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seated in the sand, ace basked in the sunshine alongside his closest friends and crewmates. he didn’t often get the chance to take in the sights and just relax on an island, and he knew he would have to leave soon, so every moment counted. he was grateful for these rare moments where there wasn’t a “next”; there was just now.
“i haven’t seen the sea from this side of the land in ages,” thatch said. “forgot how hot it can get, too.”
ace soaked up the heat that the sun shared with him as if it were his energy source. he laid back, slipping his hat off to sense its rays on his eyelids, the warmth seeping through his skin. “how many other people out there do you think are doing this same thing?”
“no idea.”
ace pondered the thought a bit longer. how many were enjoying the same beautiful day as he? were they also smiling at the sun? something about it made him feel connected to the world in a way he hadn’t noticed before.
“we should go grab a bite to eat before too long,” marco said as he stood up. “i’ll bet the rest of the crew is almost done stocking up the ship.”
ace drank in the beach view once more before joining his friends on the walk into town. he had been walking for what had only felt like a moment when he noticed his head and shoulders felt particularly exposed. ace’s heart nearly stopped in his chest as he grasped at the air above his hair.
“ace?” thatch called out to him, noting ace’s quizzical expression.
“my hat’s gone.”
***
the sand was a warm welcome beneath your feet. it was a joy to be beside the sea today, and something in the air beyond the salty aroma felt especially radiant.
you had been out running errands today when you suddenly found a break in your schedule, which brought you to the beach. it wasn’t all too often you were on this side of town, so you were making the best of this chance. the sun kissed and nipped at your cheeks, and you regretted not having prepared for this little detour. you needed to find some shade soon.
towards the end of your walk, you stumbled upon a peculiar orange hat. there was no owner to be seen, at least not in the immediate vicinity. you scanned a bit further away, shielding your eyes from the sun with one hand. you spotted a group that had been sitting here moments ago and made to approach them, but a gust of wind blurred your vision. by the time you could focus back on the spot you’d seen them, they were gone.
you stared down at the hat, considering. surely, it would blow away if you left it here. there was no way this hat was abandoned, either. every little piece of it appeared to be lovingly cared for: shiny red beads atop the brim, which was neatly stitched and, aside from a loose thread or two, was unfrayed. the leather strap might have seen better days, but it only went to show how often the owner wore it. in short, this hat’s wearer must be sorely missing it now.
you nod to yourself with determination. you’ll just have to do a little sleuthing. it can’t be that hard, right?
how wrong you were. you’d just spent the last hour walking up and down the streets, scanning for anything that would remind you of the group of people you’d seen or for any poor souls who looked like they might be looking for this hat. it was so bright it stood out as a beacon, so you had initially hoped it would do all the work for you.
eventually, you resigned yourself to checking with nearby local businesses that might have seen the owner of the orange hat. after a few statements of “sorry, i haven’t seen that hat before,” you finally caught a clue, although it wasn’t necessarily what you were expecting.
at the local diner that you frequented, you approached the owner with the hat in your hands. the owner appeared slightly disheveled, but you supposed it could have been a busy day.
“i’m looking for the owner of this hat. have you seen someone wearing it before?”
his jaw clenched as he eyed it. “i hope i never see the guy again, kid.”
your eyes widened. “why’s that?”
the restaurant owner let out a long, exasperated breath as he lifted the bat he kept behind the counter for safety. “let’s just say he owes me. you find him; you let him know he has a tab to close, alright?”
you nodded, although you weren’t so sure you would be any help. the way it's looking right now, you might be stuck with this hat for a while.
***
“you just have to retrace your steps. chances are, someone found it, and you’ll cross paths somehow.”
ace bit back a cringe as he reflected on his day and his unfortunate first stop. sure, thatch was probably right about retracing his steps and all that, but did that mean he’d have to do this?
he squared his shoulders as he stood outside the entrance to the diner; he’d been a… well, “patron” would only be the right word if he’d actually paid for his meal. hopefully, he had the right amount of cash to get some information and avoid a confrontation.
ace stepped through the doors, a bell ringing to signal his entrance. within seconds, the shop owner was climbing over the counter, baseball bat in hand.
“i never thought you’d have the nerve to show your lousy face here again.”
ace raised his hands, a meager effort at peace. “i have money!”
“you should have said that first, kid.” the man lowered the bat.
ace made his way over to the counter, reaching for his wallet. “you wouldn’t have happened to see a bright orange hat lying around, would you?”
“matter of fact, i have. one of my regulars stopped in with it, looking for you.” the shop owner dug through a pile of receipts in search of ace’s bill.
“do you know where they might be right now?” ace took a slinky, unassuming step backward, one eye on the door.
“haven’t the faintest. but you’ll know her when you see her. about yay-high,” he motioned with a hand, “awful sweet, cute as a button.” the shop owner smoothed out the ticket and read the price, relieved to have this over with.
by the time he looked up, the bell on the front door had rung, and ace was nowhere to be found.
***
your wandering continued fruitlessly. you may as well have been a door-to-door salesperson with how methodical your approach had become - and with the number of times you’ve heard the word “no.”
as you snaked through town, you decided it must be time to take a break. along the outskirts of the market street, you elected to sit on a nearby bench and collect your thoughts.
you carefully strung the hat around your neck, its soft material resting on your back. it wasn’t necessarily on display in its new position, but it was better than holding it in your hands like you had all this time.
it occurred to you while you sat that the mysterious hat owner was possibly a traveler. you sighed, hoping that he hadn’t left his hat behind for you to tend to forever. you began to regret taking on such a responsibility. this was like finding a needle in a haystack.
“hey!” a tiny voice shouted from behind you. “i know that hat!”
your heart nearly leapt out of your chest as you spun around. a little girl, possibly no older than 8, holding a plushie, was running up to you, pointing at the hat on your back.
“you do?” you asked. “can you tell me about who it belongs to?”
the girl ran around, standing before you. she nodded eagerly, smiling with all her teeth. “of course i can! he’s my hero!”
grinning back at her, you leaned in, full of curiosity. “he is?”
“uhhuh! just this morning my evil neighbor stole my fishie plushie and pushed me on the ground.” she motioned her neighbor’s action with extra special dramatic effect, plushie flopping around. “but a big, strong guy came over and saved my fishie! and he helped fix my knee, too!” she pointed at her knee, adorned with a carefully placed bandage, likely covering a scrape.
you can’t help but feel a little warm and fuzzy inside at the thought of this faceless man as the savior to this girl. a diner and dasher, and a hero to children? you had more questions than answers at this point, and craved the answers with renewed passion.
“how nice of him to help you and your fishie. i’m glad you’re both ok!” the girl held her fishie closer with a warm embrace. “can you tell me anything else about the man who helped you? he seems to have misplaced his hat, and i’ve been trying to find him so i can give it back.”
“his name’s ace!”
“ace, huh?” you tested it on your lips. you barely knew anything about him, yet it seemed to fit him well.
“mmhmm! and he has a tattoo on his arm, too. i’ll draw it for you!” the girl knelt on the dirt road and drew a series of letters on the ground, with one crossed out - ASCE. “i didn’t spell it wrong. that’s exactly what it says.”
“i wonder what it means!”
“didn’t ask,” the girl said. “how are you gonna find ace?”
it was certainly helpful to know ace’s name and some sort of defining characteristic about him, but that didn’t quite fix the issue at hand. “i’m not sure. if you were me, what would you do?”
the child furrowed her brow as she considered. “there’s always lots of people at the market! i can help you look, since i know him and all.”
“that sounds like a plan!” as you stood, you introduced yourself to the girl. “what’s your name?”
“it’s mimi!”
“it’s nice to meet you, mimi. let’s go find ace!”
you and mimi take a stroll through the market, scanning for any sign of ace. after about 30 minutes mimi began to slow down, her little legs clearly tired from all the events of her day. you decide to adjust your plan, buying a couple of snacks from a food stand and taking a seat toward the center of the market, right in the middle of the throngs of people.
“if we stay in one place, he might find us,” you told mimi as she gratefully chowed on the food you had given her.
you placed ace’s hat in clear view in hopes that if he did pass by, he would notice it. before long, someone did approach you, asking about the hat.
“i know someone who is missing that hat terribly,” the stranger said. he was a slightly older fellow, with fine blonde hair and glasses.
the man wasn’t threatening by any means, as a matter of fact he seemed a kind person; but you found yourself feeling a bit protective of ace’s property. you held it just a little more closely before glancing at mimi, who you noticed had fallen asleep with her head resting on your arm, clutching her dearest fishie.
“you know who owns this hat?” you asked with every ounce of practiced kindness, doing your best to smooth out any apprehension from your voice.
“ace is a close friend,” the man said, “and crewmate.”
“do you know where i can find him?” you asked. “or perhaps you can return it to him?” it stung a little to think you might never meet ace, but it was more important that his hat was returned. your curiosity, and, you admitted to yourself in the back of your mind, your enchantment, would have to take the back seat.
the man watched you carefully. you couldn’t explain why, but it felt a lot like he could hear your thoughts. he smiled softly as he spoke. “i can’t say where he is at the current moment, but i’ve got a feeling ace wouldn’t be able to accept his hat without the chance to thank the person who took care of it.”
you couldn’t help the sense of relief that overtook you. it was growing more and more difficult to ignore the rhythm in your chest at the prospect of meeting ace. in some strange way, you already knew him.
“i should probably walk mimi home,” you started, “but i can meet ace here at the market later.”
the man stuck one hand in his pocket, his smile growing bigger. “i can do you one better,” he said as he pulled out a piece of paper. “i’ve got his vivre card right here.” he ripped off a piece and held it out to you. “you know how these work?”
you beamed at the small scrap, watching it shift in the palm of your hand. “i do.”
“good,” the man said, turning away as he spoke. “tell him marco gave it to you-yoi.”
“thank you, marco!”
“don’t mention it.” marco waved a hand before disappearing into the crowd as swiftly as he had appeared.
***
ace wiped a hand down his face as he stood at the port, conflicted. the sun was beginning to set, and he’d had bad luck finding his hat. beyond the incredibly vague description he’d gotten of you at the restaurant, nobody he’d spoken to seemed to have seen you or the hat around.
in a last ditch effort, he decided to ask a few people at the port if they’d seen it. one person, a man pushing a cart full of food, had a scrap of insight for him. ace hoped it would be what he needed.
“that hat rings a bell,” the man said. “i saw a woman wearing it on her back at the market earlier today. she was with a little girl. they asked me about you. said i never saw you before.”
“can you tell me anything else about them? what did they look like? do you know where they are now?” ace could barely contain his excitement. he had limited time before he was supposed to report back, and time was of the essence. ace wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be on the island - they could leave tonight, even.
the man gave a few details about your and mimi’s appearances, and said the little girl must live in town. other than that, he had no idea. but it was more than enough for ace. the little girl sounded a lot like the one he’d met earlier, which gave him a rough idea of where to look. he quickly thanked the man and headed towards the center of the town. you had to be there somewhere.
moments later, ace passed by marco, who was headed back toward the port. he wore his most unassuming grin as ace approached.
“still haven’t found her, yoi?” marco asked. “she’s been looking for you.”
ace sputtered to a stop, his eyes wide. “you found my hat?”
marco leaned toward ace, patting a hand on his shoulder. “make sure to thank her real nicely, alright?”
marco walked away before ace could decipher his words. “what’s that supposed to mean?” he shouted at marco’s back.
“i think we’re gonna stick around here a bit longer,” marco called out. “the people here are one-of-a-kind.”
ace stood there, bewildered. what a load of help that was. obviously, marco was unwilling to divulge any spare details, so ace continued on his way, looking for his hat. for you.
***
the sun was drawing close to that broken line where the sky met the city, accented by the freshly lit torches of the main road. a warm glow painted the features of the streets, and you and your search partner cast tall shadows along the colorfully painted buildings.
mimi was, to put it lightly, disappointed that she wouldn’t get to see ace again. she had quite little energy left to protest with; however, as she was all but leaning on you to keep walking home.
once she successfully directed the two of you to her house – less talking, more vague hand motions – mimi grasped your hand firmly, a confident look in her eyes behind tired lids.
“you have to make sure you tell ace that i helped,” mimi said. “that i did it because he was so nice to me.”
you pat mimi’s head. she was an excellent companion to have at your side today. if not for her, you may have given up hope long before marco crossed your path.
“i promise. i’ll tell him all about everything you did to make sure he gets his hat back.” you smiled warmly. “i’m sure ace will be grateful.”
with that, mimi went home. once her front door had closed, and you were sure she was safe, you turned away, pulling ace’s vivre card out of your pocket. it would lead you the rest of the way. your pulse quickened with anticipation as you carefully watched the small scrap’s pull, following it with your steps.
***
ace stood where the once-lively market was. now, it was nothing but empty stands, and a few merchants loading their stock onto carts. the day had quickly met its end. how could he be sure you were still here?
he recalled that you were with the girl he met earlier, mimi. that clue could lead to some answers. it was far too late for mimi to still be up and about, but he could at least check out the place he met her. just in case.
the street corner where he’d found mimi was closer to the market than he remembered. of course, nobody was there. ace cursed marco for his vagueness. couldn’t he have at least told him where he should look? a general vicinity would have made this so much easier.
at this point, ace had to bet there wasn’t a single road in this entire town that he hadn’t scoured. he’d gone in circles countless times, and he had no more ideas to move forward. his feet started moving regardless. he had to keep trying, but couldn’t help but feel like this was a fruitless effort. ace didn’t even look up as he walked.
but that was only until he heard a conversation in the distance - no, that wasn’t a conversation. he could only isolate one voice.
“he has to be close by now. i better not have gone all this way for nothing,” the voice said.
ace turned around, his gaze lifting to search for its source. there you were, an oasis in a desert, and he’d been walking for miles, having nearly forgotten how long he’d gone without water. you were walking, yes, but your eyes were fixed on the palm of your hand, an admirable focus creasing your brow; his most prized possession resting safely around your neck. he’d found you.
the greeting ace had been rehearsing escaped him. he nearly choked on his breath when he tried to get your attention. “excuse me,” he called out, a hoarseness to his voice. he cleared his throat, fighting his heartbeat for composure. “i believe that hat belongs to me.”
your eyes widened as you turned towards him. your lips parted, but you couldn’t make out words. so you stood there, frozen, for only a second, but an hour’s worth of thoughts rushed through your head. you found it hard to believe this could be ace standing before you. he had begun to seem a fictional being since you found the hat on your shoulders.
as your body caught up to your mind, your hand jumped to your collar, tracing the strap of the hat you’d grown fond of by this point. you weren’t quite ready to relinquish it, you had to admit.
“are you ace?” you asked with a hint of hesitation.
ace often felt he had a conflicted relationship with his name. but to hear it from your lips was as if he had found out he had been saying it wrong this whole time; like it was different from the title he’d grown accustomed to. it was new, somehow, and he was drawn into that sensation.
he hated how much he understood what marco had told him now. he’d have to thank him later.
“that’s me.” he’d never been so sure of it.
you took in the presence of the man standing before you, at last. he was sunshine and a warm summer breeze with a broad, strong stance. you saw the tattoo on his arm, as mimi described. he looked every part the person you were told he was, but there was so much more there. you wanted to gaze at him until his sunshine blinded you. perhaps then you would know him as deeply as you wished in this moment.
“i hope you understand,” you started, “i’ve worked rather hard to find you, and i have some questions i’d like to ask, if that's alright.”
ace laughed. it sent a tickle up your spine. “i understand. can i buy you a drink?”
“i’d love a drink.” before you could think, you carefully removed ace’s hat.
you wondered if ace could read the hesitation in your features as he spoke. “please, hold onto it a bit longer. you’re certainly better at looking after it than i am, after all.”
truthfully, ace wanted to commit to memory the sight of you with his hat. he couldn’t think of a better sight.
you smiled shyly at him as you let the hat back down. “let’s get that drink, then.”
***
the saloon was about as lively as you’d expected for a random summer night - plenty noisy, but not necessarily jam-packed, either. the energy was lively, joyous, and there were countless smiles warming up the space.
you and ace were about halfway through your first drink, the awkwardness of introductions past, and you had calmed down enough to carry on a conversation without an underlying sense of giddiness. you wanted to believe your excitement had been from the day's exhaustion, but ace was a handsome man with a smile that left you breathless. it wasn’t easy to ignore.
“i believe you had some questions for me,” ace said, leaning toward you across the table you shared.
“i should hope you have answers,” you said, sipping your drink as you pondered what to ask about first. you smiled broadly, a knowing look on your face. “the owner of my favorite diner was quite disgruntled when i asked him about you.”
ace shrunk back into his seat, pursing his lips in feigned embarrassment. “i’m not hearing a question.”
you huffed a laugh. “what happened?”
“i have this sort of… tradition,” ace said, picking up his glass. “it’s silly, really. wherever i travel, i have to eat somewhere without paying.” he took a sip from his drink before continuing. “it’s something my brothers and i did when we were kids. i haven’t seen them since we were little, so it's a small way of keeping them here.”
you shook your head, your grin plastered to your face. “of course, you have a really good reason for it!”
“what do you mean?”
“it wasn’t adding up,” you explained. “of all the little things i learned about you today, that was the one that didn’t fit. so it can only make sense that you had a sentimental reason for it.”
ace’s face bloomed a faint pink as you spoke. he sat back up, resting his chin on one hand, full of curiosity. “what else did you learn about me?”
“you’re full of surprises. a hero to young children, insisting on directly thanking a stranger who found your hat.” you removed his hat, then placed it on ace’s head, leaning close to reach him. it completed the picture of him you had built up: a wonderful mystery with a bright orange hat.
ace’s cheeks flushed to a deeper shade of crimson as you took him in. he hadn’t expected you. he thought he was used to being seen and often identified, being a known whitebeard pirate. but nobody had looked at him like you did right now. he didn’t think he would be seen.
“mimi really wanted to find you as a way of thanking you for your help,” you said. “she made sure i didn’t give up.”
ace smiled, grateful for the renewed conversation. “i heard you were with a kid. i hoped it was her.”
“i only met her today. i’ll have to let her know i found you.”
“we can tell her together tomorrow,” ace said thoughtlessly. you smiled as you watched him squirm a little, realizing his words. “if you want to, that is.”
“i’d love to.”
the drinks began to flow as effortlessly as your conversation with ace. you could feel the heat of your buzz beneath your skin, the warmth drawing you closer to him.
a group of men entered the saloon, filling the space with their laughter and chatter. you identified one of them as marco, the one who gave you a piece of ace’s vivre card.
“there they are!” marco called out as he saw you and ace. he approached the table, crossing his arms as he took you in. “the woman of the hour, yoi. i can’t tell you how happy i am that you found ace’s hat.”
“hello, marco,” you greeted. “thank you again, for your help.”
ace’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched your exchange. he knew marco had been up to no good when he saw him earlier. “what did you do?”
“relax, ace. i just pointed her in the right direction,” marco explained coyly. “isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
you nodded your confirmation, a bit bashful at marco’s flirtatiousness. ace was speechless.
“i’ll let you two get back to chatting. it was great to see you again.” marco flashed a wink at you as he walked away, rejoining his friends.
ace’s mouth hung open as marco left. he turned back to you, his expression inscrutable.
“the two of you must be quite close,” you said, observing ace as you held the paper from earlier between two fingers, “for him to have your vivre card.”
ace continued to say nothing, his eyes darting between you and marco across the room. there appeared to be a lot of math he was doing to understand what happened.
although watching ace turn into a blushing mess was indeed entertaining, you continued, in effort to regain the peace from before. you held out the piece of ace’s vivre card. “i don’t imagine you intended for marco to hand this out to strangers.”
ace smiled at you softly. “you should keep it.” he wrapped his hand around your open one, closing your fingers over the paper.
your pulse quickened from the sudden contact. he was tantalizingly warm.
“why, are you planning on losing your hat again? or maybe it’ll be something else next time?” you toyed with him, hoping to catch him on the tail end of his fluster.
ace leaned in close, bracing himself with his other arm. “if that’s what it takes to see you again.”
it was your turn to squirm under ace’s gaze. it was both a relief and a torment to know you weren’t imagining the chemistry you were feeling. it still could have been the booze, but you wouldn’t brush it off so easily.
with a sudden rush of confidence, you closed the space between the two of you, nearly standing out of your seat. ace could feel your breath on his skin as you spoke.
“i think,” you said, “it should take less than that.” your nose brushed against his before you sat back in your seat, only a whisper of touch as you let go of his hand. your heart was pounding now, but you had made your statement.
there was a flicker of something in the shine of his gaze. something a bit more starved than you’d anticipated. it was gone with a blink, but the hint of it sent a wave of need through you.
“it’s a bit loud in here, wouldn’t you agree?” ace straightened, watching you carefully as he posed the question.
you could have floated out of your chair, but thankfully, you remained earthbound. “it is,” you crooned, “hardly the noise level one might crave for good conversation.”
ace chuckled as he stood, holding one hand out to you. “let’s get some air.”
you took ace’s hand, ignoring the hollers from marco and the others as you followed him outside.
the air outside had cooled, not so much that it was cold, but in the way that summer nights fade from hot to, well, less hot, and the soft breeze wrapped around you, a welcome embrace. your steps were unhurried as you followed ace’s lead through the streets.
before you could register what was happening, ace suddenly pulled you to one side, guiding you to a dimly lit alley. you let out a small “eep!” at the movement as ace spun you around towards him.
“i never thought something as silly as losing my hat would lead me to someone like you,” ace said, his voice soft.
you swallowed your nerves as you straightened. “you’re lucky i was here, you know,” you said, tilting your head at him. “not many people would have walked in circles for hours to return a lost hat to a random stranger.”
“you’re so right,” ace chuckled. “i could tell when i saw you. your determination is something to be feared.”
you smiled up at him, staring into his eyes. “is it?”
“absolutely. i was so taken aback when i met you that i forgot what i wanted to say,” he held your gaze. “you surprised me.”
your expression flooded with mischief as you listened. you reached for ace’s hat, taking it off his head and placing it on your own. you’d avoided putting it on your head all day, not wanting to cross that boundary when you didn’t know who it belonged to. now, you took that small leap with a challenge in your eye.
“then let’s try again, shall we? i want to know what you were going to say.”
ace froze briefly, fighting the heat rushing to his face, and perhaps other places. seeing you in his hat turned him upside down. you were a beautiful thing to behold. but he wouldn’t back down from the challenge you presented him with. he swiftly closed the space between you, causing you to step back in surprise, but the surprise ran deeper when your back met a cold wall. ace braced one arm over your head as he leaned down, completely enclosing you with his frame.
“you’ve got a lotta nerve, taking someone’s hat, you know,” he said, his voice turning gravelly.
and you truly could have been floating when ace pressed his lips to yours in question, just a soft brush. you tried so hard not to smile into him, but then he pulled back, uncertain.
you grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him back to you. his eyes widened when you said, “then come take it from me.”
you crashed your lips into him, an answer to his question. the two of you moved in perfect harmony, you sliding your hands behind his neck, ace’s meeting your waist. whatever tension the two of you had been skirting around all night snapped.
ace’s grip tightened on your waist, causing you to gasp, the faintest of moans escaping your throat. ace took that chance to deepen the kiss, his tongue tracing your lips, which you greedily accepted, giving him full access. your hands began to roam his body, and you traced cords of muscle tightly woven beneath soft skin, appreciative of what your touch found.
after a fleeting eternity of shared kisses, ace broke his lips from yours, but they didn’t go far as he lowered his head, diligently dragging his lips downward. he nipped and sucked on the delicate surface of your neck until he felt your hands twitch during their exploration. he paused when he read your smallest of tells, and then sucked that sensitive place with more force, biting down ever so slightly to deepen the sensation. you couldn’t hold back the moan that followed when he released your skin, relieving the slight tinge of pain with a soft brush of his tongue.
“ace,” you whispered breathlessly as you pulled him away, returning his gaze to you. you kissed him again, softly and intentionally, no more question; no more challenge.
you both paused, chests heaving, noses nuzzling each other. the intimacy of sharing breath sharpened the high of your exchange, and you basked in it.
“can i-,” ace said between breaths, “can i walk you home?”
you grinned as ace backed away slightly, just enough to see your face. what a sight it was, to see your swollen lips and dilated pupils. to know that you were the one making those sweet, desperate little sounds just moments ago.
“you can walk me home,” you said.
ace grabbed both of your hands, pulling you off the wall and back to the street. he spun you around again before releasing you, but he held firm to one hand as you guided him to your home.
the two of you exchanged excited chatter as you walked through the streets you had both walked alone in search of the other. it was difficult to believe the night would end. hours had passed by as you had looked for ace, and they drew on, but now that you’d found him, the passage of time was a harsh whirlwind.
as ace walked you to your front door, you faced him again. there would be no more need to hold onto his hat any longer, so you picked it up once again.
ace’s hands shot up to yours, ceasing your movement. “tomorrow. i’ll come get it from you, and we’ll see mimi.”
“i’d like that,” you said. ace guided your hands back down to your sides, but he didn’t let go.
“i’ll be the one to find you this time. you’ve done enough searching.” he leaned in once again, kissing you, far more chastely than earlier, but with every ounce of passion.
you pulled away first, releasing him. you brushed one hand down his cheek. “i’ll see you tomorrow, ace.”
he nuzzled into your hand, entranced by your touch. “tomorrow.”
you made your way inside, parting ways for the day. as you settled down inside, your heartbeats returning to a resting pace, you couldn’t help but agree with what ace had said earlier.
you never thought something as silly as a lost hat could bring you to him.