Just Like Fire (Ace x Reader)

Chapter 20: It is the Curse

The two of you fell asleep in the truck bed, Ace snuggled against your back after asking if he could. When you woke up the next morning you were snuggled against his back. There was morning dew on the rim of the truck bed, but none down in the actual bed with the two of you. Body heat might have been enough to keep it dry, but you imagined it had more to do with how fire favored both of you.

The sun was up enough that you could easily see. Another hour or so and it would crest the tree line and spill into the truck bed more. The quiet of the morning was almost as calming as the star-filled skies had been the night before. Moving slowly, you sit up and stretch. The morning air is cool, full of the scents of grass and wood, amplified by the dew you're sure.

You consider briefly trying to make something for breakfast before Ace wakes up, but you've never cooked anything of note on a campfire, and unless you can sort out how to control your curse, you don't even know how to start a campfire. Certainly not first thing in the morning when the entire world is wet with dew.

Looking over you're considering how best to wake him up, when you realize you just want to watch him sleep. His hair's soft against his freckled face, and the slow steady movement of his breathing is a little mesmerizing. You can feel heat radiating off him now that you've moved away and cooled off yourself. It's easy to picture all three of them piled together during the winter, making use of Ace's naturally occurring heat.

"How long are you gonna stare?" Ace mumbles, opening one sleepy eye and looking over at you, sly smirk on his lips.

"An hour at least," you tease. "Go back to sleep."

He rolls over, curling around you and draping his arm over your lap. "Lay back down and nap with me."

"I can't stare that way," you say the word playfully, putting your hand over his.

"I can think of better things to do than stare at me," he says, face nuzzling into the small of your back.

"But you're cute when you're sleeping."

Ace makes a noise and you can picture the unamused look on his face.

"Adorable." You add, laughing as his arms tighten around you. "Cute as a button!" you declare just before you yelp when Ace pulls you down onto the bedding. He's over you for a moment, pouting down at you.

There's something in his eyes, scanning your face for something for a long moment. You can feel the blood rushing to your face.

"Sn-snuggle me, or kiss me," you put your hands over your face. "But don't keep staring like that."

Warm hands slip around your wrists, gently moving them away from your face. The sure smile on Ace's lips doesn't calm the pace of your heart, especially not as he pins your wrists to the bed and leans down.

"Cute." He muses, leaning closer slowly.

"You... You're a menace." You pout, looking away as he closes in.

"I could just stare at you for an hour." He threatens, sweet smirk across his face.

"You were sleeping," you whine, closing your eyes.

"You could just keep your eyes closed."

"It's not the same and you know it."

"Palomita," It's not just what he says, but how close he is when he says it that causes your eyes to open and meet his. You can see the fire in his eyes shift to something more mellow before he leans down and kisses you softly.

He moves your wrists, shifting to his elbows as he presses soft kisses onto your lips. Soft smiles between each kiss, he puts your hands on his shoulders before leaning in and kissing you deeper. His hands slip under your shoulders, warm and steady. He gives you another soft kiss before falling backward and pulling you up in a smooth motion.