Something From Nothing

Deus Ex Machina

Logan Mercier

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked the next morning. After our explosive argument and then the brain-numbing sex we had both of us were too exhausted to do anything other than shift under my sheets and promptly fall asleep.

I had woken up first and had spent a good hour creepily watching Ace as he slept. Laying on his stomach, one of his arms had been slung across my waist and his head shared my pillow despite all the room he had in my king size bed.

He looked peaceful. His features were much softer in sleep, the lines that usually creased his brow replaced by the youthful appearance that matched those of others our age. All the fears, doubt and worries that plagued him during the day no longer seemed an issue for him. With parted lips, wild hair, and long lashes resting on his high cheekbones he was truly beautiful

Well until he woke up and opened his mouth.

Since then neither of us made a move to get out of bed or talk. Instead, Ace had rolled of top of me, rested his head on my chest and simply closed his eyes again.

Now though he had shifted again so that his chin was resting on my stomach and his hands were brushing slowly up and down my sides. There was this soft expression on his face that seemed so different from his usual stoic expression.

Reaching up with one of his hands, his fingers traced my jawline. "You're just so pretty I could kill you."

Rolling my eyes, I suppressed a smile. "I don't even know why I ask."

Ace chuckled before falling silent again. I waited for him to say something more, maybe even discuss all that happened last night but when he remained stubbornly silent I knew that this conversation would not happen unless I initiated it.

"Can we talk about last night? Hopefully with less screaming this time?"

A sensual smile curved at my mates lips. "You didn't seem so bothered when I was screaming your name."

I flicked his forehead making him laugh lightly again. "I don't mind when you scream my name in that way. What I meant was can we talk about what happened before that?"

Achilles released a quiet groan. "Do we have to? Can't we just ignore that ever happened and move on?"

"No," I said simply.

"Didn't think so."

"Achilles," I said firmly and he rolled his eyes this time but nodded.

"Fine, lets talk." My mate turned his head so that he was no longer looking at me and lay so that his right ear was pressed against my stomach. I didn't complain because I understood that sometimes it was easier to talk about the hard stuff if you pretended nobody was listening.

"There's really nothing more to say. I meant every word I said last night. I've had a shitty life and that's held me back from doing a lot of things but hearing what you said about not believing that I even wanted you, I realized how much it hurt to hear you say that when the reality is the complete opposite. I care about you Logan. I really do it's just taken until now for me to completely accept it."

His words sent an electrical current run through my spine and my heart race. It was truly eye-opening to see someone in a different light and realize all those bits and pieces you thought made up who they were, were more your issues than theirs. I guess that's what happened when you judged people when you decided who they were without having all the answers. I'd been making assumptions about Ace since the very first day I met and vowed never again because the person I had in my head compared to the one in front of my now we're very different people.