[ACE] Devil's duty

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

"I haven't met a sane person yet, to be fair." He said quietly, that lump in his throat again as his hand was taken. But it wasn't from attraction or him being shy; it was out of sheer and utter fear. But he didn't pull his hand away, didn't dare disobey him. He looked away at the sight of blood, his stomach turning. He hated blood, hated anything that wasn't water. He'd seen enough of his blood shed to be sick of it.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek cleaned up the blood warily, swallowing. "I'm sorry," He slurred under his breath, more to Satan than the boy. As he pulled onto the road, the sudden submission to the greater evil was clear. Something that actually scared him.. The only thing that did, actually. And he didn't utter another word.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace pulled his legs up into the seat with him, looking out at the window. He coughed into his arm, his bright blue eyes just watching everything go past. He felt sick, but he couldn't tell if it was from speed, nerves, or if he was actually coming down with something. Although the latter seemed most likely, considering he was always sick with something.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek relaxed the more he drove, and eventually he pulled slowly up to the house. He got out and gathered everything, then opened the door for Aerin, leading him towards the door. He knocked, and opened it slowly, peering inside. "Chantel..?" He breathed, clearing his throat.
"I'm back."

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace followed him to the house, his arms wrapped tightly around him. He felt so out of place it bothered him. He looked down at his feet, biting his lip as he heard someone bound down the stairs yelling 'DEREK'S BACK!' He shrank behind him, keeping his head down.

"Who's that? Why's he hiding? IS HE A SURPRISE!?" She gasped, bouncing up and down.

[derek chandler ralston]

"Woah woah woah," Derek huffed, grasping her shoulders to keep her from her excited bouncing. "He's-..I'm caring for him now, he gets scared easy, okay?" He turned, gently resting a hand on the boys back, crouching to searh his face with earnest eyes. "You're safe here..I promise okay? I promise..." He brushed a hand through the boy's bair and stood, gently urging him inside. Then he turned and hugged Chantel close.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Chantel gasped, obviously excited at the idea of having another person in the house. "You're gonna take care of him like you took care of me?" She asked him, looking from him to the boy. Ace bit his lip, shrinking away a bit as the man crouched down. He searched his face warily, tears stinging his eyes. He stepped inside hesitantly, watching as the girl threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"I wanna hug him." She complained, wiggling in Derek's arms.

[derek chandler ralston]

"Yeah, like I helped you." He laughed softly as he hugged her, kissing the top of her head. He gazed over at Ace as he cuddled her close. "Give him space," He breathed, offering the boy a gentle smile. "You could ask him though, talk to him." He kissed her forehead. "Tell him how I helped you." A gentle squeeze and he let her go, wandering to the kitchen for water to wash down the taste of blood.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

"Can I hug you?" She asked him, and he shook his head, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "Why?"

"I don't like being touched.." He mumbled.

"But Derek's not gonna hurt you. He helped take care of me cause I didn't have a mom or a dad. And he never hurt me. What's your name?"

"Ace.."

"Really? I'm Chantel. I made up my own name cause I don't have one." She bounced into the kitchen to find Derek, and Ace just stood there, biting his lip.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek listened to them from the kitchen, sipping at his water, and smiled. "You want to go shopping?" He asked her as she passed, then approached Aerin, aware of what he had called himself, but still unsure which he preferred. "You want me to call you Ace or Aerin?" He murmured with a tilt of his head, stopping short so he wouldn't startle him. And as much a he hated going out in public, he offered, "You want to go shopping with Chantel and I? You can get some clothes, and whatever else you want.." He was trying to be friendly. At least, as friendly as Derek could get.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

"Yeah!" Chantel exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I want you to paint my nails." She told him.

"Don't call me Aerin.." He pleaded, his voice cracking. "I hate that name.." He hated hearing anyone else being called Aerin. He shrugged when he was invited to go shopping. He didn't like crowds, and wasn't sure how he was going to put up with the hyper girl without going crazy.

"Please? We can get hot dogs." She said, laying on top of Derek.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek grunted, eyebrows raising helplessly towards Ace as she begged he himself to do her nails, as if asking him for help.
"Okay, okay I'm sorry.. Ace it is." Gently prying Chantel off, he huffed. "We'll go in a moment Chantel, let me talk to him alone, okay?" He waved her off to go hang with Parish, and sat down slowly, instinctively trying to make himself less of a threat. "Ace..." He hesitated, licked his lips. "I'm trying, okay? I don't-..I don't do this stuff. I don't like being around people. I want to help you, though. And that means you have to try, too.." He studied him quietly, eyebrows furrowing helplessly when he noted the bruise on the boys jaw.
"You remind me a lot of-...me..I guess.. Here, sit..." He patted the spot next to him, searching his face again. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want. So when you're honest with me, we won't have that problem. And I know you probably don't believe me or want to trust me, and fine. But that young woman? She wouldn't be here, would be lost and wild, if I hadn't helped her. And I know I don't seem like a...a caring guy on the outside... But I do want you happy..and not so hurt... So..what do you want to do, Ace? I'll..I'll do anything you want, okay? We can go anywhere you want to go, eat anything you want to eat..." A gentle smile passed his lips, impish and quirky because of his teeth.

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace watched the girl go, chewing on his lip. He listened to him quietly, sitting down when he told him to, though he kept his distance. He didn't want to be so close to him, to anyone. "I don't trust anyone.. And I don't believe anyone.. I don't know how.. W-when your own mom starts selling you to whoever wants to bang you and you're barely a year old... and that goes on until you're sixteen? You don't trust people.. My dad can't help me, not after Zeus forbade the gods from seeing their children.. I can't.." He ran his hands up his legs, feeling the bruises there from the night before last.

"I just want some clean clothes to change into, and something to eat, and I want to go back to bed.." He mumbled. He didn't even know if there was a source of natural water around here, meaning he was out of luck if this guy decided to sneak into his bed.

[derek chandler ralston]

Derek sighed, agitated that he wasn't getting throgh to this kid. He wasn't good with patience. "Fine," He huffed, standing. "Fine. Don't believe me when you finally have someone telling the truth. Don't /try/ because there's finally somebody here wanting to help.. Just. Go get in the truck." He worked his jaw.
"Chantel your ready? We're leaving."
And despute his seemingly emotional facade, hurt flickered in his eyes as he looked Ace over, his eyebrows furrowing in disappointment towards him. "I guess you gave up just a little too early, huh? You can't even see the chance right in front of your face."

[aerin 'ace' colt endsley]

Ace wondered how many times he'd heard those words. 'Go get in the truck' or 'bend over'. Both meant the same thing to him, as far as he was concerned. He bit his lip, tempted to tell him he was actually starting to think he was different until two seconds ago. But he didn't say anything. He just walked back out the house and waited by the truck, his hands in his pockets. 'There's no such thing as different..' He thought, bending down to pick up a small rock.