Chapter requested by mysteryreader6626:
Ace won't admit it, but it hurts his pride that he has to be rescued like a princess.
Ace wouldn't ever say it out loud, but having to be picked up by a helicopter because he was stuck on a mountain wasn't one of the proudest moments of his life. What's even more embarrassing was that it was entirely his fault.
Ace had invited his boyfriend Marco to go rock climbing with him. While Marco had experience with the sport, Ace didn't. Still, he insisted that they go in order to celebrate Marco's birthday and wouldn't let his inexperience get in the way of Marco having a good time. The blond was skeptical, but reassurance from Ace made the trip possible.
To others, it looked like mother earth herself had tried to kill him. A storm had appeared almost instantaneous above them, and huge rocks had crashed down around him. So, when Ace needed rescuing because he was stuck, he blamed nature. Everyone cheered, saying how brave he was and someone even exclaimed that Ace was so stubborn he defied even mother nature, making everyone laugh.
Ace laughed with them, but if you looked closely, you'd be able to tell he was cringing.
It was entirely his fault that he got stuck. He was the one who read the path wrong and got himself separated from Marco. He was the one who didn't think to check on the weather before leaving that morning. He was the one who accidently loosened the boulders that couldn't have killed someone. He was the one who had to be saved by some chump in a helicopter.
He was the one who ruined Marco's birthday.
Ace sat on the hospital bed as the doctor looked him over, cleaning cuts and bandaging the open wounds. "You sure are lucky, sir." The doctor remarked, giving him a sweet smile.
"It was nothing really, ma'am." Ace said, flashing a half-hearted smile of his own. He really wished people would stop talking about it.
"Good thing they got that helicopter in there, eh?" She continued, unaware of his internal plight. "Well, you didn't get seriously injured, so that's good."
"Does that mean I can get discharged today?" Ace asked, hope flooding into his voice. "Cause its my boyfriends birthday and I, umm, don't want to screw it up any more than I already have."
"Yes you can get discharged." Ace gave her the widest grin he'd given all day and made his way out of the hospital.
When Ace finally did make it out of the hospital, he stopped. His car was still at home, and Marco was no doubt really mad. "Maybe I should buy him some flowers? Chocolate?" Ace rubbed his head in annoyance and trekked into town. "I'll figure something out."
Marco's front door. Ace half glared at it as though it had killed his brother, and half stared at it like it held the secrets to the universe. To knock or not to knock, that is the question. Ace stared at the chocolates in his hand and couldn't help but suddenly feel like that were way to plain and boring. Now the necklace… that was still up for debate. As he worked up the courage to knock the door, Ace closed his eyes and went to knock…
…just as the door opened and his fist suddenly hit the forehead of the very person he was afraid to face. "Well, hello to you too…" Marco shoved the hand out of his face and got a good look at the man at his door. "Ace?" His face lit up. "Ace!" He picked Ace up and embraced him in a hug. "I didn't think you were going to be discharged from the hospital today! Are you alright? I was so worried when I heard that you had to get carried off in a helicopter I thought you fell or your rope snapped or you were like that 128 hours guy or-" He stopped talking and looked at Ace's tearing face with worry. "Ace?" He asked quietly, gently squeezing his shoulders. "What's the matter?"
"You… why aren't you mad? I mean, you aren't mad?"
Marco gave him a confused look. "Why would I be? You could have died! I was too worried to get angry." Marco said with some amusement. His smile fell. "Did you really think I'd get angry?"
Ace could stop the tears from falling. "I mean… It was your birthday and it was my idea to go rock climbing in the first place and then I went the wrong way and got separated from you in the first place… And I should have checked the weather and made sure the rocks wouldn't fall before putting all my weight on them and your birthday was ruined because of-"
"Who cares about a dumb birthday. I care a thousand times more about your physical- and emotional -wellbeing than I do about some birthday." He pulled Ace in for hug, planting kisses on his head, as the raven-haired male dried his eyes. He pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Better?"
Ace smiled. "Yeah… Oh!" He pulled out the presents. "I know the chocolate is kinda cliché, but I hope you like the nec- the other one." Marco took the presents and sat on the couch, Ace taking the spot next to him. He sat the chocolate on the coffee table in front of him and opened the other. Inside was a necklace with a Phoenix shaped charm. "You do always say that you like birds and, well, everyone calls me a Pyro so I thought… why not both?" A blush was spreading across his face by the end of his words, but it went unnoticed by the room's other occupant.
Marco was smiling ear to ear as he looked at his gift. "I love it." He turned to his partner and planted a kiss on his lips. "Thanks Ace."
"N-No problem."
Ace might not liked having to get rescued like a princess, but, as he was pushed down onto Marco's bed, he couldn't help but think the perks afterwards were definitely worth it.
