[ACE] Devil's duty

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace drew his eyebrows together, looking at him quizically. "How am /I/ helping /you/?" He asked. "I haven't done anything.." He chewed on his lip, a million things running through his mind. He half expected Derek to say something along the lines of 'yeah, but I haven't gotten you in bed yet, either'. He wondered if the skeptical ways he'd adapted would go away. He slowly relaxed against him again, telling himself Derek wouldn't hurt him.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek rose an eyebrow in challenge. "That's where you're wrong." He murmured. "That..anger towards myself..what I am.. I've been happier, smiled and laughed, a lot more today than I have in a long time."

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

"You have no reason to hate yourself, Derek.." He mumbled, slowly slipping his fingers in the spaces between the other male's. In his mind, he thought it felt more right than it should have. But he pushed it away, chewing himself out again for thinking that way. "You're just different. I used to hate myself.. Cause my dad can't come see me. He can't help me. He wasn't there to take me away when my mom hated me, when everyone was hurting me. But then I realized he was here, where there was water." He trailed off, slowly running his thumb over Derek's. "I'll be your water, if you need it.."

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek held his hand close, looking down at hin thoughtfully as he spoke. He sighed softly, chin finding the top of Ace's head as he closed his eyes. "You already are, Ace..." He murmured with a faint smile."
'Fool..' A voice hissed in his head.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace curled up close to him, holding his hand tightly. He didn't want to let go, not now that he had someone there who was going to keep him safe. He yawned, looking over at the blank TV before he closed his eyes. He was so comfortable, it was no time before he was drifting off into sleep. But just before he fell asleep, he could see Derek laying before him, gutted like an animal. 'You don't deserve to be happy,' Hades hissed, and Ace jumped, tears falling down his cheeks. "Derek.. You okay?" He mumbled, pulling on his shirt. "Derek..?"

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek, being the light sleeper he was, had drifted off in discomfort at the voices in his head and Hades taunting, but jumped awake as soon as he was touched and heard his name. He yawned, drawing in a shaky breath, and friwned as he gazed at Ace before gently hugging him close, brushing his tears away. "Ace..what's wrong?"

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace held tightly to his shirt, looking up at him. "I- Hades.. You were dead.." He mumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around him. He started crying, burying his face in Derek's chest. "He said I didn't deserve happiness.. He never lets me sleep.." He said quietly once he'd managed to get his breathing under control. He held tightly to him. "Please don't let go.. Please.."

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back slowly as he held him tight. "He doesn't let me sleep, either.. It's okay Ace. I'm right here..." Hades wasn't the only one though, that turmoil of voices in his head that so few knew about. "I'm not letting you go.. I promise."

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace held onto him tightly, slowly running his hand over his side. His head found Derek's shoulder again, his hands falling to rest on his hip. "I don't wanna sleep alone.." He mumbled quietly, reaching up to rub his eye. Sleeping with someone never helped much, besides waking him up when he started screaming from his nightmares.

[derek chandler ralston]

"You don't have to, okay?" He rubbed his shoulder gently, hugging him closer. They both needed sleep. And maybe tomorrow they could go look at apartments, find something near a water source so Ace felt a little safer. "It's gonna be okay now..." He kissed the top of his head absently.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace looked up at him as he kissed his head. He yawned and stood up, pulling on Derek's hand. "I wanna go to bed.." He mumbled, pulling on his finger. He looked him over slowly, checking to see if Derek really was okay. He bit down on his lip, looking back at his face, his heart pounding. "I'm sleepy.."

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek got up slowly as his hand was tugged, and led him toward the bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers, setting his phone on the night stand. Waiting until Ace was ready, he flipped the light off and climbed into the bed.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace followed him up the stairs, stripping out of his clothes. He let them fall to the floor, pushing them near the bed before he climbed in and under the blankets. He laid down on the pillow, slowly running his hand over the edge of the bed. He waited a moment, then finally moved over to Derek, laying his head on his chest.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek gazed at hin for a moment, then draped an arm around him and held him close as he closed his eyes. That whispering in his head returned until he began to drift into sleep, never letting Ace go.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

It wasn't long before Ace was finally asleep again, his hand on Derek's stomach to make sure he was still there. He woke up during the night again crying, and wrapped his arms around Derek before falling back into sleep. "Derek, shut up the birds.." He complained, pulling his pillow over his head when he heard the birds.