Xander sat there, staring at the book in his hands, his mind racing. The words inside were like a punch to the gut but in the best way possible. It was all about him, written by Ace. He couldn’t even process it all yet, how could Ace feel this way about him and not say anything?
Just then, Ace came out of the bathroom, his towel hanging loosely around his shoulders, hair still damp. When he saw Xander holding the book, his face immediately went pale.
“Xander…” Ace said, his voice quiet, like he was already bracing for the worst.
Xander didn’t say anything right away. He just stared at Ace, his mind still spinning from everything he had just read. The words in the book felt like they had been written just for him. His whole body was buzzing.
“Ace,” Xander finally said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ace froze, his eyes dropping to the floor like he was trying to avoid Xander’s gaze. “I— I didn’t know how,” he muttered. “I didn’t think you’d feel the same. It felt safer to just keep it in there,” he gestured toward the book, “than to risk everything.”
Xander’s heart squeezed. “You thought I’d stop being your friend?” His voice wavered just a little, but he couldn’t hide the hurt in his words. “You thought I’d just... leave?”
Ace finally looked up at him, his eyes wide with uncertainty. “I didn’t know what you’d do,” he admitted quietly. “I just... I didn’t want to mess things up between us.”
Xander took a deep breath, trying to process everything at once. It was hard to believe that all this time, Ace had been feeling the same way and had kept it all locked up. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense. The way Ace acted around him, the little looks, the small touches.
“I wouldn’t have left,” Xander said softly, taking a step closer. “I mean, I thought... maybe you didn’t feel the same, but I didn’t think you’d just hide it forever. I thought... maybe it was obvious, you know?”
Ace let out a nervous laugh, his eyes flickering with something like relief. “It wasn’t obvious to me,” he said, the tension easing a little. He stepped closer to Xander, looking up at him. “I didn’t know what to do with these feelings. I just kept them to myself, thinking it’d be easier.”
Xander’s heart was racing, and his hand was shaking when he finally reached for Ace’s. He didn’t know what was happening, but it felt right. It felt like everything had finally clicked into place.
“Well,” Xander said, his voice quieter now, “maybe we’ve already messed things up.”
Ace blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What?”
Xander didn’t wait for an answer. He stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Their hands brushed together, and it felt like an electric shock ran through both of them. The whole world seemed to stop for a second, and Xander couldn’t help but smile his heart racing.
“Maybe it’s time we stopped pretending like we don’t feel this,” Xander said softly. “Maybe it’s time to stop hiding.”
Ace’s eyes widened, and Xander saw the hesitation in them, but also something else hope. “You... you mean it?”
Xander nodded, taking Ace’s hand fully now, squeezing it gently. “Yeah,” he said, his voice steady. “It’s time.”
And just like that, everything changed. The air between them was different now, charged with everything they’d both been too scared to say until now. They didn’t need words to know what came next.
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