#exchanging texts

[mysteriousreader1864]

“I’m still so strange and wild” ᰔ‬

“Slipping through my fingers all the time” ᰔ

@cherryjuiceweek26

A/N: I’m having so much fun with this! I’m not usually the type to write plus I’m not trying to write good or professional. This is probably one of the longest things I’ve written but I don’t have a word count because I make stuff up as I go without an outline + I don’t use docs. Anyway, I’m back with another songfic because they are my inspiration. So, day 2. It’s sorta a part two for day 1, only for the first bit.

Deuce and Ace were different people.

Sure Ace wasn’t exactly a nice person, heck, this girl he ghosted was probably crying her eyes out right about now, but at least he wasn’t associating himself with the wrong crowd.

Deuce however was, even after the moment he had decided to keep Ace from eating cherry pie too fast, Deuce still hung out with the wrong crowd. It would come back to bite him later.

He kept thinking about the boy who ate cherry pie, they spoke a little after that. More like, Ace showed Deuce a little hobby of his: card tricks. Ace was impressive with that deck of cards, Deuce had secretly taken one. It ironically happened to be the ‘Ace’ card, now he had something to remember that cherry pie boy by. Though Ace’s words were also true for Deuce, if Deuce ever gets his act together, and matures- he’ll forget Ace. Parts of childhood usually are forgotten.

Deuce was returning home.

“Mom, I’m…”

“Did I fail as a mother? Deuce really changed.”

His mother, Dylla Spade was speaking from the kitchen. Upon hearing her voice, he decided that he would just peek in. And Dylla was in tears. It seemed hard to believe as Deuce knew her as a strong and confident woman, but this- this was caused by Deuce’s own actions.

“I followed your guidance, I raised Deuce as you raised me…so where did I go wrong?” She was on the phone with Deuce’s grandmother.

Oh, it hurt, it hurt so badly.

Deuce may have changed, but some part of him was struck by his mother’s tears, the pain in her voice, and the words that she had said. He caused this. He should fix it.

He swears he will do better, and not be this way.

——

The blonde was fading out of his dark navy hair. He thought to buy some more at the store, but then he remembered his own promise. Though, he should have not thought he couldn’t have blonde in his hair anymore. It only became a thought because perhaps the blonde right now reminded him of his poor choices, and the words his mother spoke. He skipped the isle and went to pay for other groceries which he was shopping for instead of his mother as a practice to becoming independent.

He put vegetables and fruits into the cart that his mother could make delicious and healthy dishes with. He made sure the right amount of thaumarks was taken out of his pocket. He diligently counted the correct number because the first step towards becoming honorable is doing things at a slow pace so it ends up being correct.

“You must be cooking so much.” The cashier said while scanning the items that Deuce put on the beltway.

“Oh..yeah. I’m helping my mother stock ingredients, and then we’ll make a good meal tonight.”

The cashier found that absolutely adorable. “You’re so sweet for helping your mother.”

Well, this person didn’t have to know that he may have also made her cry, so he didn’t let it show that those words affected him. He wanted to be a better person, for his mother’s sake.

The last item was organized neatly in the basket Deuce was carrying. He had impressive strength for his young age. The handle of the basket was on his arm after he adjusted it.

“Well, I should go back before it gets dark.” Deuce tells the cashier, who simply gave that confirming nod and waved at Deuce before he left the store.

This was a glimpse of Deuce’s life, but what about Ace?

As usual, Ace was laying in bed, his thumbs hovering over the phone’s keyboard. He was trying to respond to a message that was sent to him ten minutes ago, it was from the girl he ghosted. Though he had done so, her texts were constant. Sometimes they asked him why he did it, others were just random yaps about how she was doing and what she was doing and it felt so unnecessary. He didn’t need updates on a girl he used to date. He felt as if they were not even that serious anyways, so why was this girl still hooked on messaging him. He didn’t feel like blocking her, which is why he still received things from her. It never felt right when he thought so hard about blocking her and never hearing from her again.

Another message comes through, breaking Ace’s hard thinking process, which he was about to throw something if it was his ex girlfriend again.

[______]: Hey, it’s Deuce.

Ace blinked his eyes a couple times. He was so surprised. He almost lost one of the cherries from his cherry pie in the bed’s blanket.

“Delinquent boy?! How..oh right, I gave him my number…” He was about to freak out, or maybe he already was, he exhaled when his stupid brain finally worked.

Yes, he gave Deuce Spade his number. In a moment of vulnerability…while also saying multiple times he will forget Deuce eventually.

“Wait! Crap! How do I answer?”

Deuce only said ‘hi’ and yet it set Ace into a breakdown of a different kind.

[Ace]: Hey. I’ll just change your contact name so that I don’t forget your number.

Did that sound stupid? It sounded stupid. He pressed ‘send’ anyway.

“Oh..he’ll think I’m dumb!”

Ace ranted to himself, because the Trappola house was empty. Ace’s mother and older brother were both away, doing errands that Ace didn’t even bother to know what they were or how long they’d be gone.

“Oh, he’s typing…! Crap!”

Ace begun to pay more attention to his phone upon seeing the three dots. It was super stressful.

[Deuce]: You say you will forget a lot.

Ace was having a full blown panic and crisis.

[Ace]: That’s because I know that I will!

He was close to audible screaming, which wouldn’t matter if he didn’t have neighbors. But he would definitely disturb them if his emotions got the best of him.

The dots appeared, only to disappear, and Ace was highly stressed.

[Deuce]: So, what happened with you lately?

[Ace]: Oh I just broke up with my girlfriend. She is still texting me though. Maybe blocking an ex is a good idea.

He felt stupid each time he typed to Deuce, he never wanted to be sincere again. Still, Deuce wasn’t making fun of him, so he gained the confidence to type that message without true regret for it.

Deuce did not even know that Ace had a girlfriend.

The dots were off the charts, appearing and then disappearing and repeating for seven times. Ace found it a little funny, the stress melted away.

[Deuce]: Didn’t know you had one.

[Ace]: So, same question with you.

[Deuce]: Sure. I decided to stop dying my hair and start being more responsible. I think you can stop calling me delinquent boy now.

Deuce knew about that nickname. He knew.

“….I’m never calling him that again.”

——

Ace was having dinner with his mother and older brother, he didn’t tell them about the new friend he made.

His mother would ask about his day, just like any mother. However, Ace doesn’t usually engage in the conversation. On the other hand, his older brother was talking away, so, so much. Who wants to hear boring stuff? His brother sounded like an unnecessary movie extra with that constant yapping.

“Come on Ace, put something in too.” And as Ace’s big brother, he had to be that type who dragged Ace unwillingly into talking.

“Nothing interesting happened.”

“Not even a little?”

Ace’s brother teases, “What about that blonde I saw you with?”

Ace’s mother was interested.

Thanks to his brother, of course.

“Oh? A new friend?”

“No,” Ace denied, “He was just lost.” A lie, maybe a very obvious one, but he couldn’t help it! His brother embarrassed him. Ace was definitely going to throw a pillow at his brother’s face later- on purpose.

But for now, he had to face his mother who was asking THOSE questions.

“What’s his name? Is he nice?” “How did he decide to approach you?” “Did you have a conversation?” “Did he have good intentions?” “Would you ever consider being friends with him?” “Would you bring him home?” “So, did you get his number or give him yours?”

The last one was unfortunately accurate, not that Ace would ever give his mother more teasing material. He definitely was a copy of her. He could tease someone mercilessly if he wanted to, only because it runs in the family, at least on his mother’s side. His older brother is a tease too, just not as much. Brothers are said to usually fight, not these two. Ace’s brother never got to the point of hurting his feelings.

Ace doesn’t apologize, his brother does. Out of the brothers, the better personality is him, not Ace. Ace just got lucky with a sibling that he gets along with.

“Alright mom, enough teasing, we don’t want Ace to cry.”

“…Who said I will?”

“Yeah? You used to cry a lot, but when I held you…you got so quiet. Not for mom though.” Ace’s brother was getting all sentimental. “You’re growing too fast, now I don’t get to hold you.”

Their mother was watching. And becoming teary-eyed from the sweetness of the moment. She loves her sons, she likes how they get along. And she too remembers really well, baby Ace loved being held by his brother, only calming down in his arms and not hers. At first, it started as a joke among the two Trappolas that Ace thought his brother was the mother, and soon it spread as a joke across her friends.

like…

“Yeah, my son’s first word was ‘mama’ but he was not calling me that, it was his brother.”

And her friends would get such a kick out of that joke. They’d go along with it.

“Dear me, your title got stolen by your eldest son.” “How sweet, looks like your sons will get along.” “Ace is going to love his older brother when he’s older!”

Ace’s mother was happy to have friends who got the joke.

“C’mon baby brother, won’t you share one little detail?”

“…Ugh, fine! If it makes you stop talking about when I was younger, and getting all mushy. His name is Deuce Spade.”

Ace’s mother heard that last name and was calculating. Dylla had a son too?

She was leaning in to make sure she was not imagining things. “Spade? That’s his last name for sure?”

Ace confirmed, “Yeah. He’s strange.”

Ace wasn’t being mean, just honest.

His mother was proud. Ace had a friend who happened to be the son of her friend. Ace was not unhappy.

[kaito-ace]

Exchanging Texts ((@protectormakoto))

Makoto heard her phone buzz and she picked it up. Blinking, she let out a giggle. “Sure thing, Dani-san.” Trying to think of something else to say, thunder blasted outside. Though it was her element, it surprised her. “Did you hear that?”

His phone chimed not long after he had sent the text.  It seemed like Makoto was a fast texter, not that Daniel minded.  He read it not quite sure what she was referring to until he heard the thunder.  It seemed that from where ever she was, a storm would pass by her and then pass his host family's house as well.  He didn't mind thunder, though.  "You mean the thunder?  What about it?  Does it frighten you?" he asked that last question a little curious.  He knew that some girls did, but he wasn't sure about her.  Maybe it was her height that gave off a feeling that she wasn't afraid of much.

[kaito-ace]

After returning home with Zena, Makoto sat on the edge of the bed, holding her phone. She began to flip through her contacts, getting to Daniel's name. She was a bit nervous, but he did need her number. It was a fair exchange. "Hello Dani-san. It's me, Makoto." she texted quickly before sending it and putting her phone down on the bed.

By the time Daniel arrived home, his host mother had just finished making dinner, so the family sat together, ate, discussed about each other’s day before cleaning the table up.

With everything done in the kitchen, Ace disappeared into his room to begin his homework when he noticed his phone blinking on his bed alerting him of a text message.  After reading it, he texted the brunette that he had met earlier back, “Kino-san, was that your casual way of giving me permission of allowing me to call you Makoto-san?”