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“Hey, Ace, what’s that mark on your shoulder?” Sabo asked. Ace sneered, looking at the letters that had appeared earlier that morning. It had hurt like hell, and he had no idea what was happening. But now, clear as day, there was a sentence: “are you okay?”
When he first saw it, he’d laughed darkly. No one had ever asked him that before, but even if they had, they’d know he wasn’t. He was the son of Gol D. Roger, after all. He couldn’t ever possibly be happy. Not with that monster’s blood in his veins.
“Didja get a tattoo? Cool, I want one too!” Luffy appeared beside him, poking at the new mystery mark. Ace shoved him off and huffed, running back to Dadan’s and his bed. He wanted to be alone, and more importantly, he wanted to get rid of this mark. Unfortunately, his plans were foiled when he ran headfirst into Dadan herself.
“Hey, little shit, watch it!” She shouted, but her tune changed when she looked down and saw the expression on his face—and the mark on his shoulder. “Where the hell did this come from?!” She exclaimed, and Ace just hoped the ground would open up and swallow him.
“No idea, it showed up this morning and it hurt like a bitch.” He was desperate to get rid of it. And to get out of this conversation.
“It…just showed up? Oh, my goodness. You know what that is, Ace?” He shook his head. “That thing on your shoulder is called a soulmate mark.”
Soulmate? Like all those dumb fairy tales? No way. Ace didn’t deserve that kind of happiness. How could he? He was the son of a criminal. The world’s most notorious criminal, at that. No one could ever love him, and he could never make anyone happy. Not in that way, at least.
Dadan watched the series of emotions running across Ace’s face and brought him inside. They sat down and she watched as Ace continued to process what she had just told him. She could sense that he wouldn’t have a good reaction, and she wanted to stop him from doing anything rash (for once).
“Listen, kid,” she said, “I know you’re an angry little twerp, and you probably are trying to go and scrape this thing off of you because you don’t want a soulmate, but here’s the thing. Soulmates are determined by the universe. Not by what you think you want right now. I’m not saying drop everything to find them, but I’m also saying don’t write it off completely. When you get older, you might feel differently. And,” she paused, watching his face carefully, “if you try to destroy your mark, it hurts your soulmate. Kills them, even.” Ace’s eyes went wide. He sat for a moment, silent.
“Well, I guess I don’t wanna kill anyone,” he said softly. “But…do I really deserve a soulmate?” He had barely finished his sentence before Dadan had swiftly smacked the back of his head.
“Don’t you dare think like that, you little shit,” she said. “Of course you do.” Her bluntness was not something new to Ace, but the kindness of her blunt statement was…unexpected, to say the least. He knew that Dadan cared enough to give him a place to live, but she’d certainly never been this outwardly kind to him. He simply shrugged and without another word, headed back to Sabo and Luffy. This was a lot to process, and he would need time to decide what was truly best for him and this apparent soulmate.
"You have a SOULMATE?!" Sabo shrieked. Ace grimaced as he nodded silently. "I thought that was all just a bunch of made up stuff," Sabo replied, suddenly deep in thought. "So if your mark just showed up today, does that mean your soulmate was just BORN today? Or is it like a thing that only appears when you're a certain age?"
Ace shrugged. "What the heck's a soulmate?" Luffy chimed in from where he had been eavesdropping. Ace groaned. He did NOT want to keep talking about it. Sabo took it upon himself to explain to Luffy what the mark meant and how it could affect Ace. "Huh...how're you gonna be a cool pirate with a soulmate, then?" Ace's eyes went wide. He hadn't even thought of that. He still had a few years until he'd set sail, but Luffy made a point. What if his soulmate was against pirates -- or worse, a Marine? The stress was already getting to be too much for Ace, and he'd only had the mark for a handful of hours. He decided to head back to Dadan's and lie down to let this all sink in. Eventually, he drifted off into restless sleep.
* * *
"Okay, I'm setting sail!" Ace waved to Luffy and Dadan, who were standing ashore. Luffy was waving excitedly, Dadan was trying to hide the tears falling from her eyes. Ace smiled at them as the ocean carried him away from the only home he'd ever known. He would miss Luffy, but it was only a few years before he'd be setting sail too. He couldn't wait to see what his kid brother would do to shake up the pirate world.
The first few weeks at sea were rough, to say the least. Ace had endured storms, choppy waters, and even some sea kings. But finally he had reached an island, and he had never been so happy to see land. As he docked his tiny sailboat, he felt a tiny surge of pain in a place he had tried his best to forget: his shoulder. Quickly he brushed it off, telling himself he must've just slept on it wrong or something like that. He finished docking and began making his way toward a small town. But, try as he might, he couldn't ignore the fact that the further he walked, the more the pain intensified. Now he was worried. What were the chances that you would be on the FIRST island he came across as a pirate? He gulped nervously and tried to keep his eyes on the ground as he hurried through the town.
He thought he was doing a pretty good job at avoiding other people until he found himself crashing into someone and falling to the ground. He hadn't even looked up at you yet when he heard the words he'd been imagining for years. "Are you okay?"
His shoulder burned. It felt like it was being branded all over again. Clearing his throat and trying to ignore the obvious, he quickly muttered, "yeah, I'm fine." He only looked up when he heard a yelp escape your lips. Ace's eyes darted up to see you, also clutching your shoulder. Without thinking, Ace stood and pulled his shirt sleeve up to reveal his mark. Your eyes widened as you showed him yours.
"Hell of a first meeting, huh?" He said, trying to break the ice somehow. You nodded, chuckling softly. "I'm Ace, by the way. Seems like it's pretty important to introduce myself." You looked up at him and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Ace. I'm y/n," you said, and as you spoke Ace made a mental note that he could look at your smile for the rest of time. You looked kind. Warm. The kind of person who could love --dare he say it-- even the son of the Pirate King. "So...is this your first time here? I don't think I've seen you around...and it seems like we both would've felt it if you'd been here before," you asked shyly.
Ace smiled at you. "This is my first time here! I just left home a few days ago and this was the first island I stumbled across. Never woulda guessed that I'd run into you so fast, though," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not that I'm upset about that! I guess I just always figured you were somewhere on the opposite side of the world or somethin'." He noted how you chuckled while he rambled. It made his cheeks burn in a way he couldn't hide.
"Hey, Ace," you said, "do you wanna...maybe grab something to eat? Get to know each other a little bit?" Your eyes darted to the ground as you asked him, and he couldn't believe you would be anything but certain of his answer. He couldn't explain it, but he had such a strong desire to make sure you never felt anything but absolutely sure whenever he was involved.
"I'd love that, y/n," he said with a surprising softness. "You lead the way! I dunno where the good spots are around here." He flashed you a thousand-watt smile and you started walking toward your favorite restaurant on the island. He followed you, watching the way you wove through the crowds with ease. Ace wanted to remember everything he could about you. He had spent years wondering if he deserved a soulmate, and he still wasn't sure, but he silently promised himself that he was going to make sure that he gave you everything.
Your favorite restaurant looked cozy and inviting. Ace noticed how the owners greeted you as though they had known you for years, and how you had smiled so warmly at them. He followed close behind you as you slid into a comfy booth. One of the owners, a woman with kind eyes and a tired smile, came over with menus and two glasses of water. When she walked away, Ace noticed that you tensed up a little and it made his heart hurt. Hell, he knew this was a weird situation to be in right now. He'd been internally panicking about it for years now, and he was sure you'd done the same. He had to do something to ease your mind.
"So, you know this place and the owners pretty well, huh?" He asked, hoping it would be enough to help you open up a little. You smiled and nodded. "My family started coming here years ago, when it was about a third of its current size. We've watched these guys grow and start a family, it's kinda nice." He could see your eyes lighting up as you spoke, and he took the opportunity to continue getting to know you. "So, what do you recommend then? Anything to avoid on the menu?" You just chuckled.
"Honestly, I've never ordered anything here I didn't love. So it really depends on what you're in the mood for! What kinds of foods do you like?" Ace's heart soared when you asked. He was so happy you were trying to get to know him better. "My favorite food is ghost pepper spaghetti! But besides that, I'm not too picky. I didn't grow up fancy so I got used to eating whatever was in front of me." Your eyes darkened a little and you looked down at the table. "Hey, it's alright! I wasn't trying to throw a pity party for myself. Just figured honesty is the best policy, ya know?"
You smiled. "I guess I just...kinda felt like an asshole for talking about how my family came here all the time, and then there you were, with...a different childhood." Ace leaned across the table, motioning for you to give him your hands. Hesitantly, you placed them in his. He tried not to get too distracted by how small and cold your hands were, and how nice they felt in his.
"Y/n, you don't have to feel like an asshole because you've had a good life. I promise. And my life hasn't been, like...BAD...just a little different. I was raised by bandits and a Marine who occasionally came by to train my brothers and me. But it was still good. There's not much I would change. So please...don't feel bad. I wanna learn everything there is to know about you, the good stuff and the bad too." He squeezed your hands, noticing how small they were compared to his. Yours were cold, too. He'd have to make sure to always keep you warm.
The rest of your meal flew by for Ace. He loved getting to watch you decide on your favorite dish (you insisted you didn't have a favorite, but he could tell that wasn't entirely true), how animated you got when you talked about your favorite places on the island, and how you insisted on at least splitting the bill (he was especially relieved that he'd actually managed to keep his wallet on him all day today, so splitting the bill was something he could do). When all was said and done, the two of you found yourselves walking slowly along the shore. He saw you shiver once and it took everything in Ace not to wrap you in his arms right then and there. He knew he had to be patient and that you'd be worth taking it slow. So instead he settled for shyly draping an arm over your shoulders. He could feel how cool your skin was, and how you seemed to close the distance between you after you were covered by his warmth.
"Hey, Ace..." you started quietly, staring at the ground. "This might be asking too much, but...if you don't have a place to stay...you could come to my place to rest." Your voice had trailed off, and he could tell you were very nervous. Ace thought he was holding it together pretty well, but at your suggestion he felt his heart beating faster than ever before; he swore it had to be a thousand beats a minute. Before he realized what was happening, you had gently moved his hand to your own heart, revealing that yours was beating every bit as rapidly as his. As a wave of embarrassment washed over him, Ace let out a nervous laugh.
"Glad it's not just me who's freakin' out a little bit," he said, unable to stop his voice from cracking as he spoke. You smiled and lifted his hand from your chest, just holding it for a moment. "I didn't mean we had to DO anything, just figured a night off your ship might be nice," you said softly. Ace was beginning to realize just how much he LOVED your gentle voice. He also couldn't help but to get a little flustered at the thought of you being intimate with him. He had never told anyone this, not even Sabo, but he wanted you to be the only person he shared himself with in that way. He just never had imagined he'd find you so quickly. Ace always figured he'd be old and crotchety by the time he stumbled across you, but he certainly wasn't complaining about finding you now.
Managing to find an ounce of confidence, he squeezed your hand. "It would be pretty nice to have a night on solid ground, it's been a few weeks at least since I had that." You smiled, nodding your head. "Well then, let's get going," you said, tugging on his hand as you began walking in the direction of your home.
It wasn't a very long walk before Ace found himself at your front door. You had a small, cozy apartment and when he walked inside, he couldn't put his finger on why, but it smelled like home. He tried to take it all in as fast as he could: the bookshelf next to the big armchair, the small kitchen table covered in everything except dishes (which he noticed piled in the sink instead), the bed with the most comfortable looking blanket he'd ever seen. Ace just stood, basking in the little glimpses into your life that surrounded him.
"Oh, geez, I'm so sorry it's a mess in here. I...well, I wasn't expecting I'd be running into you of all people today," you said, scrambling to tidy up. Ace just chuckled. "Hey, if I'm honest, my room back home looked no better. Except, I didn't have as many books...or a comfy chair," he said, walking over to the armchair and flopping into it. As soon as he sat, he could see why it looked a little worn - he could easily spend a day just sitting here, fully immersed in listening to you speak. As he continued to look around, he also noticed a record player, and his eyes shone with excitement. "What's your favorite record to play?" he asked, catching you off guard.
"Oh! I forgot that was there. Hmm, I'd have to say this one, probably," you said, picking one up and putting it onto the turntable. The music began to fill the apartment, and Ace was suddenly much more brave. He stood, stepping toward you, and in one swift motion he placed your hands on his shoulders. His hands fell to your waist and slowly, you began to dance together in the tiny space. Pulling you closer, Ace noticed that he was tall enough to rest his head on top of yours, so he did just that. He also noticed how you sighed happily when he did, which made him pull you even closer. Your head was against his chest now, and he swore there was no way he could ever be happier than he was in this moment.
You continued to sway softly together until the record stopped. Only then did you both realize that the sun was long gone and it was late. "Should we, um..." you started, suddenly unsure of how to proceed. You had just shared such an intimate moment, yet the thought of entering uncharted territory with one another was the looming elephant in the room. Ace smiled, looking into your eyes. "We should probably sleep, yeah. Are you more comfortable if I sleep over there?" he asked, pointing his head toward the chair. "I have a feeling sleeping on that thing is damn near perfect." You laughed, agreeing that your cozy chair was an ideal sleeping place. But, much to Ace's surprise, you pulled him toward your bed without a word. He started to panic. He hadn't expected such boldness from you. What were you expecting from him? He didn't want to disappoint you. Ace sat on the bed and you grabbed your pajamas, ducking into the bathroom to change. When you emerged, you tossed an extra pair of pajama pants to him. Ace might have noticed this if not for the fact that you looked so breathtaking, even in baggy sleeping clothes. When he did finally notice, he also scurried to the bathroom. He needed to change and mentally prepare himself for what might happen. Splashing some cold water on his face, he told himself silently that it would be okay. Sure, he'd only known you a day, but Ace could tell you weren't the type to judge. And, he thought, maybe you'd even find it admirable that he'd waited until he found you. Feeling slightly more confident, he strode out of the bathroom and over to your bed, where he found you already under the covers. He cautiously slid in next to you, laying to face you.
"Hell of a day, eh?" he asked, and his heart erupted at your chuckle in response. You nodded. "If it's not too corny to say so...I'm really happy that I met you today, y/n," he said with a softness he didn't know he was capable of. "When I first got this mark, I thought it was some sort of sick joke. I didn't think I was worthy of a soulmate, not with this bastard's blood in my veins. If I'm honest, I thought about getting rid of it. But then, someone very important to me told me that doing that could hurt you. Or kill you, even. And even though I still didn't think I was worthy, I knew I couldn't bring harm to someone else who was innocent." He paused, having not expected all of that to come spilling out at once. You lay there for a moment, really taking in his words, and then you reached your hand up to his shoulder, gently tracing each letter of the mark with your fingers. Ace shivered at your touch, and you giggled. You took another moment to look deep into his eyes before you spoke.
"I'm not sure whose blood is in your veins, Ace," you began, "But I AM sure that you are worthy. Because you are kind, and gentle, and charismatic. Your blood doesn't define you -- or, at least, it shouldn't. People who think that it does...are severely out of touch with reality." Ace could feel his cheeks burning. No one had ever been this gentle, yet direct with him. He was used to Dadan and Garp, and their brash way of expressing feelings (which, if he thought about it, never actually led to feelings being expressed). He was so caught off guard by your words that he barely even noticed the tear sliding down his face. Without a word, you brushed it away and cradled his face in your hand. "It seems like you have a lot going on inside your head, and that's okay," you continued. "That's why I'm here. Oh, god, I know that sounds so corny..." your voice trailed, embarrassed by your choice of words. Ace lifted a hand to your face, mimicking you. His fingers, calloused yet still somehow soft, brushed your cheek and swept the hair out of your eyes.
"Hey, I like corny," he said quietly, smiling at you. Your cheeks erupted in pink as you smiled back. A moment passed of anxious quiet, and then Ace was overcome with courage. In one swift motion, his hand left your face for the small of your back, and he pulled you close to him again. As soon as he felt your head against his chest, he took a deep breath. He wrapped his arms around you and gently kissed the top of your head. The two of you remained like this for a moment, you wrapped tightly in Ace's warm embrace. But Ace was not prepared for what you did next.
You scooted yourself upward, so that you and Ace were face to face again. Your cheeks were bright red, but you didn't hesitate. You snaked your arms around him, hands finding the back of his head, and then you pulled him in. Before he knew what was happening, your lips were on his. Ace tensed for a moment, but then he was fully immersed in you - your scent, your touch, the taste of your soft lips...he never wanted it to end. In that moment he decided that, without a doubt, nothing could ever make him as happy as you. Silently he dedicated his entire being to you as his lips clumsily meshed with yours. Your fingers tangled in his messy black locks, and his arms loosened their grip on you so his hands could fall to your waist once again.
Ace did not know what he was doing, but you didn't seem to mind. Maybe you were as misguided as he was. Secretly, he hoped you were. Not that he would mind otherwise, of course. He had already decided that he was yours and that was all that mattered. But the thought of you both being completely inexperienced and waiting to find one another made Ace's heart flutter. He couldn't help but want more of you. His fingers delicately snuck under the fabric of your shirt, grazing the skin of your back. He noticed a slight hesitation from your lips when he did this, so he pulled away gently.
"Are you okay? If that was too much, I understand," he murmured. Suddenly you were very shy again, struggling to meet his eyes. He pulled you in close again, just holding you there against his skin. "I just...I've never done...any of this before," you said, barely louder than a whisper. "I know it probably sounds really silly, but I...I just never could bring myself to want anything with anybody but you."
Ace's heart sang. Your words were absolute music to his ears. He squeezed you tightly and kissed the top of your head again. "It doesn't sound silly at all," he said, "because I felt the same damn way. No sense in wasting time on anybody else, y'know?" You pulled away and looked at him with bewilderment. "Really?" you asked. Ace nodded, smiling. "Well, if I'm honest, I'm really glad we both felt the same way. I'm glad we both waited for one another."
Me too,” Ace murmured, his hands now rubbing your back gently. He noticed how, when you were calm, you seemed to just melt into him, and he wanted you to always be this comfortable when he was around. “Makes me feel kinda relieved that we get to figure all of this out at our own pace, y’know? There’s no pressure to take it any further than we’re ready to.” You nodded, your fingers still stroking his hair. “I was worried earlier...because, well...I mean, look at you,” you chuckled. “I figured you probably had so much experience with all of this, and I’d be falling short compared to the people you were used to.” You buried your face as you spoke, and Ace’s immediate instinct was to pull you up to him and look you in the eyes as he spoke.
“Y/n...there’s absolutely no way you could ever fall short. I mean it.” He paused for a moment, watching the blush return to your cheeks before he continued. “Ever since I got this mark, without even knowing a thing about you, YOU were the standard for me. As far as I’m concerned, everyone else in the world is falling short compared to you.” Your eyes shimmered and now it was your turn for a few tears to slip out; they splashed onto Ace’s chest and you instantly tried to apologize and wipe them away, but he simply pulled you down onto him and held you close.
Before long, you were snoring softly on Ace’s chest. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. From the day it appeared, he never would’ve thought that the soulmate mark would ever come to fruition. Yet here he was, in your home, in your bed, with you asleep on his chest. Ace wondered what your life was like before today. He wanted so badly to stay up all night talking, learning every piece of information about you that he possibly could, but he wouldn’t disturb you now. You had all the time in the world, and Ace knew in that moment he’d never feel unworthy or undeserving of love ever again.