and eased into the
room.
"Cosmo." He let a hint of warning into his voice. Cosmo had to vent the
magic or be overpowered by
it. And it was the last
thing his partner needed.
"God damn it, Ace. I told her I would never hurt her, but did she believe
me?" The magic sizzled. "Did
all our years together mean
anything? No! She looked at me like I was a stranger. A bizarre stranger.
A
freak!"
Ace flinched as Cosmo lashed out. The power that had been stirring around
the young man collecting
and ripping out brutally
across the room. Cosmo's work bench exploded into hot shrapnel as the
over-powered shatter spell
struck it. Ace moved forward but if the backlash pain hit the young man,
it never
showed as his fists clenched
and unclenched.
The magician's hand raised, and gently rested on a taut shoulder.
It was as if the touch tore the fight from Cosmo and left the defeat in
its place as his grip tightened. A
sharp sob escaped and Ace
gently tugged Cosmo back. He accepted the offer and buried into Ace's
embrace, stifled sobs shuddering
the young man.
"I'm sorry, Cosmo. I wish I could say something more, but there isn't anything
I can," he confessed
softly. Cosmo shook his
head against the older man's shoulder, silent in his misery. Ace cautiously
tightened
his hold, wishing there
was some way to make things better. Some way.
Right now all he could do was offer a shoulder to lean on, feeling the
magic rise and die with
Cosmo's shifting emotions.
The ebbs of power mirroring the hurt and anger washing through his young
friend.
After awhile, Cosmo managed to pull himself together and drew back. Ace
watched worriedly as the
teen wiped self-consciously
at his face.
"Cosmo?" he asked softly. Wet eyes flashed up briefly at him, then away.
"I.. I'd like to be alone a while.. Ace," he said unsteadily.
Ace frowned, but nodded.
"Okay." He squeezed one shoulder gently. "If you need anything..."
Another shaky nod of the red head. Ace drew in a deep breath and retreated.
The initial anger had
given way to painful acceptance.
Ace understood Cosmo's need for privacy right now. He could only hope
Cosmo could find the solace
he needed.
As he slowly wandered down the hall, Angel's voice suddenly rang softly
around him.
"Ace, there is a visitor at the door."
Ace blinked, surprised.
"Okay. I'll take care of it," he sighed, if nothing else wanting a little
distraction from the less than
pleasant happenings of this
evening. He took the lift down and opened the train's side door.
It was a bit of an unexpected shock to see Ulene standing there. She glanced
up briefly at his
surprised face, but seemed
unable to say anything.
"Hello, Ulene," Ace greeted her neutrally, feeling distant anger at her
treatment of Cosmo. But... he
knew that was unfair. Ulene
couldn't help the fear she felt, just as Cosmo couldn't help being a magic
user.
"Uh.. hello, Mr. Cooper," Ulene stammered, not quite looking at him.
"Cosmo's home, though I don't know if he's in the mood to talk," Ace said
simply. Ulene looked up
and nodded.
"Yeah.. I bet," she murmured, then even softer. "Actually.. I was kind
of hoping to talk to you."
Ace blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected that. With an accepting nod,
Ace made way for her.
"Certainly. Please..."
They resettled in the living room. Ace taking the easy chair as Ulene contented
herself with the
couch. Ace chuckled inside.
It was not often one saw Ulene looking nervous. She was slightly curled
up,
hands fidgeting in her lap,
not really looking at any one thing.
"How can I help you, Ulene?" Ace asked at last as the silence dragged on.
"Cosmo... told me about his magic," she started slowly.
"Yes. He also told me how you reacted."
Ulene blushed and ducked her head.
"Sorry.." she murmured and the apology gave Ace hope that not everything
was lost.
"Don't be, Ulene. You reacted quite normally," Ace assured gently, leaning
forward a touch. "It's not
everyday you learn that
magic is real and that people can wield it's power."
She nodded and looked up at him. "You can do it too... the magic, right?"
Ace nodded. "Yes. Did Cosmo tell you?"
"He sort of mentioned it, I think. I wasn't really keeping things together
real well," she chuckled
sardonically.
"I understand. Yes, I can work the magic. I'm teaching Cosmo how to use
his own powers."
"Wow," Ulene muttered. "So... weird..." Then she looked at him, almost
accusingly.
"Did you give him these.. powers?"
Ace shook his head. "No. I did not. Cosmo was born with the ability to
wield magic just as I was. Not
that that fact made him
happy. Cosmo wanted his magic as little as I, when I learned I too could
work the
