She blinked at him for a moment, mouth falling open a little. “Oh — ! Oh, of course. That sounds lovely!” She looked down at herself, slightly shabby exercise pants and faded t-shirt. “I should probably change, I think … “
Ace quirked an eyebrow at this. Of course, her sputtering seemed innocent enough, but she seemed rather surprised that he’d even asked her out on a date at all. Then again, anyone else would, too, given his callous nature.
“I’ll leave you to it. Reservations are set for five,” he said with a smile, before turning on his heel towards his own humble abode.
Reservations? Ace was really being serious about this date! It was incredibly sweet of him, too; flowers and a date at a nice restaurant. Summer smiled at his retreating back.
Just barely an hour later she was ready, pale green dress and french braided hair. She hoped her makeup was subtle enough — hell, she hoped Ace liked the way she looked. It could be really hard to tell what he really thought about something. She toyed with the pendant around her neck momentarily before knocking at Ace’s door.
“Oh, Ace!” She took the flowers from him, tracing a fingertip along the edges of the petals with a smile. “These are beautiful.” She stepped back enough to allow him to come in, and bustled off to find a vase for the roses. Then she came back and offered him a kiss. “Where are we going?”
A sheepish grin graced Ace’s features as he stared down at her, shifting his weight from one leg to the other in slight hesitation. Asking Lily out was more of a mutual agreement, but with Summer, it was more his scramble to take the reins, his prevention of leaving a bad taste in her mouth if he showed no interest in their first date, like he did Lily.
“There’s restaurant on the Upper Eastside a good friend was telling me about the other day— The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park?”
She blinked at him for a moment, mouth falling open a little. “Oh — ! Oh, of course. That sounds lovely!” She looked down at herself, slightly shabby exercise pants and faded t-shirt. “I should probably change, I think … “
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
The way he touched her mouth made her wonder just what ‘slow’ meant to him, because that kind of touch pretty much just turned her on. But if he wanted to take it slow, she’d do slow. With a quiet sigh, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Ace didn’t quite know what the word ‘slow’ meant to himself. He’s never had to think on it; his partners were the ones that lead the way, and, step by step, he fell into place, careful not to trespass on their comfort levels whatsoever. When she laid her head against his shoulder, he, himself gave a rather content sigh, lolling his head to the side to rest his cheek against the crown of her head.
With autumn’s chill fully settled in, the two had returned to keeping their doors closed — a change neither pet approved of in the least. The two humans, though, still spent more time together than not. Therefore, the knock at her door didn’t surprise Summer.
The roses in Ace’s hands did. She looked up from the flowers to his face. “Ah — what’s the occasion?”
Ace stood for those first few moments before the door, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he heard her rustling about her flat. When the door swung open to reveal his lovely girlfriend, a small smile graced his features and he slowly held the bouquet out to her.
“A date. That thing that couples go on from time to time,” he explained rather sheepishly.
“Oh, Ace!” She took the flowers from him, tracing a fingertip along the edges of the petals with a smile. “These are beautiful.” She stepped back enough to allow him to come in, and bustled off to find a vase for the roses. Then she came back and offered him a kiss. “Where are we going?”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
The way his throat moved against her mouth made Summer purr. “I could see you every day and you would still be as far away as the moon, if I frightened you off,” she murmured, the tip of her tongue swiping out to catch the point behind his ear. She leaned out to look at his face. “I might not know when to stop.”
Ace’s breath hitched in his throat at her close proximity, her own against his bare skin making him shiver. When she spoke, his eyes narrowed to slits and flickered over in the general direction of where she latched onto him.
“Mm,” he hummed in acknowledgement of the weight her words seemed to carry, reaching out to trace over her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb once she pulled away.
“That settles it, then. We’ll be boring and take it slow.” Though, on the inside, this put his mind to ease.
The way he touched her mouth made her wonder just what ‘slow’ meant to him, because that kind of touch pretty much just turned her on. But if he wanted to take it slow, she’d do slow. With a quiet sigh, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
He’s dated normal people, or, mostly-normal people, namely Lily. And even she wasn’t big on dates. Still, she dragged him out to a local grill and they spent the night conversing about anything that came to mind over a plate of sweet-potato fries.
Though he hated to admit it, it felt nice. And he knew, sooner or later, Summer would want to do the same.
So, before she got the chance to, he came knocking at her door at approximately two that afternoon, a dozen roses in his hand.
With autumn’s chill fully settled in, the two had returned to keeping their doors closed — a change neither pet approved of in the least. The two humans, though, still spent more time together than not. Therefore, the knock at her door didn’t surprise Summer.
The roses in Ace’s hands did. She looked up from the flowers to his face. “Ah — what’s the occasion?”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
She couldn’t help the giggle as she was settled on his lap. “I don’t want to go too fast and scare you off,” she confessed. She snuggled into his chest, making a contented hum, before starting to kiss her way along his collarbone and up his throat.
“It takes a lot more than a heated make-out session to scare me off, Summer. And it’s not like I can go far… I live right next door and my lease isn’t up ‘til next June.” The lad tipped his head back with a groan, feeling her soft lips ghost over his exposed skin.
The way his throat moved against her mouth made Summer purr. “I could see you every day and you would still be as far away as the moon, if I frightened you off,” she murmured, the tip of her tongue swiping out to catch the point behind his ear. She leaned out to look at his face. “I might not know when to stop.”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“Extra cheese?” she said, pleading. Then she fell silent, so Ace could talk to the guy on the other end of the line — someone he was obviously very familiar with. His smile — the little, sweet one — still made her heart skip a beat, and she wondered if he could tell.
“So … ” Summer said slightly awkwardly, “now what do we do? Am I allowed to sit you down and kiss you breathless?”
Ace overlooked her for a moment, heaving a sigh of mock-exasperation followed by a drawled out, “Okay…”
“Make that one medium extra cheese pizza pie. Give a slice or two to Fredo, okay? Tell him to stay outta trouble or he’ll have to answer to me.” A haughty laugh came from the other line.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow so we can talk more, okay? Yep, same address, same phone number. Alright, bye, Sammy.” Ace smiled before pressing end, turning his attention to the petite madame in his arms.
“Did you even have to ask, hon?” Leading her over to the couch, he plopped down and pulled her onto his lap.
She couldn’t help the giggle as she was settled on his lap. “I don’t want to go too fast and scare you off,” she confessed. She snuggled into his chest, making a contented hum, before starting to kiss her way along his collarbone and up his throat.
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“I, uh.” Confronted with his bare chest, after the revelations of barely an hour ago, she found it hard to think. “It’s more what I don’t want? No anchovies or peppers? Anything else is fine.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned into his hold, one hand resting on his skin. Impulsively, she kissed the bit of skin closest to her mouth.
Ace was completely oblivious, like he was moments before her outburst, of the effect he had on her. The lad was waiting patiently for his hair to dry a little more, so that little drops wouldn’t catch on the collar of his cotton shirt. Watching her as she spoke, a small smile spread across his face as he processed what she said before declaring, “Pepperoni, then!” Kissing the top of her head, he moved to dial the number he knew by heart with his free-hand, and press the phone to his ear.
“Sammy! I call hungry and loaded with cash.”
“Extra cheese?” she said, pleading. Then she fell silent, so Ace could talk to the guy on the other end of the line — someone he was obviously very familiar with. His smile — the little, sweet one — still made her heart skip a beat, and she wondered if he could tell.
“So … ” Summer said slightly awkwardly, “now what do we do? Am I allowed to sit you down and kiss you breathless?”
Helios licked his nose insolently, before bending to lick drops of water off Ace’s feet. He washed one spot assiduously, before hopping in the shower and looking up at the shower head. Then he looked at Ace, tail waving, and back at the shower head.
“Uh … ” The apparent non-sequitur caught her off-guard. “No? And no?” She wandered over to him, insinuating herself into his space, curious to see what he would do. Would he be the demonstrative type, or would she have to initiate everything? He’d seemed pretty keen on kisses, but even that she’d had to start. What kind of lover would he be? Brendan had been pretty ordinary, once she got past the excitement of having sex at all, more intent on his own pleasure than anything else.
She knew plenty about Ace’s tendency to self-neglect; his contradictory hedonism; his grey, rough shell that concealed his inner self. She had no idea how that would translate into a more serious relationship.
Hearing the hesitation in her words, with each step she took, as if still testing the waters with him, he frowned.
“You’re correct,” Ace mumbled, slowly reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his chest. “As a reward, we can split a whole pie of a Neapolitan delicacy. What toppings do you want?” Ace asked lowly, knowing how fragile the first few months of a relationship could be with someone as sketchy and fleeting as himself.
“I, uh.” Confronted with his bare chest, after the revelations of barely an hour ago, she found it hard to think. “It’s more what I don’t want? No anchovies or peppers? Anything else is fine.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned into his hold, one hand resting on his skin. Impulsively, she kissed the bit of skin closest to her mouth.
