Closure

Ace didn't know what he was going to do, but while he was waiting on his hair to grow back, he started by making daily visits to Dylan's home.  In the beginning, he found himself staring down the barrel of the hunters shotgun more often than not.  He never let it phase him though, the man had yet to actually shoot so he must be getting somewhere. Eventually though, Dylan stopped coming out to threaten him. Those days are what Ace would always refer to as his dark days. He dropped weight, never slept.  The young wolf stayed outside on Dylan's front step, in the hopes he would get lucky and catch a glimpse of those storm blue eyes.  His luck failed him though, and Ace went home knowing that he had to come up with another plan. 
A month and a half later, Ace found himself waiting outside of the bar Dylan frequented; the one where they first met.  The hunters truck was easy to pick out after all the time spent riding in it.  His insides fluttered at the intense smell of Dylan as he approached the mans vehicle, hopping up onto the hood and making himself comfortable.  He looked nothing like he had the first time Dylan laid eyes on him.  He had grown his hair back down to his jaw, the color back to his natural deep brown, and his eyes were green like the forest Dylan hunted in. Nothing like the icy blue eyes and cropped blonde hair Dylan had loved. Ace didn't want it to be.  This was his attempt at a new start. Even if Dylan never loved him the same, maybe he could at least love again. The wolf swallowed thickly, clutching his guitar close to his chest as Dylan's heartbeat pounded in his ears.  He was trying to go over the words in his song, what he would say after.
What he would do if Dylan shot him down.

Dylan had always frequented bars, sometimes looking for someone to take home with him. But since he had sent Ace away, nearly every night was spent in this bar, although he had yet to bring anyone else home. Lately when Ace would come over and speak to him through the front door, Dylan would just sit there and listen. Because as much as he wanted to deny it, he missed the boy's voice. He found that after an hour or so in the bar, he had no desire to get completely wasted. He was much more interested in going home and waiting for Ace's voice. He'd only had a drink or two but he exited the bar anyways, stopping at the sight of Ace on the hood of his truck.

Ace fumbled with his guitar at the site of Dylan, his clumsiness almost causing him to drop the instrument. The wolf recovered quickly though, knowing he only had a limited amount of time before Dylan gave up on him. "Just hear me out, okay, yo? Oh god, it's been so long since I've seen your face. " The young wolf sighed softly, his eyes never leaving the hunter. "My name is Ace Lexington. Im a werewolf. Im mated, and in love with you, Dylan Jardine. I have worshipped every inch of you, and given you parts of myself that I can never get back. My life has always been saved by my luck, so im depending on it now." Ace swallowed thickly, his fingers clutching the guitar desperately. " I know that you will never look at me the same. Im a monster. Im not beautiful. And I know you deserve better. But when it comes to you, im selfish. Im determined to be anything you need me to be, in the hopes that you might love me again." The boy exhaled, strumming out the first chords on his guitar, his voice strong when it came next, "Know I’ve done wrong, left your heart torn, Is that what devils do?" Ace never looked away from Dylan, wanting so much to reach out and touch the man. " Took you so low, where only fools go, I shook the angel in you."

It had taken Dylan a second to realize who the boy was on his car. That long dark hair, the forest green eyes did not at all match the picture of Ace in his mind. But he found he was stunned because Ace was more beautiful than Dylan had known possible.
People exiting and entering the bar around them had stopped to watch as Ace began to sing but Dylan barely noticed, unable to look away from those deep green eyes. He had not even realized just how much he was missing the wolf, just how much he craved to touch the boy until now that he was so close. But how could he touch him when he was the very thing Dylan had been determined to rid the world of for years now?
There were so many questions, conflicting thoughts running through his head but he decided to push them aside and merely listen to the boy's song.

Ace could see the conflict on his lovers face, and he was determined to win the man over this time. "Now im rising from the ground, rising up to you." The wolf jumped down from the hood of Dylan's truck, approaching the man slowly, giving a hesitant smile in hopes that Dylan wouldn't run from him. "Filled with all the strength I found, there's nothing I can't do!" Ace believed in those words.  It was why he was able to show his face tonight. He had no world without Dylan, had nothing to lose. He was close enough to touch the hunter when he finally began the chorus, "I need to know now, know now, can you love me again?"

Dylan could not hide the flicker of a smile that flashed across his face before disappearing again. He was just so happy to see the boy smiling at him, almost felt like they were back at home when they'd been in love, simply goofing off. Those times felt like they'd been decades ago, when Dylan had finally thought his life was falling into place, when Ace had made him feel like he didn't have a care in the world...
But he paused at hearing Ace's question in the chorus.
Could he love him again? Or an even better question was had he ever really stopped the first time?

"It's unforgivable,"  Ace ached to drop the guitar and wrap Dylan up in his arms, but he refrained.  The smile tempted him though.  Seeing the smile cross Dylan's face gave him a spark of hope.  "I stole and burnt your soul. Is that what demons do?"  He couldn't describe what it felt like knowing what Dylan thought of werewolves, and then to add onto that by lying to the man?  He had been certain he ruined his chances of ever getting to hold the hunter in his arms again, but here he was trying. "They rule the worst of me, destroy everything," He was so close now their noses brushed, barely enough room between them for him to play his guitar. "They bring down angel's like you."

Dylan waited through one more round of the chorus before he could hold back no longer. The answer was yes. He could love Ace again because he had to. There was no other choice, he was broken without him. He closed the space between them before Ace could sing again, capturing the boy's lips in a kiss he'd been needing ever since the moment Ace walked out his front door.
Several bystanders who had been watching what they assumed was a lover's quarrel being resolved had began to clap.
Dylan pulled back after a minute.
"I never stopped the first time." He muttered softly in response to the question the boy had asked during his song, reaching out to take hold of his hands.
He could deal with the werewolf issue some other time. Currently, he just needed Ace back with him.

Ace could have lived forever in that kiss.  His guitar clattered to the ground, and the people were clapping, but all he was aware of were Dylan's lips. His hands wrapped around the mans neck, giving him leverage as he hopped up and locked his legs around the mans waist. He could hardly stand himself when Dylan pulled back, the need for the mans touch overwhelming. It made him dizzy,  but he caught Dylan's words, clung onto them. "You mean that, yo?" The were wolf choked out, one of his hands moving to caress Dylan's cheek. "That was the worst part, thinking i'd lost your love. Thinking that you were sitting at home alone just hating me."  Ace kissed the man between every word, desperate to make up for lost time. "Im so sorry. Im so so sorry. I love you so much, yo. I love you. I love you." The boy continued to ramble, his lips brushing Dylan's the entire time. "I want to come home. Can we talk about me coming home?"

"We can talk about it." Dylan nodded, arms snug around Ace's waist to keep him held up. He was happier than he'd been in months with Ace back but he couldn't simply forget what the boy had done. "So this... is real?" He gestured to the boy's hair, glancing into the forest green eyes. "And you're coming back because you love me, not for Bane this time? Not to trick me?"

"Yeah, this is me."  Ace swallowed thickly, guilt still bearing down on him. "And you have to know this,yo. I went home with you that night, and if it was just for Bane, I would have left and come back like a normal person." He could stop the smile that curled his lips. "But I wanted to stay. From day one,  it was more about you than Bane.  Sure, I still wanted you two back together, you love each other. But I love you. Thats why I didn't tell you anything sooner, I knew you were going to slip through my fingers."  Ace sighed softly, pressing his nose to the crook of Dylan's neck, inhaling deeply. "I always wanted to be honest with you. But I already knew I couldn't. You wouldn't have ever given me a second glance, I mean...I am a monster in your eyes.  But im willing to do whatever it takes to prove you wrong. I love you. Im not dangerous. I love you, yo." He couldn't possibly say it enough. "And im sorry about the hair and everything, I know it's not how you like it but I wanted to meet you again, as me. All of me. Because I love all of you."

"Don't be sorry about the look, I think you look beautiful." Dylan reassured, reaching out to card his fingers through Ace's long hair. "We've got more to talk about when we get home but... if you want to come home with me you can... for now." He nodded slowly. He wanted so badly to just take Ace home and hold him and never let him leave again but he knew he couldn't just forgive him so easily and go back to normal right away. He might get hurt again. He opened the passenger door for Ace, waiting to see if he was going to come with him.

Ace jumped at his chance to go home, scrambling into Dylan's truck, in such a hurry he forgot his guitar, still abandoned in the dirt. The boy waited for Dylan to climb in, immediately scooting closer to the man.  He leaned his head onto the hunters shoulder,  giving a content sigh. "And I know Its probably ruined for you now, but I cherished being your first time. I loved you then. I love you now.  Nothing has changed for me.  But I understand and im just sorry, okay?" The boy rubbed his cheek against Dylan's arm. "You were my first, too."  Ace muttered softly. "I never got to tell you, yo."

"I was?" Dylan arched an eyebrow. He vaguely remembered hearing the boy say this on the night everything had fallen apart but he hadn't believed it at the time. "What about your ex... oh." He nodded after a moment. "That was fake too, I guess." He sighed before shaking it off. "Well, I'm honored to be your first... I would have made it more special if I knew."

"It would never have happened if you knew, Dylan."  Ace sighed softly, feeling even shittier after mentioning it. "My 'ex' was Carter. He is just a friend of a friend. That was the first time i'd ever met him face to face, yo." The young wolf shook his head. "I did a lot of shit to get your attention. But hey, it was worth it while it lasted." The boy looked down at the tattoo's on his arm, rubbing at them nervously. At least this was a start.  He was in Dylan's presence.  It was enough.

"Alright." Dylan merely nodded slowly as he began the drive home. Once they arrived, he looked to Ace and without speaking, led the boy inside. After they were standing in the living room, he spoke finally. "Shift for me." He wanted to see it. He had to see it before he could learn to accept it.

"I...Come on, yo. You can't be serious." Ace never wanted Dylan to see him like that, just another one of the monsters he was sworn to hunt. "I don't want to do this. I've already got my work cut out for me, just with you knowing. And after you see me like that.....What if there's no going back? " What if Dylan changed his mind? "Im not what you think I am. You seeing this will only make that harder to prove." He wouldn't even have a chance.

"I want to see you, the real you." Dylan insisted. "If I see you like that while you're talking to me, still being the boy I'm in love with, maybe it won't seem as bad... I've got to get used to it if I need you around again." He murmured, taking a step back before nodding. "Go ahead."

"Dylan."  Ace was still hesitant, fidgeting nervously as he looked to the hunter. "This isn't me though, you know? Im the same boy I was before. None of that was fake. I don't like what I am."  The boy sighed softly, his shoulder dropping. He began to shift though, slowly as not to alarm the hunter. His control was excellent, the many sessions with Sterling making sure that he could command the shifting aspect of his wolf completely. Ace took in a shaky breath as he fangs slid out, eyes closed to prepare himself for the look on Dylan's face.
The next time the boy opened his eyes, they were smoldering orbs of honey. 
"Don't change your mind. Please yo.  Don't go back to hating me."

Dylan's jaw was tight merely because he was nervous at being so near the creature without a form of protection. But he reminded himself it was just his Ace, his Bambi.
And his eyes were golden, thank God.
"You've got a lot of control, yeah?" He took a step forward hesitantly, as if making sure the boy wouldn't pounce if he got any closer.

"All for you, yo." Ace never moved, afraid of alarming Dylan.  He could feel the tension in his mate, could smell his discomfort. "I couldn't manage to shift back into a human when Bane found me.  I was still harmless though! I never had the urge to hurt anybody.  Even Bane when he had me cornered, it was run or die.  I never considered trying to hurt him, course Bane would have kicked my ass anyways."  It was obvious that Ace cared for the youngest Jardine, a fond smile gracing his lips as he thought of the boy. "But he brought me home, and I started learning with another wolf how to control myself. I'm really good at it now. I even have a grip on it during sex. Thats kinda rare I hear." He was rambling, as he often did when nervous. "I'd never hurt you. Ever. After I left, they told me that I had mated with you."  Ace paused, realizing that Dylan may not know what that meant. "Its like Bane and Danny.  I can't live without you, like my body can't function right if you're not around."

"Yeah I know the whole mate thing..." He trailed off, giving a tentative smile. "Wow, so I'm your mate." He nodded, thinking this over. "I love you, alright? I... I'm going to have to get used to this whole wolf thing but I... don't know how I can live without you so I'll just have to deal with it." Ace didn't act like a monster, Ace was his Bambi, it would be alright...

Ace could have dropped to his knees, regardless of what kind of control he possessed.  The boy shifted back, making sure he was completely human again before pouncing on Dylan.  "Say it again, please." He couldn't help himself, he needed to hear it.  Ace had spent so many sleepless night thinking about losing Dylan's love. To know he had it again was a miracle. "I have to hear it.I don't want you to regret me, yo."

"I love you, Bambi." Dylan murmured gently as he pressed the boy into his chest, kissing his temple. "Never lie to me again, alright?" He sighed heavily.

"I wouldn't risk losing you again,"  Ace whispered fiercely, his insides slowly untwisting as he heard the familiar nickname. It was like coming home. "Im not a fool, shawty. I know I fucked up big time, and im not making any excuses. But it was my only option.  How else would I have ever gotten you to give me a chance? If you knew what I was? You would have killed me on spot." The young wolf let out a low whine. "I don't like lying, I try to be straight up. I almost told you so many times.  You don't understand how hard it is to lie to you, yo.  Especially when I love you so damn much."