Chapter Text
Luffy introduced them. They were still small back then. Didn't know anything. Playing around calling each other's names. They were carefree and had no idea how world work. Had no idea what Love was. Atleast he didn't.
He loved Luffy. Like his own brother even if they weren't. He loved him. He also loved Sabo. He loved him dearly like his own brother. Three of them were brothers. He loved them and he knew that they loved him back but he didn't believe it. He didn't want to. He was a son of a criminal. He didnt want to believe that there was people that loved him for who he was. He was scared. Sacred he will lose them if he was true to himself. He knew he was dumb and he was just thinking something so dumb that it didn't make sense to other. But it didn't have to make sense to others.
They knew each other since they were little. They were neighbours. Luffy introduced them. They grew up together. If he remember correctly it was in middle school yeh probably. Tahts when he fell for him. Fell for those gray and kind eyes. Fell for that smile. Fell for that expressions. Fell for everything about him. He was perfect. When he was small he thought that those green locks were cute. And he still thinks that. He wants to stop loving that man. He told himselfe since middle school. Stop you dont deserve him. He deserves much more. But how could he stop when that man says to you that you are perfect the way you are. And that he admires him. And that he deserves a lot too. How can he ignore those blooming feelings when he smile at him like that. Like he is his equally not some trash. How can he not fall????
Love is complicated. He look at him everyday. He seems Sofar away but still he's so close. Why? Why can't he express them. He knows he's scared. Scared of regection. He knows he have to ask. One day because he knows he cannot hide these feelings. But when. He's scared. He's scared that that kind person, that person who helped him accept himself will look down on him. Criminals son. He was a criminals son. Why why. He hated that man. That man abandoned his mom. She suffered too much. Then that man cured him. He heard people say Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. What does that even suppose to mean. They judged him. They looked down on him. Some took pitty on him. Some became his family. And some... Some help him find himselfe but then made him lose himself again.
He wonder how some people have the courage to just go and confess. Their really brave. He admired Hiyori. Ace really do. She's and kind, brave, proud women. Just like Zoro. Kind, brave, proud. Guess they match each other very well. Ace was just wondering around that day. There was free periods that day. He was thinking about turning around and going to the cafeteria. When he saw them. They were standing there. Hiyori and Zoro. The girl seems to be flustered. She was looking down. Oh he k ew what this was. A confession. A love confession. Any fool can guess it just by looking at the girls face. Hiyori was older than Zoro and older than him. She's his senior. But look at that everyone falling cor that man. He couldn't watch it anymore. More like he did t want to. Watch someone confess to the guy you ficki g fell in love with. Now that hurts. Maybe that's how those second female leads in all those dramas feel. Man this sucks. Before he knew it they were going out. Hiyori and Zoro. They became famous around the school. E eryone called them cute. Some of the girls in his class even started talking about it. But the worst part was that Hiyori started coming to those hangouts the Strawhats and they had. He didn't mind Hiyori. He was a good girl. He thinks that Zoro deserves someone like her. But still it Hurst seeing Zoro smile at her. That eyes filled with love laugh with her. It hurts doesn't it. But he does t want to be some evil guy who tries to break up the relationship. He wants to congradulate his friend. He wants to say tahts he's happy for him and his jealous he was of him that he scored a girl before him. He knows those are all lies. But what else can he do. Go confess now. No that'll ruin their friendship and the loving relationship Zoro build with Hiyori. He's not some monster. But it really hurts. It hurts too much. When he looks at Hiyori with those eyes, Ace which he was the one that Zoro look like that at. He which he was the one huging Zoro. He wish... Yeh... He wish because wishing is all he could do..... Just wish