Cassini Roams

[partywithponies]

One of the most annoying genres of people on the internet are people who act like they believe science is one single monolithic thing. Like, you'll see an article saying something like "scientists studying the movement of tectonic plates", and then in the comments there'll be several smug people saying "smh why are scientists doing this instead of finding a cure for cancer", like. Why would a geologist be doing that.

[myenclosureplease]

shout out to my goat 🔥🔥🔥

[stonelionhearts]

sometimes i wonder if we have forgotten that sharing creative work is, fundamentally, a bid for human connection. like I'm not posting art or fic for 'engagement' i'm posting it looking for other sickos to play with! i'd be making it anyway for my own gratification because there's something wrong with me, i'm sharing it hoping we can have something wrong with us together <3

[kcokaine]

at some point in their life

[willowsslove]

Second Chances (Naoya x Reader)

˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ Chap 1 - The One With The Push─ ˖᯽ ݁˖·

⁺˚⋆｡°✩ Summary ✩°｡⋆˚⁺

After years of enduring Naoya's cruelty in your marriage, one desperate push at the top of the stairs changes everything.

He falls, but he doesn’t die. He wakes with no memory of who he was, or what he did to you.

With his family desperate to hide the truth and preserve his inheritance, you become his caretaker… and his only anchor. The man who once made you flinch at the sound of his footsteps, now follows you around like a lost ghost, soft-eyed and uncertain.

You could tell him the truth. You could walk away, but guilt keeps you here, and love, eventually, makes it hard to leave.

‎‧₊˚✧ Warnings ✧˚₊‧

Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Graphic descriptions of domestic abuse, Physical & emotional violence, Amnesia, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy angst, Slow burn romance, Non-con elements, Smut (More warnings will be added when full chapter is posted).

‎‧₊˚✧ Word Count ✧˚₊‧

3,271k

˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ Chap 2 ─ ˖᯽ ݁˖·

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨Masterlist୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

TRIGGER WARNING - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! - TRIGGER WARNING!

You have always hated hospitals, the way the antiseptic clings to the back of your throat long after you’ve left, the relentless metronome of monitors counting out someone else’s fragile hold on life, the soft mechanical sighs that never quite mask the undercurrent of grief threading through every corridor. 

They are places where hope is lost, thread by thread, where families learn in increments what grief feels like before it finally arrives, and sitting here beside Naoya, his chest rising and falling only because machines insist on it, tubes snaking beneath pale skin, an IV line taped crookedly to the back of his hand, you cannot remember a time the hatred for this place burned this hot inside your ribs.

Your fingers rest around his, as though the slightest pressure might dislodge the needle or remind his body how little fight it has left. His palm is cooler than it should be, the kind of cold that seeps in when circulation slows and life begins to feel tenuous. 

You fight the urge to pull away, telling yourself the dread pooling in your stomach is only guilt wearing a friendlier mask. 

The beeping continues, indifferent to your fears, a cruel reminder that he is still here even if the man who once filled rooms with his voice and his fury is nowhere to be found.

The door sighs open behind you, a soft pneumatic swoosh, and you turn your head just enough to see Emiko step inside. Her dark hair catches the fluorescent light in muted waves, the pale teal pantsuit she wears looks starched to the point of discomfort, as though she dressed for a boardroom rather than a deathwatch. 

She moves with the practiced quiet of someone who has spent years learning not to disturb powerful men, even when they lie unconscious.

“You’re still here” she says, not quite a question, more the gentle press of an observation against the silence.

You nod once, the motion stiff, then let your gaze drift back to Naoya.

In this stillness he could be anyone, the sharp edges of his jaw softened by sedation, the perpetual sneer smoothed away, nothing left of the hunger that used to rise in his eyes whenever your voice faltered or your shoulders curved inward. He looks almost peaceful.

The sight twists something vicious in your chest.

“Any change?” Emiko asks.

“No.” You lift your free hand, settling it over his so that both of yours cradle his cold palm, as if shared warmth might coax life back into the veins. “The doctors remain… hopeful”

She echoes the words, but it carries no conviction, only the weariness of someone who has heard the same platitudes for weeks. 

You’ve watched them peel back his eyelids on schedule, shine penlights across pupils that barely to react, murmur about stable intracranial pressure while you stand in the corner trying not to let your knees buckle. Hope, in this room, has begun to feel like another machine they wheel in and out.

The silence stretches between you, thick with everything neither of you are willing to say.

She had seen the bruises blooming beneath long sleeves, the way you flinched at the sound of his footsteps in the hall. She had watched you swallow tears at family dinners and still she said nothing, because Zenin women learn early that silence is safer than accusation.

You wonder, not for the first time, whether she ever imagined this future when she first held him as an infant, whether she glimpsed the disdain already growing in those infants eyes, or simply told herself that boys like him grow into men who command.

“Thank you” she says at last, the words scraping out as though they cost her something. She drifts closer until she stands at the foot of the bed, gaze settling on his still face with an expression you cannot quite read. Grief, perhaps, or regret, or simple exhaustion. “Thank you for staying… despite his…”

You cut her off before the sentence can finish. “What else would I do?” The lie tastes metallic. “He’s my husband.”

She doesn't argue, but the small tilt of her head tells you she hears the hollowness beneath the claim. She studies him as though searching for the child she once knew, the one who might have smiled at her without contempt, and you wonder how long it has been since she saw anything in him but the heir she was expected to produce.

“I just…” The words catch in your throat, heavy with everything you cannot yet admit. “I want him to wake up.”

The rest stay lodge in your throat.

That you need him conscious so you can finally leave, so you can sign the papers and walk away carrying only the memory of what he had done rather than the fresh stain of what you did.

You had not meant to push him that hard. You had not wanted to watch his body fall, limbs unfolding in slow, terrible arcs until he lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairs like trash.

But exhaustion had hollowed you out that night, left you raw and trembling, and when his hand rose, open-palmed, the promise of inevitable pain, you reacted before thought could catch up.

The gala had already stretched unbearably long. You were expected to sit prettily on his arm, to smile through conversations that reduced you to decoration, to pretend your mind held no opinions worth voicing.

The fixed curve of your lips had begun to ache hours earlier, the muscles protesting every fresh pleasantry. You were not made for this world, your parents’ debts had delivered you here, trading one cage for another.

All you had ever wanted was a quiet life, a small house, children who laughed without fear, mornings spent among plants that asked nothing of you except water and sunlight.

“Stand up straighter” Naoya had hissed, the words barely audible beneath the din of crystal and laughter, yet sharp enough to slice through the noise. “You look sloppy.”

You corrected your posture instantly, spine locking into place to avoid the dig of his fingers into the soft skin above your hip. His hand stayed there, possessive and punishing in equal measure, while wave after wave of admirers approached. Investors, partners, all sycophants who nodded at every word he said as though agreement were oxygen.

By the time the fiftieth couple drifted away, exhaustion sat like lead in your bones. He was mid-boast about quarterly projections, voice carrying over the room in that easy, commanding timbre that made people lean closer, he rarely noticed your absence in those moments, so you slipped toward the long table laden with canapés, pretending interest in the food while your stomach twisted itself into knots.

You sipped wine you barely tasted, hoping the alcohol might blunt the constant low hum of dread that lived beneath your ribs on nights like this, one misstep and the evening would end in pain you would be feeling days later.

“You were supposed to stay by my side tonight.”

The whisper came hot against your ear, breath ghosting over skin still chilled from the air conditioning. You forced yourself to stillness, refusing the instinctive flinch that had cost you dearly before.

His fingers closed around your bare upper arm, nails pressing crescents into flesh. Anyone watching might simply see a husband murmuring intimately to his wife, but you both knew different.

“I’m sorry” you managed, voice steady despite the tremor starting in your knees. “You seemed engrossed, and I—”

“Oh, did I?” Venom coiled beneath the soft tone, the register you had learned to dread most. “You don’t leave. You don’t walk away. And you don’t think.”

“Yes” you whispered, allowing him to steer you back to the spot you had vacated, the skin where his nails had bitten already throbbing in protest.

You knew the rest before the car even reached the driveway, the sequence never varied.

You’re brought to the master bedroom, his jacket shrugged off and draped over a chair, tie unwound and coiled around his fist, not for restraint, but to spare his knuckles the evidence. He had explained it once, almost conversationally, as though the logic were obvious.

You stood just inside the door, every muscle locked, breath shallow, waiting for the dam to break. Movement would only invite it sooner.

“I don’t ask for much” he said, voice dropping until it seemed to come from somewhere within his chest. “Just stand there, keep your fucking mouth shut, and look pretty. But apparently that’s too much.”

He crossed the room in lazy, slow, strides, as though savouring the approach, until he dipped into your line of sight, bending at the waist to bring his face level with yours. His eyes were flat, cold, amused. “Or are you simply too stupid to manage it?”

The moment your lips parted to answer, the back of his hand cracked across your cheek, broad and stinging, more a slap than a punch.

The world tilted, you're sent sprawling onto to the tile, one palm flying instinctively to the burning skin while your ears rang with white noise.

He crouched, close enough that you could smell the faint sting of his cologne over the copper taste rising in your mouth. 

“Don’t say anything” he murmured, shaking his head slowly, studying the tremor in your fingers, the way your shoulders tried to fold inward. “I can’t believe I got stuck with you.”

The words hurt more than the blow. Strange, how some part of you still craved a kindness he had never once offered, as though being wanted, even by him, might prove you were not entirely worthless.

“I’m going to have to teach you another lesson.” The words come out of him slow and tired, as though this were some unavoidable chore rather than the choice he makes every time the mood takes him.

There is no heat in the statement, only the flat certainty of routine, the same tone he might use to complain about traffic or a delayed flight.

His fingers close around the neckline of your dress, dragging you onto your feet, the fabric bunching under his palm as he begins to pull you from the bedroom.

You stumble forward a step before your balance fails entirely, your heels scrape uselessly against the cold tile, seeking purchase that isn’t there.

Instinct drives your legs to kick, small frantic motions that accomplish nothing except to make the drag feel longer, more humiliating.

The resistance seems to irritate him more than the act itself, his grip tightens, knuckles whitening against the silk, and with a sudden jerk of his arm he flings you across the hallway.

Your back meets the wall hard enough that the impact drives every breath from your lungs in a single shocked gasp.

You fold inward, arms wrapping protectively around your middle while pain radiates outward in bright, nauseating waves. He crosses the distance in two strides, loafers silent on the tile until the first kick lands against your ribs.

The blow is precise, practiced, air punches out of you again, this time carrying a sharp, involuntary cry that you cannot swallow. You twist away on instinct, rolling onto your hands and knees, palms sliding against the smooth floor as you try to put even a few inches between you.

Tears blur the edges of everything, hot and useless, spilling over before you can stop them. His hand finds your hair, fingers twisting into the strands near the scalp, yanking your head back so sharply that your neck arches and fresh pain lances down your spine.

He leans close, breath warm against the shell of your ear, voice low and intimate in a way that makes your skin crawl.

“You embarrassed me” he murmurs, almost conversational. “Everyone else’s women were all over them, clinging, smiling, playing their part. But you…” The sentence trails into silence for a heartbeat, then he drives your face downward. Not straight into the tile, he angles it, using the fistful of hair to turn your head at the last second so the impact glances across your cheekbone rather than shattering your nose.

The force still rattles your teeth, stars burst behind your eyelids. “You couldn’t even pretend.”

Another kick follows, lower this time, catching you just below the ribs where the flesh gives too easily. You choke on a sob, the sound wet and ragged. He hauls you upright again by the hair, dragging you backward toward the staircase that looms at the far end of the hall.

“Naoya.” The name slips out before you can stop it, raw and pleading. You almost never use it, he has always hated the sound of his own name in your mouth, as though hearing it reminds him you are a person rather than an object he owns. But desperation overrides caution. “Please. I’m sorry. I won’t—”

“No” he says simply, “you won’t.” His fist drives into your side again, the same vulnerable spot, and this time the pain is so bright it whites out thought for a second.

You double over, gasping, trying to lift your gaze to his face, to force him to see you, really see you. But his eyes are empty, pupils dilated with something that has nothing to do with desire and everything to do with release.

This man, who once promised vows in front of witnesses, only wants to hurt until the pressure inside him eases. You see that now, clear as day.

You lurch to your feet in a clumsy scramble, legs shaking, one arm braced against the wall for balance. The front door is too far, the only direction that feels like escape is the bathroom, with its wood door and flimsy lock. Strong enough to slow him, but not stop him.

You manage three stumbling steps before his arm snakes around your waist from behind, yanking you back against his chest. In another life, with another man, the hold might have felt loving, here it is only confinement.

His other hand rises to your throat, fingers wrapping around the column of it, thumb pressing just beneath your jaw while the rest dig in like claws. Air thins immediately, black spots bloom at the corners of your vision.

“Trying to embarrass me more?” he snarls against your temple. “You want to ruin me?” You shake your head frantically, tears sliding over his knuckles, but he only tightens his grip. “You fucking Bitch.”

He begins dragging you toward the stairs again, footsteps deliberately unhurried. Your heels catch on the edge of a rug, you twist, bucking against the arm around your waist, and for one wild second his hold loosens, just enough.

You wrench free, staggering backward, chest heaving. The sudden freedom seems to ignite something darker in him, his face twists with fresh fury at the audacity of your defiance, even in this moment.

His hand comes up, open-palmed, the silk tie he had coiled around his fist earlier slipping free to dangle forgotten from his fingers. The motion is so familiar that your body decides before your mind can catch up.

Both palms slam against his chest.

The push isn't calculated, it's not measured, it's pure, animal reflex born from the desperate need to survive.

One heartbeat he is staring down at you, hatred blazing clear and bright in those eyes, the next his balance falters, weight shifting backward onto his heels.

Surprise flickers across his features, only briefly, so fast it's almost comical, eyes widening, lips parting in silent question.

Then gravity claims him.

He tips, arms windmilling uselessly for a fraction of a second before they snap out to grab at nothing. Then he's falling.

The first impact is dull, a meaty thud of his shoulder against stair tread, followed by a sickening cascade of elbows, ribs, the back of his skull, each collision punctuated by another heavy, sickening grunt.

The sound seems to stretch, echoing in the high-ceilinged foyer until the final, devastating crack of his body meeting the marble at the bottom.

After that, there's just silence.

Absolute, deafening silence.

You stand frozen at the top of the stairs, arms still outstretched, palms tingling as though they remember the exact texture of his shirt.

Your breath comes in shallow, stuttering pulls, the hallway light glints off the fallen tie lying halfway down the steps like an accusation.

Below, Naoya lies motionless, limbs splayed at unnatural angles, one leg bent wrong beneath him. A thin thread of blood already darkens the marble near his temple.

You do not move. You cannot. The nausea is already rising, thick and choking, wrapping around the raw adrenaline still singing in your veins.

You did not mean to push that hard. You did not mean for any of this. And yet here you are, staring down at the wreckage, wondering how long it will take for the silence to break and the rest of your life to begin collapsing around what you've just done.

The tears come without warning this time, silent at first, then spilling hot and unchecked down your cheeks as the memory loops again behind your eyelids. You cannot stop it, the images seem to play on repeat nowadays, vivid and merciless, each detail sharper than the last. 

Emiko must read the sudden tears on your face as something else entirely, devotion perhaps, the quiet heartbreak of a wife who has stood vigil beside her husband’s broken form for weeks on end.

She cannot know the truth.

Her hand settles on your shoulder, tentative at first, the touch so light it barely registers. Her fingers are thin, almost frail, the skin paper-soft and cool despite the warmth she tries to impart. She hesitates, then presses a little firmer, kneading once, before shifting to awkward, rhythmic strokes. 

The gesture is clumsy, unpracticed, you wonder how many times in her life she has been allowed to offer solace without calculation, without the weight of family expectation turning even kindness into a strategy.

“He’ll wake up” she says softly, the words meant to soothe but, instead, feel more like a threat. Your sobs deepen, wrenching out of you as you press your face into the crisp white linen beside his unmoving hand.

They smell faintly of bleach and medical tape. “Don’t worry, dear. He’s strong. He’ll come back to us.”

The reassurance only tightens the knot inside you. You squeeze his hand harder, fingers threading through his limp ones as though the cold flesh might somehow help you focus, might keep the storm of your mind from swallowing you whole.

For one impossible second it almost feels like he answers, a faint, fleeting flex of his fingers around yours, not strong enough to be certain, but enough to jolt your heart into your throat.

You lift your head slowly, vision swimming through what remains of the tears.

The room smears into streaks of pale blue and brighter white, the monitors blurring into soft halos of green and red. Emiko’s breath catches audibly beside you.

“Oh my god” she whispers, the sound trembling on the edge of a sob. “He’s… he’s waking up.”

Your own sobs cut off mid-breath, shoulders locking as though someone has pulled every muscle taut through your spine. You blink hard, forcing the blur away just in time to see his eyelids flutter, then peel open with an agonising slowness.

His eyes are glazed, unfocused, sweeping the room in a lazy, bewildered arc that takes in the IV stand, the tangle of tubes, the pale teal of Emiko’s pantsuit, and finally, inevitably...you.

Taglist: @alebrasil0101, @sadlovergirlhere, @rentaldarling, @kingshitonly, @msxxo, @megumzs, @apsychedelicacy, @ckilhj, @ilovethemarias, @lovelymavs, @snailsolidarity, @ginibeanie, @fuckalrighty, @saltymooninternet, @actuallyshard, @reemoony, @guhyeonni, @romanticjoong, @silvyael, @jungkookwife16, @electrifiedslayersummit, @kamushekgi, @skibidiohiosigmafamuntaxrizzmew, @sonic5764, @changoman37, @vehuzzzz, @prime-vere, @kranktruther, @shenzithetitan, @aleelesu1tana, @quincys-world, @zifler, @waffleconecrumbs, @arachnida-0, @louiebababooey, @fjordg, @blssfljjk, @simplyamberj

If you want to be tagged, let me know.

Warning: It does contain multiple scenes of domestic violence, so if that will upset you, do not read!

DO NOT FEED INTO AI, OR STEAL THIS WRITING. OR ELSE I WILL CURSE YOU!

[kcokaine]

My copium au where they get to grow up

[cassiniroams]

Junkyard

[cassiniroams]

im sorry if u did this on purpose but is there any way i could read tomans wrath again. i loved it so much and wanted to reread it (again) if u took it down purposely ill understand

Should be under the hashtag tagged here

[sailing-ever-west-deactivated20]

strawhats sleeping with no concept of personal space: a collection

[unintentionalseductress]

Just had a really depressing idea and now I'm about to make everybody's problem.

Picture masturbating for the first time after Nanami's death. It's been a few months and though you're grieving him you're still a young woman with needs.

So you sigh, thinking you're in an ok headspace, it's just masturbating after, it's not like you're with another man. You pull out the trusted little vibrator, throw on some lube, and get to work.

It's going great, pleasure humming into your little bud and folds, but then unbidden, you feel fingers, thick, calloused fingers on your clit and the sound of a Kento's hot breath murmuring in your ears.

"You're so pretty my love, using your toy, but how about I take over from here?"

Your eyes fly open, all pleasantness gone, feeling like you had been hit in the stomach. You try to keep up the pleasant buzz but it's gone, overwhelming sadness filling your body, hot tears leaking out of your eyes as you curl into a ball and sob.

Remembering the warmth of his body and the way his touch made you come alive, his lips on yours, the snug feeling of his cock inside you as you made love.

It was more than the sex, it was the raw emotion behind it, that deep satisfaction that can only come from being with someone you loved deeply.

It was gone. He was gone, buried in the cold earth and you were here, a live woman in the flesh, unable to do anything without him.

All your joy, your pleasures, were gone.

Any semblance of being a normal person ever again died with him, and right now, you wished you were gone too.

[ofumofu]

"Huh, we got the same fortune again?"

[thewritetofreespeech]

Hello! Can I request a kogami shinya x reader Where reader gets kidnapped and kogami does everything to save them and he even compromises the initial mission to ensure their safety and everyone else are just “what are you doing?!, after he rescues them he comforts them because he know that was kinda traumatic.

Thank you so much ❤️

You felt so stupid.

What kind of idiot gets kidnapped by the enemy? What kind of idiot lets their guard down and compromises the whole mission?

You sat on the cold, stone floor of your cell. Your hands numb to the cold as they had lost feeling a while ago from being tied behind your back. You would need to see to that soon, lest you lose feeling in them permanently.

Luckily it seemed the enemy was preoccupied with other things, as you hadn’t seen a guard in a while. So besides your hands being numb, no other torture was performed on you in your stay. It had to only be a few hours. It was hard to tell time, since there were no windows in your cell, but your internal clock seemed to think it was still the same day.

You hear the shuffle of feet outside your cell and see a guard finally pass. “Any chance you can get these ropes off me?” You boldly ask. “They’re starting to sting.”

Your request is ignored. Either by the language barrier between you and the people here, or simply because it would be ludicrous to remove your bindings. Regardless, the man just stood their stone faced at his post while you sat there. “Worth a shot I guess….”

There was another lull in the room, you silently trying to think of a plan and your stone faced sentinel keeping watch, when suddenly there as a bursting sound from the ceiling and a loud commotion. The commotion ending swiftly with Kogami standing there. “Hey.”

“Hey!?” You ask incredulously at his calm demeanor. “That’s all you have to say, hey?! What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I came to rescue you.” Which, was obvious, as he was currently pickpocketing your unconscious sentinel for the key to your cell.

“Obviously, but why are you here?! The mission isn’t over is it?”

“No. I don’t think so.” Kogami’s face scrunched as he dug deeper into the man’s pockets for the key.

“Then why are you here? I screwed up. You didn’t really compromise the whole mission just to get me out of here? The mission is more important than me.”

“Nothing is more important that you.” He replied as he opened the cell and stepped in.

You would blush if your circulation was acting properly right now. It was sweet, but stupid. “So how are we going to get out of here?” You ask after Kogami cut your wrists free. Clenching your fingers to get the blood flowing again.

“There’s a hatch above that we can climb through to get outside. Or,” he offered, “we can shoot our way out.”

“I think we’ve caused enough disturbance to the mission without turning this into the OK Corral.” Kogami smirked a little and helped you to your feet. “You really didn’t have to come save me. I mean, I appreciate it. But the job is more important.”

“I said what I said.” Kogami answered, before helping you up into the shaft and climbing up after you.

“Well, remind me when we get out of here that I need to thank you properly.”

“If we get out of here. I may have given away our position by sneaking in to save you.”

“Well, if we don’t, then at least we’ll be together.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[drops-of-universe]

It is what it is *throws up*

[yellowistheraddest]

conform to their stupidity my boy...

[moonj-fool]

canon

[skunkes]

[commoncoldz]

[hatsune-yeetku]

The holy trinity

[butternut-soda]

Important addition!! https://www.reddit.com/r/inthenews/comments/14bpckz/a_white_supremacist_took_mdma_for_a_study_and_it/

[good-fwiend-in-wome]

jesse we need to cook empathy jesse

[nigmos]

so the answer to white supremacy is to put them on ecstasy?

[so11aris]

Watch your words young man (he WILL cry)

[uramakimochi]

I CARE ABOUT YOU

ASL Brothers x Reader (but it's mostly Ace x Reader bc he loves you and we love him)

Warnings: (this is basically ep.495 but you're in Luffy's place), fluff + little bit of angst, use of Y/n, arguing with Ace because he was a little shit as a child you gotta admit it, fem!R who is sweet and a bit of a crybaby like Luffy, if you don't like it just skip or write your own story^^

English is not my first language so feel free to correct me.

///

The sun that day shone warmly in the sky above Mount Corvo and four little kids were running in the middle of the forest, dodging branches and bushes, jumping over stones and roots.

"Wait for me!"

"You're too slow!"

"Hey guys, when are we eating?"

"Luffy we just left"

"But i'm hungry!"

"Me too!"

"Stop complaining you two, or next time we'll leave you with Dadan!"

Sabo chuckled, while you and Luffy pouted at Ace's words, even though it was nothing new and continued running. You didn't have a specific destination, every day you always did the same things: train to fight, steal money for your loot, go hunting and bring dinner for Dadan and the others.

Then it was soon time for lunch and to your and Luffy's joy, you were able to eat a delicious crocodile (which had tried to kill you shortly before).

"Hey Y/n, do you want to see my new move??" Luffy asked you excitedly, who couldn't wait to show you his new fighting techniques every time.

"Yes yes show me!" you nodded frantically.

Luffy stood up and urged you to do the same, while Sabo and Ace watched the two of you from sitting on the ground.

"I want you to try to attack me" he said then, getting into a fighting stance.

You tilted your head in confusion.

"But... But i don't want to hurt you, Lu"

Luffy chuckled.

"Shishishi, don't worry Y/n. You won't do anything to me, i'm made of rubber, aren't i? It's all part of my new technique. So do it"

You nodded, albeit hesitantly, and gripped your metal pipe in your hands. Then you took a running start and threw yourself at him. And when you were about to jump on him, you were thrown backwards with a scream. You fell to the ground and rolled away and when you stood up you saw that Luffy had inflated his body as if it were a ball and you understood that he had used his body as if it were a trampoline to throw you away.

"So? Did you like it??" Luffy asked, bouncing on the spot. "It's a technique i could also use to repel gun bullets!"

You looked at him with bright eyes and smiled.

"Wooow! That's amazing Luffy! You're so cool!"

"Are you okay Y/n?" Sabo asked you and you turned to him, nodding and giving him a thumbs up.

It was at that moment that Ace stood up as well, while Luffy was deflating.

"You'll never get strong if you keep holding yourself back, Y/n. I always tell you that" he said, holding his pipe. "Just because we are your friends you don't have to hesitate"

"Yes but-"

"No buts" he said, getting into position. "Now try it with me, i'll show you how it's done"

You reluctantly prepared to attack him. And when you lunged at him, raising your pipe, he pushed you away with ease, making you step back.

"That's all you can do?" he asked with a smirk and you pursed your lips, then attacked him again.

Luffy and Sabo looked at you intensely and while the former looked at you two with a proud smile, the latter felt a strange sensation inside himself, as if something was wrong.

With one quick move Ace knocked your pipe to the ground, then appeared behind you and knocked you forward with a small kick to the back of your knees.

"Ow! Ace!"

When you turned to look at him, he pointed his pipe at your face.

"Are you even making an effort?" he asked you.

"Yes i am!" you retorted with a pout.

"Then prove it!"

If Ace wanted to encourage you to be stronger... Well, at that moment he was NOT succeeding at all.

You picked up the pipe again and before you could even prepare to attack it, this time Ace was the first to come at you and you narrowly managed to block his blow.

"H-Hey! You almost hit me!" you exclaimed, pushing him away.

"You can't expect the enemy to wait for you to get back on your feet!" he replied, immediately starting to attack you again. "No one will stop until they kill you!"

The more you continued to fight, the more Sabo realized that he wasn't wrong about the strange feeling of before. Sabo had noticed how the more time passed, the more you were getting tired and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep up with Ace. He didn't understand Ace's sudden determination to keep you fighting and he didn't understand why he was almost more violent than usual at that moment.

"Ace" he tried to call him. "How about you take a break? If you want to continue you can train with me or Luffy"

"No! There are no breaks in battle!"

"B-But Ace" you tried to interject again. "I'm tired. Can we stop for a moment?"

Ace gritted his teeth and stopped suddenly, clutching the metal pipe in his fist. You sighed in relief, not noticing your friend's nervous look. Until...

"You're weak!"

You jumped and your eyes widened when you saw Ace's angry face appear in front of yours.

"You're too weak, don't you understand?!"

Luffy and Sabo also widened their eyes with a gasp. You didn't have the strength to reply, since what was happening didn't seem real to you.

"That's what i've been telling you ever since you joined us! You're too fragile, you're slow, and we always have to save you when you get into trouble because you can't handle yourself!"

Your hand let go of the metal pipe, causing it to fall to the ground, as you felt your face heat up in embarrassment when you heard Ace's words.

"What would you do without us?? You would have been dead long ago! I'm tired of babysitting you!"

"Ace!" both Luffy and Sabo exclaimed.

Ace looked at you through clenched teeth and then he turned, turning his back to you and crossing his arms across his chest.

"You'll never become a pirate" he said and you gasped as you felt your eyes becoming teary.

Maybe that sentence had no effect on an adult. But you were just a little girl who hadn't yet explored the world beyond Mount Corvo and your only desire to become pirates was what created the friendship between you, Ace, Luffy and Sabo. But apparently you were wrong. Ace thought you were weak and just a burden, like a ball chained to his ankle. And maybe Luffy and Sabo thought so about you too, but they just didn't have the courage to tell you? Hearing those icy words, hearing your dream being shattered in such a humiliating way, was more painful than feeling your heart pierced by a dagger.

Before he could even realize it, Ace found himself pushed to the ground by his shoulders, getting dirt on his face. He turned around ready to yell at you, but your voice beat him to it.

"I hate you!" you yelled, clenching your fists at your sides. "I hate you Ace! I hate you so much!"

Ace opened his eyes wide and saw the tears pouring out of yours like they were rivers. You took a step towards him and when Ace feared that you were going to jump on him and punch him in the face, Sabo reached you and wrapped his arms around your body, holding you back.

"You always thought i was weaker than all of you, didn't you?! You never had faith in me! Why don't you tell these things to Luffy and Sabo too?! Why do you only treat me like this!?" you continued, trying to free yourself from Sabo's grip. "If you think i'm a burden then next time leave me to be fed to a tiger, so you won't have me around anymore! I-I thought you were my friend... And a friend doesn't say these things!"

You pulled away from Sabo's arms and sniffed, looking at Ace with a murderous look.

"I can't wait for you to become a pirate Ace... S-So you'll go away and i'll never have to see you again!"

Those were your last words before you turned on your heel and ran off into the forest, ignoring the voices of Sabo and Luffy calling for you getting further and further away.

///

You didn't return home to Dadan, because otherwise she would have forced you to do household chores and you just didn't have the strength to do them. So, after making sure there were no wild animals around, you sat down on a stone and after pulling your knees to your chest, you began to sob loudly. The more you thought about Ace's words, the more tears came out of your eyes.

After a few minutes spent crying, too caught up in the turbulent thoughts that clouded your mind and distracted by the sound of your sobs, you didn't immediately notice the group of shady figures approaching from behind you.

"Look who we have here~"

You turned around and your heart sank when you saw who it was. It was Polchemy, Captain Bluejam's henchman.

"One of the four brats that took our treasure"

You jumped up, but realized you hadn't brought your metal pipe with you. Well, Ace would've probably called you stupid for being so distracted.

You tried to run away, having no other choice, but someone grabbed you by the collar of your shirt, lifting you off the ground. You started to scream in the hope that someone would hear you, but it was no use. Polchemy gave you a grin that made your blood run cold.

"Now you'll see how much fun we'll have, little girl"

///

The sun was starting to set and Ace, Sabo and Luffy were returning home. Luffy was sad that you were gone and Sabo had tried to reassure him, while at the same time he was trying to talk some sense into Ace.

"Ace... Don't you think you went too far?" the blond asked him.

In front of him, Ace clenched his fists.

"No, i wanted to help her"

"Well, then you should have done it better!" Sabo retorted, angry at what had happened. "Y/n is not weaker than us and you need to stop treating her like she is. Why did you act like that?"

Ace ignored him, continuing to walk and gritting his teeth.

"Ace! Ace!" Sabo called him, annoyed. "Answer me!"

"Shut up! Stop making me feel more guilty than i already do!" Ace exclaimed, suddenly turning to look at him.

Sabo and Luffy stopped in their tracks, taken aback.

"I was stupid, you're right okay? I didn't..." Ace continued, letting out a sigh and lowering his gaze to the ground. "I didn't want to say those words to her... I want all of us to realize our dream and i want to see her become a pirate. But i just want her to know how to protect herself when she's alone. You and Luffy are good at fighting, but... I don't know, it's just that when it comes to her i'm always afraid that something will happen to her and-"

"You become more protective" Sabo interrupted.

Ace looked at him and saw a small smirk on Sabo's lips.

"We understood that you love her more than us. I might get offended by this, you know?"

Ace felt his cheeks get hot and quickly shook his head.

"I don't love her more than you! She's like my sister and i worry about her, that's all!"

"Sure, if you say so"

"Sabo!"

The three returned to Dadan's hideout and the woman welcomed them with her hands on her hips and her usual cigarette between her lips.

"It's about time, we're hungry" she muttered, tapping her foot on the ground. "Hey, where's the other brat?"

Hearing those words, both Ace, Luffy and Sabo widened their eyes, raising their heads to look at her.

"Y/n isn't here??" Sabo asked.

Dadan tilted her head.

"Why would she be here if you always hang out together?" then she realized. "Wait a second... She's not even with you?"

“Waah, Y/n is missing!” Luffy began to cry, trying to wipe the tears off his face.

"She's missing?!" Dadan, Dogra and Magra, who had joined the conversation, asked in chorus.

Luffy turned to glare at Ace.

"It's all your fault!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "You made her cry and you made her run away!"

"Luffy calm down!" Sabo said as he stood in front of him, to prevent him from throwing himself at Ace.

"She's not missing!" Ace retorted nervously, feeling his heart begin to beat faster with anxiety. "She ran off into the forest, didn't she? I'm sure she's still there!"

Ace picked up his pipe and without waiting for anyone else, he started running towards the forest.

"Ace! Where are you going?!" Dadan called him.

"I'm going to find her!" he retorted, disappearing into the trees.

Luffy and Sabo exchanged a look and after nodding, they followed him, leaving Dadan and the others' cries behind them.

"Wait for us Ace!"

"We're coming with you!"

"Get back here you three!"

///

- Meanwhile, at Gray Terminal... -

"Come on! Talk, you brat!"

Punch!

"Tell us where the treasure is and we'll let you go!"

Punch!

By now your face and body were full of blood that dripped to the ground, creating a giant puddle at the feet of your captor. They didn't care that you were a little girl, those criminals would do anything just to get their money back.

One of your eyes was completely swollen and purple, but with the little strength you had left you looked at Polchemy with your still good eye.

"I-I... I won't tell you a-anything..." you said, sniffling.

Polchemy gritted his teeth and tightened his hand around your neck.

“Do you really want to sacrifice yourself for them?” he hissed. "Don't you understand that they abandoned you? You're worth nothing to them. If they cared anything about you, don't you think they would have come to save you?"

You bit your lower lip with your teeth, to avoid letting him hear the sound of your sobs, even though tears were already coming out of your eyes. Both from the physical pain caused by Polchemy's torture and from what you felt in your heart. How much time had passed? Hours? Why hadn't any of your friends come to help you?

"You could take revenge on them... You could tell us where you hid the treasure and we would let you go... Don't you think it's for the best, little girl?"

He was right. You could really make Ace pay for how he treated you. Why did you have to suffer because of someone like him, who didn't even believe you were worthy of him? It was what he deserved...

"So?"

You looked into his eyes in silence for a few seconds. Yes you could have put an end to this, but... Ace, Luffy and Sabo were your best friends. You couldn't afford to betray them, not after everything they had done for you. What Ace had done for you. You still had to realize your dream and become pirates. All together.

"You can go to hell!" you exclaimed, ignoring the bolts of pain shooting through your body. "I will not betray my friends! You will know nothing from me!"

Polchemy let go of you with another punch and you managed to keep yourself from crying out in pain.

Do not give up! Do not give up! You kept repeating to yourself in your mind.

"Pathetic. If you want to put it that way, then fine..." he growled, turning to grab something.

When you saw that he had his sword in his hand, your heart sank. So that was the end. In those last seconds of life you thought about Luffy, Sabo, Dadan and everyone else. And Ace. You would have died knowing that the last words you exchanged were words full of hate. Just the thought made you cry again.

"Since you're not going to talk, i have no choice but to kill you"

He raised his sword and you squeezed your eyes shut.

"Die"

And when you thought you would've felt the sharp pain of the blade on your body...

"LEAVE HER ALONEEE!"

CLANG!

You reopened your eyes and then widened them in shock when you saw the bodies of Ace, Luffy and Sabo in front of Polchemy, who had blocked his sword with the metal pipes.

Polchemy took a step back with a smirk and glanced at you.

"Looks like you're lucky little girl, your little friends have finally arrived" he said and then turned to them. “If you had waited a little longer, you would have only come here to save a corpse"

Ace gritted his teeth.

"Shut up! Now you'll have to deal with me!"

You looked at them, crying.

"A-Ace... Sabo, Luffy..."

Polchemy raised his sword again, ready to attack Ace.

"Since you are here now, we may have the answers we were looking for" he said, twirling his weapon as if it were nothing.

Ace jumped towards Polchemy with a shout, but the other managed to block the blow with his sword and pushed him back. Meanwhile, Luffy and Sabo were taking care of his companions.

"And when i'm done with you, i'll make sure you watch your little friend die first" the man said with a sneer, then he turned and tried to attack Sabo and Luffy.

"Luffy! Sabo! Watch out!" you yelled.

Sabo and Luffy turned just in time to dodge Polchemy's sword. Soon after, Ace jumped up behind him and hit him in the head with the pipe.

"You brat... That hurt" Polchemy growled, slowly turning his face towards him.

Ace gripped the metal pipe and stared back murderously.

"Your opponent is me" he said menacingly, then glanced at Luffy and Sabo. "You two take care of Y/n!"

They nodded and after quickly getting rid of Polchemy's henchmen, Sabo managed to steal a small dagger, so he could cut the ropes that kept you imprisoned. You fell towards the ground, but Luffy managed to catch you in his arms.

"Shishishi, i'm happy you're okay Y/n" Luffy said, looking at you with a smile.

"Don't worry, we're here now" Sabo then said, placing a hand on your head, smiling too.

You looked at them and continued to cry, relieved that they had actually come to save you.

"G-Guys…" you whimpered, sniffling.

Sabo raised his head to look at Ace.

"Ace! Let's go!" he called him.

But Ace didn't move an inch and continued to stare at Polchemy.

"You guys go" he said. "I won't run away from an enemy. And then... I have to make him pay for what he did to Y/n"

You looked at him almost shocked by his words. So he really cared about you.

"A-Ace..."

Sabo clicked his tongue and after a few seconds of hesitation, he turned to you and Luffy.

"Listen Luffy. You run away and take Y/n with you. We'll see you later okay?"

"But Sabo-" Luffy tried to say, but the blond picked up his pipe, then he ran to Ace's side.

"Go! Quickly!"

Luffy nodded with determination and lifted you onto his back and he ran off towards the forest.

///

When the front door opened, Dadan and everyone else let out a sigh of relief to see Ace and Sabo walk in together. Luckily you were all fine.

"I could have easily handled him myself" Ace muttered, looking at Sabo out of the corner of his eye.

"You risked your life facing a real pirate" the other retorted.

"ACEEE!"

Ace was caught off guard when someone lunged at him, hugging him around the waist as tight as they could and his eyes widened when he saw it was you. With great relief he realized that you were fine, yes you had practically your entire body bandaged, but at least you were alive. Just behind you, Luffy looked at the two of you with a wide smile.

"I-I'm so glad you're okay! I w-was so scared Ace!" you cried out loud, spreading a mixture of tears and snot onto his tank top. "T-Thank you for saving me! Thank you s-so much! I'm sorry i-i said i hate you! I d-didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!"

Normally, Ace couldn't stand people who whined too much, like Luffy, but at that moment he didn't have the strength to make you pull away from him and scold you.

Ace felt too guilty, for how he had always treated you and for suddenly exploding and yelling all those things at you. And yet... After everything that had happened, you were there, hugging him as if you hadn't seen him in a lifetime, as if your argument had never happened. He wanted to save you because he cared about you. But had you perhaps forgiven him? Knowing your good soul, probably yes. But Ace knew he didn't deserve it.

Sabo flashed him a smile, not at all offended that you were only paying attention to Ace and he watched the scene almost amused. Sabo knew that Ace was particularly fond of you, but it was no secret that you also had a soft spot for the boy with the freckled cheeks.

Ace continued to watch you cry like a fountain on him and after a few seconds he placed a hand on your head, stroking your hair softly.

"Oi, Y/n" he called to you.

You sniffed, lifting your head to look at him.

"Y-Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell him anything?" he asked you. "I mean, after the way i treated you... You had every right to tell him where we hid our treasure, to get revenge on me. Why didn't you do it?"

You looked at him for a few seconds until your lips lifted into a trembling smile.

"B-Because you guys are my best friends... And i will never betray my friends, because i love you all so much"

Ace felt his heart beat fast, but this time it wasn't from anxiety or anger.

"A-Ace" you murmured, looking down shyly. "I thought... I-I really thought you wouldn't have come..."

Ace felt his cheeks heat up as he thought about how to respond.

"I-I..." he stuttered and he didn't see Sabo's smirk next to him.

Then he took a breath and after placing both hands on your cheeks, he looked into your eyes intensely.

"I will always come to save you, Y/n" he said. "Forgive me for saying all those things, i didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's just that i always worry about you, even though i know you can take care of yourself. You're not weak okay? And i know you have what it takes to become a great pirate!"

You looked at him with shining eyes, struck by his words.

"But i want you to know that i will always do everything to protect you!" he continued, ignoring the way Luffy, Sabo, Dadan, and everyone else were looking at him, focusing only on you. "I will always save you Y/n, even at the cost of my life!"

The more you looked into his eyes, the more Ace felt his cheeks on fire. You probably found him ridiculous. Someone like him who said things like that, he would have never imagined.

But his doubts went up in smoke when he saw your bottom lip start to tremble again and your eyes refill with tears.

"A-Acee..."

And of course, you burst into tears, hugging him again as tight as you could. Ace widened his eyes again and this time tried to get you to pull away from him, paying attention to your wounds.

"Hey, s-stop crying! Come on, Y/n!"

But you remained glued to him, continuing to sob.

"I-I love you Ace!" you whined, rubbing your cheek against his chest. "I love you so much!"

"GROUP HUG!"

Before you could even realize who had spoken, Luffy reached out to you and hugged your back. Sabo next joined in as well, with a chuckle.

"Get away from me! Let me go!" Ace exclaimed, his face flushed with embarrassment.

But Luffy ignored him and wrapped his long, rubber arms around all of you. Behind you, no one noticed Dadan rubbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

“Boss, are you crying?” Dogra and Magra asked with tender smiles.

Dadan whirled around to glare at them.

"O-Of course not, i'm not crying! Now go make dinner!"

///