Chapter Text
day 4: wedding | heartbreak
“you can’t logic your way out of something you felt your way into.”
Isuka feels that being this happy is a sin.
She has a favorite job that is stressful, but it gives her independence and confidence for every tomorrow. She lives in a small but cozy apartment with a tiny, sunlit balcony buried in green houseplants. Not the work of her own hand, but there is hiding her territory of absolute peace – a wicker chair and piles of books. She has amazing friends ready to share any burden. They are always there to help her unpack every little piece of her life – be it bitter tears or wild dances of happiness.
But her most important treasure is Ace.
Isuka knows the truth: nothing in your life should depend on another person. Ace shatters that rule day after day.
Ace gives her a rare, incomparable feeling – she can be just Isuka. Silly. Weak. Carefree. Tired. Anyone. He doesn't judge her or expect her to be perfect. Ace makes her laugh until it hurts, teaches her not to regret the mistakes, and fills her every day with the kind of small, heartwarming moments that real happiness is made of. He warms her cold palms in winter. He smears sunscreen on her nose on a sunny day. He remembers where she got the scar on her left knee. He knows that she hates tomatoes on her burger and doesn't mind removing them for her. And many other things that make Isuka think she drew a rare gold card.
Ace smells especially delicious in the mornings. No, not like fabric softener, shower gel, or the lingering scent of cologne. He smells of sleepy warmth, sweet tenderness, and absolute peace.
He smells like love.
Isuka presses against his back, breathes in the scent of the body she holds so dear, and smiles at the soft dizziness. Ace is busy with breakfast. And Isuka, who is stuck to him, doesn’t bother him. On the contrary, he basks in her embrace, kisses her hands, and teases her every now and then, asking, “What's this? Do you like me?”
Out of pure stubbornness, Isuka bites his shoulder blade, then kisses the spot, stroking his toned belly, and dissolves over his skin like thick caramel.
She is lazily incapable of anything more.
“I dreamed about flower catalogs last night,” confesses Ace, brewing Isuka a cup of tea with cinnamon and lemon. Her favorite. To her, it tastes like Christmas – her favorite part of the year.
On this holiday, they kissed for the very first time.
“Was it a nightmare?” she asks, glancing at the stack of catalogs they were looking through the night before.
“Yes,” Ace replies with a smile in his voice. “In that dream, I still couldn't choose which flowers I wanted on the guest tables.”
Isuka laughs, burying her face in the warm skin of her fiancé's back.
Their wedding will be in September. And Isuka is surprised that Ace is so deeply involved in the process of organizing. He was the first to speak about their future; about the desire to become a family. He proposed to her just a year after they started dating. Four long years passed from the engagement day to setting the wedding date. But it was Isuka’s decision. Before marriage, she wanted to invest a little in her career and save up some money.
Besides, they had only recently become adults back then. Isuka doubted that she wanted to get married so early. Not because Ace was unreliable. No, no. Ace has always been, and still is, ready to do anything for her. She just never saw good examples of early family life in her environment. She wanted to grow up mentally herself before giving Ace what he wanted.
Ace accepted her decision and her point of view with respect and patience. And all these years, he kept showing and proving that the center of his attention and desires always converged on Isuka.
“Yesterday you wanted the classics – white roses and candles,” Isuka reminds him, looking over Ace's shoulder. He cuts lemon for her tea.
“I think I’ve changed my mind,” Ace replies, thinking about his tastes for a moment. “It’s boring. Now I want roses, white hydrangeas, and eucalyptus branches. I found a picture on Pinterest, I'll show you.”
“Is this the reason why you woke up so early?” Isuka feels a mix of amusement and a hint of surprise.
Then again, what else does she expect from a guy who grows up around flowers and helps his mother in her flower shop?
“Yeah, it drives me crazy. I couldn't sleep anymore,” Ace admits, pausing for a moment and looking out the window.
Isuka lets out a chuckle and kisses Ace on his warm shoulder, just above his meaningless tattoo.
God, he is so adorable.
Over breakfast, Ace chats about flowers, invitations, and how they'll need more cake than they thought. A direct hint at his younger brother, Isuka knows. She doesn't mind.
Ace has a wonderful family; loud, expressive, but filled to the brim with unconditional love. They accepted Isuka to be their family member instantly, the moment Ace blurted out the word “girlfriend”. No tests, no cold stares – just his parents’ open arms and his – sworn – brothers’ goofy teasing, treating her like one of their own right from the start. They love each other so openly and genuinely that it’s impossible to feel like a stranger around them.
Isuki had exactly zero chance of not falling in love with Ace and his life.
“Luffy is expecting us at seven,” Ace reminds her, stabbing the sliced avocado with a fork. He winces as he looks at the green piece. He hates them, but Isuka insists they're healthy. “And asked to grab some snacks on the way.”
Of course he did.
As the person who loves parties [many parties to which they are always invited] and crowds of guests, Luffy is completely incapable of calculating the amount of snacks. Specifically, the amount that will be enough for just him.
“Should we grab a bag of baby carrots and a bunch of greens?” Isuka teases, imagining Luffy's face. As a devout fan of meat and junk food, Ace’s younger brother will just lose all respect for them.
“I get that he’s unbearable, but why so cruel?” Ace laughs, narrowing his eyes. He runs his toes down Isuka's calf under the table. “Do you want him to shut the door right in our faces?”
“No way,” Isuka answers and looks at her fiancé over the rim of her cup. “But you have to admit, his reaction would be totally worth it.”
“Now I will be thinking about it,” a spark of brotherly meanness flashes in Ace's eyes.
Isuka has a feeling that Ace will do the trick one day.
He meets her after work. An open door of Ace’s precious pickup truck. A kiss on the lips. A fierce embrace, as if he is shielding her behind the walls of a fortress; away from the merciless world. A cup of sweet coffee with banana syrup.
The perfect therapy after a rough day – working with troubled kids leaves her bone-dry. But Isuka loves doing what she does.
Behind the wheel, Ace asks about her day. He listens to her complaints – daily ritual, they [issues] are endless – and chuckles at a few of her sharp jokes. He also chats about his shop: spare parts, new tires, and his coworker who passed out cold on the concrete floor right next to a bike after a party night.
And at red lights, his warm hand finds her knee, stroking her thigh, while his lips steal quick, playful kisses.
Every time Ace does that, Isuka’s world shrinks to the size of a souvenir snow globe – their own tiny paradise. A place where the human storms and troubles settle below, right under their feet.
It's easy to love Ace. It's probably even impossible not to love him. He is like a gentle spring sun after a lifeless, bare winter. He never burns, even when he's mad. He just envelops her in his warmth, making her entire world brighter and happier.
Isuka never stood a chance against him.
“Oh, you made it!” Luffy’s face lights up as he opens the door. As if they had the option of not showing up.
“Why’d it take you so long? You don’t live in a castle, you know,” Ace grumbles from the corridor. It's not necessary, but Ace needs to nag his little brother a little.
His free hand – the one not carrying the bag of snacks – is stroking Isuka’s lower back. He can't help but touch.
“Sorry, sorry, I got carried away!” Luffy laughs, scratching the back of his head. “My new friend wants to run away. I was just convincing him to stay.”
“Why? Did you kidnap him or something?” Ace arches his brows, but his grin shows – he's amused.
He’s a terrible influence on his younger brother, honestly.
“Almost,” Luffy replies, moving to the side. “He's just unsociable.”
“I already feel sorry for him,” the older brother might not even be lying.
Ace lets Isuka go first. Smiling, she strokes her fiancé’s shoulder and takes a step forward. But the moment her heel touches the floor inside Luffy’s apartment, a dark, freezing shiver runs down her spine. It feels like a piece of iron, searing with winter frost, pressing hard against her backbone. She has been to this place hundreds of times before. She helped Luffy move in, cleaned up the mess after yet another party, and even spent the night here with Ace. But for the first time in her life, a blind panic hits her, making her want to push Ace out the door and ask him to go home.
She looks around. The walls stand, the sky doesn’t fall. Zoro's face, Luffy's friend and second tenant, flashes in the hallway. Music and laughter echo from behind the wall. Everything is familiar. Everything is normal. But inside Isuka, a cold storm is raging.
“Are you okay?" Ace asks close to her ear. “You spaced out.”
“Yeah, everything’s fine," Isuka lies with a timid smile. She could tell the truth, but she couldn't find any rational reasons for her feelings. “I just thought I saw something.”
“Thought you saw what?” Ace asks, kicking off his sneakers. His look is slightly worried.
“Never mind,” Isuka says. There is still a feeling of cold tightness inside her. “I think my brain just glitched.”
Ace raises an eyebrow but doesn’t continue the questioning. He brushes a quick kiss against her forehead and hauls the grocery bag – and Luffy – off to the kitchen.
It’s noisy in the living room, though the crowd is not full. Isuka knows [almost] everyone. She welcomes them all with quick hugs, short chats, and easy smiles. They’re all great people. Ace and his brothers know how to choose friends – Isuka doesn’t know a single soul here who could be called a bad person.
She notices a new face next to Robin. They are talking calmly – completely unlike Nami and Zoro, whose expressive bickering fills most of the background. Isuka approaches them to say hello and introduce herself. It's basic courtesy; she knows exactly how it feels to be the newcomer in the already existing group.
Fortunately, back in the day, she joined the best one; the main rule there is acceptance.
Robin, distracted from talking with the newcomer, gives her a soft hug. And then she turns her attention to Frankie, who desperately needs to show her something.
Isuka doesn’t like the young man at first sight. Maybe it’s because of his light eyes, which somehow look straight into her soul, as if diagnosing her in advance. Or maybe it's because his face is completely blank. Total apathy; like he doesn’t care about his surroundings or his own future. Then again, maybe it's just his features. They are attractive but sharp, made even sharper by the black hair on his face. Especially the eyebrows, which make the look heavier. He has a certain charisma, but it’s dark and oppressive.
Accustomed to the sunny boy by her side, Isuka sees the stranger as a cold block of molonite that has accidentally rolled in the middle of the desert.
“Hey, nice to meet you,” out of politeness, Isuka speaks first and extends her hand. “My name is Isuka. I'm Luffy's friend.”
“Likewise. Law,” the newcomer says, reaching out in return. He shakes her hand briefly, with a light grip. His palm is cold. Either because he was holding a beer can, or because his touch reflects his possible inner nature.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. His touch gives Isuka a frosty itch beneath her skin.
“So, you’re Luffy’s new friend?” small talk shouldn’t feel like torture, but Isuka can barely force herself to be welcoming.
“He is not my friend,” Law’s answer is short. He frowns slightly. “But for some reason, he decided otherwise.”
Isuka laughs with effort, pretending to get the joke. Which, judging by the expression on the lifeless face, probably wasn’t a joke at all.
Where on earth did Luffy even find him?
Isuka tries to think of a few more phrases to keep the torturous conversation going. But familiar hands around her waist and lips on her neck save her from the struggle.
“Found you,” Ace murmurs against her skin.
He straightens up, pulls her close by her shoulder, and looks at the young man with a smile. Following polite etiquette, Ace holds out his hand:
“Oh, hey. I’m the older brother of your tormentor. My name is Ace. And you are? Torao, I guess? Tell me, is this really your name, or was my brother too lazy to remember it?”
Law stares at Ace intently. At first, there is nothing in his eyes but the same cold indifference. But when Ace says that unknown to Isuka name, something shifts in Law’s grey eyes. First, it’s a sharp flash of irritation. Probably not toward Ace, but Isuka can’t be sure.
Then, his icy hand touches Ace’s hot palm, and the unpleasant emotion instantly changes to another one. Law’s black pupils lock onto Ace’s face, and his eyes widen for a short second. It’s as if Law trips over the other man's overwhelming warmth. His impassivity cracks for a moment, giving way to a sharp, focused interest.
But then again, Isuka doesn't know him well enough to understand what's going on in his head.
“My name is Law. Trafalgar Law,” the man answers, staring intently at the freckled face of Isuka’s fiancé. Their handshake still doesn't break.
“Now I get where it comes from. A complicated last name,” Ace notes with a chuckle, still holding the other man’s hand. Isuka stares at this lock of fingers with a feeling of unpleasant anxiety beneath her ribs. “But your name... Let me guess: you’re probably not a lawyer, but your parents were hoping?”
Law stares at him in silence, then lets out a quiet chuckle, arching a brow and pulling one corner of his lips upward. The surprise in his eyes shifts into interest. It is as if he was waiting for a bite – Ace didn’t disappoint him.
At last, the lock of their fingers unclamps, but the flood of weirdness refuses to stop.
Isuka tries to calm herself down. Maybe it’s just a basic struggle for leadership, an unspoken, foolish rivalry. It makes no sense; there is really nothing to fight over here.
But… But she can’t shake the anxiety.
It feels as though those frightening, grey eyes are tracing the very first fatal dot on their lives right now.
“I’m a doctor, just like my parents. I’m not sure what they were hoping for,” a hint of mockery is heard in Law's voice. But for some reason, his tone sounds softer now. “What about you? Is someone in your family into gambling?”
Ace narrows his eyes at his companion, and then bursts into loud, genuine laughter. This explosion of joy reveals the charming dimple on his cheek. He doesn’t close his eyes or throw his head back. Instead, he lowers his chin slightly and looks straight at his new acquaintance. His warm brown eyes spark with pure amusement and approval.
Isuka, however, doesn’t share her fiancé’s mood.
It feels as though shards of toxic ice are slipping down her collar, burning her skin.
Sometimes she is so good at reading other people’s emotions that her own observations terrify her. And now a closed book is opening. She watches as Law's grey eyes slide down from Ace’s eyes, brushing over his freckles, lingering on the dimple on his cheek. Then, they lock onto her fiancé’s lips. She notices his long fingers, covered in creepy tattoos, tighten their grip on the beer can. Worst of all, she catches the way Law takes a breath – sharp, as if he stumbled, and deep. It’s as if something hit him.
Or someone?
Driven by a possessive impulse and a protective instinct, she presses closer to Ace’s side and places her hand on his chest, right over his heart.
“Touché,” Ace says, after laughing it out. A high concentration of amusement remains in his voice. “You always have to talk back, don’t you? I like that. However, just out of a desire to mess with you, I can’t promise I’ll remember your name right. Torao.”
Ace seems to taste the name on his tongue, lacing the laughter in his voice with a hint of blatant slyness.
The name Law seemed to hate just moments ago brings out a completely different emotion this time. He rolls his eyes without any real anger, lets out a huffing sound, and smiles. Calmly, genuinely, with a flavor of amusement. And so utterly charming that even Isuka has to admit it. An emotion she initially thought was foreign to him actually suits Law perfectly. He looks visually softer, more human, beautiful and…
Deadly dangerous.
Isuka shudders, pressing her palm tight into Ace’s chest, and feels the muscles spasm under her skin. His heart delivers a hard, completely inappropriate thud. Once, as if crashing into his ribcage, and then pounding faster, as if he’d just done a light workout.
The floor cracks under Isuka’s feet, and the air in her lungs feels like a handful of glass. She looks up at her fiancé’s face and freezes.
He looks directly at someone else’s – not her – lips, and mixed into his joyful, cheerful mood is surprise, a drop of fear, and... a wild, unspoken thrill.
Ace’s brows furrow in a sharp spasm, blinks away the momentary delusion, and, with a quick glance at Isuka, places his free palm over hers. Squeezes.
But there is no reassurance or protection in this touch Isuka is so used to. Ace is simply clawing his way back to reality, anchoring himself to his safe, familiar world.
And it helps. Ace turns back into his usual self – the easygoing, friendly guy who somehow, with just two lines, completely broke through the cold, introverted defense of his new acquaintance.
Or maybe he’s just pretending.
The wrong reaction, lasting for only a brief moment, stays behind on Ace as a souvenir – the burning red tips of his ears.
Ace’s lips are saying something, smiling again. But not at her. Isuka misses the words, unable to catch anything over the ringing in her ears and the pounding of her own frightened heart. Her legs go numb, and her body is tossed from a hot bath into a freezing snowdrift, and then back again. A vicious circle of shock therapy.
Common sense brushes it off, telling her she’s imagining things. After all, the person in front of them isn’t a woman, and Ace has no history of affairs [before their relationship] with men that Isuka knows about. There is nothing to worry about. This is just the excitement of a new acquaintance. For Ace, this is normal. That’s just how Ace is – new friends charge him up.
But her heart. Her intuition. Her insides are shaking with panic. Isuka wants to hide Ace inside herself, shield him with her own body, and whisper a venomous: “try it, and I’ll destroy you”. But to whom? To what? Law hasn’t done or said anything that threatens Isuka’s perfect pink bubble. He just exists. He looks. He speaks. He smirks. And it irritates her, but... where is the actual reason for this hysteria?
Isuka shuts her eyes tight, lets out a breath, and listens to the quiet whisper of common sense. It’s just her imagination. She’s making it up. They are going to be fine.
Isuka almost believes it.
She is almost sure of it.
All evening, Isuka tensely watches her fiancé and the new acquaintance, even when she is busy in conversation with mostly Luffy’s friends. They don’t spend the entire night together. No, Ace spreads his attention around, giving his attention to other people. Laughing, talking, joking around. It’s his typical behavior, which should have been a relief for Isuka, but it isn't. Because sometimes, Ace stares. And not just at her. He searches for the new acquaintance with his eyes. Just for a second, as if completely unconsciously. Making sure he’s still here, and then shifting his focus back to the party. Back to her. But those brief moments... Isuka catches them along with goosebumps on her skin. And each time, it’s like a freezing drop of rain falling on her nose under a clear sky.
Law is a total contrast. He is less noisy and talkative, and connects only with a few of the brothers’ friends. Best of all with Robin – it seems they have a couple of mutual interests. But it doesn’t matter. She isn’t worried about his integration into society, but about his eyes. Because he is looking, too. And unlike Ace, his gaze is long and unblinking. As if trying to crawl under his skin and study his inner world, memorizing every curve and dot on the face Isuka loves so much.
Sometimes their eyes stumble over each other. Almost accidentally. For a split second. Every time, Ace looks caught off guard but instantly smiles. Law narrows his eyes, occasionally raises an eyebrow, and smirks. Without malice, almost out of basic politeness. Like an exchange of pleasantries.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Everything remains within the boundaries of personal and etiquette. In total silence.
Which, for some reason, makes it even more alarming.
Their next interaction happens near the balcony door. No sick drama involved: Law simply wants to step out for some fresh air, while Ace heads to the kitchen to grab a can of Coke for himself and a low-alcohol cocktail for Isuka. For some reason, Ace pauses next to the new guy, asking a question. Law answers, gesturing outside, and asks something in return. Ace smiles, shakes his head, and says something with a slight squint. Law shrugs, moves his lips, and nods after he sees Ace raising his index finger in a brief “one second” gesture.
What they’re talking about, what they’re sharing – it’s a mystery. Isuka narrows her eyes, desperately trying to read their lips, but fails. In the end, she pulls herself up – nothing wrong is actually going on.
Isuka watches as the lanky, thin figure disappears behind the balcony door. And Ace vanishes under the kitchen arch. For a minute. Then heading straight back to her.
Ace hands her the opened bottle of wild berry cider and kisses her forehead, but he doesn’t sit down beside her. She is a bit tired of society and finds a few moments to restart internal generators. Instead, he straightens up, looks at her with a warm, affectionate gaze, and says:
“Ginger, mind if I step out onto the balcony to keep Torao company?”
The nickname is sticking fast.
Isuka raises an eyebrow, glances sideways at the balcony door, and then looks back up at her fiancé. Irritation tightens inside her.
“Why? You don’t smoke anymore. Or are you planning to start again?” displeasure and strictness color her words. Though that’s only half of the truth.
She hates it when Ace smokes. She hates the smell of smoke on his skin, the taste of nicotine on his lips. It just doesn’t suit him. He had actually listened to her back then – he dropped the habit when she asked and genuinely tried to keep it that way. But Isuka knows too well how easily Ace can get fired up over any reckless idea, and how rarely he ever thinks about the consequences.
She doesn’t want to act like an overprotective mother or treat him like a child. But she also doesn’t want bad company messing with his head. Law, with his dark aura and heavy gaze, feels like a person who can lead down the wrong path. Of course, this is not an undeniable fact; Isuka just feels this way.
That is her second reason for being stressed.
“I’m not gonna smoke, I promised you, didn't I? I just want to chat for a bit. He’s a new face around here, and he seems pretty interesting,” Ace answers, looking at Isuka with a smile.
Isuka has known him for far too long not to read his moods and intentions right off his face. And what she dislikes most of all are those sparks of pure curiosity in his dark eyes.
“In what way?” Isuka clarifies. Not because she doesn’t understand why Ace thinks so. Law really is peculiar, even slightly intimidating. But she wants to understand Ace’s logic, because his thoughts, clearly, are coloured in completely different tones.
“Come on, aren’t you curious why a guy who works as a surgeon chooses to tattoo the word “death” right on his fingers?” Ace shrugs.
Isuka flinches slightly at the thought of those long fingers with such creepy lettering. It’s actually a fair question; Isuka is a little curious too, but only because she finds such a stunt incredibly foolish.
“And how people even react to it,” Ace goes on. “Plus, I really want to know how Luffy dragged him out here. Their temperaments are polar opposites. I’m expecting a hilarious story. You know, in Lu’s style.”
Ace laughs as he talks about Luffy. He adores his brother; what else is there to say? Sometimes his strictness is just a cover for approval and an absurd amount of pride.
Isuka takes a sip of her drink, gets lost in her thoughts, and then sighs. She can’t just order Ace to stay glued to her side – he’s a grown man. Besides, she has zero real reasons to act like some possessive psycho. Everything she has witnessed could easily pass as a product of an overactive imagination or exhaustion.
She is overthinking. And where is this sudden insecurity in herself and in Ace even coming from?
“Go on then, go gather your gossip,” Isuka finally says, wrinkling her nose as Ace leaves a kiss right on the tip of it. Still, it does nothing to lower her guard: “But stay away from the cigarettes.”
“You don’t need to keep reminding me,” Ace points out with a laugh, and then slips away to the balcony. Does it too quickly.
His most charming smile lingers on his lips. Yet, she is not its recipient.
Isuka pulls herself together.
Ace doesn’t come back inside with his new acquaintance after five minutes, or even ten. Beneath Isuka’s skin, itches the desire to check what they are doing out there for so long and what they are talking about.
But she refuses to listen to that paranoid whisper.
The apartment is packed with people; some step out onto the balcony, others come back inside. Nothing suspicious could possibly be happening out there. Moreover, this is Ace. Ace, who has never once given her a reason to doubt him or his loyalty. He can't even get rid of his ruined favorite pickup because it’s “his baby.” Frankly, no one will buy that rust bucket for any real money now, and Isuka is exhausted from constantly urging him to change his comfortable habits for something new. And here she is, imagining a massive, horrible, impossible betrayal right in front of everyone.
Isuka needs professional help.
She drowns her anxieties in a sweet cocktail.
A bit later, Luffy drops onto the couch next to her with a bag of chips. He crunches loudly, looks at his brother’s fiancée, and just says:
“Looks like Torao and Ace are buddies now. I was worried he’d be bored.”
Isuka frowns and asks, ignoring the cold chill biting her skin:
“What made you think that they’re buddies?”
Isuka doesn't understand why everyone here is worried about whether a grown man will be able to integrate into a friendly society. Sick overprotectiveness.
She doesn’t say this out loud.
“Well, they’ve been out there for half an hour discussing tattoos and Torao’s patients. And he actually seems to be having fun. I’ve only ever seen him talkative with Robin and Chopper,” Luffy shrugs simply, shoving his hand right back into the bag of chips. “And Torao doesn’t even correct Ace when he purposely teases him and mangles his name. He usually grumbles at me... I think he just gets mad that I send him too many memes and bug him with questions. But he still answers half of them anyway. He’s weird, but he’s cool.”
Isuka looks at the balcony door, then at Luffy, and raises an eyebrow. This quick summary doesn't make Law sound like a nice guy at all. At least, not to her. He is moody, hates people, and is clearly rude. What’s so good about that?
But Luffy, apparently, has his own metric for good people. And, to be fair, everyone he befriends always turns out to be good people.
Then again, even the best systems can glitch. And apparently, the time has come.
“Where did you find him?” Isuka doesn’t utter a single word of what she is actually thinking. She desperately tries to cut off the thought that Ace has simply charmed this freak.
“At the hospital where Chopper works,” Luffy says, chewing, looking for the best chip in the bag. “It’s a funny story. Zoro and I went to get Chopper for lunch. And there was this mad guy yelling at the nurse, throwing papers around. We wanted to hit him, but then Torao showed up from nowhere. Dark, scary, like a ghost. He asked the guy nicely to shut up, said it’s a hospital, but the guy shoved him. So Torao grabbed him by the collar, said something super scary, and just threw him down the steps. The guy screamed: “I’ll take you to court!”, and Torao said: “Go ahead, you’ll lose all your money.” And left. Chopper was whining later that the guy is a bigwig and Torao will get into trouble. But he didn't care at all. So I thought, wow, he’s a badass, I want to hang out. I told Chopper to invite him to our lunches. He hid from me at first, but then he gave up. He even gave me his number. Cool, right?”
Isuka frowns and grabs a chip from Luffy’s bag. Reluctantly, he lets her take one. No doubt because Ace will roast him later for being greedy.
Isuka breaks it between her teeth with a fierce crunch, thinking that it’s a good story, but it doesn’t make him a hero. She is not going to put Trafalgar Law on a pedestal. Moreover, the words of Luffy [who is usually loyal to everyone] only confirm that Law is far from a pleasant individual: rude, cold, and dark. People like that trigger Isuka’s alarms. Her personal social bubble has long been kept sterile; she stopped letting unpleasant people into her inner circle ages ago.
Law genuinely repels her. Even after a dose of sweet words from Luffy.
After the long minutes of waiting and a few short conversations, Isuka’s gaze catches the movement of the balcony door. Her anxiety spikes the second she sees Law next to her fiancé.
There is a proper distance between them, just as there should be for people who couldn’t have become close in such a short time. But still, Isuka can’t shake the feeling that they aren't miles apart – they are half a step away from each other. Maybe it's because Law leans in slightly toward Ace to catch whatever he is rattling on about, and, with a faint nod, stares intently at Ace's lips. Or maybe it’s because her fiancé looks straight into those scary, light eyes without breaking contact and smiles. A genuine, bright smile, with a barely noticeable trace of shyness in the twist of his mouth. Sure, maybe Ace is just awkward and acting defensive. Maybe he’s sharing some embarrassing story. Or maybe there’s another reason she hasn’t thought of yet. Maybe she’s just losing her mind.
But none of it matters. It’s all background noise. Because everything inside Isuka is screaming in total rebellion – wild, irrational, mixed with a desperate need to protect what’s hers.
She does not like Trafalgar Law. He is... from a completely different world. And she has absolutely no idea how to protect her Ace from a friendship that so deeply stresses both her eyes and her intuition.
They leave earlier than usual. Isuka says she is tired. And she isn't even lying. She truly, desperately wants to go home. To a place where the world is quiet, safe, and perfect.
Ace, being the best man on the planet, listens to his fiancée’s needs. And after a string of worried questions, he gets ready to go home with her.
Luffy, naturally, wants them to stay. But no one argues with exhaustion and a lack of well-being.
Right at the door, Ace suddenly remembers something, turns back to Isuka, and says:
“Wait a second, I forgot to get Torao’s number.”
“What for?” Isuka’s mouth voices her implicit displeasure before her brain can stop it.
Ace raises his eyebrows at the strange question and asks uncertainly:
“Why not? We got along great. I don’t want to lose touch.”
Got along so well that Ace couldn’t seem to step away from him the moment they left the balcony.
Irritation and even anger rage inside Isuka. But she suppresses the surge of irrational emotions. She exhales sharply, shuts her eyes, and waves a hand, letting Ace do whatever he wants. Preferably fast.
No, of course, she could tell him the truth, but she still believes that much of what is in her head is blown out of proportion, fueled by genuine exhaustion and a drop of alcohol in her blood.
Ace plants a quick kiss on her forehead and heads back into the living room, where Luffy is invading Law’s personal space with his entire body, rambling about something. From the hallway, Isuka can see that Law is totally uninterested, but he tolerates it.
When Law sees Ace, his face comes alive for just a split second. It’s more out of shock than anything deep or twisted. Pointing at his phone, Ace explains why he came back. And Law, without any hesitation or argument, does exactly what he’s asked for.
Isuka cannot hear the dialogue between the new acquaintances, but she catches Luffy’s loud, annoyed protest:
“Why were you being so stubborn when I asked you the same? Ace is way meaner than me!”
Instead of answering, Law rolls his eyes.
Meanwhile, Ace smacks his younger brother on the back of the head, then instantly loops an arm around his neck, planting a kiss on the top of his head. He waves goodbye to Law, receives the same gesture back, and then walks back to Isuka, slipping his locked smartphone into his jeans pocket on the way.
He smiles at her with that bright, radiant smile of his, eyes beaming, and asks:
“Ready?”
Isuka nods, leaning into another soft kiss, and hopes.
Hopes that Ace’s eyes are glowing with such pure happiness because he is looking at her.