Reality Calls.

The first thing Ace feels when he stirs is warmth. A steady, unyielding warmth pressed against his back, encasing him like a shield against the world.

The weight of an arm draped over his waist, the slow, even breaths ghosting over his shoulder, the faint scent of Kieran lingering in the sheets, everything is still, calm, as if the night before had been a dream.

Ace doesn't move.

For a long moment, he just lies there, eyes half-lidded, listening to the rhythm of Kieran's breathing.

It's steady, deep, peaceful in a way Ace hasn't seen in a long time. Like, for once, Kieran isn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Ace exhales slowly, his fingers brushing over the arm wrapped around him, feeling the firm grip, the quiet possessiveness in the way Kieran holds him even in sleep.

A part of him doesn't want to move, doesn't want to break this fragile silence, this moment where nothing else matters but the warmth between them.