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Portgas D. Ace vs. Y/N L/N.
A battle to the death.
One a know-it-all, the other a knucklehead.
Who’ll come out on top? Who’ll break first? Who’ll put their heart on the line?
“Not me,” you mumbled to yourself, staring down at your textbook while your inner monologue raced through your head. It had been doing that a lot lately, reminding you of your situation over and over again. It was problematic before, but now it was just downright annoying.
When you agreed to be a tutor you weren’t sure what you were going to get yourself into. You had a few students that you were assigned to, mainly in English, and one of those students happened to be Monkey D. Luffy. He was certainly more difficult than most, his distracted nature making it impossible to keep him on track. It wasn’t that he wasn’t smart, he was doing perfectly fine! There was just the matter of applying himself, and that was where you stepped in. You were there to fill in the gap, to make the connections and show him how it was done. It wasn’t uncommon that first year’s had difficulty adjusting to the workload college could bring, so you were more than happy to guide them.
So now you had two people sitting across from you at the kitchen table of their home. One, Luffy, was staring down at his textbook with the most focused expression you’ve ever seen, chewing on the tip of his pen. That meant he was reading, sure, but not actually taking in any information, and you decided that, that was a problem to add into the queue in favor of the real one.
The second, your “situation”, was on his phone, scrolling aimlessly with his head in his hand, leaning against the table. Ace wasn’t saying anything, not meaning to be distracting but his presence alone drew in all of your attention. What he was doing there you really didn’t know, and when you had asked earlier you simply received a wide smile and then, “Just wanted to see my favorite girl!”. The way he had said it was cheeky, taunting you to get a reaction, but you had just rolled your eyes and continued to the table his younger brother was at. Your composure was kept, but your insides were screaming as they melted.
His “favorite girl”? You were weak.
Now you were halfway through the session, and Ace was still seated at the table with you. You didn’t mind, not really, but you were certainly curious about what it was that was making him stay. Was it nicer in the kitchen? Did he want to be there in case something was up with Luffy? Was … was it you? That’d be nice.
Ace looked up, catching your gaze over the top of his cell and he shot you a wide smile. Then he winked. At you!
You hated the fact that you were too slow to catch yourself, that a blush spilled across your cheeks before it could stop. So you did the best you could and looked down, drawing your book closer to your face in hopes of hiding your flustered self. You heard a chuckle and knew you were caught, and you were sinking just the slightest bit lower into your chair.
“Hey, Y/N?”
You noticeably jumped when Luffy’s voice broke through the atmosphere, and you tore yourself away from your own homework before looking to Luffy who had a dip in his brow, obviously thinking hard.
“Yeah?” you asked, leaning over all the while feeling Ace’s gaze on you.
Luffy looked up, almost a little pitifully. “How do you use a semicolon?”
You heard a snort, and when both you and Luffy looked over Ace was staring at his phone again, other hand tugging the beanie atop his head down a little more.
Luffy pouted. “Hey! What was that for?!”
With a quirk of his brow Ace looked up at his brother again, device in the hand that gestured to nothing in particular. “No one knows how to use a semicolon. When are you going to use one?”
“Why should I listen to what you say?!”
“Because I’m smart!”
“Hm,” you hummed, playing nonchalant as you reached for your laptop and flipped it open, “says the dropout.”
“Hey now,” Ace’s attention turned to you, sounding almost offended but not enough to be serious, “classrooms just couldn’t handle me. Besides, can you tell me I’m wrong?”
Then your teeth were gritting, lips pulled into a thin line and you sighed, looking to Luffy. “No one knows how to use a semicolon.”
“Really? You can’t just say I’m right?” Ace said, leaning on his arm and tipping his head while looking at you, huffing a laugh when you ignored him. “Fine, fine, but you know I win.”
That smile, that playfulness, those freckles? Of course he was the winner.
Ace: 1
Y/N: 0
The next tutoring session was in your favor, and it was from the very start.
First of all it was so, so incredibly hot enough that Ace was suffering, and he could stand some serious heat. Still, it wasn’t the kind of weather that would toss a tutoring session out the window, so you had shown up with the goal to teach Luffy, and he had been the one to let you in. Ace was made aware of your presence from the den when Luffy greeted you loudly. He almost didn’t dare move, the air conditioner hitting him just right from his position sprawled out on the couch. If it were anyone else visiting he would’ve been content, but for you? Well for you he was peeling himself from the furniture and heading towards the kitchen.
A “hey!” was on his tongue when he turned the corner, hand scrubbing the back of his head, but when he looked everything inside of him stopped. You really knew how to take his breath away, didn’t you? With just a smile, that’s all it took, and he was melting on the spot when you looked up with a light grin. It was aimed at Luffy first, and Ace was almost jealous because it lingered, but then it turned to him, and it grew? Was he seeing things? His poor heart, he couldn’t take much more of this.
“Ace?”
The call of his name was snapping him back to reality, and he briefly wondered when he zoned out because now you were in front of him, and you were holding something up in his face. Ace’s eyes crossed slightly to see it, a cone with a few scoops of ice cream - green. That made him smile, thinking back to the single time he brought you a cone with his own mint chocolate ice cream in hand. You remembered.
“Oh,” he said a little dumbly, hand coming up to take it from you. “Uh, thanks!”
“Mmhm,” you acknowledged, turning to sit in your seat next to Luffy while Ace took the one opposite, as per the usual.
Luffy was invested in his own ice cream despite knowing that he needed to work, but with it being so hot you were more than happy to let him cool off a bit before you dove in. Besides, you had your own cone to tend to, and Ace was oh so very aware of that.
He was sure he would’ve devoured his ice cream just as quickly as his brother did if he wasn’t as distracted as he was. He liked ice cream, loved it even, but there was absolutely nothing that could pull his eyes away from where you were sitting across the table.
You were busy with your own cone, slowly pulling things one handedly out of your bag considering the other was occupied with your ice cream. Vanilla, Ace noted, that you were delicately licking. He watched - incredibly close - as your tongue ran up the side of the melting, white scoops, and it was doing so many things to him. He desperately tried to grasp a thought before his mind went into a full spiral, but he failed when your tongue swirled around the peak of the ice cream.
God. Dear, god.
“If you didn’t want it you should’ve just said so, I could’ve given it to Luffy or something.”
Again your voice brought him down, pulling him roughly back to the real world where he was physically shaking his head and then looking at you. He had to blink a couple of times, vision blurry from staring so hard, but when he saw you, you were frowning. Why? Why were you frowning?
“What?” he asked, brow furrowing. He watched you deadpanned, head tilting to the left before you nodded to his hand with the cone in it. Before he looked he felt it, the chilly stickiness over his fingers, but when he finally did set sights on his ice cream he found it missing. He glanced down, seeing the scoops splattered across the floor, melting rapidly.
“Oh,” he said once again, a little dazed. “Oh! Shit!” Then he stood quickly, chair legs squeaking on the floor and he was making his way across the kitchen in a few steps, heading for the paper towel. He grabbed a number of sheets, wrapped them around his hand as they spun off the roll, and when he was turning he heard Luffy.
“Hey, Y/N, can I try yours?”
No, no, no, no. Please no.
Once again Ace was rooted to his spot, watching almost helplessly as you chirped a “sure!” and held your cone out. It was in slow motion, the way that Luffy leaned over, how you held it as he took a big lick right where your tongue had been previously.
That was supposed to be his.
“That’s so boring!”
Quit complaining, idiot.
“Oh yeah?” you challenged, bringing your cone back to you. “Let me try yours, then.”
Luffy held his treat out eagerly, confident in knowing that his ice cream was a million times better than yours. Your tongue curled out and Ace’s ran over the seam of his lips when you licked the side of Luffy’s scoops.
“Okay, yours is pretty good. Maybe next time I’ll be adventurous.”
Now was his chance. Your mouth had just been there, here was his opportunity.
“Hey, Luffy, give me a bite of yo -”
Luffy’s big mouth swallowed up what was left on his cone, cheeks stuffed as he chewed on it. It was then that he had heard Ace, turning to him.
“Oh, sorry, Ace! I -” a whine suddenly broke free from Luffy, his hands flying to his head where they scrubbed near his temple. “Brain freeze!”
Ace: 1
Y/N: 1
Luffy (unfortunately): 1
“Sorry you couldn’t cool off,” you teased, finishing off your own cone as if to taunt Ace when he came back, dropping the paper towel to the floor. There you sat, a smirk on your lips with a pen now twirling in your hand, and in that moment Ace knew. Oh, he knew that you definitely knew what you had done. Was it a plan? He couldn’t help but feel like it was.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he shrugged, deciding that two could play dirty if need be. His hands moved but they didn’t move towards the mess on the floor, instead his fingers found the hem at the bottom of his shirt and he pulled - slowly. It peeled off of his torso, and soon it was over his head and hanging in his hand. He was the one smirking then, a dumbfounded look on your face, and he cocked his hip when your jaw tightened.
Ace’s shirt was thrown over the back of his chair, and he had turned away from you after staring you down for a long moment. You watched him as he swung around the table and towards the patio doors, a pool at the center of the wooden planks.
“I have other ways of cooling off.”
Ace: 2
Y/N: 1
“Ace! The ice cream!”
You were chatting away. You were over there, and he was over here wishing he was over there.
The “here” was in his chair, slouched with beer in hand and the other holding his head up, elbow on the arm.
The “there” in question was the otherside of the bar table, where you and Sabo were seated having some sort of excited conversation. Ace wasn’t aware that you two knew each other so well, enough that Sabo immediately recognized you and went over with a call of your name. He knew that Sabo knew who you were, but you two were classmates? … Friends?
You laughed.
Friends. Hopefully.
Sabo must’ve noticed your empty bottle because he stood up, saying something about the next round on him but Ace wasn’t sure, he was far too distracted by Sabo’s hand on your shoulder as he passed.
Unlike himself Sabo was open. He made friends and quickly formed relationships with them all, he was good at connecting. Now Ace couldn’t say he didn’t have friends, he had many friends! But he didn’t have “friends”, not a lot anyway. Despite being his kid brother, Luffy was one of his best friends, and Sabo was the other. He liked it that way, it was simple.
You? He didn’t want to pry too much, but from what he noticed you were friends with many different people. That begged the question as to whether or not you were like Sabo, or you were like himself. Was everyone so close to you, or were you close to only a few?
Ace frowned.
Seemed like you were pretty open, too.
Sabo returned, set the beers on the table, and then sat down. Ace couldn’t even get a word in before the two of you were diving back into your conversation, and his heart plummeted into his stomach.
He didn’t know the things that you and Sabo were talking about. He wasn’t stupid, not by any means, but what it was you and Sabo studied was not something he was versed in. He couldn’t help but think back to what you had said, pointing out the fact that he had left college, and for a brief moment he had to wonder if maybe that wasn’t enough for you. It flashed through his mind for just a second, but his insecurity pulled it back until he was falling down the hole.
Really you did deserve better than what he was. Currently he had nowhere to go, nothing to do. He was too indecisive, impulsive, and he didn’t really think things through. You were smart, like smart-smart. You received awards, recognition, and even you were able to help Luffy make sense of his first year classes. That was impressive all on its own, but everything about you was impressive. From this point on you were going to do so well in your life, but him? He hadn’t figured a single thing out.
Maybe he actually was stupid, maybe he -
Ace was ripped out of his racing thoughts by a knock to his foot, startling him. He glanced down - it was yours, and when he turned his gaze up you were looking at him, the sweetest smile he’s ever seen on your face. The weight lifted and butterflies consumed his stomach instead, and his worry was squashed.
You took a quick sip from your bottle and asked, “Wanna play some pool?”
Ace smiled softly back at you. “Yeah.”
Ace: 2
You: 2
You were at a loss, truly. You tried to fight it, you really did, but it was like every single time you got ahead you were pulled back hundreds of miles. There were a lot of things that Ace had done that drove you a tad crazy, a lot of things that Ace would probably continue to do, much to your annoyance. That is what you had assumed anyway, and now you were sure there wasn’t a damn thing this man could do that wouldn’t make you fall harder than you already did.
This? Well this was the cherry on top.
The weeks only got hotter, and every session more and more tense. There were a lot of things; the time Luffy invited you for a swim and Ace flipped off his tube when he saw you, the time you ran into each other at the mall and he left Sabo to get coffee with you instead. He paid, despite your efforts to not let him … cake pop included.
Ace was the one that invited you to the pool day this time, not Luffy. You were impressed that he even could considering what had happened last time, but there was this confidence and determination about it that had you finding yourself saying “yes” before you even realized it. It was a look that had surprised you, one that you had never seen before, and of course you had to go to find out what it meant.
So you went and you found out it was a thing, but just a small thing. Luffy invited over a few of his friends - Zoro, Nami and Usopp if you were correct - and was splashing the annoyed-looking trio. How they put up with him you didn’t know, but they were all very genuine and it was nice to know those were the people that surrounded your pupil. Sabo was there, manning the barbecue, and you were drawn to him considering the others were practically strangers.
Sabo chuckled when he saw you slowly approaching, closing the lid and turning. “They’re harmless, you know,” he said, arching a brow at you. He noticed you looking, glancing around, and he did the same. “If you’re wondering about Ace I think he’s just waiting for Otama.”
You looked to Sabo, lips a thin line as you tried to not show your sudden falter. “Who’s Otama?”
Sabo smirked. This could be fun.
“The girl next door,” he replied, nonchalant as he turned to the barbecue again, opening it up once more to flip the food on the grill. “Her and Ace have always been close,” he explained further, looking over at you with a sneaky glance and watching as your jaw tensed. “I’m actually surprised he hasn’t talked about her. She is his best girl after all.”
Your heart sank, heavy all of a sudden. Best girl? Was there a difference between best girl and favorite girl? Did he move on? Were you no longer in his favor? So many different things just screamed at you, made you worry. Made you panic? Why were you panicking? God, he was just a boy, it wasn’t like he was important to you or anything. Leaving seemed like a good idea.
“Biiiiiiiig brooooooo, Luuuuuuuffyyyyyy!”
Purple shot past you, a streak of color, and before you knew it there was a huge crash into the water. It was hard enough that droplets hit you while you were a number of feet away, and you could only watch in awe as floaties popped above the surface first, followed by a small girl, laughing cheerfully as she emerged.
“Otama! Wait!” came an exasperated shout from inside, Ace running out with a small, inflatable ring in his hand high above his head. “Your tube!”
Otama.
You looked to the little girl, back to Ace, to Sabo, and then back to the pool.
Otama!
You breathed the smallest sigh of relief and Sabo noticed, chuckling as if he hadn’t done anything and continued on with his task.
Ace stopped, watching almost helplessly as Otama swam around, kicking her feet and letting the floaties on her arms keep her up, standing next to you. You could see real concern on his face, genuine as he dropped his arm and made sure the new guest was actually okay.
“I think she’s fine,” you told him, looking up.
“Yeah?” he asked, obviously still worried and maybe not entirely hearing you.
For a moment you were stunned, not in a bad way but in a way that was surprised Ace could be so careful. You hadn’t thought you would ever see the day where he seemed so seriously concerned.
“Ace,” you laughed softly, earning his attention when your hand touched his arm, “she’s okay.” You saw Ace’s shoulders visibly drop, a heavy sigh leaving him and he reached over to toss the tube onto a lounge chair before looking back to Otama.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he admitted, a hand pushing through his hair, “she’s just a little reckless.” He heard you bark a laugh and he swung his head around to see you, unable to help the smile that crossed his face when you looked at him almost endearingly.
“You’re saying she’s reckless? You?” You watched as Ace laughed himself and looked to her again, shrugging. For a moment you did, too, admiring her spunk when she crawled onto Luffy to dunk him into the water. Instead she was caught, Luffy cackling as he lifted her and threw her into the water. Ace flinched beside you, but stayed where he was nonetheless.
“She lives next door,” Ace said after a quiet minute, his arms crossing over his chest. “It’s just her and her dad, and there aren’t a lot of kids on the street. I caught her looking over the fence at the pool and asked her if she wanted to come over, and now she’s over a lot.”
Ace smiled so incredibly fondly, and you admired him.
“We don’t mind. Her and Luffy get along really well, and she’s a sweet kid.”
You could feel yourself starting to slip, your wall cracking just the slightest bit, and you were so wholly unprepared for it that it took all of your power to keep your lips sealed shut. You were honestly a little unsure as to what would come out, and you really didn’t want to embarrass yourself.
“Anyway!” Ace shouted, making you gasp and then jump. Before you knew it an arm was around your waist and you were being hoisted up, suddenly over Ace’s shoulder and he was walking towards the pool. “Time for a dip!”
“Ace, wait,” you said, trying to push up but then made aware of just how strong the man actually was. “Wait! No!” you tried, looking to the blonde on the deck pathetically. “Sabo! Help!”
All Sabo did was wave. Some savior he was.
You shrieked when Ace jumped off the ledge, your body in shock when it was devoured by the coldness of the water. You curled up into a ball as you sank, a flurry of bubbles in your vision, but the arm that had curled around you still had a hold, and it was pulling you up to the surface quickly. You emerged with a gasp, blinking the water out of your eyes and finding Ace laughing, pushing his hair out of his face and grinning wide at you.
“Hey!” you pouted, slapping Ace’s chest. “That wasn’t nice!”
“Never said I was nice,” Ace retorted.
You threw a look at him and that was that. Well, it was supposed to be, but now that you were out of the water and breathing again you became wholly aware of your surroundings. More importantly you became aware of the warmth wrapped around your middle, tight and holding you close to more heat. Ace’s arm, your skin pressed against his, and you tipped your head up to see him. Your nose caught his, brushing, and you could only blink as you felt Ace’s breath fanning over your cheeks.
You were frozen.
“Are you gonna kiss?”
The question was uttered in passing, Otama floating by on a too big tube and looking curious behind the sunglasses that were larger than her face, stolen from Luffy.
“No! No,” the both of you exclaimed in unison, you pressing against Ace’s chest to push yourself away while he took a step back to put some space between you two.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” Ace said next, reaching out for the girl who squealed and tried to kick away. She was still caught, Ace lifting her to his shoulder with a big smile and she laughed, holding on as Ace waded through the water and away from you.
Ace: 1,000,000
You: 2
“Oh my god,” was what Nami had muttered, watching the display before her while she floated past Luffy. “Are they that stupid?”
“Huh? Who?” Luffy asked loudly, turning to look at her with a wide stare.
Nami rolled her eyes. “Forget it, Luffy.”
The day was hot but the night was chilly, and when the sun started to go down that’s when everyone pulled themselves out of the water. The cool air left damp skin cold, so shortly after everyone had dried off and gotten changed into more comfortable clothing a fire was started. You were impressed by how quickly Ace had put one together, thankful as well. It was nice, the warmth that radiated off of it, and you were sitting as close as you possibly could.
As soon as it was big enough Otama was hopping up, reaching for Ace’s hand and impatiently tugging on it to urge him from his seat. “You promised me ‘smores, let’s go.” She was so serious, eager, and it was the most adorable thing you had ever seen.
Otama was so incredibly comfortable, content during her visit, and you couldn’t help the admiration you had grow even more at the thought of Ace caring so deeply for this little girl. You hadn’t really thought about his soft spots, what made him a little weak, and you were happy to learn that of all things it was his tiny neighbor. Tonight it was growing increasingly hard to fight off the feelings you had, and it scared you a bit.
“What’s taking them so long?” Luffy complained after only a few minutes, frowning.
“There’s probably too much stuff,” you said, standing. “I’ll go help.” The walk back to the house was quick, just a step up onto the patio and around the pool, and with the door open you entered easily. You had turned the corner to the kitchen and found Otama seated on the counter, feet kicking, and Ace putting the ingredients spread out on the counter into a bag.
“So you like her?”
You paused, eyes a little wide, and you moved to step back behind the corner. It wasn’t your style to eavesdrop, but this was important.
Unaware of your presence Ace laughed softly, reaching for the marshmallows and holding them for a moment before continuing to put them in the bag. “Something like that, yeah.”
Otama’s feet stopped, and her brows knitted closer together to create an expression of deep thought. “Well that’s easy, just tell her that!”
Ace’s heart started racing at the mere thought of confessing, that is. It was some sort of challenge now, a battle of wits, and honestly? He wasn’t sure if that meant it could be more or not. You were both just so stubborn, so unwilling that it got in the way, and as much as he wanted to say something he just didn’t have the guts.
“Just like that, huh?” he teased, playing along instead of facing the truth to what she said. “Well maybe, that doesn’t seem too hard.”
“Mmhm!”
It was quiet then, long enough that you could probably step in and it not be suspicious, and you were just about to when Ace spoke again.
“It’s a little complicated though,” he said, stopping putting things in the bag again. “See, I really like her, but I don’t know if she likes me. It seems like she does sometimes, but then other times it’s like a game.” He trailed off, not expecting Otama to get it but maybe that’s what made it so easy to talk. He could lay it out on the table in front of him without worry of judgement or embarrassment because Otama didn’t get those things just yet. “I always think I’m about to win, and then I don’t reach the finish line.”
Ace looked up at Otama, expecting a face of confusion, but instead he got a frustrated expression paired with a deep pout. It threw him off guard, him backing up with a chocolate bar in his hand. “Woah, what’s that for?”
“You old people sure make things hard,” she replied simply, crossing her arms. “I don’t get it.”
Ace stared, then he laughed. It was a genuine laugh, head thrown back and his shoulders shaking. “You’re right! Us old people really suck, don’t we?”
You heard the rustling of the bag, Ace must’ve filled it, and you heard a “let’s go!” which made you panic a bit. You didn’t want to seem like a snoop, didn’t want to be creepy and be the one listening in on people’s conversations. You took a few steps back, just out the door so that when Ace and Otama came around the corner you seemed like you were entering again.
“Oh! Hey!” you exclaimed, faking your surprise and really having to look up at Ace considering you had almost crashed into him. “I was just coming to see if you guys needed help.”
Nervous, that was what you were. You put on the face, the one of obliviousness, but staring up at Ace knowing the things he had just admitted had your heart beating a million miles per minute. Sure, you knew that something existed between you two, and that something was incredibly complicated. Ace made it sound easy though, and Otama made it sound even easier. Was it you?
“Nope!” Otama chirped, taking the bag from Ace and running towards the group near the fire, Luffy’s excited shout ringing out a few seconds later.
You laughed, shaking your head, and so did Ace who could only watch her go. You stared out for a minute, about to head back down when something interrupted your path. Glancing down at it you could tell even in the dim light that it was a sweater.
“You looked cold,” Ace said, unravelling it for you and then holding it out. “If you want, I mean. It’s okay if not, I just thought I’d offer it in case you really were cold, you know? That way there you don’t have -” he stopped, his rambling cut off when the sweater was taken out of his hands and pulled towards you, you holding it to yourself. You were blushing softly, pink in the light coming through the door, and his breath was taken away.
“Thank you,” you said, a little bashful but appreciative. You took the time to slip your arms through first, pulling it over your head with eyes closed, and then emerging from the neck. You shook your head, freeing the hair that had gotten stuck, and your eyes blinked open. Looking over at Ace you saw him with his gaze cast slightly down, staring at the sweater on you and then lifting his head to see you again. Then he smiled, the kindest smile you had ever seen with his freckled cheeks also rosy.
Oh no.
“We should probably go,” you found yourself saying, nervous with the way Ace was looking at you. It was too enticing, drawing you in, and you had to move to try and get away from it. You didn’t miss the way Ace’s face fell, but god you needed to keep some composure.
With a nod the two of you started down, yourselves getting back to the seats and finding - unsurprisingly - that the only two left were beside each other. You looked over, Ace did, too, and you gave each other small smiles before sitting down and grabbing a couple of roasting sticks.
Ace was right, the sweater did help a lot. Well, it helped with warming you up, but it wasn’t stopping your entire being from freaking out, or your head from swimming. It was big, swallowing you up and keeping you cozy. In a way it was secure, safe. That was great and all, but you could not focus one bit with the scent that was flooding your nose, making you dizzy. You had noticed it before, sure, Ace’s cologne in passing, but now it was wrapped around you so strongly and you could barely deal with it.
“Your marshmallow is on fire, Y/N.”
Luffy had mentioned it so nonchalantly that you didn’t think anything of it, but when what he said did register you were snapping your gaze up to where your marshmallow was - big, black, burnt.
“Oops!” You went to pull it out quickly, intending on blowing it out, but you just watched helplessly as it fell into the fire. On a log did it burn, goop rolling down the wood, and eventually it was nothing but ashes. You sighed, reaching for another marshmallow.
“Here,” you heard, and you turned your head to find Ace holding out a s’more to you.
You sat up straight again, shaking your head. “It’s okay! Really, I can just make another.”
“No, I’ll make another one. You’re just going to burn marshmallows.”
You frowned, not because of what Ace said but because he was right. He knew he was right, too, a smug smirk on his lips as he kept holding the s’more out to you. You sighed, letting it go and taking the treat with a “thank you”, ignoring that where your fingers brushed together burned. Maybe that was because you were more invested in your treat, mouth watering as you pulled it closer and you were taking a generous bite, catching a string of marshmallow with your finger before it made a mess on your chin. When you glanced up again Ace was still looking your way, and suddenly you were embarrassed.
“What?” you asked, now shy.
“Nothin’,” was his reply, his head shaking as he looked away and grabbed another marshmallow.
The look on his face, the adoring expression, it was aimed at you. You couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the night.
It was close to midnight when the idea of heading home was thrown into the air. Usopp and Nami had things to do in the morning, and Zoro was just plain tired. You were feeling it a bit as well, exhaustion seeping in, and yet you were still waiting in the driveway. Ace had picked up a passed out Otama just before everyone agreed to leave, and you were still waiting by your car for him to come back from her place. You did have to give Ace his sweater back after all, right? Right.
“Oh, hey!”
Speak of the devil.
Curious, Ace continued past the door to his house and headed towards you.” What’s up?”
“I just thought I’d give you this back,” you explained, holding out the folded sweater. “I almost went home with it.”
“That would’ve been fine.” He took the sweater back, looking at you. “Not like you won’t be back in a week.”
“Right,” you muttered, feeling a little stupid on top of the flustered you had been all night. “Well regardless, there it is,” you gestured to it, starting to turn towards your car, “and I’ll see you next week?”
“Yup!”
You nodded and waved, pulling your keys from your pocket, and when you unlocked your door and reached for your handle you were stopped. Ace’s hand laid over yours, gripping it just enough that you were caught midair, and you turned your head to him. Once again did you see him serious, a different kind of serious, a serious that made you swallow and stay still.
“Will you come with me for a sec?”
Sincerity, that’s all it was written on his face now. How could you say no? So you nodded, dropping your hand and silently following Ace. When you had become so pliant you weren’t sure, but there was just something about today that had you seeing him in a completely different light, the kind you couldn’t put out. He was that light, and you were captivated.
Ace had led you through the house quietly, Luffy already out like a light if the snores through the walls said anything. You giggled, hand to your mouth, and Ace glimpsed back for a moment with a chuckle. He looked ahead again, reaching the end of the hall and turning into a room on the right. A bedroom. His room.
Your heart was going crazy, you unable to believe what you were walking into. You can’t say you haven’t thought about it, what Ace’s bedroom was like, and you had expected some sort of frat boy mess. You were pleasantly surprised to find a relatively adult room, tidy and simple. There were a few things that said “Ace” lying around, like a corkboard with a cluster of pictures that were mostly of him, and Luffy and Sabo. On the other side of the room was a shelf, a TV on it and -
… was that?
Your view was instantly obstructed by a body, Ace in front of you with his cheeks burning a bright red, the color disappearing right into the neck of his shirt.
“Don’t.” That was all he said, and suddenly you had to know.
“Ace,” you said, trying to look around him but he moved, too. You faked a left and he figured that out, blocking your view again. So you did the only thing you could think of and put your hands on his chest, giving him a little shove to the side and making him stumble.
“Wait -” he tried.
“Is that the Lego tower from Lord of the Rings?”
Ace was quiet, and when you turned back around he was simply standing there with his arms crossed, but you could see it on his face - the slight embarrassment. He did have his “cool guy” reputation to maintain after all, and here you were checking out his Lego collection. Great.
“That’s amazing,” you said then, and Ace was put at ease when you smiled brightly at him and looked back at the tower. “I heard this thing takes like a million years to put together.” You laughed, shaking your head as you came back to him. “I’d never have the patience, so congratulations,” you complimented, looking up and happy to see there was some sort of relief that had settled in.
“So,” you said, cocking your head to the side, “what exactly did you bring me to your bedroom for, Port-gas. D. Ace?”
The way his name - his full name - rolled off your tongue had him feeling some sort of way, had him hanging on to the way you exaggerated each syllable. He realized he wasn’t breathing, and maybe he had forgotten how to do just that. Rest in peace, this was it. He could now die a happy man, but the way you were staring up at him so cheekily resurrected him.
“You pervert,” he countered, watching your face fall into one of irritation and you rolled your eyes at him. He snickered.
“You know what I mean.”
With a laugh Ace turned away from you, heading towards his window and pulling it up, giving an entrance to the outside. He climbed through easily, stepping down onto the roof and then spinning to look at you. “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand.
Your eyebrows shot up, and you stared at him for a long moment. Then you turned.
“No way.”
“Y/N!” Ace complained, watching as you walked towards his door. No, he wasn’t going to let you, not when he knew you so well. “What? Are you scared?”
You froze, nearly to the doorway but now rooted to your spot. “No,” you grit out, “it’s just incredibly unsafe.”
Ace hmph’d behind you, still watching you through the open window. “Sounds like a coward’s words to me.”
There it was.
You breathed a heavy sigh through your nose, taking a second but then turning and making your way back over. Once again did Ace’s hand come through, and you took it rather roughly, reluctant. You brought a foot up, balancing yourself on the ledge, and before you even pushed up you were gripping Ace’s hand tightly.
“Hey, I’ve got’cha,” he reassured you, his other arm coming out so that your loose hand could grab onto his. From there it was his job to get you through, you pushing on your foot and him making sure you were getting out safely. Soon, with your hands still in his grasp, both of you were standing on the roof on your own two feet. “See? Easy.”
You stared straight ahead, through Ace, not daring to look to the side towards the ledge. Nope, you downright refused. You zoned back in when Ace moved backwards, and your eyes flew to his face in slight panic. All he did was nod, squeezing your hands and giving you the smallest of tugs to urge you forward. You listened, and when you actually took the time to take in your surroundings you relaxed. There really wasn’t anything too scary, the roof flat which basically made it a floor. A floor that had no walls, open to the world, a story up from the ground.
Stop.
Finding a spot around the corner Ace guided you down, you sitting carefully. He made sure you were comfortable before he was taking a seat himself, letting go of one of your hands but being bold enough to keep the other. You didn’t pull away when the two of you settled, that was a good thing, right?
It was late enough that it was quiet, dark enough that the stars were sparkly against the sky, and sitting above all of the lights made them even brighter. You couldn’t help but admire it for a long time, captivated, but soon your attention was drawn elsewhere.
Ace, in the moment, had his eyes on the sky as well. He seemed content, like he had done this thousands of times before and knew he was going to enjoy himself. Serene was a good word to describe the look on his face, and it made you smile because it looked good on him.
You weren’t sure how and why you and Ace had gotten into the situation you were. It was a back and forth, kind of like a game like he had mentioned, but it was a dangerous game. It was a game of feelings, a game of the heart. That was something that should never be on the table, no matter how high the stakes. Easily stolen, easily broken … it all seemed to be ridiculous now that you really thought about it. You had gotten so caught up in the challenge, in the idea of winning when really there was no room for a winner and a loser. Your feelings, his feelings, they were the most important part of all of this and the two of you had just been toying with them. It wasn’t fair to either of you, and after today, after everything, right now just sitting with him, you felt guilty.
Ace looked over and caught your gaze, and as much as you wanted to look away bashfully you kept your eyes locked. You weren’t sure what it was that kept the two of you right there, focused on one another, but something was going unsaid until you spoke up.
“I’m sorry.”
The apology lingered in the air, and Ace didn’t react any sort of way except for a small smile.
“I’m sorry, too.”
Now the two of you looked away, you back to the sky and Ace down at the roof, looking at where your hands were still clasped. His thumb rubbed the back of your hand, the skin soft under his touch, and the warmth of it made him smile. For a long time that was it, the two of you in silence and sorting through everything that had come out of your stupid war. It was incredibly obvious now that it was out on the table, not said out loud but you two could read it easily. To be fair you had been doing that already, using it to each other’s advantages which now seemed cruel as you reflected on it.
It settled in all at once, for both of you, and Ace sighed as he pulled on your hand. You allowed him to guide you, maneuvering you until you were seated in between his legs with your back to his chest, his arms around your middle and forehead against your shoulder. You leaned back into him, finding his hands again and threading your fingers through his.
“You make me crazy,” Ace admitted, tightening his hold on you. “I can’t think straight when I’m with you, I feel like an idiot.”
You smiled as you rested your head against Ace’s, a light laugh bubbling past your lips. “You? I can’t even begin to describe what it’s like when I’m with you.”
“Does it make you happy?”
“Incredibly.”
Ace smiled, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. “I’m glad.”
The feel of his lips on your skin left the spot buzzing, a flurry of sparks that spread out and making you want more of the feeling. Ace’s arms loosened when you moved, you turning until you were sitting on your knees and facing him, and there you smiled at him fondly. Your hands came up, holding his cheeks, and they continued on to run through his hair. One of Ace’s arms remained around your waist while the other raised, his own hand cupping your jaw while yours held the back of his head. You drew each other into a kiss then, finally allowing your lips to meet in what you could only describe as a long time coming. It was everything you imagined it to be - soft, gentle, though there was a slight urgency that deepened it. Your hand left the back of Ace’s head in favor of having your arm circle his neck, the other keeping you balanced on his chest. His touch was warm on your face, though it travelled eventually until he was holding your waist again. A little longer, you both just wanted it to be a little longer, but you were running out of breath and the need for air had you reluctantly pulling away. You two stayed close, however, lips still touching the slightest bit and brushing when you smiled.
“I’ve wanted to do that so many times,” you whispered, drawing Ace in for another kiss, though shorter this time. “Every time you smiled at me, or laughed.”
Ace chuckled, murmuring, “That’s a lot of times.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” you snorted, leaning more into Ace who happily took your weight. He held you close, kept you safe, and you wrapped your arms the best you could around him as well. “Guess we both win, huh?”
Ace smiled, you could feel it against your neck. “Guess so.”