KISS: In The Band

Ch 43: Hey...Ace (Peter)

I sat at Eric's kitchen table, giving him a confused look. "So wait, what did you need me here for?" He gave me a flat look in response, shaking his head. "You'll see in a minute," he muttered. I waited at the table, fidgeting with my wedding ring, before the doorbell rang. Eric walked out of the room, returning a minute later with a very surprised Ace, who he forcibly sat across from me. "You two are going to sit down and talk about this like adults, alright? I'm going to hang out with Tommy, and in the meantime, you're going to talk and work things out without yelling, without all the drama, alright?"

"Well wait I--" "No! I'm so sick and tired of being caught in the middle of your bullshit! If it's not Ace crying to me about Peter, then it's Peter crying to me about Ace! Just work it out! I don't care what agreement you come to, just find one, please. I can't deal with you two acting like children on top of having to deal with my boyfriend being famous. I'll be back in like an hour or so. Don't trash my house."

And with that, he was gone, leaving Ace and I just staring at each other.

"I'm proud of you," he said after a pause. I blinked, looking at him in confusion. "What?" "I'm proud of you. For...for getting out of drugs. I'm really proud of you. And I wanna apologize for a few days ago, w-when I threw the divorce papers on you. I had just gotten uh...kicked out of the band and I was really upset and I kind of took it out...on you," he mumbled.

There was a long silence before I reached across the table and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry. What happened, if I can...ask," I said softly. He sighed. "Peter...I have an issue with drinking. You know I do. And it's gotten worse and I've gotten kicked out of the band for it. Which is...fair. And...and that's part of the reason I've been such a bitch toward you. Because I'm jealous of how you've been able to break your addiction. And I can't break mine."

My heart sank and I rose to my feet, sitting right next to him and taking both of his hands in mine. "Ace, listen to me. It's hard to get out of that type of stuff. I've failed more times than I've succeeded. And it's almost impossible to do it without help. So please, please let me help you. We can get through it together, I promise."

He sniffed, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry f-for hurting you," he whispered. I shook my head, giving him a tight hug. "It's okay. You were hurting. But we're married, we're husbands, we're supposed to help each other, so dammit Ace Frehley, let me help you!"

Ace laughed weakly, clinging to me. "Shit you're right I'm sorry. I'm sorry." "Don't be! Let's just be together again, and we'll help each other. You need support and I need support and we can support each other. But please let me love you," I murmured. He burst into tears, sobbing into my chest. "How the fuck can you just...just forgive me?! I fucking kicked you out of our house and tried to divorce you!"

"Because I've made plenty of mistakes! I've done a lot of bad things and you've always taken me back and loved me! Ace, I've picked drugs over you too many times, but you've always welcomed me back with open arms because you love me. I love you, so I'm willing to forgive you and welcome you back into my life!" I cried.

We sat holding each other for awhile before he gave me a kiss and I wiped the tears off his face. "But Ace, listen to me. If a divorce is something you really, truly want to do, if you don't want to be married to me anymore, then tell me. I don't want to hold you into a relationship you don't want to be in."

He looked away with a quiet sigh. "Peter, I want a family. I really, really want a family. I want a baby, I want to have a kid and be able to say 'this is my child, I'm their father' so please tell me right now. Can I have a family with you?" I took a deep breath before gripping his hand. "Yeah. I promise I'll do my absolute best to raise a kid with you." He jumped, whirling around to give me a huge smile before hugging me tightly. "Thank you. Dammit babe I fucking love you so much," he murmured.

I nodded, holding him in my arms. "I love you too. I really love you too. And I just...I just want to be happy with you," I said, giving him a kiss. 

Eric walked into the house an hour later, raising an eyebrow that disappeared behind his bandana. "Alright, we all good now?" Ace and I exchanged glances before nodding with a smile. "Yeah. I think we are. Thanks, Eric. Really." He grinned, shaking his head. "I'm just glad it worked out. Now get out of here and go home," he said. Hand in hand, Ace and I walked to the door, finally heading back home together. 

We sat next to each other on the bed, and he leaned against me with a sigh. "I missed you," I murmured, kissing him on the forehead. "Peter, I'm sorry. I messed up, I shouldn't have pressured you the way I did about adoption, that was selfish of me. I wasn't willing to compromise or consider your point of view or your feelings on the matter and I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize. I'm sorry it took Eric getting involved to let you to talk to me. I was stubborn and I acted like a child and I'm sorry."

I heaved a sigh, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm sorry too. I wasn't exactly the most level-headed person either. We should've just talked but I didn't want to back down, didn't want to maybe admit that I was wrong too."

"Have you ever wanted kids though? I know I keep asking but I want you to really be sure."

"Yeah. I do want a family with you. I want to adopt a kid, I want to do it soon, do it with you. And I think we're not approaching this right. I think we're trying too hard, trying to go about this the wrong way. I say we just say full send and do it. Submit our application with no preferences and we just adopt whatever kid we get matched with."

He stared at me in shock before a slow smile spread across his face. "That way, we both win." "Or neither of us win, depending on how you look at it," I teased. Ace burst into tears, hugging me tightly. "Peter I've missed you so, so much," he wailed. "No! No don't cry! Don't be sad!" I cried, hugging him back and burying my face in his shoulder. "Don't cry!" He hugged me even tighter, still bawling his eyes out. "I missed you, dammit Peter we never should've fought, I'm so sorry. I love you."

I nodded, holding him tightly. "I'm sorry. I missed you too, I really did, I hated not being with you. And I really love you." "I love you," he murmured. I felt my face growing hot and sat back, playing with his hair before kissing him. "Mmm I really do love you too," I purred, moving my lips down his face. He giggled, wrapping himself a bit more around me, sliding onto my lap. "Oh, you love me, do you?" he teased, kissing me before shoving me back onto our bed, chest starting to heave.

"Ohhh I do," I moaned, trying to figure out how to pull off his clothes without having to stop kissing him.