Author's Note: 150 words of Ae POV. Pre-slash.
***
It didn't even occur to Ae that there was something unusual about the way he treated Pete, not until Pond accused him of turning gay.
Ridiculous. Ae only knew that he wanted to protect Pete from harm. There was something fragile and precious about him, despite his height, and when he smiled at Ae, gentle and pleased, Ae found himself wanting to reach out and touch those creamy cheeks.
It was no different from wanting to comfort his niece, and Ae was damned if he'd let Pond and his dirty mind keep him from following his instincts. Pete needed to be reassured that there was nothing wrong with him, that Ae would be there to take care of him from now on, and Ae needed to be the one who made him smile and blush with a brush of his fingers against that soft, soft skin.
Nothing unusual at all.
