#twtsa

You hesitated for only a moment. “Sure, I’m in.” You had heard Law was in Grand Line’s pre-med program and you had been itching to pick his brain about it since the last frat party. “I’ll go get changed.”

Nami cheered and Ace slipped you a wink as you hurried past to your room. Thinking ruefully of the not-so-small amount of homework you had to do this weekend as you dumped your bag on your bed, you opened your wardrobe and surveyed your choices. Not wanting to continue borrowing Nami’s clothes (she had been completely serious about charging you for their use, much to your chagrin) you had dipped into your allowance to buy yourself some more party-appropriate attire. Compared to some of the outfits you saw Nami and the other girls wear, they were hardly anything to bat an eye at, but against your usual choice of jeans and a t-shirt, they seemed positively scandalous. You loved it. You were hoping a certain someone would too.

You felt the eyes on you the second you crossed the threshold into the kitchen in your fitted miniskirt and crop top, and you fought the urge to run back to your room and hide. You heard a wolf whistle and you glanced up, your face on fire.

Nami was grinning from ear to ear and Sanji looked like his eyes were about to literally fall out of his head. Sabo gave you a shy smile, his cheeks slightly flushed. Ace, for once, had no teasing remarks, but you couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes lingered on you long after the others had turned away.

“Damn, our Country Girl cleans up nice, huh?” Nami teased.

“Shut up,” you muttered, but let her see the smile that quirked the corner of your mouth.

The party was already in full swing by the time you had all arrived and the group immediately split off to meet up with their respective friends. Nami had dragged Usopp and the other girls into the dancing crowd, and Sabo muttered something about getting you both a drink as he brushed past on his way to the kitchen. The dark-haired boy you had come to know as Luffy made a beeline for Law and immediately threw his arm around his shoulders, laughing at the scowl on the med student’s face.

Ace was huddled in a dark corner with a guy you didn’t know, their heads bent close in conversation. Something small passed between their hands, but it was gone so fast, you couldn’t see what it was. Ace fist-bumped the guy, then disappeared into the writhing crowds. You frowned after him but put him from your mind almost instantly as Sabo returned with a beer and an offer to dance. You gladly accepted both and soon lost yourself in the haze of alcohol and the closeness of your bodies.

It was a long while later when you excused yourself from your conversation with Law about med school to find the bathroom. You had lost count of how many beers deep you were and your mind was pleasantly clouded, but your feet were steady beneath you as you climbed the staircase to the much less crowded second floor.

After taking care of business, you ran your wrists under the cold tap, letting the water cool your surging blood. When you opened the door to leave the bathroom, you stumbled directly into a hard, warm body.

“Oops, sorry, I—” You looked up only to be met with deep brown eyes in a face liberally spattered with freckles. “Oh, hi!”

Ace didn’t return your greeting. He seemed to be weighing up a choice in his mind. This close, you could see his pupils blown so wide his eyes were almost black and a light sheen of sweat at his temples.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…” He chuckled. “I’m a little drunk, I think.”

You smirked. “And all that talk of being around the block a few times. I have to admit, it’s nice being the sober one for once.” Well, mostly sober, you thought.

He smirked back. “Oh, I doubt you’ll be gloating so much in the morning.”

“Bet.”

He laughed, loudly this time. His face had relaxed into that carefree smile you so loved as he leaned casually on the door jamb. He was standing so close and you could feel your courage starting to wane. You grasped for something to say.

“Do… you like my new outfit?”

His eyes were dark as they raked you over and you were suddenly self-conscious. “Very much,” he said. “If I didn’t know you were our sweet, innocent Country Girl under all that, I might be inclined to try my luck tonight.”

Your heart sank but you tried to keep your voice light and playful. “Are you admitting to thinking about what’s under my clothes?”

He looked you over once more, his eyes calculating. “I’d be lying if I said it was the first time.”

At those words, you felt an abrupt twist of desire in your gut. The air between you felt thicker, charged with energy.

You leaned closer, looking up at him through your lashes. You didn’t know what had gotten into you tonight. Maybe you were a little less sober than you thought. “Would you like to find out?”

When he didn’t respond, you pulled back, face flooded with heat. “Forget it. Sorry.” You made to push past him but his hand shot out to catch your arm, tugging you hard against his chest and lowering his lips to yours.

You found yourself responding with clumsy enthusiasm, letting him lead you gently back into the dark bathroom and kicking the door shut behind him. He backed you hard against the sink, his long, solid body pressing against every part of you. One hand was tangled in your hair and the other was sliding down your side, fingers just brushing the edge of your breast on their way to settle on the bare skin of your waist. His hand was fever warm. His lips tasted like sweet liquor and something bitter. He kissed you with the experience of someone who had done this countless times before and you tried your hardest to keep up.

A voice in the back of your head told you to stop now before it went too far, but you were so lost in the heady scent of his cologne and the warmth and hardness of his body against yours, you barely heard it. You had wanted this since the day you’d first laid eyes on him in that lucky, lucky towel—you couldn’t deny that. So why did it feel like it was just not right somehow?

You gave a little gasp as Ace’s hands slid down to your thighs, hoisting you onto the sink with an ease that made the desire in your abdomen flare brighter. His warm hands were creeping their way beneath your skirt, his hips gently pressing your knees apart to accommodate him. Holy shit, this was really happening. Your heart thudded in your throat, an involuntary moan bubbling up.

“Fuck, Ace—"

“Oh shit, sorry!”

You blinked rapidly as a sliver of bright light fell across your face, but it was gone a second later, the door closing with a sharp snap.

You had just been walked in on.

Ace had pulled away at the sound of the intruding voice and now he was laughing.

“Whoops, forgot to lock the door.” He turned back to you. “Where were we?”

But before he could resume kissing you, you stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. You could feel tears pricking the corners of your eyes. What were you doing?

Nami’s words from the week before echoed in your head.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be doing this.” You shoved him away and he stumbled back. You were glad he couldn’t see your face in the darkness. “I have to go.”

He made no move to stop you, said nothing as you rushed past him and back into the noise and heat and smoke of the party. A few people tried to pull you into conversations but you brushed them off, needing to escape the oppressive heat of packed bodies and the pungent smell of weed in the air.

In the cold night air, you took great heaving breaths, trying without success to hold back those bitter tears. The bass still pounded from the party inside, and shouts and laughter spilled out into the yard. It was suddenly all too much.

A hand touched your arm lightly and you spun around, wiping your cheeks clean with the back of your hand.

“Hey, what are you doing out here all alone? [Name], are you okay?”

It was Sabo. The person you least wanted to be seeing you like this.

“I’m fine. I’m okay. I just… It’s getting a bit much. I think I wanna call it a night.”

Without question, he threw his half empty beer in the trash and a comforting arm wound behind you, leading you down the garden path. He shouted to someone over his shoulder that he was taking you home and you heard Nami’s voice shout a non-committal reply.

As the sounds of the party faded behind you, you realised how worried he must be. Though he had asked you no questions, you could see the lines of concern furrowing his brow.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m just a bit overwhelmed, I guess.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I was thinking of bailing anyway.”

You glanced up at him and he flashed you a grin. You laughed despite yourself.

“You know you can say no, right?”

“Huh?”

“To the parties. I know Nami and Ace can be persuasive, but they wouldn’t make you do anything you really didn’t want to do.”

“Oh. Yeah, I know.” You huddled your arms closer about you. It was true. You had been the one to instigate it. He hadn’t forced you to kiss him back or to tangle your fingers in his hair or moan his name.

That had all been you. You and a little something called liquid courage. You had let it convince you those looks Ace had been giving you all night were him wanting you. Wanting you like you had secretly been wanting him since the day he stepped out in nothing but a towel in that damned co-ed bathroom. You’d convinced yourself that Nami was wrong, that you wouldn’t become just another notch on his bedpost. How could you have been so stupid?

You were quiet on the walk back to the dorm. Sabo tried to make casual conversation, but after trying and failing to evoke an enthusiastic response, he fell silent too. You could tell he was worried about you and you felt a sudden swell of affection for him—and a surge of guilt. Here was a good, sweet man who had been nothing but kind to you since you’d arrived. And here you were making out with his best friend in the bathroom at a frat party.

The thought only made you feel worse.

Sabo held the door open for you and you stood awkwardly in the hall as you waited for him to lock it behind him.

“Thanks for walking me home. Sorry I was such a downer.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You need anything? Want me to put a movie on or something?”

You shook your head. “Thanks, but I think I just want to go to bed.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll be out here if you need me. Sleep well.”

Sabo flashed a smile at you from across the table and suddenly your thoughts of Ace were replaced with the foggy memory of the goodnight kiss you and Sabo had shared. What had gotten into you last night? It was only a peck on the cheek, but would he read too much into it? Would you? Surely, he would think it was just a friendly gesture for carrying you home and no more than that. It wasn’t like you had made out or anything…

Just then, the dormitory door was flung open and Ace sauntered in.

“G’day children,” he said far too loudly for someone who’d spent all night out partying. That earned him a protesting groan from you and Rebecca. He fist bumped Sabo as he passed and ruffled your already messy hair as he threw himself down into the empty seat on your other side.

“Awh, babies’ first hangovers,” he cooed. “I feel so honoured to get to experience this momentous turning point in your college lives.”

Rebecca threw a piece of toast at him and he laughed as it sailed past his head.

“It’s criminal how chipper you are this morning,” you mumbled and Ace turned his laughing eyes on you.

“I’ve been around the block a few more times than you have, Country Girl,” he said. “You’ll get used to it.”

“God, I hope not.”

He laughed and patted your head consolingly. You tried not to blush too hard at the contact.

After breakfast, you returned to your room with plans to get started on the assigned readings you had so foolishly ignored last night in favour of the party, but your head still pounded and the sight of the diagrams of the digestive tract made your own squirm with discomfort. With a heavy sigh, you slammed your textbook shut and wandered out into the shared living space, thinking maybe you’d just curl up in front of the TV for a while, but as you stepped into the room, you found it already occupied.

“Yo, Country Girl, you wanna smash?”

“Uh… what?”

While you stood frozen in the doorway, Ace and Sabo were sitting on the couch playing a Switch game together. They both smiled at you, Sabo’s warm and inviting, Ace with a shit-eating grin.

Ace held out a joycon to you, the light of laughter in his eyes. He knew what he had said and he knew exactly how you would take it. “You wanna play Smash Bros. with us?”

“Oh. Sure.”

You took the joycon from Ace’s hands and sat in the offered seat between them. Your shoulder brushed against Sabo’s ever so slightly. He turned to you.

“Ever played before?”

“Only a little.”

After a moment’s thought, you selected Kirby as your character and Ace let out a snort of laughter.

“Oh, you’re so getting crushed,” he said, locking in Incineroar.

“Play nice, Ace,” Sabo said, choosing Link.

Sabo’s warning was unnecessary however as, ten minutes later, you had emerged victorious against both of them. Ace gaped at the screen as his dejected Pokémon applauded Kirby’s victory dance.

“This is complete bullshit!”

Ace’s cries of indignation had Sabo in a silent fit of laughter. “I thought you said you’d only played a little?” he said between gasps for air.

You shrugged. “It’s true. Not my fault Ace chose such a shit tier character.”

Ace stared at you, mouth opening and closing like a fish. You were shaking with your own uncontrolled mirth now as he gestured feebly at the screen.

“I demand a rematch!”

This time it was Sabo who came out victorious with Ace, once again, bottom of the ladder. He side-eyed the both of you in your fits of giggles.

“I’m starting to think you two are just bullying me now.”

“Us? Never!”

“What are you three up to?” Zoro had wandered in from the kitchen, awoken from his nap by the noise.

“Kicking Ace’s ass in Smash, wanna join?”

“Hell yeah.” He took the offered controller and claimed an armchair, selecting Snake without a moment’s hesitation.

And so, the games continued well into the afternoon, Ace eking out a few victories but more often than not, losing spectacularly to a well-timed final smash.

“All right!” Ace cried, throwing his hands up at Kirby’s umpteenth victory dance. “I admit defeat. I gotta get ready for work soon anyway.” He fist bumped Sabo. “Don’t wait up for me tonight, man.”

“Private party?”

“You know it.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Ace grinned. “What, and never have any fun?”

He dodged Sabo’s playful swipe and with a ruffle of your hair in passing, he was gone.

Sabo yawned and stretched, falling back against the couch with a fwump. His arm fell casually across the back of the sofa behind your head. “You working tonight too, Zoro?”

“Naw, but I should hit the gym. Catch you two later.”

“What do you all do for work?” you asked, frowning slightly after Zoro as he left to change into his gym clothes. You turned and found yourself face to face with Sabo, his blue eyes twinkling.

He seemed to hesitate for just a moment before answering. “We pick up shifts here and there at a club downtown.”

“Oh, like bartending?”

There was a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “It varies by the day,” he shrugged. “Maybe you can come hang out there some time.”

You made a face. “I don’t think clubs are my scene…”

He laughed. You were only just realising how close the two of you were, pressed up almost shoulder to shoulder on one end of the couch, Sabo’s arm draped lazily behind your head.

“And what is your scene?” His voice was soft, inquisitive, almost hopeful. You couldn’t look away from those startling blue eyes.

“Libraries and little hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Alone in my car where I can sing and no one hears. Second-hand bookstores and parks in autumn.”

He hummed. “Sounds ideal.”

The sound of the front door opening and the murmur of voices entering the kitchen seemed to break the spell you were under and you scooted back on the couch a little, heat flooding your face. The next moment, Nami leaned in from the doorway, a man with a long nose you’d never met before following close behind.

“Hey Sabo! [Name], this is Usopp.” Usopp gave a little salute in your direction. “We were planning on pre-gaming here before heading out later, you guys wanna join?”

“I’m down,” Sabo nodded.

You shook your head. “I should really catch up on my readings for Monday.”

Nami pouted. “Aw, but you have all tomorrow to do them! Come on, everyone else is busy.”

“Sorry, Nami. I’ll hang out next time, I promise.”

She sighed. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that,” she winked. “Don’t study too hard, ‘kay?”

Sabo smiled warmly at you as you stood to leave. “Hey, next time, team up with me in Mario Kart and we’ll crush Ace again.”

You laughed. “Sure.”

As you squeezed passed Nami in the doorway, she wiggled her eyebrows at you and mouthed something that looked suspiciously like “you little minx”.

You flushed and ignored her, escaping to the safety of your bedroom and the familiar monotony of homework.

It was almost three in the morning when Nami stumbled back in, startling you from your sleep. You had dozed off at your desk, face down in your textbook in what was most certainly a very unflattering position. Thankfully, Nami seemed too out of it to notice the trail of drool on your chin. You wiped it away hastily with the sleeve of your sweater.

“You missed a great night,” she sighed as she flopped down on her bed. Her voice was slightly slurred and her eyes unfocused.

“Such a shame,” you said with a little quirk of your lips.

“Really, we did sooo many shots. Usopp lost a drinking contest and had to eat a tequila worm, it was GREAT,” she giggled. “And then we all danced and Sabo was like, fighting off women on the dance floor.”

“Oh,” you said, trying to sound like you were listening eagerly to her story but not really keen on hearing about Sabo’s… romantic exploits.

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “He turned ‘em all down though. He’s not like Ace.”

“Oh.” You wished you could think of something else to say. You couldn’t pretend hearing that hadn’t filled you with a flood of relief.

“Speaking of Sabo, are we just gonna pretend I didn’t walk in on you practically in his lap on the couch earlier?”

You felt your face heat up. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You got up from your desk and began your nightly routine, pottering around your room and avoiding Nami’s accusatory stare.

“You know, I was kinda worried about you cause of how you look at Ace, but Sabo is a sweetheart and you should absolutely tap that.”

You rounded on her. “Tap that?! Wait, what do you mean how I look at Ace?”

“Girl, you are so smitten with him. I get it. He’s hot as fuck,” she sighed. “Look, we all know Ace is a big flirt. That boy will fuck anything that looks at him the right way. But he’s not worth it. You’re a nice girl. I don’t wanna see you get hurt.”

You avoided her eyes. Were your thoughts and feelings really so obvious? Could everyone read your face as easily as Nami could? You hoped not.

When next she spoke, Nami’s voice was so low you had to strain to hear it. “Vivi got sucked in by him. They hooked up last year and she’s never really gotten over him, y’know? Don’t tell her I told you that. Ah, I’m too drunk for this.” She fell backwards on her bed, flinging her arm over her eyes.

You said nothing, finally turning out the light and snuggling deep beneath your covers. Nami was silent for a long time. Just as you were beginning to think she had fallen asleep, she mumbled:

“Sabo’s a good guy. He won’t break your heart.”

“I’ll go first, shall I?” Nami said. You silently thanked her because it meant your turn would be last. “We’ll start off with something simple. Never have I ever drunk texted an ex.”

Several people around the room grimaced. A few drank, including, you noted, Ace. You absently wondered if that was the reason he didn’t date. Then the game moved on to Vivi.

“Hmm, never have I ever… cheated on a test!”

Nami scowled and drank. So did Zoro. You cast your eyes around the circle. You, Sabo, Rebecca and Law still had five fingers up. This wasn’t so bad! Then came Rebecca’s question.

“Never have I ever had a one night stand.” She blushed as she said it, avoiding everyone’s gazes. Everyone but you drank and you felt your own face heating up too.

Ace chuckled. “Awh, our innocent little freshies!”

“Not for long if you have anything to do with it,” muttered Zoro into his cup, earning himself a cuff on the back of the head from Sanji.

Next up was Law. “Never have I ever… gotten lost in my own dorm.” He looked pointedly at Zoro, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Hey, no fair! You promised not to tell that story!” Zoro cried indignantly, but he drank anyway, scowling heavily over the rim of his cup at Law. Sanji snorted with laughter and Zoro looked like he was about to throw his cup at his roommate’s head. But before Zoro could retaliate, Shachi hastily blurted out:

“Never have I ever done the walk of shame on campus.”

“I refuse to believe you’ve never done that, Shachi-ya,” Law smirked as most people around the circle took a drink. At this point, only you and Rebecca still held five fingers up. Zoro and Ace were down to one finger each.

Penguin sat silent for a moment, thinking, before grinning mischievously. “Never have I ever fallen asleep during sex.”

There was outcry from Ace and Zoro.

“I have a medical condition!”

“I was training for a tournament that week!”

“This is targeted harassment!”

But they both grudgingly finished off their drinks and, grumbling, allowed Nami to refill their cups, a look of pure delight on her face.

“Well, I think it’s safe to say our freshies take round one,” she beamed at you and Rebecca. “We’re going to have to make things a little bit more challenging for them. Zoro, you’re up.”

Hiccupping slightly, Zoro screwed his face up as he thought. “Never have I ever called a teacher ‘mom’ by accident.”

Everyone laughed and for the first time, you lowered a finger and took a drink, along with pretty much everyone else in the room. You felt a great wave of relief that your first drink wasn’t for something completely embarrassing.

Sanji took his turn next. “Never have I ever gotten a tattoo while drunk.” He looked pointedly at Ace.

“Oi! Why is everyone picking on me tonight?”

“Because you’re fun to pick on,” smirked Sabo. You couldn’t help but giggle and Sabo flashed you a grin, while Ace turned a look of betrayal on you.

“Just you wait, Country Girl. I have a good one up my sleeve.”

You didn’t like the sound of that. Ace took his drink and then it was Sabo’s turn.

“Never have I ever dined and dashed,” he said.

Nami, Ace and Zoro drank, scowling. And then it was Ace’s turn and you could feel his eyes on you as he pretended to think long and hard.

“Never have I ever… kept my virginity until college.”

You face exploded with heat and several people around the room scolded Ace.

“Not everyone just hands it out for free, Mr I’d-fuck-anything-with-legs!”

“You don’t have to drink, [Name]. We don’t care, really.”

“No,” you said, looking Ace in the eye with what you hoped was a stoic expression. “It’s fine. That’s the game, right?” You drank. Ace smirked.

“Called it~” he sang.

Sabo elbowed him hard in the ribs. “There’s nothing wrong with that, asshole.”

“Just trying to get to know each other. Your turn, Country Girl!”

You crossed your arms and glowered up at Ace. “Never have I ever had a dirty dream about someone in this room.”

Ace looked you directly in the eyes as he drank. As much as you wanted to look away, you held his gaze defiantly. You weren’t going to let him mess with you. From the corner of your eye, you saw Sabo take a shy sip, along with a few others. Once again, Ace was down to just one finger.

The game went on well into the night, everyone getting steadily more uncoordinated as more fingers were lowered and more cups were drained. You still had yet to finish your drink, but you were now down to one finger. Ace had had his cup refilled twice more, but apart from a pretty pink flush in his freckled cheeks, he still appeared quite coherent. But it wasn’t long before things devolved into drunken giggles and arguments.

“Never have I ever had sex with an inanimate object!”

“Does your hand count as inanimate?”

“No, idiot! Your hand is part of you and you’re animate.”

You fell, giggling, against Nami, feeling completely relaxed for the first time that night. You weren’t quite drunk, you thought, but you felt pleasantly buzzed and sleepy. You had been sceptical at first, but you had to admit that you had actually had fun, and you felt much warmer towards your new dorm mates. You had definitely begun to feel your energy flagging though and hastened to stifle a yawn, but not fast enough for Nami’s keen eyes.

“Hey guys, it’s getting late. Think we might call it an early night,” she said to the room.

Rebecca seemed ready to leave too, though you noticed Vivi had been casting hopeful glances in Ace’s direction all night and seemed reluctant to go just yet. Sanji and Zoro grudgingly agreed to head back to the dorm too, and Sabo followed suit.

“Don’t wait up for me,” Ace said to Sabo, waving everyone off as they all stumbled out the door. You thought you caught a subtle wink aimed in your direction.

“It was nice meeting you!” you called to Law, Shachi and Penguin as Nami led you from the room.

It wasn’t until you were on your feet again that you suddenly felt the effects of the alcohol more than ever. You felt unsteady on your feet, Nami’s heels she’d lent you no doubt contributing to your sudden inability to walk in a straight line. When you stepped off the porch onto the garden path below, you misjudged the distance and stumbled, but before you could hit the ground, a large, warm hand steadied you.

“Woah, careful.”

You looked up into Sabo’s face and smiled with relief. “Thanks,” you muttered. “It’s these damn heels…”

“Take them off, I’ll carry you.”

You flushed red, incredibly thankful that it was dark outside. “Oh, no it’s fine! You don’t have to do that.”

But Sabo was already crouching down, gesturing for you to hop onto his back. You bit your lip. You couldn’t subject him to carrying your clingy, tipsy self all the way back to your dorm. Surely, he must be tired from the party too. But his back looked broad beneath his button down shirt and he was warm and your feet really did hurt…

“Okay…” you said in a small voice, tugging off your shoes and sighing blissfully at the feeling. You clambered onto his back less than gracefully, but he said nothing, just wrapped his warm hands behind your knees and stood rather suddenly. You yelped and flung your arms around his neck before you could fall, almost smacking him in the face with your dangling shoes.

“I’m sorry!” you cried, but Sabo was already laughing, hitching you higher onto his back and starting off down the path after the others.

You remained silent as you followed the others back through the campus to the dorms. Your face still burned at the fact you were being carried home as easily as if you were a backpack by an incredibly attractive man. If the timid country girl from a week ago had known what was to be, she would have had a heart attack. You buried your face in the back of Sabo’s shirt, breathing in his pleasant scent of light citrus and mint. The gentle cadence of his steps could have lulled you to sleep, but his voice roused you.

“Did you have fun tonight?” he asked.

“You know what? I really did,” you said, voice muffle slightly in his shirt.

He chuckled. “I’m glad. Maybe we will make a party animal out of you yet.”

You laughed. “Maybe. I guess it would be all right as long as you’re there… I mean,” you stuttered, “all of you.”

Sabo gave no indication that he’d noticed your slip up. Ace would have, you thought. He would have teased you relentlessly for it. And teased Sabo for carrying you like a pack horse at that. You shook the thoughts of Ace from your head, but focusing on the way your thighs were squeezed tightly around Sabo’s torso didn’t exactly help the furious blush that was spreading across your face and down your neck. You were glad the two of you were at the rear of the pack where no one could see.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you don’t get into too much trouble.” You could hear the grin in his voice as he said it.

“Thanks,” you muttered, once again burying your burning face in the back of his shirt.

The two of you were silent the rest of the way to the dorm. Sabo didn’t complain once the whole way, only shifting to adjust your weight into a more comfortable position from time to time. You wondered what this international relations student was doing in his spare time to have such impressive biceps, but every time you thought of the way his muscular arms held you, your face exploded in heat again and you desisted.

They’re just muscles, [Name], you told yourself. Really, REALLY, nice muscles…

“We’re here,” Sabo said softly, breaking through your haze of thought.

You yawned widely. “Thank god, any longer and I think I might’ve fallen asleep.” That was a lie. You were far too aware of the perfect specimen of a man between your legs to ever get a restful sleep.

Sabo chuckled and let you down gently just inside the front door. He turned to face you, a gentle smile on his face.

“Thanks for…” you gestured vaguely between the two of you.

“Any time, [Name],” he said. “Good night.”

“Good night…”

“YES!” You almost jumped at Nami’s outburst, then she gasped loudly and you almost jumped again. “We need to find you an outfit. I’ll let you borrow one of mine free of charge since it’s your first ever college party. If you spill anything on it though, the dry cleaning bill is on you.” She began rummaging in her closet, pulling out items one after the after until she had a small pile growing on the bed.

After saying no to every ridiculously short skirt and party dress Nami threw at you, you finally consented to a pair of jeans that, while they covered you completely, were so skin tight they leaved little to the imagination, and a top that showed far too much midriff for your liking, but was far more modest than the alternatives. Nami topped off the look with a pair of strappy heels and nodded approvingly as you examined yourself in the mirror.

“Not bad.”

You smiled at her over your shoulder. You had to admit, you looked hot. “Not bad at all,” you agreed.

* * * * *

You could hear the party before you had even turned onto the street—loud, thumping bass and raucous laughter drifted on the September breeze and you felt a sudden surge of apprehension. Nami seemed to have read your face because she put a reassuring hand on your knee.  

“Hey, if you want to leave at any point, just let me know, ‘kay?”

You nodded, though you wondered what would happen if you just refused to get out of the Uber and went home instead.

The two of you were met with cries of greeting as you walked up to the door. You recognised a face or two here and there from some of your classes, but otherwise, they were all strangers to you. The bass from the music pounded your eardrums as you squeezed through the door and into the crowded hallway. Immediately, a solo cup full of some amber liquid was pushed into your hand by a random passer-by and you were bombarded with a flurry of introductions that went by so fast, you wouldn’t have been able to commit any of them to memory even if you could hear them over the music. Nami was quickly whisked away in the direction of the living room and you suddenly found yourself alone in a throng of almost-strangers.

You lifted the solo cup to your lips in hopes of soothing some of the nerves, but not a second later, the drink was plucked from your hand. You looked up, angry, but met the brown eyes and freckled face of Ace, and your frown immediately disappeared. He set the cup on a side table and handed you an unopened bottle of beer instead.

“Rule number one of frat parties: never drink something you didn’t pour yourself.”

You gaped at him. “But why would…”

“Trust me, some of these college guys have some not so innocent intentions.” Then his face split into a smile that left you breathless. “Good thing I’m here, huh? Let’s dance!”

Before you could come up with an excuse not to make a fool of yourself, he was tugging you into the crowd of gyrating bodies by the hand. You had no idea what you were doing, but Ace didn’t seem to care, laughing at your weak attempts to dance without spilling your beer. The warm, dancing bodies around you bumped and buffeted you into him so there was barely an inch of space between you and you hoped you could pass off your flushed cheeks as simple exertion, or maybe the beer you were working through perhaps a little too quickly.

It was nerve-wracking, being in the midst of so many drunk and excitable people, but with the alcohol warming your veins, and Ace’s comforting hand on your waist or your shoulder whenever the crowd threatened to swallow you up, you started to enjoy yourself. It was many songs later, long after Ace had been swept away by an extremely pretty and insistent girl, did you decide to make your way to the edge of the dance floor. Flushed and a little lightheaded, you looked around for someone—anyone—you recognised.

“Want some air?” said a voice by your ear. You turned to find Sabo in a button down shirt that showed far too much of his chest to be good for you in your current state. He held out a cold beer in offering. You nodded gratefully and took it, and let him lead you between the drunken frat boys and dancing sorority girls until you reached the front porch. You took a deep breath of cool, night air and the spinning in your head seemed to slow down a fraction.

You were having a hard time getting the memory of Ace’s hand on the bare skin of your waist out of your head.

When you opened your eyes, Sabo was watching you with a half-smile tugging at his lips. He looked away hastily when you noticed him staring and he gazed out over the front yard, littered with people smoking and making out on the lawn.

“So… having fun?” he asked.

“Surprisingly, yes,” you replied, honestly.

He chuckled at that. “I didn’t take you for a party person. But, then again, I didn’t think I was until college either.”

“I’m not, really,” you insisted. “Nami made me come.”

Sabo smiled knowingly. “Didn’t look like you were protesting just now.” He gestured inside.

You flushed. “Yeah, well… alcohol makes you do things you normally wouldn’t…” As if to emphasise your point, a very drunk and very naked frat boy streaked across the lawn, shouting the name of the college football team.

You both burst out laughing and when you finally calmed down, Sabo said:

“In all seriousness though, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Even if you’re not the partying type, it’s good to relax and forget about school every once in a while. I think we’d all go crazy if we didn’t”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you said, smiling at him. It was just now that you realised in the moments you had both spent doubled over in laughter, the two of you had drawn closer to each other.

“Just don’t overdo it. The number of times I’ve walked in on Ace dancing shirtless on tables…”

That got you going again and you found yourself leaning against each other as you giggled incessantly. When you calmed down you felt warm and a little sleepy. Sabo’s shoulder was pressed tightly against yours as you both leaned on the railing and looked out into the night, unbothered by the muffled bass and babble from the party. As much as you liked dancing with Ace, you wouldn’t mind just staying out here for the rest of the night in the pleasant glow of your tipsiness.

It took you a while to notice Sabo watching you from the corner of his eye. You smiled at him, taking in his blown pupils, his relaxed stance. He didn’t act drunk, but he seemed as pleasantly buzzed as you were and the smile he shot back made your heart flutter inside your chest. He opened his mouth to say something, his gaze flickering between your eyes and your lips, but before he could, the front door burst open.

“Sabo! Country Girl! There you are. Come join us for a game—oh. I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

You and Sabo hastily stepped away from each other. “Not at all. A game sounds fun,” said Sabo. “That is, if [Name] wants to?”

He looked at you imploringly and for a moment, you felt the urge to refuse Ace and stay outside with Sabo all night. But you didn’t like the way Ace was glancing between the two of you with a knowing smirk, so you tamped the urge back down and shrugged.

“Sure.”

Ace led you inside and back through the party, but this time, he led you up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. You wondered briefly whether you were allowed to be up here, but then saw that the room was filled with faces you recognised. Nami, Vivi, Rebecca, Sanji and Zoro were there, along with a couple of people you hadn’t met yet. Or maybe you had, you just didn’t remember it in the flurry of your arrival.

“Law, Country Girl, Country Girl, Law,” Ace offered lazily, waving his hand at a guy with black hair and a goatee seated on the bed.

“[Name],” you corrected and Law nodded. He wasn’t what you had expected from a frat boy at all. He seemed quiet, reserved, and looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, but he was smiling good naturedly. He gestured to the unfamiliar faces either side of him, one with scruffy red hair and the other wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.

“This is Shachi and Penguin.”

You nodded to each of them in turn and they grinned broadly at you. You looked around for a place to sit and chose a spot on the floor beside Nami, who beamed at you as you sat down. Sabo made to take his place next to you but Ace got there first. Sabo frowned slightly, but Ace pretended not to notice as he turned to face the room. His smile was devious.

“So, what shall we be playing tonight?”

“Well…” said Nami with an identical smirk. “I was thinking, since we have a few newbies with us tonight, we should all get to know each other a little better.” She reached behind her and pulled out a bottle of vodka.