We got it all right here

She listened, sat down, and groaned. It left a small smile on Ace’s lips. He was glad that she hadn’t been too stubborn. When she mentioned Hope again, he furrowed his brows for a moment. Why was it necessary to know about Hope? He believed she just needed to think about something else for a moment, which was why he sat down, interlocking his fingers between his legs. “She’s Ayahs sister,” he started out with a small sigh. Not that it was a problem, “It’s only recently that I figured that out,” he explained and leaned a little back. “We’re both quite stubborn and… Cowards,” he chuckled and shook his head. “We’re afraid of getting close. Confused, and hurt,” he said and licked his lips a little, looking over at Willow. “My father once almost killed her,” he explained, clenching his teeth a little. He let the words sink in for a moment before he shook his head with a sigh. “It’s all quite... Chaotic,” he said and looked at the table. Why did people want love? It only hurt. It put a target on peoples backs.

Willow nodded. That she knew at least, Ayah had spoken about her newfound sisters, and she had heard a little about Hope already, even though it wasn’t a whole lot. But that could also just be that, as Ayah had said, she never really shared anything.  
“You a coward when it comes to relationship?” she said with a mocking voice giving him a small smile to let him know she didn’t mean anything by it. But she knew that he hadn’t been with anyone, and that time when they had been close, he had been the one to pull away.
“Wait, what?” she said, getting up, turning on the couch so her arm was resting on the back pillows. “Your father almost killed her, and then what?” she raised a brow; whom did you go from that; it was hard getting close because they were both confused and hurt, to his father had almost killed her. “Sounds like you two could just use a day to sit down and figure out what you want from each other. Have you even committed to the relationship – like actually said to each other that you are together?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she watched his reaction.

He groaned a little as she commented on whether he was a coward or not. He knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but though most things didn’t bother him, it did bother him a little. He wished that he could relax a little more about relationships and not be so cautious.
Ace looked over at her as she moved around. “Well, I healed her of course?” he replied with slightly wild eyes, not understanding what she wanted from her question. “You know they’re only trouble. I don’t speak to them. I don’t want to be near them because whenever they get too close something like that happens,” he said. Even though it was well known to Willow, it was something that always weighed on his chest.
He inhaled for a while as she mentioned that they could use a day to figure out what they wanted from each other. Had they committed to the relationship? He furrowed his brows. “I-I’m fully committed,” he started. Ace wasn’t really the type to stutter. Not even when it was a new chemical substance for a patient. “I’ve told her I’m all hers and…” he licked his lips thoughtfully. Now that he sat here, and things were put on the table he got uncertain. “She has told me that she wouldn’t have slept with me unless she was sure that she wanted me,” the words tasted oddly. Wanting someone wasn’t the same as being committed to someone. It was a cold stone to swallow. “I’ll talk to her,” he sighed.

Willow felt like she had stepped in something that she shouldn’t have. Licking her lips nervously, she let out a shaky breath as he stuttered, and she sat more appropriately so she could look him in his eyes.
She started gnawing on her cheek with her teeth, nervously watching how someone so close to her heart began figuring things out he might not want to acknowledge. “Did something else happen besides that with your father?” she asked; even though she might have overstepped, something was bothering her by the words; she wouldn’t have slept with him if she hadn’t been sure. That sounded like someone would have said that in an argument about sex, not when one talked about relationships. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to; I just, you know, want to make sure she treats you right”, she said with a softer smile, only wanting the best for him. If anything, she was just happy that she could be his friend. An odd sensation glided through her body as the words were phrased in her head. Did she still hope for more? That was a dangerous feeling to still harbour and something that scared her mainly because she didn’t want to put Ace in a situation where he had to let her down.

He looked up at her as she elaborated her question. “It was a messy day. Mr. Jones arrived to ask me for help, Hope tagged along,” he begun explaining. “You remember Zadkiel Nelson who was in hospital for blood loss, right? Well, I was trying to get him out of that. Oscar threw me around, and Hope got to him.” A short chuckle left him, though there was nothing funny about either Ace being thrown around by his father or Hope getting close to Oscar. “She told him not to touch me,” he licked his lips a little, “That’s when he almost killed her,” he sighed. “He said he got scared,” he scoffed. “When I got a hold of her, I made my mother help healing her,” he explained and looked up at her pulling a soft smile. “She claims she forgot that I can take a couple of hits,” he laughed a little dryly. He took a greater breath in, “She’s honestly really good at getting hurt whenever we meet. The first time I met her she had been shot. She’s also been beating up some guys who were after me,” he mentioned and licked his lips a little. “She was the one who found Michelle doing all of this,” he said and gestured to the messy home. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Michelle tried to kill Hope,” he sighed and shook his head a little. The doubt that had filled his head a moment ago dimmed. She had sacrificed herself so much for him - but they might still have to get things straight.

She nodded when he asked if she remembered when Zadkiel Nelson had been brought into the hospital because of blood loss. Moving around a little on the couch, she placed her elbow against the back of the sofa and put the side of her head against her folded hand. “I think we all do stupid things when the people we love are hurt; if they can handle it or not, even the most logical person becomes an average stupid person that will do anything to make sure that the people we care about are okay” she wasn’t sure she would have acted any differently than Hope. But given that she had the powers she had, she didn’t need to get close to throw Oscar around a little. Which honestly sounded very tempting right now.
“Can’t imagine an outcome where that went well”, she mumbled with a soft sigh, closing her eyes, feeling their tiredness after crying. Her fingers glided over them before she once again opened her eyes and looked at him. “I’m sure things will turn out fine if you’re both just as invested and want this to work”, she said with a soft smile, feeling the pain form in her chest, making her stomach turn. But the smile on her lips didn’t change. Because when it came down to it, Ace deserved to be with someone he cared about and that loved him. Even if that someone isn’t you? The voice in her head was so clear that she almost sighed at it. Even if that someone wasn’t her.

Ace licked his lips as she mentioned how everyone did stupid things to make sure their loved ones were okay. He could see that in some situations, but others… Well, he couldn’t really see it with the way his father had acted, nor how Michelle had acted. But both Hope and Ace had done so. Even though Willow probably believed she hadn’t done some odd things, he knew very well that she had. Things were just so different when she had almost been with Jonathan. A soft, thoughtful hum left him as she mentioned how it probably didn’t end well. She was very correct. He looked at her as she let her fingers run over her tired closed eyes. “Thank you,” he said and pulled shortly on the corner of his lips. His eyes rested on her, hoping that she would ease her heart and tell him what was going on, but when it seemed to get a little too uncomfortable he split his lips, “What is hurting you?” he spoke softly, not taking his eyes of her. “Besides from everything we’ve been talking about,” he said, gesturing towards the room as it being everything they had talked about

Now, there were two roads Willow could decide to walk down. One would be lying and telling him that it was just the whole thing with Jonathan. The other one would be telling the truth and bear her heart for him. Got it out in the open, knowing very well that he couldn’t do anything for her. Because he loved someone else, if they would have happened, it would have happened a long time ago. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.
But this was Ace, and even though lying might spare him a headache that he didn’t deserve. She couldn’t lie to him. A sad smile formed on her lips. “Do you ever think back to the day we almost kissed?” she spoke the words so softly, almost as if she spoke any louder; something would break. She felt how her heart slightly picked up speed, and she regretted the words instantly. “Don’t don’t answer that, I’m sorry”, she whispered, letting out a soft chuckle letting her hand glide over her face, almost hiding herself away.

He let her think. She was never forced to tell him anything, but he would rather have her ease her heart when he could see that she was bothered. His brows raised for a short surprise as she mentioned what she had been thinking about. He didn’t even get to reply before she told him not to answer. He clenched his jaw tightly together, seeing how she almost hid herself. “Don’t apologize,” he spoke, almost just as quiet as her. “I reminded you I was a coward, correct?” he spoke softly and looked at his hands. One hand picking at his thumb. “You scared me shitless that day,” he laughed dryly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so uncertain about myself as I was that day,” he furrowed his brows a little while still looking at his hands. He took a deeper breath in before he looked back up at her. “Eyes here, please,” he told her, pointing at his own eyes, waiting for her to look him directly into his eyes, even though there was a great deal of distance between them. “I was so scared of what would happen if I kissed you.” Now, he couldn’t get it out of his head that she had made the deal with that witch that would make her able to kiss someone without the effect, but now it just seemed a little too late for that.

There could have been miles between them, and it would have felt like they were only inches apart. As he told her to look at him, she did. Her eyes sucked into his brown eyes, which melted in different variations. The light stubble of his beard just underneath his cheekbone. He had been scared; well, she understood why he had been. Kissing her came with more consequences than just opening up one’s heart and talking about a relationship. It opened up for him to be enthralled with her, which was the last thing she wanted to happen.
A small smile formed on her lips, and her brows furrowed as he asked if she loved him. She didn’t even need to think; “of course I do,” she whispered, and the smile grew slightly more prominent. “I love you very much”, she said to underline that she wasn’t afraid to say it aloud. But even if there might be a question burning on her tongue, she didn’t ask it. She didn’t have to, because she knew that he loved her too, but the thing was, she wasn’t sure he loved her like that. Not like she loved him. But as she sat there and looked into his eyes, she knew it was all right.

Ace clenched his jaw for a second before he licked his lips and looked down. Coward, he told himself. He looked back up at her as she said everything in a fluid motion. Lord, how could an old man like himself be so scared of someone loving him, because the way she said it, and the way he had asked her, wasn’t just a, do you love me like a friend, no, it was loaded with the romantic love. It was heavy in his stomach. He felt how silence filled the room while he tried to form correct words. “You are not making this easy for me,” he said and pulled a sad smile. What could he say without potentially hurting the trust and friendship they had? Years of friendship could be lost if one of them stepped on the wrong topic or took a step too far, and he knew that losing a friend could be so much tougher than a significant other, or maybe it was because he had only really had one love that left him, that the friends that had left him hurt much greater.

She could see it in his eyes, in the way he acted, how it affected him. She matched his sad smile as he told her that she wasn’t making it easy for him. She knew that which was why she had been reluctant to tell him. But now that she had, she was happy that she had at least told him.  “Hey”, she whispered, taking his hand, feeling just how cold it was in her warm hands. She had never really thought about it before now. “I know you don’t feel the same; you don’t have to be afraid of hurting my feelings; I’m just happy that you found someone, and hopefully, things will turn out great for you now that you have decided to finally trust someone enough to let them close” she spoke softly, letting her thumb glide over the back of his hand. Now she would lie if she said it didn’t hurt. That it didn’t feel like someone had put a hand through her chest and was starting to squeeze her heart slowly.
“And who knows, maybe this trip will make me meet that person you talked about before, while I'm out on my trip”, she said, pulling a smile with greater strength before letting go of his hand to lean over and take her cup of tea before it would turn cold.

“You”, she said with a soft smile, not even thinking about it. “You know, I’m all hard and running straight forward while you run the other way” she poked against his chest where his non-beating heart was. “Why, you ask?” she hummed, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea. Then she remembered that she had bought them some delicious croissants as well.  
“We shouldn’t let the baked goods go to waste!” she said with a happier tone of voice, mainly because it was easier to press down the feeling of unrequited love when you pretended that you were okay. She could talk with Ayah about it later, or maybe Max would be able to ease her mind a little with it being the right choice to tell Ace instead of hiding it away.
She got up and walked over to the small brown paper bag, and on the way, she took the bracelet and put it in the dress pocket. She would deal with that later, maybe go back to Sarah and tell her she didn’t need it after all.

Ace laughed a little as she said it so quickly. If he didn’t know better, she didn’t even have to hear the question before she knew the answer. He shook his head a little, only to look at how she poked his chest, right where one would place their hands to save his life if his heart needed to beat to save him. He didn’t even dare to count how many lives he had saved that way. He looked up at her as she asked why he’d ask. A short chuckle left him as she shook his head, “I’ll just make sure to find you if you don’t tell me where you are,” he laughed a little, licking his lips. “You know, just like in that movie- No, forget that. I’ll just make sure to find you, and my stubborn ass is going to find you because I would not stop looking for you,” he said and looked down at his tea. He wasn't really the type to watch movies. It was a waste of time, and he couldn't even remember the name of the movie he had watched and wanted to reference to. Once again, it sounded almost like a love story, or a confession of love. “You’ve been a part of my life for so long, so you’ll have to text me regularly,” he said and looked at her with a kind smile.
Baked goods. She got up to get the paper bag. He let his tongue run over his teeth thoughtfully, looking at his hands, shortly tracing the area she had caressed on the back of his hand.

She pulled out a croissant and put it in her mouth as he told her that he was going to track her down. “I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have a friend like you”, she said with a brighter smile, meaning every word, just like she had thought so many times already. It wasn’t a matter of him confessing his love for her or that she needed him to love her back. Just the fact that he was in her life, then he was right, then she wasn’t as lonely as she might think she was.
“Oh, that reminds me” she rolled her eyes, letting out a soft chuckle shaking her head because of everything else than had been going on; she had totally forgotten about that. “I met this really weird warlock last time I was out bathing – I think I might have been his mate, isn’t that wild?” she laughed before she skipped over and sat down on the couch beside him and handed him the other croissant. “But well, just like everything that happened with JJ, maybe there was a part of me that just didn’t trust it, and maybe that is why I’ll go on this trip as well, clear my mind and all that.”

Ace gave her a kind smile as she said she was lucky to have a friend like him. Well, he did work well when people got missing, and she too was an amazing friend to have. He raised his brows as he saw how she was reminded of something. “His mate, really? And you didn’t take the chance?” he furrowed his brows, joking, even though it might have been unclear if one didn’t know him. He understood very well why she wouldn’t have. He took the croissant and a small bite of it. “Honestly with all of that,” he gestured to her and what she had been through lately, “I understand that you want a break,” he said with a short laugh. He licked some of the flaky crumbs of his lips. “So, are you going to Brazil?” he wondered, thinking about the rainforest might be one of the best places to be with all of the pollution in the world.

She scrunched her nose “maybe, I don’t know” she shrugged looking down at the baked flaky bread in her hands. “Seems unfair in a way – mostly because I’m not locked down like witch or warlock is, seems unfair, doesn’t it?” she said with a crooked smile, if she was honest there were other reasons why she hadn’t gone for it. Maybe she was a bigger coward than she wanted to admit. Maybe there was someone she had hoped would be the one for her. But, now was the time to let go – she had to let go.
“Brazil seems like a really good idea actually” she nodded, then she squinted her “sit still” she mumbled and let her thumb glide over the corner of his lip “There, you didn’t get all of it” she gave him a smile and then let herself get caught in his eyes for a moment before she leaned back and closed her eyes before she started eating the rest of the croissant.

He shrugged a little as she explained how she wasn’t tied to someone like those magic casters. “Well, you didn’t have to seal the bond,” he said with a short laugh. He knew that it wasn’t easy with all of those conditions and restrictions she had.
He hummed a little as she agreed that Brazil might be a good idea. He knew that there was a witch that had settled there and taken care of one of Killian’s kids once, maybe she and Willow would cross paths. She told him to sit still, which he of course did. He felt how she removed something from the corner of his lip. His eyes caught hers and he sent her a smile as she removed her hand. “Thanks,” he spoke softly. Trying to put away the odd thoughts that started spiraling. “Kieran Jones might have a connection to a witch who has settled there, if you want female company of course,” he offered and shrugged a little.

“Oh yeah?” she said thoughtfully and nodded. “I’ll be sure to ask him before I go then”, she said with a smile, and with a thoughtful sigh, she leaned back and pressed the last of her baked goods into her mouth.
“Well, this turned out very differently than when I went through it in my mind”, she chuckled, shaking her head a little. She turned her head towards Ace and gave him a soft expression. “I’m glad you always seem to know what to say to get me down to earth again”, she said before turning her body towards him. Given her powers, it was easy to float around in a sky of hopes and dreams; sometimes, she needed to be told that it wasn’t possible and that she needed to get her head out of the clouds she was so fond of.
“Not that I think I’ll get any time off if I’m being frank”, already seeing Ash just looking at her, then turning around and walking away as if he had not heard her. And well, with everything that was going on with Nia, maybe she should rethink the holiday. “Maybe!” she looked at him with Christmas lights in her eyes. “Maybe we’ll both put in for a holiday; we could go together? Like in a few months or so?” she asked; surely that would be more possible than a spur of the moment holiday to Brazil.

Ace chuckled a little as she explained how things had turned out differently than she had expected. Things never went as expected, did they? She then expressed how he was good at getting her down, which made him smile slightly. It was a wonderful gift sometimes, thought sometimes he trusted it a little too much.
He raised an interested brow as she mentioned that she didn’t believe that she was able to get any time off, “We’ll make sure you get your time off,” he said very calm and secure in his sentence. He was certain that he could convince Ash to give her some free time, and if not, the two of them could argue for a whole day – though it was a part of the usual day already. He blinked a little as she suddenly got an idea. Both of them on a holiday? Sounded like heaven, exact for the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed to relax in the same way, and he had this feeling that he probably could step on the witch's toes. “I can try, but it’s more likely that you’ll get off than I am,” he said and shrugged a little. “I think it’s more important that you get out as quickly as possible and get things back on the right tracks,” he told her with a kind smile, not fully rejecting her proposal.

She chuckled, raising her brows a little as a huff left her nose. “I’m sure you’re right” she shook her head and emptied her cup of tea. “Do you want help with the cleaning?” she asked, looking around in the living room. It really was a mess and too much to do for just one person. “I don’t mind; I might be able to do something about that blood room of yours” she nodded and got up from the couch and walked towards the room where roots were sprouting from. Her hand glided over them, feeling how they hummed to her touch. Her eyes changed colour and became like the green moss that grew on trees and rooks, her hair grew a little longer, and with a soft breath, the roots retracted and moved out of the room; instead, a tree sprouted on the other side of the walls. A beautiful willow tree started to grow in the garden; its long branches were green leaves folded out. With a small sigh, she looked over her shoulder as her eyes turned back to their standard, dark brown colour. “There we go; trees should grow where there is light and air to nourish them, not inside a house”, she giggled.