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“Shit!” Deuce gasped out, following in his captain’s wake as they ran through a surprisingly sprawling island city. Ace shoved a small group of people out of their way, barely avoided tripping over several children, and Deuce apologetically trailed after him, glancing over his shoulder as he did.
Their pursuers were still there, having more trouble in the crowds than Ace and Deuce were but stubbornly chasing them all the same. That the group of bounty hunters they’d bested nearly three weeks earlier had arrived on the same island as them was bad luck, and apparently they held grudges. Their interest in Ace’s bounty hadn’t waned at all, but apparently the leader had taken offense to Deuce kicking him in the face and off the Spadille when he’d said something about loving Ace.
Ace had found it terribly funny at the time, and judging by the gleam in his eye now, he was having entirely too much fun being chased through crowded streets by people who wanted them dead.
“How far are they?” Ace asked, sounding perfectly at ease, not a hint of breathlessness in his voice. Deuce was incredibly jealous, but he focused and risked another glance back.
“We’ve got a lead,” he panted, looking forward again. “They got stopped...produce cart...”
“Perfect,” Ace declared, grabbing Deuce’s wrist and tugging him sharply down an alleyway. There was loud music reverberating from somewhere up ahead, the stone of the street under their feet seeming to vibrate along to the rhythm. Another sharp turn and a short flight of stairs downward found both pirates in a deafeningly loud party bar, full of people roughly their age and already drunk and dancing, though it was still only early evening.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Deuce said drily as they stood in the doorway. Ace’s hand left his wrist to twine their fingers together, pulling him into the heaving mass of dancers. They were almost immediately crushed together, bodies pressing on all sides, and Deuce had to shout to even stand a chance of being heard over the music. “You’re insane!”
“You love me,” Ace replied immediately, sending a cocky grin over his shoulder. Flashing lights cast his face in different colors and strange shadows, making him seem almost unearthly and entirely beautiful. Deuce forced himself to focus again.
“Not right now I don’t,” he grumbled, following as Ace tugged him toward a shadowy alcove near the bar. “Seriously, this is your big idea? Lose them in a dance club?”
“Sure is,” Ace replied cheerfully, waving at the bartender and receiving two mugs. Deuce ignored his while Ace took a drink and grimaced, quickly abandoning it. “What would make them think we came in here? We’ll just hang out for a little while, maybe dance a bit, and then meet back up with the crew in an hour or so.”
“Every cliched chase scene in every adventure story will make them think we ducked in here!” Deuce said in exasperation. “Honestly, I’ve read this exact scenario at least five times.”
Ace stared at him for a long moment and then pouted. “You’ve really got to stop reading so much.”
Deuce scoffed, shifting a little to lean against the wall more comfortably. He could see part of the entryway from the corner, though he’d have to move Ace well to the side if he wanted an unobstructed look. Not that he was likely to do that; Ace radiated warmth that was welcome even in the stifling bar, and Deuce would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the way his captain had boxed him into the alcove. Ace loomed close, nearly touching him and angled just enough to keep an eye on the main dance area, and after a few minutes he realized Ace was was singing along to the music, quietly enough that Deuce almost didn’t notice, and there wasn’t really any stopping the grin that formed on his face despite their frankly ridiculous situation.
Until he caught sight of two of the bounty hunters nearly tripping into the bar, rushing too fast for the density of the crowd within. Deuce tapped at Ace’s arm, nodding in their direction, and he watched as his captain found them and clearly started trying to think of a plan.
The one thing they had going for them was that Ace had left his extremely recognizable hat on the Spadille, but Deuce’s blue hair and mask were unusual enough to draw attention just about anywhere, and it wasn’t like either of them were particularly short or slight. They’d likely be noticed sooner or later, and then they’d have to run again. And Deuce was getting tired of running today.
The bounty hunters had edged their way around the crowd of dancers and were making their way closer to the bar, and Deuce pressed himself further into the alcove. It was far too crowded to fight their way out effectively, and Ace’s Devil Fruit in a space like this could kill somebody.
His options were very limited. It was the only explanation for this terrible idea.
One of the bounty hunters turned their way, and Deuce reached out to hold onto Ace’s hips, squeezing gently once in silent apology before his hands moved to the small of his captain’s back and drew him close enough to press them chest to chest, close enough for Deuce to lean over and kiss Ace firmly.
Ace jolted in Deuce’s hold, and he briefly wondered if he was going to be punched before being chased by bounty hunters again, but then Ace’s arms were slinging around his neck enthusiastically, his body pressing Deuce into the wall behind him in an attempt to be even closer. His hand carded through Deuce’s blue hair, and Deuce felt his heart jackrabbiting in his chest like he’d been running all over again, especially when Ace’s teeth nipped at his lip before his tongue soothed over the same spot. He responded eagerly--there was no other way to respond, not when he was finally kissing Ace, not when Ace was kissing back with so much intent and attention and care.
It was a long time before they separated, Ace’s forehead landing against his and their noses brushing in a gesture of soft affection. The music was just as loud as it had been, the lights flashing just as wildly as before, but it all seemed somehow duller with Ace holding onto him like he might disappear if he let go.
He had to look away if he wanted to actually catch his breath, and he hazily cast his eyes over the bar. No sign of the bounty hunters, and he relaxed fully into Ace’s hold, brushing his nose against Ace’s again and smiling at the mildly dopey look on his face.
“How many of your cliched chase scenes had that idea?” Ace asked, barely loud enough to be heard over the music, and he laughed as Deuce felt his face warm up. All of them had, but he wasn’t going to admit it, not when Ace was grinning victoriously like that.
“So, we gonna stay and dance for a bit since we aren’t being chased anymore?” Ace asked, letting the teasing go and running his hand through Deuce’s hair, seeming to only have eyes for Deuce now that they were so wrapped up together. “Or should we head back to Spadille and keep kissing?”
“Spadille,” Deuce said, definitely too quickly and probably too eagerly, and Ace perked up, a spark entering his eye.
“Works for me,” he grinned, releasing Deuce’s hair only to cup his cheek and pull him into another dizzying kiss. He seemed disappointed to finally pull back again, matching Deuce’s feelings perfectly, but if they didn’t go now they’d end up kissing in the corner of the bar all night, and Deuce would rather keep kissing Ace in the safety of their ship, perhaps even in the captain’s quarters Ace had long been using mostly for storage.
“Alright, alright,” Ace breathed, seeming like he was talking to himself more than Deuce. He finally reluctantly pulled his hands away, eyes still on Deuce’s face and his lips in particular, and then he linked their hands together again, squeezing warm and reassuring.
Deuce almost thought he was going to have to pull Ace behind him this time, his captain didn’t seem like he’d move anytime soon, but then Ace surprised him by lifting their linked hands and brushing his lips against Deuce’s knuckles and the back of his hand in a soft kiss that made Deuce’s heart flutter.
“Let’s go home,” he breathed, and Deuce could only shakily nod and smile, eyes trained on Ace as they pushed their way out of the crowded bar and back through the city to Spadille.