Atlas's POV
As soon as I saw Ace and Phoenix pulling into the parking lot, I knew something was wrong. The way Ace was gripping the bike handles, tension clear in his posture, and Phoenix clinging to him—it wasn't normal. When they finally stopped, I rushed over, and my stomach twisted at the sight of blood on both of them.
"What the hell happened?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. Phoenix gave me a small, tired smile like he always did—trying to downplay the situation—but I wasn't buying it.
Ace shot me a look, and for once, he wasn't trying to act tough. "Just... ran into a bit of trouble," he muttered, trying to shrug it off.
I stepped closer, carefully assessing the cuts and scrapes on both of them. "You call this a bit of trouble? You're both bleeding."
Phoenix glanced down at his own arm, like he hadn't noticed the blood there until I pointed it out. Typical. Always acting like it didn't hurt. I put a hand on his shoulder, and he finally looked at me properly, his expression weary but calm.
Xavier was already next to Ace, his eyes narrowed with worry. "You should've called us," he said, his voice low but firm. "What were you thinking, going off on your own?"
Ace just gave him a look, clearly not in the mood for a lecture. "Didn't plan on things going south," he admitted.
I huffed and pulled Phoenix closer, giving Ace a glare. "Next time, call us. You don't get to play the hero by yourself."
Ace just scoffed, but there was no real bite behind it. I knew he was just trying to save face, but damn it, seeing him like this made something twist in my chest. I caught the way Xavier was looking at him too—like he wanted to shake some sense into him but was holding back.
Phoenix leaned against me, and I wrapped an arm around him, careful of his injuries. "Let's get inside and clean you both up," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Ace didn't even fight it, just gave me a slight nod and let Xavier guide him toward the door. I stayed behind just a second longer, trying to calm the frustration bubbling up inside me. It was one thing to know Ace was reckless, but seeing him hurt? That was a whole different story.
I glanced down at Phoenix, whose eyes were still a bit distant. I gave his shoulder a squeeze, forcing a smile. "Hey, you good?"
He gave me a faint nod. "Yeah... just tired."
I wasn't buying it, but I didn't push. Instead, I pulled him along, promising myself that next time, I wasn't letting them go off alone. Not when it meant coming back like this.
As we walked inside, I could feel how tense Phoenix still was. His shoulders were stiff, and he kept glancing at Ace and Xavier ahead of us. I wasn't about to let him stay stuck in his own head, so I leaned down just a bit and whispered, "You know, if you wanted me to hold you like that, you could've just asked. No need to get yourself hurt."
Phoenix shot me a glare, but I caught the way his cheeks flushed just a bit. "Shut up, Atlas," he mumbled, but there wasn't any real bite to his words.
I grinned, giving his shoulder a playful nudge. "What? You don't like the idea? I'd totally be your knight in shining armor."
He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but I caught that tiny hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "You'd probably be the kind of knight who flirts with the dragon instead of fighting it."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Depends on how good-looking the dragon is. I've got standards, you know."
He actually let out a soft chuckle, and that made the tension ease up a bit. Mission accomplished. I kept my arm around his shoulder, just to make sure he didn't overthink too much. "Besides," I continued with a smirk, "you look way cuter when you're not frowning. Makes me feel like I'm doing my job right."
Phoenix huffed, trying to hide his smile. "You're impossible."
"Only for you," I teased back, giving him a quick wink. He didn't respond, but the way his lips quirked up just a little was good enough for me. As long as he wasn't dwelling on whatever went down at that mansion, I'd keep up the flirting all night if I had to.