That one Hug - Short Headcanon

This scene right here? It's one of my all-time favorites because it signifies a significant evolution in Nemo's character and behavior. ⚠ #characterdevelopment

Sure, Ace and Nemo have shared hugs before, but those moments were usually a bit one-sided. You see, Nemo's mutated lunarian biology means she needs thermal energy to survive. Nemo doesn’t need food nor water, her biology relies on leeching heat. When her energy levels dipped, she found it tough to straight-up ask Ace for fire. Instead, she'd kinda just... hover her hand near him until he caught on and sparked them up. But sometimes, she'd pull back, feeling awkward or insecure, and that's when the grumps would kick in - so she acted like it was a major inconvenience to her.

But let's be real, it was never that big a deal. Eventually, she started to crave those moments, not for the warmth, but for the closeness. ❤

It took her a while to realise she was after his touch, not just his fire. But being Nemo, she never straight-up admitted it. So, she'd play it off cool, asking Ace to 'warm her up,' and he'd respond with a comforting hug and a casual “No need to be shy!”. And Nemo? She'd shoot back with a quick “I'm not shy. I just need heat, okay? Don’t read stuff into this! It’s not like I want this, understand?” 😅

Sure, there've been comforting embraces before, like after Nemo's breakdown from grief and loss. But this hug? This one's different. It's Nemo taking the lead, openly asking for it; OPENLY ADMITTING TO IT! *pls insert shock here* 😨

SHE hugged him - Not the other way around! And that's NEW to Ace - it’s surprising to hear these words coming from her. This moment right here? It's a game-changer, marking a shift from best friends to lovers. 🧡💛💙🖤

Thank you for your love and support; it's greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy this cute, wholesome little scene 🤩
As always, I condensed the scene a little bit to make it fit into a single post. Let’s go through this comic page by page:

It took Nemo a few days to muster the courage to take this step, to simply embrace him, yearning for that closeness. This early morning, she couldn't hold back any longer, so she decided to just go for it - and she did, albeit regretting it almost instantly as her shyness crept in. What if this was cringe? This wasn’t cool and Nemo struggled showing any form of vulnerability openly.
Ace, caught off guard by this new and unexpected gesture, assumed she was merely feeling chilly, especially as she shivered faintly. But when Nemo denied being cold, it sparked his curiosity. He inquired if she had another nightmare, knowing well that, if Nemo managed to sleep at all, she often grappled with haunting visions of the moon-colony’s destruction. His surprise only deepened when Nemo denied this too.
The 'pleasant' shock escalated further as she grew even more bashful, her cheeks flushing, her heart racing, her shivering intensifying. Despite her nervousness and fear of rejection, she refused to lie again.