Blind Side: Sweet Dreams are made of This (Ace)

It was his birthday. 17 years ago today, he’d been brought into this world to parents full of hope and joy. He’d been a good son for years, up until he started manifesting his little issue. Then, all of a sudden, he was no longer the wished for eldest son. No, his younger brother got that title, and he was shipped off to his Aunt. And after the aunt, to the monks. When they still couldn’t gain control of his baser impulses, it was off to Highgrove. The time here, and elsewhere, had only taught him to hide what he was doing better. It hadn’t taught him how to conquer it, and he was pretty sure that it couldn’t be overcome at this point. He was just going to see these visions for the rest of his life, and that was how it was going to be. He would have to draw on himself or others as long as the visions manifested. He was quickly becoming alright with this reality. It wasn’t the choice he would have made, but it was something that he could deal with. After all, there would always be people that would let him draw on them, and he seemed to have a knack for finding them. He’d found Ellen, Ace, Aubrey, and the list would likely grown bigger as his time at the facility continued. Of course, his luck in finding willing canvas was directly proportional to the amount of residents here. All the other kids were as screwed as he was, so he supposed it made sense.

As long as he didn’t get caught, then all would be well. That’s what he told himself. Every time he’d been caught, except with Josie, there had been pretty nasty consequences. The extra chores were the nicest thing that had been done to him, and even that had its share of nasty. A bunch of boys living in the same room and using a communal bathroom was not the cleanest of things. It was a good thing that his parents had raised him to do chores, otherwise he’d sure to turn up his nose at it and act like he was far too good to be scrubbing porcelain thrones. He’d run into the rather provocatively dressed household supervisor, a Miss Adele. He would not mind hitting that. Not at all. Not that he stood a chance in hell, but it was always good for the spank bank. She could join Dr. Bitch and that blond girl Beth. Josie was sometimes in there, but only if he really wanted to torment himself, which normally he didn’t. He needed to run into her again. He imagined if they hadn’t gotten interrupted that they would have had quite a nice time and his bank would be full of detailed images of her. Yes, he really needed to run into her again. Ellen didn’t count for the bank, since he could have that whenever he wanted, as long as they didn’t get caught. He didn’t think she liked it very much though, and that bothered him more than he liked to admit. He’d also been denying that he liked the violence with which Josie had wanted to be taken. The force he’d used on Ellen was regrettable, and had worked hard to make sure that he never repeated it. Even if a voice deep down admitted that he had liked it.

He finished the household chores, and was told to report outside for the farm chores. He wasn’t sure what farm chores could really be done with all the snow on the ground, plus the rain that kept falling, but since he was doing his level best to keep out of trouble, the brunette trudged out to report to the head of agriculture. The wellingtons and raincoat kept him dry enough, as he crossed the muddy grounds, cursing softly beneath his breath the entire way. Except that there was no staff member waiting at the barn. Maybe he was early? Nate waited a few minutes, hoping someone would show up, shivering with the chilly wind. Brown eyes looked up towards the skies and saw the dark clouds looking ready to split open and he took off running for the stable block. The barn would have been closer, but all the animals were in there, and wet animals did not smell all that good. He dashed inside, just as the rain came crashing down, the sound thunderous in the enclosed space. A small smile appeared on the teenager’s face as he pushed the door closed with a grunt of effort and sealed himself inside the hay filled building. This had worked out better than he could have imagined. The note Ace had slipped him during breakfast had said to meet him in the stables when he could find some free time, and with all the chores and structure, Nate had thought that he wouldn’t be able to find the time. However, Mother Nature seemed determined to present him with a birthday present. Awfully nice of her.

The rain gear was hung up on a hook near the door, and Nate took in a deep lungful of the air. It smelled of horse and hay and other things he’d rather not admit that he was breathing in. It wasn’t a bad smell, was in fact, one he’d grown used to in spending spare time here. He checked the tack room and office for staff members, and his smile grew as it was revealed to be empty. Well, well, what had Ace arranged? Nate edged further into the stables, not wanting to call out just yet, just in case some staff members were still lingering around. Finally, he pulled the note from his pocket and looked at the small, crudely drawn map. He followed the line as best he could, and ended up in a small room that looked like a storage room for feed, with lots of sacks lining the walls, and a few laid out in a rough square. He didn’t immediately see anyone, and he was wondering if perhaps Ace couldn’t escape to the stable block. That would be a rotten shame, especially since Nate had managed to sneak away.

“Ace? Where are you?” He called out softly, hearing the horses respond to the quiet echo of his voice around the building. He peeked back out, looking out over the building that seemed to be his for the duration of the rain shower. Wasn’t that a lucky thing? He heard an odd noise behind him, and turned around, wondering who had snuck in, or if Ace was playing a trick on him. He hoped not, that would suck on his birthday. Today was supposed to be a good day for him.

Hey Nate!
Happy birthday!
So I know you got landed with chores and all, but I want
to at least wish you a happy birthday in person. I've even
got a present for you! It's... maybe not something
amazing or extravagant, but I think you'll like it a lot.
Actually, I'm positive you will.
So if you have a bit of extra time, do you think you'd like
to meet me out at the stables? I'd rather it be, you know,
somewhere away from the masses.
If you're too busy, let me know. I can always give you your
gift later. But I really hope to see you today.
Try to have a good day.
Yours,
Ace

Had that been too... forward? Too... desperate? Ace wondered that only after he'd slipped the note to Nate at breakfast that day, and had offered him a rare genuine smile. But still, Nate was one of the few who could make him smile, and he just wanted to return the favor and try to brighten his day. It sucked, he thought, being shafted with extra chores. They could at least give him a break on his birthday. It would be a nice gift. And again, speaking of gifts, Ace was a bit sad that he didn't have much to give -- not much Nate might be interested, anyway. But the night before, after a lot of thought, he'd come up with something absolutely perfect, and had written the note, folded it, and stashed it in one of his class notebooks. When the exhaustion finally settled in and he was able to drift off to sleep, he did so with the thought in his mind that Nate would love it.

The next day, Ace took a seat by Nate at breakfast. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he'd said, "Open this whenever you get a minute alone, okay?" and he'd handed him the folded up piece of notebook paper. There wasn't anything else of importance said.

After chores were all finished, well, at least for those of them that didn't get extras, he went back up to the dorms to wash up quickly and change, to get the horse-smell off him. What he had planned involved closeness, and while a little bit of horsey smell would be inevitable, he didn't want to reek... understandably. He had to not only give Nate the best gift imaginable given the circumstances, and where they were, but he had to make Nate see that he, Ace, was better than that... mouthy brat. Chav. Whatever. That he was more thoughtful, more intelligent, sweeter, and more loving. More of what Nate deserved.

The image of her head resting on Nate's shoulder popped into his head and he raked the comb through his hair too hard. With a wince, he disentangled it from his hair and dropped a scant combful of black strands to the floor. Fuck. He rubbed his head. They hadn't even really made an attempt to make her stop... and nor had he, really. Ace slammed the plastic comb onto the surface of the dresser and rubbed at the smarting area of scalp even harder. Maybe, hopefully, it was like it had been with Ace and Josie -- just not being able to resist that feminine charm, or whatever the hell had happened. And maybe Nate was straight after all, and was just stringing Ace along. Wouldn't that be some shit... And it would be just like Ace to actually fall for it.

But, if he didn't follow through with his invitation, he'd be the one stringing someone along. Besides, this was the chance that he was going to perhaps find out what was really going on. He'd already said he didn't care what Nate was like... or rather, what Nate thought he was like, because Ace knew better than that. If he thought the other boy was kind and gentle and the best thing since pancakes, then nothing Nate said was going to change that.

Ace was waiting in the stables when Nate got there, and he'd been waiting long enough to start to think that the other might not have been able to snag a few extra minutes to himself. Wanting to be a little of a tease, he sat hunched in the little corner he'd found, behind a feed bag, and giggled silently to himself as Nate walked right past him. He got up as silently as he could once Nate turned around, and he slipped his coat off and tossed it to the side. A shiver went through his body -- it was the dead of winter, and there he was standing in a knee-length, floral sundress, the type that reminded him of a fifties pin-up girl. Of all the seasons to crossdress, he thought.

"Ssh," Ace whispered. "I'm not sure if the stablemaster's still here... he could be. I'm not sure he ever leaves." He turned and bent to pick his tin of artists' markers up off the hay-strewn floor, took a calming breath -- if the stablemaster was still there, they'd likely have their breathing privileges taken away from them, for what Ace was about to do...

He stood and walked toward the other boy, holding out the markers. "This is the first part," he said softly. Once his hands were free, he slipped the lace cardigan off, letting it fall to the floor, and then he reached behind his back to un-do the ties on the dress. "And here's the second..."

The cold air that hit his body made him gasp and shiver... and long to be close to Nate, to share his warmth. His face flushed and he picked unconsciously at his nails, asking, "So... where do you want me?"

The noise he'd heard was the coat hitting the floor. Brown eyes widened as he caught sight of Ace...in a dress. Nate simply wasn't sure what to think of the other boy in a dress. Boys didn't wear dresses where he was from. Maybe were Ace was from they did. Either way, Nate was not ready to deal with that. Not that the other boy didn't rock the dress and cardigan, but even still. It was odd enough to throw him off his normal game. Not that Nathanial had much game to begin with. Almost non-existent would be a very good descriptor of his game. He had to blink again to focus on the words that Ace said, shaking the shock out of his brain and making him focus. Not that it worked all that well. It was a rather good thing that Ace almost immediately distracted him from trying to focus by picking up the markers. That got rid of the shock, and a smile began to bloom on the light pink lips as he realized what was happening.

Nate took the markers, still not speaking as Ace unveiled his second surprise. The smile that had started only grew bigger and brighter, just like the sparkle in Nate's eyes. This was the best gift ever. As the dress crumpled to the floor at Ace's feet, Nate's tongue slipped out to wet his lips. All the stress, the annoyances, the bad mood of the day seemed to just slide out of his pores, and leave him relaxed and eager to explore what this gift might hold. And this was a doozy of a gift. Exactly the type of thing that would tempt him. A willing canvas, a whole canvas, and all the time in the world to decorate it. Best. Gift. Ever.

As Ace flushed, Nate stepped forward, closing the distance between them and rubbing his thumb over Ace's lip. His hand dropped to the other boy's, and their fingers interlaced for a moment, before Nate released him, and stepped around, fingertips trailing over Ace's hip with a featherlight touch. He could see the muscles in Ace's body twitching, and his fingers spasmed in response. Already, the designs were forming in his mind, and so intent was he on the canvas, he didn't notice that the vision had weakened. He could see Ace through the vision of his death, without real concentration on his part. Nate's hand came up, the palm landing against Ace's back, the warmth radiating out across the fingertips and sinking into Ace's skin. A light push would send Ace forward and down across the feed bags that seemed to be laid out just for this purpose.

Nate stood over his canvas, flipping open the lid of the metal tin with a quiet snick, then dropped down to his knees, putting the metal tin within easy reach as he prowled up Ace's body. Something simmered between the two boys, something undefinable in Nate's experience. As he studied the planes of the tanned skin in front of him in preparation for his work of art, he couldn't decide if he was happy in the position he was in, or if he wanted to switch positions with Ace. A slow, quiet burn settled in his abdomen and he reached over, fingers digging into the box, markers knocking against each other and the sides of the tin with little clicks. Those trembling digits pulled out a blue cylinder. Carefully, the cap was placed on the end of the marker and the cool, wet tip was placed against Ace's shoulder blade and drawn downwards. Slowly, arcs of the blue fanned out down that side of the Asian boy's back, the blue being held in Nate's mouth as he switched to a brown and then a black. Peacock like feathers began to take shape, broken and mangled feathers, but recognizable for what they were all the same. The red came out, and splatters and drips began to form. Soon, Ace's back was covered in oozing wounds and dripping blood.

All of the drawing had been done in silence, however Nate's breathing was labored, and his skin flushed. He leaned forward, his lips brushing lightly against the ear of his partner. "Thank you, this is the best gift ever."

He slid down, his fingers trailing over the fresh drawing and over Ace's buttocks. A low purr of pleasure slid from Nate as the marker began to slide over the fresh skin, creating more wounds and blood trails. There was something exciting about this, and it connected them. Nate had never had such a willing partner in his endeavor before and he couldn't believe how it made him feel.

As Ace stood there, shivering, waiting for Nate to decide what he was going to do, he had to fight the urge to check the dress. He could have sworn one of the buttons had come off, since he didn't bother to undo those. Stupid, stupid... But he'd wanted to just get it over with, before he became too nervous. Or before Nate could change his mind, or before Ace could stop and wonder whether or not this would come off as manipulative, and if it would scare Nate away for good -- he'd already thought he'd done that once. Apparently, it didn't, because he felt a gentle touch on his bottom lip. Surprised, he didn't move a muscle, even though he might really have wanted to kiss it, or maybe just grab the hand and pull Nate in... The boy was such a tease; he had no idea. Always 'accidentally' brushing hands with Ace, or coming so close that he almost had his lips on Ace's skin, but would stop and hover to say something. Still, Ace didn't move, because he was a present, and presents didn't move.

He felt the fingers on his, and then on his hip bone, light, as if it were a ladybug landing on his skin and going for a brief stroll. Then there was a little bit more force on his back that guided him forward, then downward. He reached for his coat and balled it up under his head for a warm, wooly makeshift pillow, while Nate opened the little box that held the collection of markers. A series of rattling told him Nate was looking for a color, which one, Ace might not know. But at least he wasn't rejecting this gift, something he was sure that girl had never done... or if she had, it still wasn't as awesome as this. Ace refused to even think that it might have been.

As he felt the tip of the pen glide across his skin, he thought back to the first moment Nate arrived. The look on his face had worried Ace, making him think that maybe it had been the dress, and it might have been a bad idea. But he'd just wanted something easy to take off so he wasn't struggling out of jeans or anything. But if it was a dress, it had to be cute, hence the modest pinup style one that he normally only wore when it was warm, for obvious reasons. He hadn't stopped to think that Nate didn't know of Ace's little... thing for crossdressing. He thought he should; Ace wore makeup nearly every day. Very minimal makeup, though, so maybe he actually hadn't noticed.

After a while of drawing, there were Nate's lips again, hovering gently over Ace's ear, brushing it lightly. Ace shuddered, fingers gripping the coat as he closed his eyes and savored the feeling. "Oh... you're welcome. I'm glad." He smiled, relaxing now that he was starting to warm up again, thankfully, due to the close contact. Everything was just wonderful, and he was content to just lie there and take it all in, at least until they got caught. They would, though... he was pretty certain of it. But it would be worth it, because the point was already made: there was something there, and he wanted it to grow.

As Nate's fingers wandered, Ace let out a soft purr that echoed with the other's. "Careful," he said, smirking. He wanted to ask what Nathanial was drawing, but in the end, decided it was best to just leave the artist to his work. He knew what he probably had inked on him, anyway. Most likely, more blood. Nate would be great as a horror makeup artist, Ace thought, and then wondered if he could get Nate to do him up like a gory zombie for Halloween.

Finally, the curiosity was too much. "What are you drawing now?" he asked. "Do I look awesome?"

He didn't know that Nate wasn't seeing visions of him quite as much, but if he had... he might have exploded from the ego.

A low, quiet laugh eased from Nate's throat as Ace warned him to be careful. He said nothing, at first, simply finished his drawing on the tan buttocks of the younger boy. Although he knew what Ace meant by his word of caution, he couldn't stop himself from rolling to the boy's side, stretching out next to the Asian and propping his head on an upturned palm. "What am I being careful of? I thought you were a gift. Aren't gifts supposed to be just glad to be given?" Nate seemed to have found a new eloquence. He wasn't questioning it at the moment, just enjoying it. Nate's fingers trailed lightly over Ace's shoulder, and then he answered the second question. "I drew broken and mangled peacock feathers, and then a bite wound..." He continued to describe what he'd drawn, even as his fingers drifted to the marks and traced them. Each mark was explained and traced, so that Ace would know what was where.

The older boy couldn't help but admire the marks on the light tan skin. It was a beautiful sense of peace and contentment that Ace gave him by surrendering to the drawing that Nate felt compelled to do. "Do you know how hard its going to be to not draw on you now? It's going to be about impossible. Such a willing canvas is hard to find, at least, not without a price to pay. What's your price, Ace? There must be something you want from me. Ellen wants protection, Aubrey wanted blood, what do you want?" Nate had never had experience with someone that didn't want something in return for allowing him to draw on them. His brothers always wanted money or toys or for him to get them out of trouble with the parents. Everyone wanted something, and Nate was sure that Ace was no exception.

"Are you comfortable enough to roll over? I need more canvas." Nate gave Ace a shy, embarrassed, and yet pleading smile. Getting Ace to roll over would be awesome, because he'd have more canvas, but that also meant that he would have earned the trust of his friend. He found he wanted that trust, wanted that deeper friendship that it would imply. He wasn't sure why, but it didn't really seem to matter. He wanted it, and he was going to do what it took to get it. He'd already decided that Ace was special, and he'd do what it took to keep the other boy in his life and give him the position of 'best friend.' Perhaps men weren't supposed to have best friends, but Nate didn't see why not. After all, everyone needed someone to confide in, someone they could trust with their deepest secrets and innermost thoughts. Nate was really sure that Ace could fill that position with exceptional acuity.

Nate stared at Ace, wanting to ask, but afraid to sound like a complete ponce. So, instead, he stayed quiet, just staring at the other boy and wondering what was going on behind those beautiful melted chocolate eyes. Sure, it had taken Nate off guard to see Ace in a dress, but in the end, it wasn't a huge deal. People did odd things to make themselves more at home in their own skin. He drew on people's flesh, how was that any better than Ace wearing women's clothing? It wasn't, and he wasn't going to judge. It wasn't his place in any case. As long as Ace didn't start talking in a high pitched voice and get clingy, Nate was pretty sure he could handle anything the other boy threw at him.

The tension in the room thickened as Nate watched Ace, and a sudden urge to kiss the Asian came over him. The pink lips teased him, and it took him a long moment to shake off the urge and pay attention to what was happening rather than what he was fantasizing about doing.

Ace breathed a sigh once the marker and hands left that sensitive area of skin... it wasn't relief, though. He'd have been content to be touched more, but the results could be... awkward. Hell, the results were already starting to become slightly awkward. So maybe, considering the fact that they weren't a couple, it was a good thing. "Nothing," he told Nate. "Or, I shouldn't have to say it." He winked and continued, "This present is definitely happy to be given. It just doesn't like to have to go back to its dorm all frustrated, is all." He crossed his arms over his coat and lay his head down in them, tilted to the side to look at Nate. He had a ghost of a smile across his lips just looking into those eyes that he loved... might love. Something like that, something more than 'like.' Even if the other boy didn't return it, it didn't change anything. Ace cared for him, and when he was with him, he was happier than he'd been in a long time. He listened to Nate explain what he'd drawn, not making much comment other than contented sighs as fingers traced over his skin.

"I've already told you you can draw on me whenever you want," Ace said. He didn't know why Nate even mentioned it. An artist didn't go up to a piece of canvas stretched over a few boards and say, 'You know what? I think I'm going to have to paint you.' No. He just went up and painted.

The smile faded from Ace's lips for a moment as Nate told him about what the others had wanted. Blood for Aubrey, he understood that. He remembered the boy saying he had a blood fetish. He remembered that look Aubrey gave Kizzy in that group session, when the girl was... when her aunt Flo was visiting her. But... protection? Was that what that stupid girl wanted? Protection from what? It seemed to Ace more like she wanted something physical, by the way she hung onto him. And they hadn't even stopped her... Ace just couldn't get past that fact. If it were him clinging to Nate's arm, he was pretty sure he'd be kicked out a window or something. Or maybe not. Maybe he would just have been good and stopped hanging when told. Not that he'd hang on someone in public anyway. That was just trashy.

But what did he want? He thought about it, and found that he only had to think for just a moment. "I want... I'm sorry. I'm... not really sure.." A lie, of course. He knew what he wanted-- a kiss. Even if it was only one. Maybe Nate would be all right with just one. He only wanted to know what those gorgeous, full lips felt like... tasted like. Of course, he was probably just shooting himself in the foot here. And that was probably also the reason he chickened out of telling him.

"Yeah," he said, and he rolled over onto his back, everything now bared. He felt a bit silly, but he knew that Nate wasn't going to make fun of him or anything. Not after all this, all he'd gone through, sneaking around and whatnot so Nate could have five feet and two inches, back and front, to draw on. And he didn't know why he liked being drawn on, but he did. He had the first time, this time, and every time in between. He just couldn't figure out if it was the act, or if it was the person.

"Nate?" Ace said finally, not able to stand it anymore. Because what if he was fine with it? "I figured out what I want. I... could I just have a kiss? Just one? That's all. I mean, because this is a present... you don't have to pay me back for it. But if you feel like you want to, then that's what I want." He smiled, reaching over to stroke the other boy's hair, but after two flicks of his fingers, he pulled his hand back away. "Sorry." That was probably too far.

Nate didn't bother to comment on the statement about frustration. He knew that feeling all to well, especially since he had met Josie. Frustration was one of the things that Nate simply assumed that you learned to live with in a place like here. They didn't let you do what you wanted, go where you wanted, or even think what you wanted. Not that they could really regulate what the residents thought, but it felt like it sometimes. The group therapies he'd been to hadn't convinced him that they weren't trying to change the resident's thinking. He knew that his thinking wasn't going to change, and he wondered why the staff felt that they could change anything about the residents anyway. Most of them didn't want to be there, and were pretty resistant to what was going on here.

"I know that Ace, but we'll both get in trouble if we get caught. It's hard to know that I can't just pull you aside in class and start scribbling." There was a sad and wistful note in his voice, and his fingers trailed down Ace's arm before removing from him completely. The break was almost painful, as if he were missing something now that he wasn't touching Ace. A frown briefly appeared on his face, and then his hand crept back out, and lightly rested against the Asian's skin. That was better.

That surprised Nate. He'd expected Ace to have his price ready. Everyone had a price. It stopped the brunette for a long moment, and he just stared at the other boy for a long, silent moment. He could feel Ace's soft skin beneath the whorls of his fingertips, and it was soothing, although he wasn't sure why. There were a lot of things that Ace did to him, and he wasn't sure why. It was a big mystery, but Nate was rather interested in knowing what it was, and if it could be parlayed into something that would help both of them get out of here sooner. Right now, all he was sure of, was that something about Ace calmed him, and yet, excited him. It was an interesting juxtaposition of feeling, and he liked it.

When Ace rolled over, and the new canvas stretched out before him, Nate raised up on his elbow. Brown eyes glittered with excitement, and he changed to a sitting position, shifting a bit to accommodate his cheeks on the uncomfortable feed sacks. Ace wasn't in an embarrassing position, so that was of the good. The older boy couldn't stop himself and he watched in a sort of trance as his hand came down on Ace's collarbone, and slid over the smooth, warm flesh, feeling the bones and muscles beneath, the slight calluses on the pads of his thumbs creating a slight scratchy feeling. Unbeknownst to him, a pink tongue slid out and over the lower lip, just before even white teeth bit into the flesh.

He began to draw, watching the fluid flow onto the tan skin and dry into bloody and gory designs that his mind saw. His non-drawing hand held several other colors, and his eyes were intent on the job that his hands were doing. Other designs began to take shape, two rather crudely drawn stick figures intertwined, another stick figure drawing, yet another with a badly drawn horse. Nate's hands were shaking with the new pictures and what they said about his thoughts, he looked over at Ace, and then took another color, changing the revealing pictures into wounds and other things. The only one that was left was the man and horse, since that was Ace by himself anyway.

Just as he finished covering up his handiwork, his name was spoken, and scared eyes looked over to Ace. The breath he was unaware he was holding whooshed out of him and the lower jaw dropped to collect a few flies as he stared at Ace in disbelief. The fingers in his hair felt amazing, and it was really tempting. So tempting that Nate was leaning forward to given in almost before he realized what he was doing, and stopped himself a breath before their lips touched. It almost killed him, he wanted to kiss the other boy, but once he did, there would be no going back, and he wasn't ready for that yet. He backed up, stroking Ace's cheek and looking into those brown soulful orbs and spoke softly.

"That's a price I can't pay, my precious canvas, I'm sorry."

"Well..." the smaller boy said, licking his lips as he tried to think up something to say. There was nothing to say to that, though. He knew well that if Nate pulled him aside and started doodling on his skin, he'd probably have his ass handed to him in a cup. So he sighed, defeated. It hadn't been, well, that, that he'd meant. What he meant with those words was that he would always be there for Nate, no matter what he needed. But he didn't want to just come straight out with that for fear of it sounding super awkward.

When he rolled over, he hoped that Nate wouldn't notice that a few moments ago, thanks to Nate touching his buttocks, Ace had a slight bit of a problem. It was mostly gone away by now, though, and thankfully, Nate didn't seem to notice. If he had, Ace was sure to be lying alone in the deserted area of the stables, probably gathering his clothes, maybe wiping his eyes on the backs of his hands. That wasn't the case. He breathed a small sigh of relief and closed his eyes, letting relaxation take hold of his body and part of his mind. There was a part that wouldn't relax, but he supposed that until he knew exactly how things stood, he never would, not fully.

Opening his eyes for a moment, as the other boy's fingers trailing along his collarbone, Ace saw Nate's tongue come out and along those lips he wanted to taste so badly. Ace took in a rattling breath, just watching, not sure how much longer he could keep his composure. God, why did he have to be gay? Because right now, that was only complicating things horribly. There were no words for how much he just wanted those other hands to come up, to pin his wrists down, or...

Damn it.

In desperation, Ace closed his eyes again and tried to push the fantasies out of his mind, lest his problem come back tenfold. He tried thinking of bean sprouts, which he hated, but not strongly enough to contradict how much he adored Nate. They're stupid anyway. Seriously, Ace? Bean sprouts? That's not gonna... Ugh... Um... Oh. Hail Mary, Full of -- GOD this is Ellen's fault, isn't it? She's got him tied around her nasty little finger... But then his thoughts quieted. He stopped trying to find something to distract himself with, because he was the one being drawn on. Not her. He was the one giving Nate what he'd said himself: the best gift ever. So he smirked and then opened his eyes and tilted his head so that he could see what Nate was drawing. More blood. More gore. Two people... Ace's cheeks flushed. Nate was going to kill him, but it was going to be a very pleasurable yet frustrating death.

And that was when Ace said the absolute stupidest thing that could have come out of his mouth then. He watched Nate's jaw drop, gaping, like a mortally offended carp, and Ace quickly withdrew his fingers from the other boy's hair. Ace knew what Nate was going to say. No. And he did. Probably because he'd already kissed Ellen. His brows knit in anger for a moment, not so much at the denial of his ... price, but more at the anger he'd fed into his own head.

"That's okay," Ace said quickly, replacing the look on his face with the one of serenity he'd been wearing moments ago. A bit of hurt still burned deep in his eyes, but that was normal. "Like I said. This is your present. I don't expect anything from you."

Not even a damn harmless kiss.

"Anyway, look... I've still got arms and legs that need doing, yeah?" He wiggled one arm, the front of which was still uncolored, to prove his point. "Just tell me when you're done. And yeah, that price, seriously, don't worry about it. I don't have one. I don't need one."

Because I actually know where I stand, at least, better than that girl and Aubrey seem to.

The world had long since melted away, leaving the two of them in this magical place. The air was heavy with the smell of horses and leather, as well as the rain that still continued to pound down outside. The brunette was far to wrapped up in his present, and the joy that it brought, to even consider that someone might come and check on the horses. Not that he would care at this point. This gift, and its giver, were worth any punishment. He could feel the bags of feed pushing uncomfortably into his knees, and he briefly wondered how Ace's body was doing, but he was arrested by Ace's words. The words that betrayed the other boy's hurt. Although, Nate hadn't needed the words to be aware of the hurt. It was far to clear on his face.

The hurt on Ace's face was like an arrow to Nate's heart. He didn't know why it affected him as it did, although a part of him suspected that it was because he was beginning to have feelings for the other boy. He wasn't sure how he felt about that fact, and at some point, he would sit and figure it all out, but right now, his main concern was the hurt deep in those deep brown eyes that spoke more clearly than the boy's words. There was no way that he could just let him keep thinking that he didn't care, that he didn't see what was between them.

Nate ignored Ace's arm waving around, and leaned back down, dropping the markers and moving a hand up to cup his face. The ink stained thumb rubbed against Ace's cheekbone, and then Nate leaned down further, barely brushing his lips against Ace's. A fraction of a second, there merest touch, and he wanted more. He'd known he would, which was why he hadn't wanted to do it in the first place. It was dangerous. Whatever was simmering between them was to powerful, to real, for them to indulge. It just couldn't happen. Ever. No matter how much they wanted to.

"That price wasn't to much to ask, Canvas, but it makes me want more than I'm allowed to have." Nate let the truth shine in his eyes as he continues to stare at Ace for a long moment, then diverted his gaze to Ace's arm, drawing the marker down it, adding more wounds and bruises on the clean skin. Slowly but surely, Ace's body was filled from collarbone down with the work of Nate's mind. By the time he'd finished, Nate wasn't even seeing the vision of Ace dying any longer, although he barely noticed, so entranced was he with the beauty of his artwork and the bits of canvas that peeked through. Ace rather reminded him of those Samoan men that were tattooed from head to toe.

He was beautiful, and Nate sat back, admiring his own work. "You are so beautiful." He wasn't aware he'd spoken aloud, or of the fact that his fingertips lingered on Ace's ankle. Ace's excitement, or lack of such, wasn't really noticed, as it was the only part of his skin besides his face that wasn't covered in marker ink. Nate had avoided that area on purpose, and he found his eyes skipping over the clean skin as well. He shifted slightly, breaking the contact with Ace and adjusted himself in the suddenly tight jeans.

He stood up, clearing his throat, and offered a hand to Ace. He wanted to study his artwork from all the angles as Ace was on his feet. And he was having second, third, and many more thoughts about granting the boy the price he'd asked for. He knew that the brief touch earlier wasn't going to be enough to satisfy either of them, and Ace had been so patient, and understanding, and this was such a perfect gift, that he deserved something really special in return.

If Ace took the hand, he would find himself pulled into a tight hug, Nate holding Ace plastered against his own body, his face buried in the neck of the Asian. After a long (not long enough) moment, Nate would pull back, cupping the other boy's face in his hands.

Of all the things Ace was expecting after Nate's answer to his question, soft ink-stained hands coming down to cup his face was definitely not one of them. He shut up, stopped trying to bury his feelings in empty words by saying them aloud in hopes that it would make them true, and he just stared. It was true that he didn't need to have a price, but it wasn't that he didn't want one. But besides, that made him sound like he was... whoring himself out. You give me this, and I'll give you that, and Ace's 'that' involved nudity... The thought weirded him out, at least until he felt a gentle brush of lips over his. It was short, but it was enough to make him smile, to make happy tears form at the corners of his eyes. It wasn't a kiss, per say, so Nate hadn't given him something he couldn't, but he'd satisfied Ace nonetheless. "Thank you," Ace said softly. "That was nice."

More than he was allowed to have... no. If he'd asked, Ace would give him anything and everything that was his to give. All he had to do was ask, and Ace figured Nate knew that by now. But if not... "Nate... when it comes to me, you're allowed anything. Everything. At least, by me. Dunno about the staff. They might not like kissing, let alone anything more." When he stopped talking, or when his lips stopped moving rather, he found they felt lonely.

Finally Nate started on Ace's arm. A soft giggle came to his lips as he realized something: he would, when he put the pinup dress back on, probably look like a Suicide Girl, all tatted up head to toe. Of course, there were much worse things to look like. Nate seemed to like it, at least. Ace just watched him draw for a while, watching him color in the scars in a similar way that he usually did. Each time, he got better, and they looked more and more like they had when they were fresh. Biting his lip, Ace looked away, fixing his eyes on the high window of the stables. It was getting dark early, as it always did in the winter. But there was no way it was time to go in yet, so he didn't intend to. Not yet.

"You're not so bad yourself," Ace smirked, winking at Nate, not realizing that Nate didn't even know he'd said anything. He then took the offered hand and pulled himself up. It had been all right lying down, but now that he was standing there in naught but his skin, he felt a bit awkward. So, he distracted himself by turning this way and that, craning his neck to try to see as much of the art as possible. "You know, maybe one day I'll get a tattoo. I'll have you draw it."

Before he could even stop to take a breath, or look at many of the designs, he was pulled into a tight embrace, and felt Nate's face in the crook of his neck. Smiling yet again, Ace wrapped his arms around the other, grazing his nails gently up and down over his back. This was nice, almost as nice as the kiss that they never had. Better than the one they almost did. Just being this close to him was doing potentially embarrassing things. When they pulled apart and his face was once again cupped, he placed his hands over Nate's, folding his fingers into the grooves between the other's. "This was nice," he said. "Happy birthday, Nate. You deserved something amazing." He felt like he wanted to say other things, but couldn't figure out what, so he stayed silent, content to just be touched.

"So do you." The words were quiet, heartfelt, and Nate simply couldn't resist what was right in front of his face. Dark lashes sank onto flushed cheeks and tentatively, he leaned in, touching lips to lips, and falling headlong into the kiss the bloomed between the two of them. He had told himself he wasn't going to do this, wasn't going to take things this far, but once he'd began the kiss, he couldn't seem to stop it. The kiss went deeper, beyond any sense of chastity, and their lips clung when it finally broke to allow them some air. Slowly, Nate's lids lifted, and he stared at the beautiful face in front of his.

He forced himself to drop his hands, the ink-stained digits twining with Ace's as he led the boy out of their room and over to where a hose was rolled up. He didn't want to wash away the work of the past hour, but there was simply no other choice. If he left them, they'd definitely be in trouble. They'd been lucky so far, and he would extend that for as long as possible. With a regretful sigh, he disentangled himself from Ace, and picked up the hose, turning the spigot to allow the water to flow.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want us to get in trouble. It's gonna be cold. Again, sorry." Nate made a small face, then positioned his thumb over the opening, turning the thick stream of cold water into more of a spray, and then began to direct the water at Ace's feet and ankles. He almost cried as the fresher ink began to wash away, but he knew it was for the best, regardless of how much it killed him to do it. He played the streams of water over the Asian's body, washing away his work slowly, his lip caught in his teeth the whole time.

When it was done, he found a towel and handed it to the dripping boy. He wanted to say more, but wasn't sure what words would be sufficient. He'd already thanked him, so that wouldn't work. Instead of speaking, he just watched Ace, heat flaring in the dark depths of his eyes.

"I'd....better go." He finally said, regret coloring his tone. He wanted to spend more time here, with Ace, but as the haze from the drawing and joy faded, he could hear that the rain had slackened, and if they didn't want to get caught, they needed to get a move on. "Thank you, Ace."

Nate turned on his heel, and walked back towards the main doors. He grabbed the rain gear he'd taken off what seemed like ages ago, and then exited. The calm he felt was amazing, nothing had ever provided this before, and he instinctively knew that nothing else would ever match this. He knew that he was going to have to figure out what he felt for Ace, and then decide what to do about it, if that decision was really even in his hands anymore. As the boy trudged over the now swampy ground towards the barn, he had a smile on his face, something that hadn't been there since he'd arrived. This had been a very good day.

What? Ace was about to say, a bit slow on the uptake, when he felt the touch of Nate's lips on his. I thought you said you couldn't... But complain, he didn't. Wouldn't. It was apparent in the kiss that the other boy had wanted to do it, after all, and the way Ace saw it, it was probably better that he was acting on his feelings. It could perhaps have been a bit selfish, but the kiss itself wasn't, as he poured everything into it. Reaching up, he cupped Nate's cheek with his hand, and the other arm he wrapped around the other boy's waist to pull him closer. This was just... it was better than anything he could have imagined. He didn't know if it was possible to love someone at his age, but he wanted it to be. Right now, maybe not. Maybe at that moment it could just be the kiss, the blossom, hopefully, of something bigger and much more beautiful.

He didn't want to let go when it was over, but he felt his arm being nudged off the other's waist, then hands intertwining with his. What he wanted to do was to leap out in front of Nate and go for a second kiss -- that first one had felt so good -- but something held him back, and Ace allowed himself to be led out of the room, though in the back of his mind, he panicked a little. Staff could have been out there, and while they might have been fairly safe in their little feed room, outside it... anyone could show up. But after a few moments, they didn't.

And then Nate picked up the hose.

"Oh, fuck no... Are you kidding me?" Ace's left eyebrow rose and his mouth hung just a little bit open. But, Nate was right. They had to clean off the evidence, or else Nate was going to have his hands bandaged up, or maybe after this, chopped off, who knew? Well. Not really. But something worse than bandaging, for sure. Maybe he'd end up all drooling and loopy like Ace saw some people after it had been rumored that they'd done something bad. "Oh... all right." He braced himself mentally for the cold. "Whenever you're ready."

The water was ... fucking freezing. As he'd thought. But to quicken it, he rubbed at his skin, watching a rainbow of color glide down his skin to mix to a murky brown at his feet. Not all of it came off, but if he kept a jacket on, and wore the jeans he'd brought for backup for this very reason, he'd be fine. Some soap would probably take care of the rest in one go.

He took the offered towel gratefully and quickly rubbed himself dry, and then wrapped it around his waist. His hair was still wet, just a little, and he hoped he wouldn't end up with icicles hanging off the ends. Wouldn't that suck.

"Oh..." Ace sighed. "Right, extra chores... well, when those are over, maybe we'll end up finding a good place to do this again. It was fun." He smiled a little, but felt bad that it had to end. He'd known it would have to, but if Nate didn't get in trouble for drawing, he would for going missing for his chores. Hopefully they'd have to be fine with Nate making some excuse about getting caught in the rain, or whatever he had in mind to tell them.

"You're welcome," he said. "I'm glad you had fun. I know I did." His smile broadened a bit. "Take care, 'til next time, all right?"

After Nate was gone, Ace, still smiling, still feeling the ghost of the kiss on his lips, and he dressed quickly in his other outfit, jeans, a tee shirt, and a light jacket. He packed the markers and the dress away in his bag, and put on his coat before taking one last look at the feed bags. The room hadn't been the most romantic, or hell, even the most clean place to do it, but... Nate was happy. So Ace was content.