Ace sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, face lit by the cold glow of the screen. His expression was blank, his jaw tight, thumb moving in slow, steady motions as he scrolled. He hadn’t smiled in hours. He didn’t even seem to notice how quiet the room had become.

Across the room, Lucas lay sprawled on his bed, legs tangled in the sheets, eyes fixed on Ace. He loved that stupid face, even when it looked like it was carved from stone. Lucas sighed into his pillow and spoke softly, his voice barely breaking the silence. “You’re gonna break your face if you keep frowning like that.”

Ace didn’t look up. “Not frowning,” he said flatly.

Lucas turned on his side and propped his head on his arm. “You kinda are,” he teased.

Ace finally glanced at him, just for a second. “You’d know if I was.”

Lucas grinned at that, the kind of grin that reached his eyes. “I always know,” he said before getting up and walking over. Ace didn’t move as Lucas climbed onto the bed and sat beside him, resting his head on Ace’s shoulder.

“Lucas,” Ace muttered in a warning tone, still staring at his phone.