pick your poison babe i’m poison either way

Even at the beginning, after ending up lying on the floor from hitting his back against some surface —because killing Whitebeard was his only reason for being there—, Ace was captivated when he saw you walk by.

Was anyone else watching that woman? Or was he the only one who saw that beauty receiving the newspaper every morning?

Perhaps his biggest mistake was, of all things, deciding to be your friend, when he clearly found you beautiful from the very first day. Only when he joined Whitebeard's forces he could confirm that you weren't some kind of illusion he only saw during the morning. You were in the second division with him and you were one of the strongest women he had ever seen in combat.

"I'm division and I'm in your Ace."

You still teased him when the memory came back to your mind. The black-haired man had stuttered, running away without letting you tell him your name, consumed by embarrassment.

From that day on, you had to chase him to get him to talk to you. Ace was afraid of saying something inappropriate or making a mistake when he had you in front of him. He was lost in your gaze, in the delicacy of your features and how they all created perfect harmony. He was lost in your hair being caressed by the wind on the deck at all hours, whether you were looking for the newspaper or just having tea. He was lost in your kindness, always willing to help those in need.

You were everywhere. Wherever he looked, everything was filled with you. Did he want to steal a sandwich from the kitchen? Magically, you were helping Thatch. Did he want to ask Marco to train with him? You were spinning in the office chair with a pen in your hands. Did he decide after weeks to wash his clothes, not because he liked to do it, but because the others forced him to? You were washing yours.

If he fell asleep due to narcolepsy, he would wake up with you a few steps away from him, looking at him with concern. If he closed his eyes to enjoy the sea, his ears would burn when he heard someone calling your name in the distance. Just hearing your name threw him off balance.

He didn't want to admit that this new feeling could be what everyone called a crush. He was fine on his own. He didn't need anyone to know his deepest wounds, but he longed for your glances.

He had to give up after a month of ignoring you.

The more he ran away from the woman who made him nervous, the more she appeared.

And the more he ran away from his feelings, the stronger they became.

He thought that forcing himself to be your friend would make his mind get used to the idea, forgetting his failed heart. He cursed under his breath when he didn't succeed.

He did his best to keep that first crush from becoming his first love, but he failed. He failed again and again.

Without noticing, he began to save a place for you next to him at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You no longer belonged with Izou. Now you could only sit next to him, or he would give you a huge pout if you tried anything else. He washed his clothes more often because you taught him how to do it properly, not because you gave him the sweetest smiles anyone had ever given him while scrubbing your sheets. He trained his fire powers without wearing a shirt because he was hot, not because he knew the exact time you would walk across the deck to have tea with Izou. His fingers suddenly caught fire because he still couldn't control his fruit, not because you leaned in close to his face to sniff him and tell him he should take a bath.

You got used to each other's presence.

You told each other everything. How your day went, the silly dreams you had, Ace's nightmares, your dreams and goals for the future, your pasts, your pains, gossip about the crew. There was nothing you didn't know about each other.

You never judged him for the blood that ran through his veins. You admired his mother for enduring so much in order to protect him. You listened excitedly to his childhood adventures, telling him he was a walking disaster. You were captivated by his smile when he talked about his little brother, Luffy, who would set sail in a few years. You even supported the younger boy's dream, wanting to see him when he fulfilled it.

More than anything, to see more of that smile. Hadn't anyone told him that it shone brighter under the moon? Happiness suited him well.

And yet, you both swore you didn't love each other.

Everyone could see it, but you wouldn't admit it. Afraid of ruining your friendship. Afraid of rejection. Because what if Ace confessed his feelings and you only saw him as a friend? Or what if you didn't want to cross any lines because he was your commander? And what if you confessed and Ace saw you as nothing more than a girl he felt comfortable being vulnerable with, but not pretty enough to be his girlfriend?

Those insecurities came true after a year of being friends.

Ace no longer looked at you the way he used to. That fire in his eyes every time you spoke to him seemed to have gone out, only to be rekindled when he stopped at islands and went to bars. With beautiful women around him. Women wearing stunning outfits. Tight dresses, high heels, even bikini tops. Women who took the time to put on make-up, something you hadn't done in months. Going from battle to battle and only leaving the Moby Dick to buy what you needed after running out was consuming you.

Consuming your image. The woman you used to be.

As evening fell, most of the crew abandoned ship. Once again, they had stopped at this tropical island. At first, you thought it was incredible, the weather was ideal for wearing your new denim overalls. You weren't hot in them, and you were relaxed. It was good for you to be able to rest for a few hours without having to worry about any pirates who might have the courage to attack a yonko.

You hadn't realised how out of place you were until you walked into the bar and saw him. Ace with a woman sitting on his lap, talking to him so closely. Shaking her head when he said something, getting a pout from him. Those pouts he only gave you.

You thought it was fine. He had every right to date whoever he wanted. You were just his friend, his crewmate, and worse, he was your commander.

But seeing him with the same woman not once, but three different times in the last two months was forcing you to steel yourself so your confidence wouldn't waver. Suzu? Suzy? It was always the same woman. And always the same scene. A whisper here and there, a touch on his shoulder, a pout from him, a giggle from her. You had to tolerate it all, sitting at a table with Marco and Izou, drinking with a frown on your face.

"Why don't you do something if it bothers you so much-yoi? You'll burn a hole in each of their foreheads if you keep staring at them like that."

The jealousy that consumed you prevented you from denying your feelings. Your silence was enough to confirm to Marco and Izou what they already knew. You were in love with the new boy.

"Tomorrow is Vista's birthday. He'll want to go back to the bar." Izou commented, drinking his liquor.

"Oh? Then tomorrow you'll confess-yoi." Marco patted your back, making you blush.

"I won't do anything like that." You quickly denied. "Can't you see? He likes that girl, Suzo."

"It's Suzy, and he doesn't like her." Izou put his glass down on the table and looked at you. "I'll help you."

"Help me with what?"

"To get him to confess."

Marco chuckled, crossing his arms.

"Do you really think Ace, of all people, is going to be the first to confess?"

You looked at both men doubtfully. The first commander would keep the plan a secret. He enjoyed a good, slow-developing love story. Or so said everyone who had known him for years. As for the handsome man from Wano in front of you... You didn't understand what he might want to do.

"Just go with the flow tomorrow." He said with a smile.

If you woke up the next day with an unbearable migraine, the commander of the sixteenth division didn't care.

He opened the door to your cabin after knocking, entering with a glass of water, an ibuprofen, and a breakfast full of fruit. Your mouth watered as you grabbed the tray with a grateful smile. You were biting into a piece of banana when you felt his gaze on you.

"What's wrong?" You asked after drinking some water.

"Do you still have them?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Izou sat down in front of you on your bed. He ignored your just woken-up appearance. Your hair was a mess and your T-shirt was slightly drooled on.

"The miniskirts you always bought. I know you didn’t throw them away. You just stopped wearing them."

A soft "oh" escaped your lips. You had stopped wearing them because they weren't the most comfortable if you wanted to kick someone. Izou smiled.

"Where are they?"

"In the wardrobe, bottom drawer."

You continued eating breakfast while watching the man rummage through your clothes. You had a few nice items that you had bought on different islands and that crew members had given you for your birthdays. Some were hideous to look at, but you couldn't blame Jozu or Vista for not knowing your taste.

Mini skirt after mini skirt fell in front of you on the bed. Izou was impressed. He remembered seeing you wearing some, like the black one or the denim ones. Before Ace arrived (or a month before him, he couldn't quite remember), it was normal for you to wear them without shame. He assumed that every woman reached a point where she wanted to be comfortable and not have perverts looking up her skirt. Everyone in the crew respected you and looked after you like a younger sister, but the number of times it happened to you on different islands was countless.

Some men didn't know how to be men.

"You have so many unworn ones." He said, pulling out the last five.

"I bought that fur one two months ago."

"Are you still buying miniskirts and not wearing them?" Izou looked at you with a frown.

"I bought the red pleated one a week ago."

The commander looked at one on the bed. It had an asymmetrical cut. On one side it was extremely short, but on the other it was a little longer.

"It would barely cover anything..."

"It's cute, isn't it?"

The man from Wano took care of everything.

He analysed every part of you as if he knew something you didn't. As if everything had exasperated him and this was his last attempt.

Ace and you had been affectionate with each other for a whole year, getting too close to the point of invading each other's personal space, getting nervous when your eyes drifted down to each other's lips, blushing and walking away, silently longing for each other. A silence that no one in the crew could bear any longer. Someone had to take a pair of scissors and cut it off if none of you did. And that someone would be Izou.

You could hear the running in the hallway, the excited shouts, the birthday wishes and the fun. Night had fallen and anxiety played with your heart, squeezing it and making it race. Your hands sweated as you clenched your knees. You felt the brushes running over your skin, being used by Izou's magical hands. No one could do makeup better than him. He had given you lessons when you were fourteen and had just joined the crew.

He looked at you one last time, admiring you.

"You're beautiful, kiddo." The tenderness in his smile made your cheeks flush.

You stood up and took a deep breath. Summoning your courage, you left your cabin arm in arm with Izou.

Ace took a sip of his beer. His gaze darted back and forth to the bar door. When would you arrive? Although it would be better if you didn't. He looked at Suzy sitting next to him, distracted, staring at her girlfriend behind the bar. She looked so entranced, as if the woman making drinks meant the whole world to her. He wondered if that's how he looked when he looked at you. He hoped not. You would find out sooner that he loved you, and he couldn't bear it...

"Stop doubting so much." Suzy kicked him. His girlfriend looked at them mockingly. "You promised to do it today."

"I can't." He whispered, turning in his chair to look at the couple.

"Yes, you can. Do it like you practised." Suzy scolded.

"The way you did it yesterday was perfect." Her girlfriend said, taking his beer glass away to refill it.

Ace banged his head against the bar, growling. He looked at his friend with a pout.

"Do you really think she got jealous?" He whispered.

"If her giving me those looks doesn’t mean she’s jealous and has feelings for you, then I don’t know what does."

"You’re pathetic when it comes to her." Said the woman behind the bar.

"So are you!" Replied Ace.

The three of them continued arguing for a few more minutes, laughing and shouting as Suzy pulled Ace's hair. Becoming friends with those two had been what opened his eyes. Before he knew Suzy had a girlfriend, he debated his feelings. Was his heart beating fast because you were the only woman his age in his division? Could it be that he was confusing everything and if he had another female friend he would fall in love with her too? No matter how many excuses he tried to make for himself so as not to face his longing, he could no longer deny it.

He was hopelessly in love with you.

He reached out his hand to take the beer Suzy was passing him just as he turned his head towards the door.

His powers activated unintentionally and flames shot out of his fingers, burning his friend's hand. The girl let out a scream and the beer fell to the floor. He apologised quickly while the woman behind the bar checked for any serious injuries. Luckily, she was fine.

"Idiot! What the hell is wrong with you now?" The girl growled, hitting his shoulder.

His body froze.

The same feeling that overwhelmed his senses the first time he saw you receiving the newspaper on the deck, while he pretended not to want to be on that ship, flooded him. The same feeling of seeing an illusion in front of him. So ethereal that you couldn't exist on the same plane as him. So incomparable that he couldn't have the privilege of having your heart, if he ever had it.

He only felt capable of admiring you, unable to speak to you without ruining it. A compliment would not come out of his mouth. A stutter would. You looked beautiful in your cute denim overalls, or in your long white skirts that distracted him as they responded to the wind with a gentle movement. With your natural face and your hair combed or tousled. But this. This woman in front of him could not be his friend. Yes, you could. But at the same time, no.

You couldn't come in wearing a red corset that emphasised your assets, or black boots with heels that high, or that black miniskirt...

A miniskirt.

He felt his face burn. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. From the most innocent to the craziest and most daring. Would it be weird if he asked you for a kick with those boots? And what would he do if you approached him with that pronounced cleavage? Could he keep his eyes up? And worse, what would he do to avoid looking at your thighs? Where had you been hiding them all this time? Ace loved thighs. Depriving him of such a view wasn't fair.

He wanted to admire you. And he didn't want to look like a weirdo.

You couldn't play with his heart like that.

He turned in his chair when the whistles started. He would do what he did best when you made him nervous. Ignore you.

Suzy smirked as she took a sip of her drink. She leaned against the bar, her elbows resting on the surface as she played with her long hair.

"She's hot." She said. Ace bit his lip. "If you don't do something tonight, then my girlfriend and I will make a move."

"Do you think she's into women too?" Her girlfriend asked, drying a glass.

The freckled man glared at them both. They loved to tease him with jokes like that. But he didn't know how much of a joke it would be if someone else did it. Any man in this bar who wasn't part of the crew would be willing to talk to you. To flirt with you. He couldn't bear to see that.

"Is this my birthday present!?" Vista shouted, hugging you when he saw you.

You smiled shyly, holding up a bag.

"This one is."

The man sighed in defeat as he took the bag from your hand.

"I preferred you."

"You look beautiful-yoi." Said Marco, smiling broadly when he saw you like that.

"I did a good job, but all the credit goes to her and her beauty." Izou told the doctor, sitting down next to him.

"Ten thousand berries for a date with you." Haruta proposed, approaching you. "And I'll take care of all your work for the month."

"I don't accept."

"I'll do it for you." He insisted.

"I don't accept."

"I'll clean the deck and wash the sheets."

"I don't accept."

The commanders laughed and the man surrendered, sitting down with the others. You were comfortable sitting among them. Your family. The home you belonged to. You couldn't change the affection and love with which they had welcomed you, opening their doors without caring about your past or who you were. In Whitebeard's crew, everyone was treated with respect. They were all brothers. They would not judge you without reason, and that reason was only betrayal.

You spent an hour with them, celebrating Vista's birthday, listening to his bad jokes and keeping score in his drinking contest with Jozu. Thatch had prepared the food even though the bar could have done so, but he said something about it being too much work for these poor people to feed everyone. No one could do it better than him, who knew everyone's appetite. Marco and Izou were talking to each other, Haruta was talking to some women at a table who welcomed him kindly, and the one who was usually the life of the party was nowhere to be seen.

You looked for him with your eyes.

You had prepared yourself to get a reaction from him.

Everyone had seen you come in. Everyone had complimented you.

And you knew you looked beautiful. You had chosen pretty clothes from your wardrobe. Normal enough that others wouldn't think you did this to impress someone, but eye-catching enough to get at least a "you look pretty tonight" from him.

Which you weren't achieving.

Through that sea of people, you managed to find him sitting at the bar.

Ignoring you.

You wore a miniskirt. Why was he the only one who didn't notice? Why wasn't he impressed? You weren't wearing the same old thing, you had gone back to your old clothes, the ones that had caused you so many problems.

You had done it for him, and he didn't even dare to look at you. But he did look at the woman next to him. Suzy again. You were tired. What should you do? Approach him? Sit next to him? Introduce yourself as his best friend, like a woman in love to make her feel insecure? You weren't like that.

Frustration tried to take over your face, forcing you to smooth out the frown between your eyebrows and smile. You mustn't show that something was bothering you, Izou had advised. "Go with the flow, don't force anything." It was stupid advice. You didn't know how to behave normally around him since you admitted your feelings for yourself. But still, still, you had to try.

Suzy watched your every move out of the corner of her eye. You didn't seem upset. You didn't seem to be seeking his attention while smiling at others, but she saw through your indifference. Maybe it was her lesbian superpower. If she told her girlfriend, she'd get a smack on the head, but she really did catch every glance you made. Even if you did it surreptitiously, while eating something, she noticed your glances at Ace.

She smiled and nudged him.

"Your princess is coming."

The dark-haired man choked on his beer.

Your warm presence taking the stool next to him made his blood run cold. He kept his head down, staring at his beer. Big mistake.

His gaze went straight to your thighs. That position gave him the perfect view to let his mind wander, to let his thoughts have free rein. Your skin looked soft, smooth, almost delicate. The way you moved and pressed them together begged him to please put his hand on them. To give them a gentle squeeze. To force you to stay still.

He bit his lip. Your miniskirt rode up, letting him appreciate you more. How would they look wrapped around his hips while you were in his bed? How would they look if you were on top of him? What facial expression would you make if he squeezed them until they hurt? Would you like it, or would you tell him you hated it?

You said something he didn't catch at the time. Maybe you were asking for a beer? How would you react if you were sleeping together and suddenly felt his chest pressed against your back, his hands on your thighs, and how, slowly, without alarming you, he guided his member between them? Would you prefer the friction to be gentle, or would you let him do everything at his own pace? Hard, as you squeeze him tighter...

"Ace? I'm talking to you."

He shook his head and looked up. You were looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and that made him shift. He hoped he hadn't gotten hard. He couldn't get hard just from that sight, but then again, did no one see the woman next to him?

"Y/N! I'm sorry." His gaze drifted slightly down to your cleavage and he blushed, looking away.

He couldn't do it today.

You touched his cheek with your index finger, drawing his full attention back to you. You liked having it.

"A berrie for your thoughts?"

Suzy glanced at her girlfriend, and they both moved to the other end of the bar, giving them some space. The girlfriends smiled.

"They make a cute couple."

"I still wanted to invite her for a threesome." Suzy murmured, pretending to be disappointed. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"Not in a million years would I share you."

Ace took a sip of his beer. It was almost empty. He could have sipped the rest more slowly, then he wouldn't have had to talk to you, but your question had been so direct. And you were looking at him with those sweet eyes. He couldn't ignore you.

He put his glass down on the table and turned on his stool to face you.

It was now or never.

He had practised it.

He had planned it.

He opened and closed his lips several times, until in a trembling voice he let out what was troubling him.

"Y/N, I need to tell you something."

Your heart skipped a beat. His knee brushed against your bare thigh. Neither of you paid any attention to it, not when Ace was struggling between wanting to look at your thighs, rejecting his dirty thoughts about you, and ignoring the other thoughts that were screaming at him between laughs that you would reject him.

Why did you have to come like this today of all days?

"Here? It's too noisy, I can't hear you, Ace." You said, moving a little closer to him.

He had the reflex to choke on his saliva. The gentle movement gave him the pleasure of seeing how well that corset suited you.

"Eh... Outside. Yes. Outside." He muttered, blushing.

He waited for you to get off the stool, following you from behind like a guard dog. It was a habit he'd had for a long time. It was done on all the islands. You in front, him behind, glaring at anyone who looked at you. Without you noticing. He would have died of embarrassment if you found out how protective he was of you.

His steps were suddenly clumsy as he stared at your legs. He could swear he heard the sound of your heels with every step you took above the music. Or maybe he was always so immersed in your existence that he began to imagine things. Like the gentle sway of your hips. Or was it the miniskirt? Why was it so short? His face grew hotter. He was a pervert. Would you consider him a weirdo if he complimented you?

The commanders watched the two of you pass in front of them and remained silent, their eyes wide.

"I'll start the bet, ten thousand berries that Y/N will confess first." Said Vista, placing the berries on the table in front of them.

Marco heard Izou laugh and raised an eyebrow.

"Should I bet the same as you-yoi?"

"We'll win." Whispered the man with long hair.

"How can you be so sure?" He whispered back.

Izou smiled as he watched his friends getting excited. Today, the suffering would finally be over. And a new one would begin: having to watch the younger crew members kissing in every corner and being affectionate in front of everyone. Even more annoying, but less exasperating.

"The girl Suzy that Y/N was jealous of? She's a lesbian. Her girlfriend is the girl who works at the bar. I found out about Ace a month ago." He murmured, drinking his sake. "He's been practising all this time with Suzy to confess his feelings. If you could have seen the look of defeat on his face every time those two told him he was disgusting when he expressed himself."

"Are you kidding?"

When he denied it, Marco burst out laughing.

"Only an idiot like Ace would practise a confession." Izou concluded.

Both commanders bet on the freckled boy, keeping a secret between them.

The blizzard that hit your body when you left the bar took you by surprise. In the two months you had been on this tropical island, you had rarely felt the wind. The heat in the morning was dry and unbearable, so you avoided leaving the Moby Dick. But at night you loved walking through its dirt streets. The villagers watered them and it was relaxing for the body.

Ace adjusted his hat as he heard the relieved sigh you let out. He smiled amusedly.

"You really hate crowded places, huh?"

"It was Vista's birthday, I couldn't miss it." You said, walking beside him.

The streetlights were made of paper lanterns. Every night, someone was in charge of lighting them one by one. It wasn't something you would see in a kingdom, among nobles with so much fortune. But even so, this was a thousand times better. It was cosy. The warm light they gave off did not compete with the power and beauty of the full moon, which illuminated everything, without discriminating against a single corner.

Seeing you distracted, Ace ran towards the field of flowers, picking some. He did not know their names. He only knew they were not roses, and that was better for him. He could cut you if he gave them to you with their thorns.

He returned to your side when you looked at him, hiding something behind his back.

The bar was far behind you now, the shouting of the celebration and the music long lost.

You tilted your head to one side curiously.

"What are you doing? What are you hiding?"

Ace licked his lips before smiling broadly at you. Standing under a paper lantern, the warm light highlighting his delicate freckles and closed eyes, the boy stretched out his hands towards you, holding ten red tulips between them. You noticed how they trembled slightly.

"These are I'm in love with you and I want to confess that those are for you."

You looked at him, perplexed, for a few seconds. His cheeks began to flush again, making his freckles stand out even more. Why didn't you say anything to him? Were you going to reject him? He couldn't bear rejection. He would rather die now than hear the woman who understood and appreciated him most in the world say she didn't love him.

"Did you mean that those are for me and that you're in love with me?"

Ace nodded.

"That's what I said."

"No. You said it backwards."

The black-haired boy blushed, losing the desire to speak. There was no coming back from a mistake like that. You were going to reject him. You were definitely going to reject him. Who would want to date someone like him who couldn't string two sentences together or make his first confession without stuttering or mixing up his words? How could a woman like you, whom he had always seen as an illusion and who had given him the privilege of being her friend, want his rotten heart?

You ran your finger over the crease between his eyebrows, bringing him back to reality, away from his destructive thoughts. You let out a little giggle, looking at him tenderly.

"That brought back memories."

"Huh?"

When he tilted his head to one side, you stroked his hair.

"That's how you introduced yourself. Hi, I'm division and I'm in your Ace?"

Ace nodded slowly as he remembered. Would you tease him again? You wouldn't accept, right? His eyes never left yours, silently yearning. He was altered when he saw you smile.

He watched you every second. When you stole one of the flowers from him, when you took a step away from him, when you stretched out your hands offering him the flower.

His heart leapt with joy, unable to contain itself.

"Hi, I'm in love with you and I'm in your Y/N."

The black-haired boy shook his head, smiling broadly again. He grabbed the flower and put it with the others, pulling your arm to catch you in a strong hug.

"You're an idiot."

"I just imitated what you did. You're the idiot, if anything."

"Is this how we're going to be from now on? Verbally abusing your boyfriend?"

"How is it abuse if I'm just imitating you?" You complained.

"You're not allowed to imitate me."

"Are you afraid I'll do it better than you?" You asked, looking him in the eyes.

"You can't be better than the original."

"Okay, then let me put it another way." You caressed his cheek softly. "Portgas D. Ace, I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time."

The man let out a nervous laugh, unsure of how to act. Your eyes were full of sincerity. Your tone was full of love. He knew he had to believe you, and he knew that little by little, you would both be able to talk more about your feelings. Like you always did. You told each other everything, so sooner or later you would end up confessing your innermost secrets. When the two of you fell in love with each other. What you liked most about each other. What you wanted for your relationship. There was so much to do now that you had finally crossed the line of friendship.

Ace broke the hug, squeezing your cheek.

"Shall we go back to the ship? I really want to talk."

"Aren't you drunk?" You asked as he put his arm around your shoulders.

He gave you the flowers and you held them close to your chest, walking beside him.

"I couldn't confess to you if I was drunk. If I got confused about the order of words when I was sober, imagine if I was drunk." He said, shaking his head.

The moonlight illuminated the path as you both took short steps towards the Moby Dick, wanting to prolong the moment.

"It went pretty well." You admitted.

"I was scared. I won't tell Suzy, she won't leave me alone."

"Suzy?" You mumbled, biting your lip. What did she have to do with all this?

"The lesbian from the bar. I practised with her for two months how to confess. I had everything prepared and it didn't work out. I was going to give a monologue about how much I love you."

You blinked twice. Was the girl sitting on his lap a lesbian all along? You thought for a few seconds. You had noticed the looks she was giving a certain girl behind the bar, but you thought they were just friends. You were an idiot for not realising sooner, succumbing to jealousy.

"She has a girlfriend, right?"

Ace looked at you.

"If we ever come back and they suggest a threesome, your answer has to be no. I'm your boyfriend now."

You smiled amusedly.

"You didn't ask me to be your girlfriend."

"Who needs that? We love each other. Unless you like formalities, and I know you don't. But I'll ask anyway." Ace squeezed your cheek. "Can I be your boyfriend?"

"You can." You said.

The freckled man kissed your cheek, walking with a full heart. Every now and then you pushed each other with your hips, laughing as you talked nonsense. You were surprised at how natural it felt. You were still the same as always, but with other actions allowed. With other feelings on display. But it was still Ace and you, inseparable, unbreakable, fitting together like two perfect pieces of a puzzle.

You leaned against him, sighing contentedly.

"Can we sleep together tonight? I want to touch your thighs under the sheets."

"Ace, what the hell?"

"It's that miniskirt's fault!"