Huge little steps

"If you keep on checking me out Jay ...", Ace spoke without opening his eyes," ...it might endanger your safety".

It was no warning or threat. His voice was abnormally calm and deep as he talked. It's obvious for a chain killer to have unusual sharp senses as a child-play.

"Are you sneaking?", Jay still had eyes on him.

"I can feel those gazes burning upon all over me in this dead silence", Ace slowly opened his eyes and turned around on his side, meeting eyes with Jay.

His manner of lazing in his comfort zone appeared even more representing. His sneaky eyes scanning all over Jay, but fixed with her eye-lock. The deep blue check-out was intensifying. He forced Jay to back off from the unannounced game since his ray was blinding enough to meet for any longer. Also, for Jay, she was getting hypnotized by the darkness in those eyes. Her cheeks were flushing as her stare drooped lower.

Ace chuckled and turned on his back.

"You're a pure M!", he exclaimed.

- What's a M?

"Masochist!", Ace creepily moved his pupils at her. Jay glared at him for a moment trying to collect her confusion and his theory as she sighed a suppressed annoyance," Ridiculous hypothesis!".

Ace sat up again rubbing his hand through his hair, laughing nervously. The reaction was apologetic and shy, trying not to gain her irritation after what she has just been through. It was clear of her several metamorphoses with his company around. But if he were to rush her, it could backfire. She has started expressing moods and taking interest in his words. Decent progress, still yet negative.

"Want a warm drink?", he diverted the topic for a change of mind," It's cold!".

"It's getting suffocating", Jay sighed out a warm breath," Don't you think?".

"As you noticed earlier ...", Ace raised and dropped his shoulders," I detest the cold! Not particularly I enjoy summer, but I dislike cold!", his voice stronger than before. So, there is one! A past memoir, to make him hate it. They always do!

Jay rested her chin on the chair top, over the back of her palms. Her head tilted. Her eyes were basically asking for the explanation.

Ace quickly replied," Not with that look on your face," he read it," You're gonna make me trip", he looked away even though Jay still had the poker face on.

Jay raised her face with redder cheeks due to the itchy warmth. Still waiting.

Ace gaped for a while too. He smiled lightly as he looked down speaking in a low tone," You have the rights Jay ...….", he said," ...but not today. Not the best time you see", he looked a little pitiful requesting like that.

"Bipolar!", Jay commented. She was having a damp forehead already by the time. Her ears were flushed red. Ace has been noticing the change for a while when he finally got up and let out a short laugh," Wait ...before that....", he walked past beyond her.

Jay turned around following his steps. As he disappeared beyond a furniture, she started feeling the temperature decreasing. He just turned off the furnace. She again spotted him pacing up quickly. Returning, he snuggled in the sofa and cuddled with a furry cushion.

"I'm already cold!", he said chattering his teeth.

"Perfect contrast in the personality and reality", Jay had leant on her hands again," Even though it's obvious that you're just a cover, it creeps into me sometimes. What if there are times you are actually honest? That's' being just delusional, I guess".

"No, you're right", Ace's eyes were portraying earnestly to add up to her mind," To be true, that form just comes over itself when I'm at job. But in front of you, I've been pretentious. Never felt the need to. Right now, I'm completely myself. If anytime, I become a person whom you might not recognize, that'll be another form based on situations I need to fight. But that won't be me!".

Jay stared cluelessly.

This time, she didn't betray herself with those bright deep blue meadows in front of her eyes. Now it made sense, that why Ace never swapped himself whenever with her. The cheerful chattering person, with lively eyes like none other had always been him. Surely, he couldn't be the same at Jay's age because there was no one for him. She's still ignorant to the amount of darkness and suffering lurking within. To suppress those raging demons in his heart, he had to undertake such heinous crime upon himself, giving birth to the present him. In normal terms, he would be just a psychopath who sucks life out of death for survival.

But to Jay, he was pitiful.

For the likes of their kind, there is no medication or help. Either death ...or actions against laws of humanity!

Suddenly, Jay felt that all this time she has been indeed so lonely. And Ace on the other hand, had crossed the time all by himself. Finding someone like a companion right now, he's just too excited to let out all his emotions. Jay needed him but he too needed her. Only he can teach her to live further without corrupting herself. Without extracting life points from others to just corrupt herself and slaughter others. To grow normal enough ...to blend in.

"Is it the right time now?", Jay suddenly urged him on the leftover topic. Ace was amused to find her remember it and interested.

"Are you sure?", Ace asked in his conscience.

Jay just nodded once and waited for it.

"If you insist so bad, right…...", he started in another thing for the time. Since the mood was rotated by her, he didn't hesitate anymore," You might guess that I have no family. But for the time now, the tormenting truth is ...…...I do have one unfortunately. Still living and well, I guess".

Jay interrupted," Did they .... abandon you?". She was somehow reminded of Travis.

Ae sighed and continue," Listen with the flow," he scolded lightly and went on," As per my name went, I was indeed an Ace at things. Be it be academic or sports. I have always aced them. Idolized and admired by all ...…lonely and being jealous of by all. Bullied too by most", Ace talked about these pretty casually as if everything is taken out from a story and that's all. It really takes a lot of effort and experience to do that," Expectations grew from the folks, and I earned hatred from my brother too. You should know, our gifted talent always comes with a cost. No one can compensate it. Same for me too.".

The vision in his eyes transformed. That must be the time when he started to undergo the changes in a serious turn.

"That time, those flames from my inner self felt as if directly raged through hell. I can't remember how I've survived back then, being only 15. I can only recall at least 4-5 times beautiful suicide attempts"

It was Jay's turn to gasp. 4-5 times? Only at mid-teens?

That's something she couldn't have predicted. Her first trigger landed her brutal self in the hospital for days. And Ace, he just survived it up until now? Without any support from anyone, not even his family who just wanted their hopes high from him? Just like she was, before Arthur dragged her out from it. This person, he is really deserving of something he wants, having being such a brave one!

"Detention Centre!", Ace laughed out in a weird manner," The only common place for us all mad people they think. Better than home though, beatings were getting monotonous ...…." Ace paused. He's cutting it short and eager to end it," After escaping that place, I joined school back. Not soon after one of the students went missing. The saga has continued and look .... I've completely learnt to survive till this point", his polite face returned back.

And Jay thought that her family would never have a clue to understand her.

At least her brothers did, no idea of her folks-

That's why Ace is more mature than his real age, that's the very reason he could read Jay clearer than ice and that's why he wouldn't allow her to intake the same path as he did ...he's trying to protect her! Only he can do it!!!

It had never struck Jay what kind of a monster hid behind that exquisitely pretty face, nor did Ace try explaining because he's aware that it won't budge Jay's kind. She just wanted to believe what he showed her, and ignore the consequences.

"Why do you look so shunned?", Ace put up a light face," It had been 7 years now you know".

Jay is currently 18, the time when Ace had it all. And her, still relying on someone else for survival. She's not strong enough to do it. Her expressions went dark as she couldn't meet his eyes. It's unfair, for both of them. Unfair for the likes of their kind. Not all can live through this. Who knows how many have already given in to death to escape it ...?

"You didn't have any one by your side ...", Jay inaudibly whispered.

Ace stared at her for a while and looked down sighing," I ...thought I did", he said surprising her a little," But Jay, know this. You can't possibly ever trust anyone on this except for your own kind. Because once they see who you really are, they'll bet you!", his voice more scared and firmer than before. So, the directed person, is also a role player in his situation. Betrayal doesn't work too well in their case, since its hard to find the one to put the faith in.

Ace shifted his pupils at her again," You dare not belittle yourself", his tone gentle," You did too good till now. Lemme take over for you".

- You have already been through a lot.

"Each's case has their limit, not as much as you", Ace clarified," But, for the first time .... I've ever thought of stopping".

Jay immediately spoke, "If you stop …...you'll die", her first concern for him," So will I!".

"I won't", Ace's voice confident," And I won't let you either. These days, I never knew that I could discover this as a remedy".

"Another than this?", Jay was a little amazed," how can you be so sure it'll work for us?".

"I will experiment it on me. If it can for me, I'll make sure you are no exception", Ace said," Tell me, did you feel shaken for more than 2 weeks now? If not for today's stimulation?".

Jay shook her head once. Strangely she has noticed it too.

Ace looked at her with a sharp gaze," Me too!". He hissed out air.

Jay tilted her head and studies him with a straight face for a moment. Then getting up, she walked off behind her, turned on the furnace and returned back to seat. Ace couldn't help but bring a sneaky smirk on his lips.