Archive of Our Own

Ace won't admit it to anyone, but most of the time lately he's utterly terrified. Like, he'll be standing around at practice, waiting for Coach to start the next drill, and all the sudden his heart will be pounding, and his hands shaking, and he won't be able to catch his breath because he's thinking about THINGS.
Shay knocks on his shoulder pad. "Little winded there dude?" and Ace just nods, because how can he say it's not the drills, it's every other fucking thing in his mother fucking life?
Which, on the surface, is actually ok-ish. Max has their kid completely handled (and Ace may freak out a little sometimes but as...*unusual* as Max's parenting methods tend to be, they are...effective. Sebastian is happy, and healthy, and Ace loves him so much he aches with it sometimes). No one except their inner circle has figured out about him and Max yet (which, expanded though it may be by four more - Topher, Katie, Sarah, and Blair - somehow nine people have managed to keep a secret better than two did). His parents bought him a 1988 Bronco over the summer, so he can finally get around without relying on his bitchy sister or the Benjamins, and his mom has started skipping church about every other Sunday (meaning the rest of them don't have to go either thank fucking *god*). Classes are easy, he made the varsity football team this year, and he's taking drama class this semsester, which is actually really fun, weirdly enough.
But, that's the thing. Everything's fucking fine and it's making him so, so nervous. Max said something like that a few weeks ago and at the time Ace told him not to worry so much and Max seems to be not worrying at all now but now Ace *is*.
Because - Fuck. This year is fine but Max (along with Geo and 'Rique) is a senior this year which means next year he'll be *gone* and.
So. Ace is fucking terrified.
Max has it all figured out he says. He's talked to both Ace's dad and his own, and because when it comes down to the super important stuff their dads are in charge ("Yay patriarchy" Max had deadpanned, whatever that means), Ace will move into Max's room when Max goes to college, and Dotty will help Ace look after Sebastian (ugh. But Ace will take what he can get). He figures their moms won't complain because it'll put Blair in proximity to him, and Ace isn't about to tell them the chances of that ship sailing are nil to nada.
It's not even the thought of taking care of Sebastian himself that has Ace so terrified. He's gotten better at that. Blue's not as tiny as he was in July, and even the bigger things, like tummy aches and colds, aren't quite as intimidating as they were at first (ok. The cold had Ace freaking the fuck out. But. They got through it).
Not seeing Max every day - Ace doesn't know if he can get through nine months of that. It makes his stomach churn just thinking about it.
And that's just next year. What about what comes after? Because after he graduates, he's on his own when it comes to Sebastian. His parents will pay for college, tuition and dorm space, but he can't have a baby in a dorm room and his older sisters were both expected to pay their own rent if they moved out of student housing. And what if Max doesn't want to stay together? He knows he can *probably* handle things as long as he has Max, but - what if he doesn't? What if Max finds someone else next year, some, some *girl* or even another guy and what if -
He shoves his shoulder pads in his locker but leaves everything else on - no one really uses the showers unless they have to - and waits in the parking lot while Blair finishes soccer practice, which is probably half the reason most people think they're back together. Neither Blair nor Ace are about to correct them. It's a convenient assumption.
Directly after school every day Max picks Sebastian up from either daycare or Dotty (because Sebastian *still* doesn't like Dotty very much, although he tolerates her. Dotty watches him on the days she doesn't have meetings or - well, basically Dotty watches the baby when she feels like it and he goes to daycare when she doesn't). Then, Baby in tow, Max works at his dad's office, from three till five or six, depending. Meanwhile, Ace brings Blair back to the Benjamin's house after practice, where they take turns showering, and then start on their homework. When Max gets home with the baby, Ace eats with the Benjamins, and then goes home around nine or nine-thirty. If Dotty's home they hang out in the den after dinner. If she's at a meeting (because as far as Ace can tell she's on about a hundred committees and boards for this charity or that organization) they just lock themselves in Max's room because no one else cares - not even Bo anymore, the little shitbag.
And thank god Dotty's such a busy fucking bee, because Ace *needs* Max's hands on him, needs the warmth of his mouth, and his solid weight pinning Ace down.
"Jans," Max is panting into his mouth, his hands warm up Ace's shirt and Ace has his hands in Max's hair and Max is rubbing hard against him and then manages to get both their flies undone and -
Of course, it's not perfect, the nights Dotty is gone. Sometimes the baby cries. Actually, usually the baby cries. Right at the worst moment. Sebastian is the biggest cock block Ace has ever met.
"Fuck." Max rolls off him and sits up, running a hand through already tousled hair, and Ace sort of rolls off the bed onto his knees, crawls on all fours to the blanket across the room where Blue was lying peacefully on his tummy - *was* - and is now wailing morosely, sobs muffled by the way he's got his little face pushed into the blanket for some reason.
Tank is sniffing at Baby's head anxiously, looking back and forth between it and Max, waiting for her person to do something to fix this obviously tragic situation. Her whining is almost in harmony with Sebastian's cries.
"Fuck," Max says again as Ace picks Sebastian up and tries to figure out what's wrong. Diaper smells ok. Nothing should probably hurt except - maybe his mouth? Is he teething already? Ace read on the internet sometimes babies can teethe this early. But he's already quieted to sporradic whimpers - apparently he was just lonely.
"Fuck what?"
"*This* close Janny. *This* fucking close." Max squints at his thumb and pointer fingers, which he's holding about a half an inch apart. "I swear to christ we haven't managed to get each other off in -"
"Eleven days."
"Seriously? You're counting now? You mark it on your calander or something every night?" Max is smirking at him, the asshole.
"Oh go fuck yourself Benjy." Ace throws a stuffed panda and manages to beam Max directly on the nose.
"You know?" Max tilts his head thoughtfully, batting the panda back onto the floor. "I think I'm gonna." He reaches into his boxers and grabs his dick, thumb swiping at the pre-come at his slit, leaning back into the pillows and -
"Jesus fuck Benjy." Ace glances down at Sebastian, who is sucking happily on a pacifier now, waving around a rattly ring-shaped...thing, and lays him on his back on the blanket. Ace whimpers a moment, looking back and forth between the baby and Max and - "Fuck it." Baby is fucking fine.
He clambers back up onto the bed and grabs Max's hand - the one on his dick, lacing the fingers through his own as he slides his mouth down Max's length.
Max makes a sort of choked-off sound - fucking hot, really, the noises Max makes when he's trying to be quiet, which they have to be *all* *the* *time* goddammit - and Max is sort of bitter and salty all at once on his tongue. They used to do this a lot more but Max is sort of - he doesn't really like to do too much in front of the baby (the one time he *isn't* the weirdest parent ever) and Ace gets that but. Sebastian's like, four months old - he's *not* gonna remember any of this.
"Jans," Max is whining softly, and he's got his other hand in Ace's hair and Ace can tell he's so, so close, because he's sort of rutting mindlessly into Ace's mouth which he only does when he's right about to lose it - Ace is about to tighten his fingers around Max, see if he can make him last a little longer just because he can when headlights flash in Max's window. Fuck. Luckily Max has his eyes shut tight, or he'd probably go fucking limp right now, like Ace has, because that's Dotty coming home early. The garage is right next to Max's bedroom window. So he does this thing with his tongue that usually - yeah. There it is. His mouth is suddenly full of come and he winces as Max yanks extra hard on his hair. Ace squeezes Max's hand once gently and sits up, wipes at his mouth, swallows again at the aftertaste.
Max pulls him down by his t-shirt for a kiss, and Ace lets himself relax into it breifly before the car door slams and Max jumps about a mile.
"The fuck?!"
"Yeah, your mom's home."
Ace doesn't know how he's still suprised at how inventive Max can be when he curses.
*
The thing is, Ace has been so worried about next year, and the year after that, and so on and on -
The thing is, Ace forgot to worry about this year.
He's sort of lulled into complacency by the way everything goes so smoothly for so long. For over four months, since around August, they've been able to relax into a pleasant routine, school days always the same, and weekends pretty close. They switch it up sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays - go to a movie or go bowling or something, but most often they're at Shay's all day. The girls (except Blair, who still refuses) will watch the baby in Shay's room when everyone else is smoking out in the garage, and they watch movies, or play basketball in Shay's driveway, play video games, or just bullshit. Shay and Blair are actually pretty close lately, which is weird. Max was afraid at first Blair was like, hitting on him or something, trying to rid herself of her lesbianness or whatever, but it appears they've just...hit it off? Ace guesses Shay is relieved to be hanging out with a girl who's not hitting on him, and Shay is actaully really fucking smart, and pretty bull-shit free, which must be the allure for Blair.
On Sundays someone is usually scrambling to finish homework, and someone else usually helps out - they're all in general pretty good students. Just because they're stoners doesn't mean they're slackers.
When there's a home game, there's usually a dance afterwards if it's on a Friday, and unlike previous years, Max goes to all of them, at least for a little while. Kennedy Chester graduated last year, but there's always another girl. Ace isn't sure, because he doesn't really want to know, but he thinks it rotates between the same three or four, not including Katie, who he still fucks pretty often - and apparently Topher has known about that all along and is *fine* with it. Topher thinks it's fine, thinks it's "awesome, man" and that just blows Ace's mind because - well.
Geo, on the other hand, is not cool with Sarah fucking Max, so she doesn't, and Max is fine with *that*. (So is Ace.)
For *months* everything is fine, and then December. Of course it's fucking December. It was December when everything first started going to shit last year too.
His mom's throwing a Christmas party - it's a Saturday night about a week before Christmas and the Benjamins are all invited but oops, they *miraculously* have to be down in Portland all day for an early extended-family Christmas celebration and won't be home till later (and Ace bets all the Christmas money he'll get Jeb had something to do with that. Ace can tell he's getting pretty tired of every Janczewski but Ace). Ace is sort of missing his little dude because Sebastian went down with them, and he's *definitely* missing Max. This is the sort of event Ace loves if he's got Max by his side, because Max's whispered play-by-plays, snide remarks about the guests, and lewd musings about their private lives are so hilarious Ace always has a hard time keeping his laughs to a socially acceptable level - he usually has a stomach ache by the end of the night from trying to keep them in. Without Max, he's bored stiff, even with the white wine he's been sneaking in cups his mom put out for coffee and cider.
He's startled when someone actually sits down next to him - like, *close* - on the couch, jumps half out of his skin before he realizes it's Noel Carter with a paper cup of his own and a plate of cheese cubes and crackers. Of course Noel's here - their dads are friends - or colleagues, at least.
"Fucking-A, Carter."
"'Sup Janczewski?"
Ace flops back against the couch, groans. "All the alcohol in the world couldn't make this bullshit bearable and I forgot to get my weed from Max, who is not even in this state at the moment, so." He shrugs. "You? College ok?" He knows Noel is down at the University of Oregon, because Topher talks about him all the time. He wonders if Topher's here, and if he has any weed.
"Mmmph," Noel agrees around a mouthfull of cheese cube, swallows. "It's ok-ish. Eugene's really chill - like, full of fucking hippies." He winks at Ace. "So if it's weed you need..."
"Oh my fucking god I could *kiss* you Noel Carter. *Thank* you."
Noel's grin is slow and easy, and he takes a gulp from his cup (Ace is pretty sure Noel's is full of wine too - red, by the way his lips are tinted slightly. Ace is also pretty sure a mouth like that should be illegal). "All right," he says, standing up. "Where can we go?"
"My room. I have a system in place. Just let me get some food."
"Yeah." Noel looks down at his own plate. "If we're gonna do this I need some fucking cookies too."
It's not ideal, like at Shay's, where they can just relax and do whatever, but his system is pretty fool proof - he's never been caught. Ace locks the door and stuffs a line of dirty laundry across the crack under it, turns on his fan (which he keeps in his room year-round because the noise helps him sleep and he runs hot anyway), opens the window, and digs in his bottom drawer for a paper towel tube and a box of scented dryer sheets. He stuffs the tube full of loosely-wadded sheets while Noel packs his pipe, and they take turns hitting the pipe and blowing the smoke out the window through the tube.
They've cashed two bowls and Ace is pleasantly buzzing finally, tension seeping away. He flops down on his bed, spread eagle, turning his head to the side so he can grin (goofily) at Noel, who's still over by the window, hip propped against the ledge. It's nice that he doesn't hate Noel anymore, Ace thinks, now that Max isn't fucking around with him, and since Noel helped him out last year. They even hung out a couple times over the summer. Noel fucking Carter is actually a pretty cool guy.
"God, you're fucking adorable, you know that right?" Noel says, pushing away from the window, and in two steps he's leaning over Ace, hands planted on either side of him, looking down.
Later Ace will understand this is what Max meant, back after they first kissed over a year ago, when he said something about how in the moment he never *thinks*, that it's only afterwards he realizes "oops." Right now, there's not another thought in Ace's head about anything but Noel's wine-stained mouth as he licks his lips, hovering over Ace.
"Yeah?" Ace breathes. Those lips are practically hypnotic.
"Can I?" Noel murmurs, and Ace nods, and *fuck* Noel Carter is an amazing kisser (probably thanks to Max, Ace will, again, figure out later). After the first slow, heated kisses they're suddenly all over each other, Noel flips them around so Ace is on top of him and Ace can hardly tell where he ends and Noel begins, and it's probably because of the wine they're so gone on each other, out of their heads (later, later, Ace will think this *later* when he should be thinking about it right fucking *now*) and Noel's hands are fucking hot - bigger than Max's and it's weird actually being on top of someone -
"So. Goddamn. Pretty," Noel is murmuring between the line of kisses he's pressing down Ace's throat and Ace is choking back moans, "Look at you Ace."
"I can't," he says sort of incoherently. "You are right now."
And Noel *giggles* so Ace kisses him again, hard, because Noel is pretty adorable too.
"Can I blow you?" Noel asks, and - well, ok. Actually, *fuck* yeah.
And Ace *did* lock his door. He locked it as soon as he shut it behind them, right before he blocked the crack. But the Janczewski kids figured out a long time ago, if you jiggle the handle just the right way, the push-button locks won't stick. Cassie has this down to an art, just two quick shakes and a twist and she can have a door open. And she catches an eyeful - Ace propped back against his pillows with Noel fucking Carter's head between his legs.
She grins at him, and it's evil. Like, full on Maleficent. Like Cruella Deville at her evilest.
Ace pushes Noel back off his dick with one hand and pulls up his boxers with the other, and Noel is looking at Cassie and sort of choking, his hand over his (very red now) mouth.
"I fucking knew it. I knew you were the fag and not Max but no one would believe me. Hah." She turns away and flounces down the hall - probably continues flouncing right down the stairs to their mom.
"Fuck." Ace buttons his khakis and looks helplessly at Noel, who's gone white. Without a word he just stands in front of Ace's mirror, straightens out his clothes, and leaves, shutting the door gently behind him.
"Fuck." Flopping back against his pillows, Ace just stares at his ceiling, waiting for the fallout.
*
At first it seems both worse and not as bad as Ace expected. At least they're...civil about it. His mom waits till the guests all leave, but after over an hour of back and forth between Ace and his parents, with tears and nearly raised voices, she still wants him out of the house like, now. So Ace goes to pack a bag and his mom tries to stop him -
"Sharon," his dad interrupts and Ace relaxes for just a moment until, "let him take his things."
"If he thinks for a second he's taking that truck -"
"Let him take the truck Sharon. What's he going to do, walk five miles to town in the dark?"
"One of his...homosexual friends can pick him up."
And Ace practically chokes, because what do they think, that there's somehow some posse of gays in Aberdeen Ace hangs out with all the time? He's the only one he knows besides Noel, and it's not like *he's* about to do Ace any favors right now. Jesus.
"John," she shrills, "that child isn't getting one damn thing from us after what he -"
"Sharon," his dad says again, quietly but firmly. She breathes hard out her nose and turns away. A moment later Ace can hear the door to their room shut - not slammed, exactly, because his mom is an *adult* (hah), but loudly enough to make a statement.
His dad just shakes his head and sits on the edge of Ace's bed, checkboook in hand. After a moment he hands Ace a check for $5,000. "That's the best I can do." He shakes his head. "No. That's more than I *want* to do, honestly. What were you thinking, son?"
Ace shuts his eyes and swallows hard. "I..." No. He was wrong. This is the worst thing he can imagine. He thought at first they might cool down - kick him out for a few nights then come to their senses - but that's not what this is. Not at all, not even a little bit.
"The Bronco's in your name, just make sure to get some insurance on it in January." His dad looks down at the check hanging limply between Ace's finger tips. "Don't spend it all in one place, that's the last you'll see from us."
*
It's just past midnight when he lets himself into the Benjamin house through the back door with the key Max gave him back a few months ago, when he started being here so often because of Sebastian, and makes his way quietly to Max's room. Max's room which is *right* there - the mudroom has doors to both the kitchen and Max's room, which Jeb just stuck onto the house right next to the kitchen. Ace still doesn't understand the logic - they had to know they were giving a teenager free reign come and go without anyone being wiser any time of the night, but it makes it easier for him, anyway. Max jumps, looking up wide-eyed when Ace quietly opens the door. The room is lit softly by only Max's bedside lamp, and he's got a book in one hand with Tank lounged across his lap.
"What the hell Janny?"
Ace just stands there - god his boy is beautiful - and.
"Janny, Jans. Jans darling, what's the matter? You're shaking." Max's hands are cupping his face, running through his hair - "Come on. Breathe. Fuck Jans."
God, this scenario is so familiar.
And Ace is breathing now, clutched in Max's arms, but it's coming out in gasps and sobs.
"Oh my god Aaron. Fuck. Are you hurt?"
Ace can only shake his head no into Max's neck, trying to quiet himself so he doesn't wake Baby. Max guides him to the bed and they fall in a heap, and Max arranges them so Ace is curled up next to him with is head in Max's lap. Tank is nudging Ace's cheekbone with her cold nose, and he takes a shuddering breath. "Why is it always fucking December I end up bawling all over you?" He keeps his voice so it's barely more than a loud whisper, hopes he doesn't wake Blue Baby.
"Well. It's only the second time," Max says philosophically, just as quietly. "There's always next year."
Ace rolls a bit so he can glare up at Max's face, and Max leans down and kisses the tear tracks on his cheeks, then wipes at them with the hem of his t-shirt. "What the hell happened?"
It comes tumbling out a bit haphazardly, till Max backs him up. "Whoa. Wait. Your parents were serious. In Anno Domini 1998 - almost 1999, which is the year we are to party like -" (and how stoned is Max right now? Ace sniffs the air - it does smell faintly of ganga - Max is never as careful as Ace) "- you have been irrevokably ousted from your home because you let a guy suck your dick? Also, fuck yeah Janny, get some. But seriously. Is this the stone ages? We're supposed to be more enlightened than that." He shakes his head. "I never thought...like," he's staring off into the corner of the room, licks his lips. "Like, I thought it would be like last time. Like, they'd send you away to some conversion camp, or refuse to let you see certain people. I didn't think they'd *actually* disown you for liking to kiss boys sometimes."
"Sometimes? Max, they kicked me out because I'm *gay*."
"They think you're gay?"
"Max. I *am* gay."
Max just blinks at him, and Ace sits up, arranging himself so they're face to face. "Benjy. How did you not know this?"
"Um. You never told me?"
And...huh. Really? "Huh. I guess it never came up?"
"That's ok." Max reaches over and ruffles Ace's hair. "I still love you just the way you are."
"Oh my *god* Benjy, really? How stoned are you right now?"
Max wrinkles his nose, thinking about it. "Probably about eleven. I smoked a shit ton right before you got here."
"Eleven? You're eleven stoned."
Max shoves Ace's shoulder, "You asshole." He clambers off the bed. "It's a *reference* - you know, like, 'turn it up to 11.'" He waits, but Ace's got nothing. "No? 'Spinal Tap'?"
Ace just shrugs, and Max grabs his baggie of weed from his dresser and throws it at Ace's head.
"I can't believe we've been best friends for over four years and you don't know 'Spinal Tap' - like, how?"
"You know I don't read."
Max just groans and collapses on the bed.
"Shhh!" Ace swats at his head.
(They don't actually smoke in the room with the baby. They're not *that* bad at dad-ing. They get baked as fuck outside, and sort of spin around a few times with their arms out to air out the weed smell. And because it's fun.)
*
Ace wakes to sunshine on his face and Baby Blue laying next to him on Max's bed, staring at him very seriously with big eyes. He thinks they'll probably end up green like Max and Blair have, which is nice. Ace loves Max's eyes. And how weird is it that he and his boy's baby can actually *look* like both of them? And they didn't even do it on purpose. He pulls Sebastian closer and kisses both cheeks, and Sebastian coos at him. "Hi Baby. Where's your Uncle Max?"
He hears Dotty's voice then from the kitchen - the wall just there isn't the thickest.
"Look. It's very sad the Janczewskis kicked Ace out, but he can't stay here."
Oh. Right.
Ace holds his son close and breathes in his baby smell - luckily he's been changed and at least probably rinsed off because he smells - just. Sometimes Sebastian just smells really good.
"Ma - where else is he going to go? He's practically family anyway."
"Honey, I *know* why they kicked him out. Sharon called me this morning, probably because she knew this is the first place Ace would go. That poor woman."
Ace squeezes his eyes shut tight, clenches his throat. Sebastian wriggles next to him, pats at his face.
"Are you *serious* right now Ma?! 'That poor woman.' *Really* - like. I. Mom. Mother. Are you - are you saying you would you kick me out if *I* told you I was gay?"
"I - what? No! Why would you even say that Maxfield Arthur?"
"What, say that I'm gay, or suggest you'd kick me out on my ass with nothing but a check and a truck and a 'please don't call,' huh?"
"Lord Max, are you saying you're gay too?"
Dotty's sounding a little hysterical there, yeah?
"Nah Ma. Bisexual."
Holy shit Max. Really? Jesus fuck, keep your fucking mouth shut.
"Max no honey. That means you're just...confused. You're very close to Ace, lord knows you've been attached at the hip for years and...you've just got your feelings mixed up." Nice one Dotty.
Max laughs. "I never said I did anything with *Aaron*."
Oh, and Ace can just *imagine* the look on his face, that dirty little shit.
Dotty gasps. "Maxfield Arthur!" Then - "Hu - who?"
"Dotty, leave the kid alone."
Oh, thank god for Jeb Benjamin. Please save the day Jeb. Ace relaxes just a fraction, adjusting Baby in his arms. He's starting to have to pee, dammit.
"Dad. Dad - I'm not being unreasonable am I, requesting the father of your grandchild be allowed to stay here?"
"I'm not *comfortable* with it Jeb. I'm not even sure I'm that comfortable with him being around *Sebastian* -"
Oh my god Dotty, really?
"Oh my god Dotty, *really*? Ace is that baby's *father* - and he's *gay*. That doesn't mean he's a pervert."
And can everyone say "gay" now with a bit more emphasis?
"Doesn't it?"
"What the *hell* Ma?!"
"Ok. With that attitude of yours Dotty I'm not sure I want the boy here either - *either* of the boys. *Any* of them."
"You can't be serious Jeb Benjamin. I just - I think it's a reasonable fear."
"Jesus fucking christ Ma. Here I was, saying to Aaron last night I can't *believe* how antiquated his parents are being and thinking to myself my own parents would be so much better, and here *you* are - I just. I can't - how do you not know better? It's almost 1999! We're supposed to be better than that! And how is that even logical, that because Aaron, or I, are sexually attracted to other males, how does it even *follow* that we would then be attracted to *children* - who comes up with that shit?! Let alone our *own* kid - "
Ace winces. When Max really gets going...
"Max. Kiddo. Don't curse at your mother."
"Sorry Ma."
Ace tenses back up at the silence that ensues. He can just picture Dotty's face, tight and unhappy, lips pursed, eyes shuttered. Then -
"Anyway. Those apartments you built a couple summers back Dad. They ok inside?"
Jesus Max, go right for the jugular why don't you?
"Max! You *can't*! You're just a baby yourself! You're 17. You can't."
"Actually Dotty, it's not like he's a *broke* teenager or anything."
"He - he can't access that money till he's 18. No."
"Oh, he can."
Actually, Ace is pretty sure Max *can't*, but he's content to sit back and see where Jeb is going with this. Well, sort of. He's hoping they'll get on with it sooner than later because now he more than sort of has to pee and Sebastian is making tiny little noises next to him, and squirming a little more than usual. Ace helps him sit up and hands him a toy.
"Jeb, why - how would you even - why would you *condone* something like that?"
"Because like Max said, Ace is family. If you don't want him here, he's got to be somewhere, and I'll be damned if he's there alone. Family doesn't let family float adrift like that."
Ace's eyes might be stinging a little bit.
The silence strings out a bit before Sebastian decides he's had enough and Ace can't keep him quiet anymore. Baby opens his mouth and just *wails*, and Max comes barreling into the room.
"I think he's hungry dude." Ace hands the baby over.
"Shit. You're awake. How much of that did you here?"
"Probably all of it. Enough. I gotta pee though. Talk later?"
Ace makes his escape. Yeah, not right now.
*
After showering and changing into some of Max's clothes, Ace just stays in Max's room, cuddling with Tank and flipping listlessly through old Spiderman comics. Max brings him an egg sandwich and Ace tries, but. After a while, Max disappears into another part of the house for a few hours (thankfully not the kitchen. Ace's grandmother used to say eavesdroppers never hear well of themselves and she fucking wasn't wrong, even if Ace wasn't listening on purpose).
A little while later, Ace realizes Jeb Benjamin is crouching next to the bed, trying to get his attention. "Hey kiddo. How you holding up there?"
Ace chuckles a little, and it's a dry sound. Like - fuck. He doesn't know. Blair is the poet.
"Listen. Do you want me to try to talk to your parents for you? Maybe see if -"
"Oh *please* no." A beat. "Sorry. I mean, just - no."
Ace doesn't - it's just - they *hurt* him. If he hadn't been so numb just then, Ace is sure it would've felt like a fucking knife to the gut when his dad just handed him that check and walked away. Acted like he was doing Ace a *favor*.
Jeb just nods. "Ok kiddo."
Even later, Max comes back, his eyes bright and he's grinning. "Janny Janny Janny. Jans!"
Ace can't help but laugh a little. "Benjy Benjy Benjy Bens! What is up dude?"
Blair's behind him, rolling her eyes, and - is she actually carrying Sebastian? What miracle hath the day wrought?
"I don't know why Ma's convinced herself you two are together or something. All your 'dudes' and 'mans' and constantly punching each other..."
"Because we love each other?" Max wraps his arms around Ace's neck and smacks a kiss to his temple. "He's the darlingest of darling boys and it should be clear to everyone Our Love is very Epic and Pure, shining like a - like."
Ace shoves him off and he lands on his ass on the floor. "Like the fire of a thousand flaming farts?"
Max cackles. "See? Do you see why I love him?"
"Oh my fucking god." Blair rolls her eyes so hard Ace is afraid for a moment they might get stuck like that.
"It's more enduring than flaming farts though," Max says thoughtfully from the ground. "I mean, those things last like, a split second."
"Oh my *god* just leave already if you're going." Blair adjusts Sebastian on her hip. "Blue and I will just. We'll. Um."
"Yeah, ok. Aaron, here's your coat. Where are your shoes?"
"Wait. What. No - we're just leaving our kid with Blair? Where the fuck are we going Benj?"
"It's a surprise. We'll only be gone like an hour or something."
"You better be," Blair says, settling Blue on the floor blanket with some rattly things and some chewy things.
"But, Blair...?" Ace whines. He is not at all sure about leaving his kid with - with *Blair*.
"Oh it'll be fine. C'mon girl."
Ace is almost offended for a moment before he realizes Max is talking to Tank. "Wanna go for a car ride?"
Less than ten minutes later they're standing in front of a generic, beige apartment building.
"Wait. What. What the hell Benjy?"
"Wait here a sec."
And Ace is just left there standing outside with Tank. "Ooooh kay." He adjusts his cap lower over his eyes, feeling awkward, till Tank nudges him with a stick, so he throws it for her.
Finally, Max is back, and tugging him by the hand up a set of stairs to the second floor. He opens the door - "Voila! Ours."
Ace can only stand there. "Max. Dude. It's -" he looks at his watch. "It's three in the afternoon. In like, five hours you convinced your parents to let you move out of your house and got us an apartment."
"Dad pulled some strings. And, while technically I can't access any of my settlement money till August, Dad can on my behalf."
Max shuts the door. Tank meandering around the empty living room, sniffing the light blue carpet around the walls and in the corners.
"Max. Dude. It's the 20th of December on a mother fucking Sunday and your dad pulled some strings and got us an apartment."
"You know Dad. He knows a lot of people."
Ace feels lightheaded, so he does the sensible thing, and sits. On the floor.
Max lowers himself onto Ace's lap, facing him, his brow a little furrowed. "Is this ok? I mean. Dad asked you, but he said you seemed pretty insistent about not reconciling with your parents. Is it too soon? Do you - do you not want to live with us?"
Ace just pulls Max in and kisses the hell out of him.
*
Later on, back at the Benjamin's (Dotty seems to have washed her hands of the whole situation, just pretending none of the other Benjamins exist, moving around even Blair tight lipped and silent) Ace and Max are cozily ensconsed in Max's bedroom for the night with a large sausage and mushroom pizza and a liter of Dr Pepper. Ace doesn't want to spoil the mood, but.
"Max. Benj. Listen a sec."
"Hmmm?" Max hums around a bite.
"I...did you really think about what you're getting into with this? With moving in with me?"
"What do you mean?" Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Max looks over at him, head tilted a little in that way he has.
"I mean, like - I have no idea how it went down, but knowing Cassie. Max - the house was full of people when she walked in on Noel and me. Knowing Cass she probably wasn't careful - like, she probably didn't *announce* it or anything, but she probably told my mom I was getting my dick sucked in front of people who could hear. I'm pretty sure people know now. Especially considering the people my mom would have at a party."
Max shrugs. "So?"
"So you said you didn't want to be out in high school. Stoner I may be, but I remember that part pretty clearly." Ace picks at a loose thread on his jeans - Max's jeans actually, Ace's bags are still in his Bronco. "You move in with me you're pretty much outing yourself right then and there."
Setting his plate aside (Tank has been exiled to the kitchen while there's pizza in the bedroom), Max wraps an arm around Ace's waist, rests his cheek on Ace's shoulder.
"Yeah, and I remember pretty clearly you were in agreement." He shrugs. "Shit happens Aaron. But there's..." Max pauses to count on his fingers, "like five months till graduation, or a little more, and then you and I are getting the hell out of this shit hole."
"Max. There's five months till *your* graduation."
"And I'm probably just going to school in Seattle, and there's no reason you can't go to high school in Seattle. Who the fuck is going to stop you?"
Well shit. Huh. Ace is -
The thing is, Ace has been terrified of the future, of what will happen when Max leaves, then suddenly this horrible thing happens when Ace is least expecting it, and as it turns out - as it turns out, it's the thing that means Max doesn't have to leave him at all. Max is just fucking taking Ace with him. He suddenly feels so light it's like his head is floating.
"Aaron? Jans? Janny?"
Ace shakes his head. "Nah. I'm ok Benj." He tackles Max back onto the pillows and plants a big greasy pizza kiss right on his mouth. "I am so ok it might be passing over into excellent. Fuck."
And Max just laughs back up at him.