Title: I Will Come To You

Rating: Teen- for language and slash. Not the cutting kind, either.

Pairing: Ace/Snake

Author's Note: HAI GUYS

I like many a slash pairings (pretty much every single one), and Ace/Snake is my current OTP. It's a... green, filled with teenage delinquency and trouble with perscription painkillers kind of thing. So I did my best to keep them in character as best as I could. Cut me some slack, I haven't seen PPG since 2003 and the GGG didn't make many appearences anyway. And I KNOW none of them cuss, but that was because it was a children's show, but I'm guessing if it was aimed at older teens and adults, they'd definately cuss. So excuse me if some of the boys seem rather OOC. Just remember, I DID MY BEST.

Oh yeah, and the title is a song from Hanson. :D

I hope you enjoy it.

--

Ace slowly lifted his eyes, and blinked a couple of times before carefully sitting up. He looked around and saw his gang, once again, beaten, bloody, and bruised by none other than the Powerpuff Girls. He shook his head to regain his senses completely and felt pain in his right cheek, and noticed a couple of cuts on his face.

How odd. Not too much damage like he usually gets.

Damn... he thought, rubbing his wounded cheek. What a fight. They get into trouble and get punished for it. Yep, it was totally different this time. All they did was ask for some spare change from a business woman nicely. And by nicely, I mean pushing her into an ally and threatening to beat the shit out of her for it. Too bad The Girls ruined their cash scam so quickly. Again.

The leader suddenly heard a rustle sound, and turned his head, to find Big Billy, Arturo, and Grubber coming to their senses and slowly lifting themselves up, nursing their new wounds as Ace had done before. "Duuuh... what happened...?" Billy asked, as he rubbed his head.

"I think we were beat by those brats." Arturo answered, standing up. "Thhhbth!" Grubber agreed. Ace stood and dusted his pants off, and ran his slim green fingers into his hair. "Yeah, Arturo's right. We got the crap beaten out of us again. Not to mention, we couldn't get that stupid woman's cash, neither.

The other three members sighed in defeat, until Billy was actually smart enough for once and noticed the blatantly obvious. "Duh... Heyyy... Ace?"

"What is it, Billy?"

"Where is Snake at?"

Ace blinked a few times and looked around him. A few feet away from them was Snake, leaning against the wall, not saying a word. "Thhbbbth!" Grubber exclaimed. They each walked over to the last beaten member as Ace kneeled down, examining him. He moved Snake's long black hair away from his face and saw that his sidekick slash best friend was bleeding from the mouth and had scratches and bruises on the side of his face. More than usual... he even spotted a nice cut above his temple, which released a thin line of red blood.

Damn, those girls could hit.

"Hey. Snake." Ace shook his shoulder. "Wake up." Snake didn't respond, and instead just made mumbling noises. "Why's he hurt more than us?" he asked the others, turning to them. "It's like The Girls only focused on him."

"Don't you remember, Ace?" asked Arturo. Ace looked down at the little Hispanic gang member. "Remember what?" he responded, placing a hand on his right hip.

"Everytime one of The Girls would go after you, Snake would push you out of the way and he would take the hit. Remember? I think he was the first one to pass out against the wall like that, too." Arturo finished by pointing at Snake to prove his point. Grubber agreed with the little guy again by smiling stupidly and nodding.

Ace stared back at Snake again, and it was all coming back to him. Ohhh. So that's why he was pushing me. For a second there, he thought he was actually helping the girls out. Like that'll ever happen. Wonder why he did that though. Taking all that damage. Just so I couldn't get hurt.

"Dawww," Big Billy said, "Snake really cares for Ace." The leader whipped his head around at him and glared. "Pfft. Why should he care about me? I'm not worth caring for, I can take care of myself. He didn't have to push me outta the way to avoid gettin' hurt. S'is own fault."

"Idi... ooot." Snake finally mumbled, and the other four looked down at him. "Finally awake, huh." Ace replied. He lifted his head up to Ace, slightly annoyed with his words. "What do you mean I did all... that. For nothing?" he asked. The leader kneeled back down and gently petted Snake's hair. Snake was surprised at the sudden affection, but was cut short when Ace grabbed and pulled a fistful of black hair.

"Augh!""I mean," Ace growled. "You pissed me off by thinking you can save me from a few punches and kicks. What the hell were you even thinking, Snake?" He released him angrily, Snake clamping his eyes shut from the pain.

"Geez, Ace," Arturo said, "that was a little mean, don't you think?"

"No. Okay Snake, get your ass up so we can go or else we'll leave you here."

Snake hid his pain with a scowl and struggled to get up. He moved his hands up towards the wall for support, but slid down back onto the ground. "I can't." he answered. "I think I ssspraned my ankle when I fell."

Ace glared down at him. "Fine. Just wait here, then. We'll come back for you later."

"Wha-?"

"Duuh, but Ace! I can carry Snake if you wa-"

"I SAID LATER. NOW COME ON."

No one uttered another word and instead followed their leader, leaving Snake behind to stare at the back of his best friend.

later that night

"Uh... Boss?" Arturo asked hesitantly. "What, Arturo?" Ace snapped back. Arturo knew he was angry, but this was no time to be afraid. Being beaten regularly by Ace when they screwed up or made him angry was a part of their lives, and he had gotten used to it. But what he did to Snake back there was pretty fucked up, and he knew that. Ace knew, too.

"I thought you said that we were going to go back for Snake later?" Snake was a touchy subject for Ace right now, but he continued, "You know, all he did was made sure that you didn't get hurt. He's your best friend and you got pissed off at him for that."

Arturo expected a punch or Ace kicking his small body into the wall of their trailer, but instead he just sighed heavily. "You don't understand, Arturo." Ace replied, "Snake didn't need to do that. I'm pissed off at him because he got hurt over me. I hate him for treating me like a kid when he knows damn well that I don't need anyone to look after me."

"Well then... go tell him that." Arturo responded. Ace glanced at him with a puzzled expression. "Why?" The small ganggreen shrugged and walked over to the door. "Because."

Ace crossed his arms. What the fucking hell? "Hey, where're you going?"

"To go find something to eat. Grubber and Big Billy are outside- they're coming with me too. See ya, Boss." with that, he shut the door, leaving Ace in an empty run down trailer and Arturo's words sinking into him.

After a few minutes of glancing back and forth at the window and wondering whether he should stay or go, Ace got up from the couch he was sitting, muttered a "God damn it." and walked out into the night.

in the alley

Snake never had the time to look up at the sky at night. He found a few stars, just a few, and thought about how pretty they were. If the guys found out he liked wimpy things such as stars and thought about how oh-my-god-pretty they were, they wouldn't let him live it down. Because stars and pretty things were for girly girls, not troubled outcasts such as himself.

He tilted his head down and thought of Ace, on how he took all that damage for him and didn't get so much as a "thank you" or "I'm glad you're alright" from him. He gently touched his still-bleeding cut from his forehead. Sheesh, that the last time he ever does something nice for someone he cares about.

Someone he cares about a lot.

Over the years since they had met, Ace was the only guy who ever made Snake feel safe. Like nothing could touch him. Even when they got the shit kicked out of them from The Girls, Snake didn't mind because he was still with Ace and the gang. He realized he loved Ace. Loved him a lot, and never wanted to see him hurt again.

But all that love had been for nothing.

Oh, fucking well! It didn't matter how bad he was beaten! No sir, he was just glad Ace wasn't as hurt as he was, both physically and emotionally. He lifted his left leg up to his chest and rested his head on it.

Damn it. Don't cry. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry goddammit, don't-

"Snake?"

He snapped his head up and looked down the alley. A figure walked over to him and despite the utter pitch of fucking darkness he was in, Snake could tell it was Ace. "What?" he asked. "I thought you hated me for what I did?"

Ouch. That hurt. Ace furrowed his eyebrows together and kneeled down for the third time that day in front of Snake in the same place. "Well... I don't. I just came back because Arturo convinced me to bring you home."

Oh, sure. That's right, he only comes back for things if someone tells him to. Not by his own instincts or feelings. What an asshole.

Snake rolled his eyes and sighed. The reply came, "If you only came back becaussse sssomeone elssse told you to, then go away. I know you hate me for what I did, and that'sss just fine. It doesssn't matter anymore."

Ace was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say. "Look. Snake. I'm not mad. I didn't mean to... well, yeah. I did. You fucked me over and thought that I needed a mother or something to make sure I would be okay-"

"Fuck off, Ace."

"-but that was really... uh... brave. What you did back there. For me." God, this was so embarassing and it didn't make anything better knowing that he, tough guy Ace, was saying such mushy shit. But it was for Snake., so it was okay. "I mean, you took damage for me! You got your ass kicked real good just to make sure that I didn't. It was... that was really cool. What you did."

Snake finally met Ace's eyes and they stayed there. "You think ssso?" he asked. Ace blushed a little and scratched the back of his head. "Well... yeah. 'Mean that takes a lotta guts to protect people. That's what being tough's all about. Not just looking out fer yourself, but also those around... you. Yeah."

Snake stared at Ace, and the leader turned away, turning more crimson by the second. "What? Why're you staring at me like that?"

For the first time (in probably, ever, because I sure as hell have never seen it), Snake smiled at him. One of those warm, good smiles. Not the ones that are crazy and about to kill someone. But a real smile. It was kind of a rare sight (for any of them, actually).

Ace gulped silently and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah... well, let's get going." He grabbed Snake's hand to left him up, but then pulled it away quickly. "Jesus Christ, Snake! You're freezing as fuck!"

Snake gave him a 'Well-Aren't-You-Just-A-Genius' look. "That'sss what happensss when you're outssside for too long with no jacket." Ace sighed and pointed to himself. "Do you wanna wear mine?"

"That'sss okay. I doubt that thing keepsss even you warm."

He was right, actually. It wasn't the kind of jacket that had the fuzzy surface on the inside, no, more like one of those silky ones just for show. "Well, c'mon." Ace grabbed Snake's hand again and lifted him up to his feet. Instead of him standing though, Snake leaned forward and held onto Ace, arms wrapped around his neck. Underage, and hormone-filled yaoi fangirls could only picture it to be a hug. Which it was.

"Uh..." Ace glanced down at him. "Snake?"

"I can't... walk?" Snake answered, making up an excuse (sort of, it really did still hurt) to hug his best friend. "My ankle."

Ace blinked a couple of times and placed his hands on Snake's shoulders, to which he moved away from Ace's body slightly. "Oh. Right. I forgot about that." the leader replied. "Well... uh. I'll find a way t-"

He was stopped in midsentence when Snake placed his hand on the back of Ace's neck and pushed him down onto his face, kissing him.

Ace, at first, had no idea how to react. He was never kissed before. Not once in all of his 17 years of living life, especially by another boy. His heart felt like it was going to stop beating permanantly. He didn't pull away, though.

Instead, he gave in. He placed his hand on the back of Snake's head and pushed him closer, deepening the kiss more. Snake started to blush, his face getting hotter as he slowly slid his tongue in Ace's mouth, ignoring that fact that he was a clumsy kisser. Well, it's a small world after all, because so was Ace.

They pulled away and panted slowly.

"Did we just...?"

"Er... Yesss. I think we did."

Both members green skin turned to a blush of pink and red. It was so hilarious, they couldn't even look at each other. "Do you... wanna head ba-"

"Ace?" Snake interrupted. "Isss it okay if... if I like you?"

"What do you mean?" Ace asked, still a shade of red. "Don't you already like me? 'Cause, y'know. We're best friends and everything-"

"Nno. I mean. Isss it okay if I like you... more than a sssidekick? Like... what we jussst did."

Ace found his glasses to be slipping off his nose, so he cleared his throat, loudly, crossed his arms, and pushed them up in a business-like manner. He finally asnwered, "Sure. Yeah. I mean, as long as it doesn't get in our way for scamming people and... stuff like that. Yeah, I got no problem with it."

He glanced at Snake, blushing like hell. His expression was freaking adorable, I'd draw you a picture if I could, but I need to finish this story, so you'll just have to wait.

Snake released a laugh and grinned. "Okay."

The boys weren't used to this thing called "love". They had no idea what to do, say, or react. Like a new invention and they were the first ones to test it out but didn't even know where ON switch was. It was hard at first, but maybe this'll work out. Somehow. Maybe. Possibly.

Definately.

"Get on my back." Ace said. "I'll carry you back since your ankle hurts."

Snake was hesitant, but afraid of Ace's anger (which could go well over the levels of nine thousand), he decided to not talk back and scrambled up to his back like a baby opossom. Ace wrapped his arms around Snake's legs, while Snake wrapped his arms around Ace's neck to be sure not to fall. The leader gave him a piggyback ride all the way home.

They were almost to their destination, when Snake suddenly felt like he could doze off at any second. He nuzzled his face on Ace's neck and said very quietly, "Thanksss for letting me love you."

Ace's eyes widened slightly but he kept walking. He smiled in amusement as Snake fell asleep, breathing softly on his neck.

"Right back 'atchya, kid."

the end