Summary: You're a doctor at the hospital and after a mysterious man tries to burn it down, you head off to give him a piece of your mind.
Spoilers for Law's backstory
Word Count: 3.6K
Masterlist
The whole hospital was placed under emergency triage after someone set fire to the building. Supplies ran thin as the numbers of injuries from the fire grew. Visitors, patients and staff alike were not spared from the flames.
Once the chaos was more settled, you immediately began interviewing your colleagues on what happened, who caused this. Some said it was an arsonist who went crazy and burned the place down. Others said it was a terrifying nine foot tall pirate that was on a crime spree. The only thing that remained consistent from the stories that were spread was the fact that he was from out of town. So you started questioning local motel owners if they saw him. Once that ran cold you began looking into abandoned buildings at the edge of town. Eventually you found a man who fit the description you were given. Tall, blonde hair and a painted face. The last detail really made him easy to find.
"So you're the man who thinks it's ok to burn down hospitals?” You stood in the doorway of the abandoned house he was currently taking residence in. Your original plan was to send the Marines after him, but all the anger inside you came bubbling to the surface and you felt the need to confront him yourself.
He looked over his shoulder at you, barely giving you a passing glance.
“Only when they deserve it.” He replied coldly which only fueled the anger your felt. He did not regret what he did, the damage he caused and the people he harmed.
“Innocent people were hurt. Men, women, children. You really think they deserved that!" You yelled at him, “Not to mention the strain it puts on the staff. We don't have enough people to go around without you adding to the wounded.”
"Maybe then they'll think twice before they tell a kid he's better off dead.” That statement caught your attention.
"What do you mean?" you asked, giving him a chance to explain himself.
Your eyes flicked over to a young boy who was bundled up by the fire and glaring daggers at you. You saw the patches on his skin and immediately knew he had white lead disease.
You grimaced upon realizing you weren't given the full story. Of course you weren't. Not when it made your colleagues look bad.
They both expected you to run for the hill's just as every ill informed doctor had done before.
"Not gonna run?" He asked and seemed to brace himself for a hysterical response from you.
"Only an idiot would think he's contagious." you replied firmly “And even if he was, that's no reason to turn him away.”
"We can start by seeing what part of the immune system the disease is attacking. It will be hard to pinpoint without blood labs though.” you began to rant aloud, already going over your options of how you could help. It made him realize you were serious about your commitment to helping treat the kid.
"We can stay at my place--" you began to offer only for it to be immediately rejected.
"No." Your attention snapped towards him.
"What, you on the run or something?" You joked but there was a long pause, "of course you are. Ok. I'll just stay here with you. Get my things in the morning.”
Again you spotted the child glaring at you from the corner of his eye. While his care taker seemed to let down his guard, the child did not move an inch.
“His name's Law. I am Corazon.” He finally introduced himself and you gave your own name.
“So you have white lead disease.” You spoke to Law directly for the first time, "You must be from Flevence then. I am sorry. I can't imagine what you experienced.”
Law bristled at your words, not expecting for you to be so direct yet caring with him. Based on how he was treated at your own hospital, you assumed he has been met with nothing but cruelty since he caught the disease and was always expecting the worst from people since.
Law stared at you warily as if he was studying you, trying to figure out why you would talk to him in such a kind way. Why would you care about what happened to him? This only made you realize how guarded Law was. He must have experienced a lot of tragedy in the last few months and here you were trying to get him to talk about it.
"I am sorry. I–” you cut your apology short. “Why don't you focus on getting some rest instead." You offered.
“I'm not tired." He stubbornly refused as if he did not have dark circles under his eyes.
Corazon laughed at the kid, not caring if he offended the child because he knew it was all an act. Law has always tried to put on a strong front, but it never lasted. Law was still a kid who needed rest and Corazon was going to make sure he got it even if he had to make him.
“Yes you are kid. Just go to sleep.” Law complained under his breath but still listened. It only took a few minutes for him to fall asleep.
Corazon watched Law for a moment, his expression a mixture of worry and affection. It was clear he cared for Law. "You seem too young to be his dad. Why are you helping him?" You questioned.
Corazon grinned, "It's a long story. But the rugrat doesn't have anyone else….and he grew on me.”
By morning you went back home to grab your things. You didn't know how long you'd be gone, but you didn't care.
You quickly learned what you signed up for. Between completing research for Law and taking care of an accident prone Corazon you had your hands full.
You developed a routine. Early morning you would all eat together, usually whatever Cora was able to steal using his devil fruit powers. Then you would tutor Law in the basics of medicine. By mid day they would leave to run errands or visit a local hospital while you completed your research.
Once they returned you would help tend to any injuries they may have obtained while they were out. You fussed over the boys equally and even though he put up a fight, you could tell Law enjoyed the way you took care of him.
Corazon, on the other hand, would have the opposite reaction. He was usually nonchalant about his injuries since they were part of his natural routine. He never drew attention to them and never rejected your help like Law did. And if Corazon ever whined, Law would call him a child, wondering how he was the adult between the two of them.
At night you would all have dinner together before getting Law to bed. Then you and Corazon would stay up to talk, discussing topics that were too heavy to say in front of Law. Or, on better quieter nights, you talked about whatever came to mind. Those conversations helped foster a closer relationship between the two of you. Corazon also entrusted you with his secrets on those nights. His fears and doubts as well as details about his past.
So often he smiled and joked as if nothing was wrong and you appreciated being there to hold him up when his walls fell. On nights like that he hated sharing your attention with Law.
You could tell after one particular night when he started making a face while Law fell asleep in your lap. You casually brushed your fingers through Law's hair while Cora stared daggers at him.
“You're jealous of a thirteen year old right now.” You teased.
“Doesn't mean I have to like him hogging your attention all the time.”
“That's what got you all riled up?” you paused before continuing, “We can still talk you know.”
"I know," he grumbled, the tension in his shoulders slowly disappeared as he realized you were right. He was being selfish, needy, but he could not help it. There was something about your presence he felt a need to constantly seek out. "I guess I just hate sharing.”
You rolled your eyes and scooted over on the couch, "Come here.”
He listened, sitting down next to you and you
leaned against his side, "Better?”
At first he didn't know how to react or where to place his hands. It was adorable watching him panic, but you did not rush him. His hands awkwardly hovered over you until he found the courage to allow his hand to wrap around your waist and pull you closer. Law was still fast asleep in your lap.
“Your job as a Marine. Are you gonna go back to it after we fix Law?” you bluntly asked.
The question caught him off guard, you could tell by the way his hand tightened around you.
He hadn't really given much thought to the future beyond helping Law. It felt too hopeful to think of anything more.
He might of abandoned his duties as a Marine spy to help Law but he never intended for it to be permanent….did he?
"I don't know," he finally admitted.
“Could I go with you? Wherever it is you end up?”
"You really mean that?”
“I don't want to leave you. I am enjoying this. Being with you and Law. It feels like a family.” For a moment you wondered if you said too much. Regret filling you as soon as the words left your mouth.
Your words effected Corazon more than he expected. He never had a real family before despite longing for one for what felt like his whole life. He had not realized how much you and Law feel like what he expected family to be like until you brought it up. He never dwelled on it too long because family was something that was always taken away from him, but maybe this time it could stay.
"Family, huh?" he mumbled as if thinking aloud. Law suddenly stirred in your lap, disrupting the conversation.
"Let me put him to sleep real quick." You began.
"I got him." Cora offered, scooping Law off your lap with ease. He stirred for a moment, before shifting around in Corazon's hold to another equally comfortable position. His head was now resting against Corazon's chest who warmly smiled upon him.
"He's knocked out," he said quietly, “I'll be right back.”
Corazon turned away, carefully carrying Law through the house and into a small bedroom. Watching him put Law to bed felt so normal to you and stirred something inside of you. Like you were an average family.
He set the boy down on the bed, before he gently tucked the blankets around him. Corazon held his breath when Law stirred slightly, before settling back into a deep slumber.
He quietly returned to you in the main room. “You really want to put up with me that long?” He joked.
“I already do.” You teased back. “You can't get rid of me that easily.”
He beamed at you for a moment, “Fine then. Whatever happens after all this is done. You don't have to leave. Now go get some rest. I know you didn't sleep last night.”
"You're like a mother hen. First worrying over Law, now me?” You teased Corazon and pulled at his coat, “But I guess that explains all the feathers.”
He laughed at your joke and it warmed your heart. Although you didn't always have a roof over your head, you enjoyed being on the run with them. It was the happiest and most fulfilled you've ever been.
It took a few months of dedicated research until you were able to come up with anything of use. To avoid spreading false hope, you triple checked your work before you brought it up with Corazon.
"I think I may have found something. It's not a cure but a strong suppressant." You explained to him.
"It won't have any bad side effects?"
"Nothing in medicine is guaranteed...but the odds are as low as can be. He has to take these once a day with food. They have an unpleasant taste. I have a feeling he'll make a fuss over it, but we can mix it with food to make it easier to digest.”
Corazon let out a laugh, his lips curving into a smirk. He could already imagine Law putting up a fuss over the taste. "Yeah. That boy's a picky eater as it is. But good to know we can mask the taste. Might make things a little easier."
“It's a form of Chelation we can use to help him. It's when chelation agents are used to bond to the metal that's in the body and then it's naturally disposed. But since this is amber lead….I had to tweak it and I am not sure it will react the same way.”
He placed a hand on your shoulder and smiled down at you, “Hey. It's ok. Even if it just buys him time it's a big help.”
“But that's the whole point of me being here. If I don't cure him–”
“Nope. I am not hearing that.” He cut you off, “You're not just here to be a doctor for us. Not anymore. You're a friend and you've been a big help to morale around here. Trust me, Law's been a lot less moody since you've been around.”
“Really?”
He nodded to reassure you. "I've also been thinking of what you said last night. About us being like a family."
“I am sorry I know that was a lot to bring up suddenly.” You felt embarrassed by your past self confessing something so personal.
"You know the truth is this is all new for me. I didn't know what to do in the moment." His hand moved behind the back of your neck, his thumb brushing against your cheek. His other hand laid on your hip and pulled you close "But now I know. I want to be with you."
"I love you Cora."
"You...love me?" he echoed as if he needed to confirm that he heard you right. Then, once it hit him he grinned at you.
Those words coming from you made him feel a type of euphoria he did not know was possible. He laughed and buried his face against the crook of your neck.
"You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?" He muttered against your skin. "I love you too.”
Suddenly he realized how close he had let himself get to you. It was making his mission much more complicated. Before meeting you he was ready to risk everything for Law but now he hesitated because for the first time he had something to look forward to. It was also a dangerous sentiment if he really wanted to help save Law. He could not have something holding him back, making him worry about getting hurt.
Why did he have to admit he loved you? What was he thinking? Even if it was true he shouldn't have said anything. Especially not when he finally located where the ope ope fruit was. Now you would probably want to follow him there and end up putting yourself in danger. He couldn't allow that. He had to do this on his own. He just hoped you would forgive him once he returned.
When you woke up to an empty house you were furious. You found a letter that he left behind, a poor attempt on his behalf to try and explain his actions. You crumpled up the note.
Corazon was crazy if he thought he was losing you that easily. If he thought one letter would be enough for you to just sit around hoping he would return.
You thought over last night. How he kissed your forehead when you were drifting off before promising he was returning to bed. Was that a lie? Did he really leave you as you fell asleep?
If that was true he had at least half a days lead on you to who knows where. You quickly packed a bag with any clothing and supplies you would need for a long trip.
Half a day's lead or not, you were getting that dumbass back.
It took some time but you were able to gather enough information to figure out he was heading towards Minion Island. A snowy landscape that was only inhibited by lawless pirates. They were likely the ones who held the devil fruit he was looking for and you wanted to be there in case the worse happened. Because no matter how smart, skilled and stealthy Cora was, he was still a klutz.
You made it to shore just before Doflamingo placed the birdcage over the island. There was no turning back now. It didn't take long for you to find Corazon's body abandoned in the snow.
Your blood ran cold upon seeing him lay motionless on the ground. Fresh blood stained his clothes as blood seeped through from different wounds all over his body and covered the fresh snow around him.
Law was leaning over him, tears steaming down his face as he yelled at him to get up while trying to apply pressure to the worst of his wounds even though he knew it was useless. There was nothing he could do on his own.
You rushed in, throwing your bag to the ground and rifling through it for the proper supplies.
Law went ridgid for a moment before he realized it was you who swooped in to help. You watched tears form in his eyes once again as his lip quivered. Poor kid was barley holding it together. As much as you wanted to take him away from the situation you needed his help.
"You did a good job kid." You reassured him. "Just keep applying pressure while I try to stop the bleeding."
There was so much blood it made your stomach turn. You tried not think over who you were operating on. Whose life was now in your hands. It made the task all the more terrifying and the last thing you needed was more pressure on yourself.
Through the constant flow of blood, you were able to spot each bullet that was lodge into him. One in his arm, his chest, his side. You rhythmically extracted each object from him before stitching it shut and praying by some miracle there was no internal bleeding. Because if there was, that was it. There would be nothing you could do to stop him from bleeding out in the snow.
Law was a helpful assistant with surprisingly steady hands and a greater knowledge of medical treatment than you would expect from someone so young. He made sure you had light to see the wound and used a sponge to dab away blood when it pooled in the wound.
It took all night to get Corazon stable, and even longer to drag him somewhere warm. You monitored him all night, making sure his chest was still rising and falling with each breath.
You were by his side the moment he began to stir awake. You hovered over him nervously as he slowly opened his eyes with a groan.
"Corazon, can you hear me? Are you awake?"
"I am here sweetheart." He reassured despite his voice sounding hoarse and tired. You helped prop him up to a more comfortable sitting position.
He looked up at you with nothing but love in his eyes. Though his hand was shaking and unsteady, he still used it to reach out to you.
He felt like he didn't deserve you. He left you. Why in the world would you come back for him? Why would you forgive him? His heart ached with guilt.
He could tell that you really thought he was worth every ounce of energy you exerted.
"You really came all this way for me?"
"I am never leaving you behind."
He tried to laugh but it came out more as a groan with the wound on his side, "Stubborn woman."
For some reason that was what broke you. His laugh. It was like his laughter was a signal that he was safe. You let your guard down and immediately began to cry which made him panic in the cute way he always did.
"I am sorry. Don't cry." He panicked which transformed your crying to laughter.
"I am just so glad you're ok." You squeezed his hand, wishing he was well enough to hug, "Law's already seems to be doing better. It's only been a few hours but....I have hope."
You both looked over to Law who was curled up in a blanket in the corner of the room. You wanted nothing more than to wake him up and show him Corazon was okay, but then you remembered how exhausted he was. They both needed their rest.
"You should sleep now. Once you're feeling better we can head home. Figure out what to do next."
"Stay with me?"
"You're hurt."
"I don't care." He pulled you closer to him, "Please."
You paused for a moment before succumbing to his request. You settled beside him, making sure to lay beside him without putting any pressure on his injured body.
“After this. Maybe we can settle down. Find make home.” You offered.
He let out a content sigh, reaching out to hold your hand as he began to drift off to sleep. "Home sounds good," he mumbled sleepily against the top of your head.
How do you fall in love with someone who is determined to hate you? That's the question you have had to answer for the last three years when your soulmate suddenly cut ties with you.
Spoilers for Marineford
Word Count: 10K
Masterlist
Chapter 1 Announcement
You were adopted into a noble family in High Town in the Goa Kingdom in order to replace their rebellious son Sabo as an heir. You learned the rules of the family quickly.
You learned if you ever went out of line there were harsh repercussions for your disobedience. You learned that they didn't care about you or anyone else, just their public image. And you learned that like Sabo you wanted nothing more than to be free and away from them.
You and Sabo bonded over your mutual hatred for the family. You talked about running away together and when he met Ace for the first time in the Gray Terminal Sabo made sure you were able to tag along on their adventures. Then later Luffy joined as your group's final member.
Every morning you snuck away from your home to spend time with the three of them and every night you returned. Since you were somewhat obedient, your family tolerated your actions. Plus they knew if you ever became too much, they could marry you off unlike Sabo.
So when you woke up one morning with a soul mate mark on your bicep, you were terrified. They couldn't marry off someone who was already spoken for. Your only use to the family was gone.
"Of course this had to happen on the day of my debut." You moaned.
It was a lavish party your father had been setting up for months to set you up with some young nobleman.
You quickly covered up the mark with the same makeup you used to cover bruises your adopted father often inflicts.
You dressed in a fancy dress your father provided for you. You just had to survive this meeting then you could run off to your brother Sabo for help.
By the end of the event you didn't care if you did or didn't attract any suitors. Hell, you barely took the time to throw a coat over your outfit before heading off.
As always Ace, Luffy and Sabo were hanging out together. Luffy was in his usual carefree mode, sprawled out lazily on the ground and talking up a storm.
Ace was leaning against a tree, a smirk on his face as he acted like he was not listening to every word no matter how stupid. And Sabo, who was always the responsible and observant one, looked up as he noticed you approach.
The moment the three boys saw you, their attention immediately turned to you. Though you looked happy to see them, something about you was still off. They knew you had been through some type of event.
As you approached you couldn't help but notice that Ace now had a bandana wrapped around his bicep, the same place you received your soul mate mark. You felt your heart flutter with the hope that he was hiding one too.
"What happened to your arm?" You questioned him.
Ace smirked at your question and pushed himself off the tree. He flexed his arm, as if testing the bandana's strength as he showed it off. "Oh, this? Just a little fashion statement."
Sabo and Luffy rolled their eyes at his response, clearly having heard the same answer earlier when they questioned him on it. Fluffy accepted the answer at face value but Sabo was smart enough to know something was going on.
"I need to borrow Sabo for a second." Before anyone could object you dragged him up to the tree house.
“Whoah. Hey, what's going on?” He questioned ok concern, knowing the topic must be serious if you were not sharing it with the others.
“I have a soul mate.” You blurted out.
“What?” He stared at your for a second as he tried to process the information. His mind was already jumping to think over the hell your parents would raise over that information.
You shrugged the coat off your shoulders and smudged off the makeup that covered the mark. He stood there in silence for a moment before approaching to study it.
“Do you know who it is yet?”
You shook your head. “No clue and unless I am lucky and it's some Nobel man, I am in trouble."
“You didn't want to tell Luffy and Ace?”
“I just wanted to tell you first. I knew you'd understand how important this is. They'll probably make a joke of it.”
Sabo let out a sigh knowing you were right. Those two were not the most sensitive people in the world. “Probably….but they should still know.”
You sat in silence with you for a while until you felt ready to share the information. Once you gave the ok, Sabo called the others up for you.
Before a word could be said Luffy immediately began to laugh at the outfit you were wearing. You forgot you remained all dressed up in your hurry to get here. You were still wearing one of your family's fancy ball gowns from your debut. You never wore anything like this in front of them before. Only Sabo and other nobles.
Luffy's laughter echoed throughout the tree house. He fell on his back in a fit of giggles.
"Hahaha! You look funny!" He managed between giggles while pointing at you “Why are you wearing a stupid princess dress?”
Sabo chuckled, shaking his head at Luffy's antics. Ace, on the other hand, was unusually silent. You could have sworn you saw the faintest blush fill his cheeks before he looked away with his arms crossed as if he was annoyed.
"I think it's obvious. Our parents had another one of those 'meet-and-greet' events, trying to find her a suitable husband.” Sabo explained for you.
"Well none of that matters now." You pouted. Though you were not sure if you were relieved from not having to be married off to someone you did not know or worried about what was to come.
"Why not?" Ace questioned.
"I have a soul mate. No one would want me now. And worst of all I have no idea who or where they are."
Ace began subconsciously tugging at the bandana he wrapped around his bicep. He wondered if he wanted to reveal his own mark yet?
“But unless it's some rich guy my family is gonna kill me. They wouldn't let me see the light of day again." You said it like it was a joke, but it wasn't. Your parents told you before they'd lock you away if you ever fell in love with someone they didn't arrange you with. Real love was not a good enough reason for marriage on its own when it came to your family.
Any thought of revealing his mark vanished from Ace's mind. He would just be condemning you to some awful life if you stayed with him. But if he hid it from you, would you ever be truly happy with anyone that was not him. Was it possible for someone to find love outside of their soulmate? For your case he hoped so.
Ace disappeared for a week after your announcement. He needed time alone to digest the situation and make a decision.
Chapter 2 Fallout
You thought you would feel relief the moment you finally met your soul mate, but all you felt was anger.
"You knew you were my soul mate this whole time and instead of telling me, you ran off!" You hit Ace over the head.
"Let's give them some space." Sabo told Luffy who fought back.
"But they're being funny! I want to see her beat up Ace!" Sabo dragged Luffy out of the room as he complained the whole time.
Ace was not ready to see how disappointed you would be that your soulmate was him. He felt like a chain weighing you down and preventing you from achieving something great in your life. You deserved more than anything he could give you. But the truth sounded pathetic to him, so he did not share it. He just let you think he was being dumb by holding back the truth for so long.
Over time your anger burned away and you settled down enough to talk. You sat outside on the deck with Ace. You kicked your legs as they dangled over the edge to distract you from the heavy silence.
“Can I see it?” You requested. It was not about needing proof, you knew Ace would not joke about something this important. You just felt the need to see his mark with your own eyes.
He listened, and carefully untied the bandana. Once it fell you felt your heart race. There it was, a mark identical to your own on his bicep like a tattoo.
In the moment you felt the need to hold his hand, but being young and awkward you did not know how to start that. Ace seemed to sense your hesitation.
He broke the silence, his words a little more aggressive and accusing than he intended. "You know...if you want to hold my hand, you can just do it. Don't be all shy about it."
"Well I heard when soulmates touch for the first time it activates the bond. We'll be able to hear each other's thoughts." You paused for a moment, "Is that why you've been avoiding me?"
"I wasn't ready for the responsibility that comes with telepathic abilities." He joked.
You hesitated for a moment, your heart pounding in your chest as you looked at his hand. Who knew there could be so much tension over something as innocent as hand holding. He held his hand out, palm up as an open invite whenever you were ready.
You weren't sure if you wanted to trust him with all of your thoughts. They were anxious and sad, you were afraid they'd be too much for him. That you'd be too much. But maybe he felt the same way.
Slowly, you reached out and placed your hand in his. You felt a small jolt of electricity pass between you. As your skin connected, a surge of emotions and sensations flooded your mind, and you suddenly heard Ace's voice in your head.
"Damn. Your brain's noisey."
You laughed, dispelling any awkward discomfort between the two of you. "Yeah. It's called thinking." You teased back.
Over time you both learned how to pick which thoughts could be broadcasted between your minds. Otherwise you'd have every dumb thought that crossed his mind in your head and it would drive you crazy.
Though there were times you were experiencing strong feelings and something would slip through. In times when your anxiety would spike up enough for him to sense it, he would swoop in to calm you down.
"Everything's going to be ok."
"How do you know that?"
"Cause I believe in you."
Other times he would be the one experiencing something strong. A brief moment of insecurity and rage after overhearing someone speak poorly about him and his father.
"You're not a monster."
"I am the son of the king of the pirates. How could I not be?"
"You're not him. You get to make your own name."
Neither of you have the courage to say the L word yet, but you both feel it settled there between you.
Soon your conversations started to shift to more serious topics about the future.
One particular night, you and Ace were looking up at the night sky together. He was laying on the roof of the tree house while you stood on the balcony outside your bedroom.
You were just enjoying each other's company when you brought up the idea of running away together. Ace bolted upright with surprise.
"Wait, you're serious? You'd actually leave everything behind and run away with me?" He said it as a joke in the past, afraid you'd deny him since you made it clear you had no intention of being a pirate.
"I mean I am getting pretty good at scaring off suitors. I could stall until we're old enough to run away."
"How about when we're seventeen? That's Sabo's plan and I can't let him get a head start."
“Yeah. When we're seventeen.”
It was then that you learned how quickly plans could change. Even if you weren't aware of it at the moment. A horrible event would cause him to break that promise.
You were hanging out with the trio of boys in Grey terminal when pirate thugs descended upon you. The ambush caught all of you off guard. There was a pirate present to hold down each one of you.
You flailed around in their arms fighting to get away until your eyes landed on your father. Your limbs went still and you froze up in shock. What was he doing here? He never steps foot outside of the city. Not even for you or Sabo, so why today? Why now?
Then you learned about the plot to burn Grey terminal down. Your father was just here to make sure you and Sabo didn't die with the rest of the “rabble”.
“Make sure these runts never bother my kids again. You hear me?” The threat echoed in your mind, rousing you to action.
"No!" You managed to squirm your way out of your captor's grip and planted yourself between Ace and your father.
"You can't hurt him. He's my soulmate! If he dies, I die." You bluffed the second part hoping he would accept it. Hoping it would mean his life would be spared because your father was oblivious to how soulmates worked.
Ace felt his heart stop for a moment. Why were you doing this? You could have a nice cushy life. You could have everything. Why give it up for him?
Your stepfather looked horrified, as if you yelled every swear word in the book at him. "Hold him down."
Ace gritted his teeth and snapped as they pushed him down into the dirt. They held him belly down against the ground and pinned his arm against his back. He thrashed around desperately trying to keep your secret for you. Everything shattered when he felt the bandana get ripped off his arm.
Your father was enraged upon confirming your claim, "How dare you ruin everything you worthless brat!" You felt him strike you and a string of threats was shouted out by Ace.
You wondered what punishment you'd receive. He could disown you and leave you to die with Luffy and Ace. Or he could hide you away, cover up the truth and marry you off like he always planned. You waited in silence for your judgment.
"I put too much work into you to let you die." You let out a sigh of relief, "Leave these brats in the forest so they don't get her killed. In fact tie them to a tree or something so they don't do anything stupid.”
Ace yelled everything he could at you and Sabo to try and get you to turn around and fight back. But you knew they were only safe as long as both of you remained useful and obedient.
Later that night Sabo confided in you that he planned to run away. If you knew it would end up getting him killed you would have never let him go.
After Sabo's death you didn't feel the need to leave the house anymore. Not that you could even if you tried. Your father made sure of it with patrolling guards and bars on every window. Ace went quiet in your head for a few days leaving you feeling utterly alone. You didn't know if he was alive or dead. His bones could have been burned to ash in that fire for all you knew because the local newspaper didn't care enough to report on the welfare of one street urchin.
Your only saving grace that stopped you from going insane and losing hope was your soul tie, it was still intact. You felt Ace's presence still out there strong and comforting despite the silence. Then, after two days of silence he spoke.
"I miss you." It was a quick thought that entered into your mind. It was calm and thoughtful, full of loving emotion and grief.
Part of you wanted to be mad at him for leaving you, but you couldn't bring yourself to it. Just like you he was a kid grieving.
"Our hideout survived the fire." It was a relief to hear that. It was one of his last works after all.
"That's good." You didn't have to ask him how he was doing. You felt his pain. In a way it was comforting, sinking together. It made you feel good and slightly less alone.
"Don't ever leave me ok." The words came out before you could even think.
He laughed but it wasn't at you, "You sound just like Luffy."
You smiled and were about to tease him back when the door to your study was opened, making you jump and lose your train of thought. It was not an aggressive act, but any visitor felt like a threat to you.
Your father stood in the doorway, but not in his normal imposing manner. “I've decided it's not your fault fate dealt you such an unfair hand. You didn't choose to be paired with a ruffian.”
You knew he didn't care for you, he was just stuck with you, the last heir. You debated in your head whether or not to bite back at him. To yell at him for insulting your soulmate so bluntly, but you did not have it in you.
Four years went by in a flash. It was the anniversary of a promise you almost forgot about. A promise to leave the island together.
"You shouldn't be wasting your time and energy on me. I'm not worth it."
The thought from Ace came out of the blue.
"Where are you?" Your voice was hurried and frantic. You ran up to your bedroom window, looking for him as if he'd be in the courtyard below.
If this is what you thought it was, you had to get to the shore as soon as possible.
"Answer me dammit!"
"You should see the size of this ship. It's massive. Sabo would've been so jealous."
"You promised. You promised we'd leave together."
You escaped from your home in record time. You flew through the town and reached the beach where gray terminal once resided. You ran towards the end of the docks. In the distance you could make out his figure on a ship.
You yelled at him through your connection with tears in your eyes. He didn't believe you when you threatened to follow him if he didn't return.
You didn't have the guts to go after him on your own. The stubbornness? Yes. But the strength, guts and knowledge? No.
You lived a sheltered life of a noble at the end of the day. You didn't live on the streets like him, literally hunting down your own food. You didn't have to fight grown adults over spare parts as a kid. But his underestimation of you was exactly what would allow you to track him later on.
You spotted Ace hanging off the mast of a departing ship. His silhouette was outlined by the first rays of the rising sun. The ship was too far away to even attempt to swim to. But you did not let that helpless feeling last.
You began interviewing the local dock workers for any information you could get about the ship he was on. Crew, captain, destination. With the help of a monetary bribe here and there to loosen sealed lips, you got the information you needed.
Knowing your father, you wrote him a detailed note explaining to him that you weren't being kidnapped but running away. After that you grabbed a bag and packed it with daily essentials, including jewelry you knew you could pawn off in an emergency.
You knew following Ace on your own was a dumb idea, but the longer you waited the colder his trail would grow. You could not let yourself lose him because you were afraid.
No matter how much money you offered, there was no crew that would willingly help the daughter of a nobleman runaway. You smuggled yourself onto the first ship you heard was heading in his direction.
You continued this process for months on end, evading obstacles and learning valuable survival skills along the way. You were already a stealthy person, but when your father began sending guards after you, you refined the craft.
The hardest obstacle you had to face on your journey was a lack of information when his trail grew cold. He has been traveling dangerous seas that few follow, so finding a willing ride was impossible at times.
You were careful not to clue Ace in on the fact that you were following him. His ignorance to the situation allowed you to see in on information that he would otherwise hide from you.
The images only lasted for a second. A glimpse of the sun setting over blue waters or the night sky covered in stars over a recognizable town.
You knew you could only see glimpses of the world through his eyes in moments of strong emotion. At first, you wondered what emotion he could be feeling in those moments to allow you to get a glimpse of the moment. Then you realized, in these moments of immense beauty, he thought of you and felt heartbreak. In these moments, he missed you wishing you were by his side to share the experience.
You drew this conclusion one day when you were stuck on a random island. You saw an image of two kids sword fighting the way the two of you used to. Paired with it was a feeling of heart ache.
For months you tracked him down on these small tidbits of information until you hit the jackpot.
One day when you were out on a walk you saw his wanted poster. You pulled the poster off the wall and studied the image. He looked different from the boy you knew.
"You ate a devil fruit!"
The question was so sudden and loud in his skull it made him stumble. His crewmates gave him weird looks. He tried to play it off since your existence was a secret he kept from them.
Chapter 3 Reunion
Turns out, tracking down a pirate was easier when they became well known and everyone else in the world was also on their trail. You picked up on idle chatter from bounty hunters that were also tracking Ace and Whitebeard. Overlapping their information with the information from Ace's vision allowed you to pinpoint exactly where he was on the island.
You walked down the pier in a confident stride, walking straight up to Whitebeard's ship the Moby Dick. Crew members were leisurely wandering around on the main deck. They seemed to be keeping themselves busy with mindless tasks and a few were carrying crates of supplies on board. You looked over the crew mates that were present, but did not see Ace among them. He must have been below deck, so you were going to call him out in front of all his crewmates if that's what it took.
You made your way up the ramp, stood firm on the center of the deck and called out his name. "Ace!"
You drew the attention of every whitebeard pirate on deck, but not his. Some snickered and pointed, making jokes you couldn't hear. You brushed off the discomfort and pretended you didn't notice.
You thought over the best way to get his attention since he was ignoring you like you expected.
"Hey, Ace!" you shouted out. "You jack ass! I know you recognize my voice! Come out here and talk to me!"
He exited a pair of door on the upper deck and looked down on you from the railing. It was Ace, and he did not look pleased to see you.
His eyes narrowed, his arms crossed over his chest. "What the hell do you want?"
"You're a coward you know that? Couldn't even face me to tell me you didn't want me on your own. No. Instead I have to travel the goddamm ocean to get an answer."
Ace wanted to explain that his parents were soulmates and all that did was get them killed. His own mother was tracked down relentlessly by the Marines and he didn't want that life for you. But then you'd probably stay, holding onto the hope that he still loved you.
You were blind to his inner struggle. All you saw was a man you once loved looking down on you. You didn't want to go, but you didn't want to stay if he didn't want you either.
"Fine then. If that's what you want to leave it at I'll go." You moved to storm off the ship, but were stopped by a blond man in a purple coat before you could fully leave.
"I am afraid it's too dangerous for you to return home. Being the soulmate of a whitebeard pirate puts a target on your back. You're not safe as long as it's intact."
“I never said anything about being his soulmate.”
He gave you a knowing look, “Why else would you storm out here talking about him ‘not wanting’ you?” You tried to come up with an excuse but none came to mind. “You're not that subtle.”
"Well, I am not staying here. Besides, it's not like he cares enough about me to be of any use to his enemies.”
"Then we need to split the two of you up fully to get rid of your soul mark to prove you two are over. Or you can rekindle something and stay here."
The fading of a soulmate mark is a long process that matches the speed of the falling out of a relationship.
“I am not staying here just to get my heart broken. So let me off.”
"Captain's orders." Marco's expression was serious, his voice firm. "I understand your situation is difficult, but we can't let you leave. You're in danger as long as your soul mark is still intact."
"She hates being told what to do." Ace interrupted, "I told her to stay away and look where she ended up." Ace knew you would keep trying to leave until you succeeded.
To think you fought all this way to get to Ace and now you have to fight to get away from him.
You managed to evade Marco's attempts to grab you with slippery tricks. You feinted, breaking left but went right to throw him off.
Ace watched on from the sidelines. He knew he had to step in to restrain you since he knew how you fought. You couldn't trick him.
“That's enough.” Ace commanded. Marco listened and backed away from you, but the order only riled you up like he knew it would.
You began to rant at him as he knew you would. He let out a small smirk. You hadn't changed. He was sure it was something about him not being able to order you around, but the words washed over him. While you were distracted with your own rant, he approached you smoothly as if to talk and instead easily threw you over his shoulder.
You let out a gasp and immediately tried to squirm out of his grip, pounding your fist against his back. You felt humiliated for being able to be overpowered so easily and in front of a crowd no less. Maybe the hit to your pride would make you second guess running away.
He carried you below deck, through narrow winding halls until he reached a vacant cabin.
He threw you onto the bed, but you were quick to scramble back on your feet and remain on his heels while you yelled at him. He slammed the door in your face the moment he crossed the threshold. You slammed your fist on the door, yelling at him through it. He knew you'd cool down eventually.
Once you simmered down Marco invited you on deck for a drink with the other crew members. They were surprisingly kind and open to you, treating you as part of their crew without question. Part of you wondered if they pitied you for being rejected.
“So? What kind of dirt do you have on fire fist?” One of the crew members asked.
You hesitated. Did you really want to spill secrets on him? Maybe just one harmless one wouldn't hurt. Plus he owes you for how shitty he's been making you feel.
"I use to give him etiquette classes." You revealed. Makino was really the one in charge of them, but ever once in a while she would treat you as an assistant. You would share your “wisdom” from the noble etiquette classes and share what you learned with them. Most of the time the classes we really a failure, but you knew Ace did learn a thing or two whether he admitted it or not.
“You were trying to teach the man who falls asleep face first into his food everyday manners?”
“Yep. He learned a thing or two…..eventually.”
You spent the next hour sharing stories about Ace with the crew and laughing at his expense. Something you desperately needed after such a rough day.
Ace watched from a distance as you laughed and spoke with the other pirates. He was trying to keep his face unreadable, but there was no hiding the irritation in his eyes. Marco approached him, knowing he was secretly dying to talk to someone he trusted.
"What do you want?" Ace grumbled, expecting to be teased.
“Avoiding her isn't going to solve anything." Marco said, leaning against the rail. "That's what got you in this mess in the first place."
Ace's gaze stayed focused on you as you took a shot. You never were much of a drinker before, why now? You were gonna over do it at this rate.
Marco followed Ace's gaze, noticing the way his gaze was focused on you. "You already said you want nothing to do with her. Let her live her life."
Ace's expression hardened at Marco's words, his body tensing in anger. "Don't you think I know that?" he snapped.
Marco let out a weary sigh, clearly exasperated by Ace's stubborn demeanor. "Then why are you just standing here, watching her?"
Ace clenched his jaw "I... I don't know," he grumbled, his voice low and frustrated. "I can't help it, okay? I shouldn't want anything to do with her but I... I can't stop worrying about her either."
The ship hit a sudden wave, causing the ship to lurch and you to stumble. But he wasn't there to catch you. No. That was someone else's job now. Someone else was there to catch you. A pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist, catching you just in time.
You looked up, expecting to find Ace standing there. But instead, you found yourself looking into the eyes of another Whitebeard pirate, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, keeping you from falling. The man chuckled, a friendly smile on his face. "Careful there. Wouldn't want you to fall over."
"Y-yeah. Thank you.”
He chuckled again, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "What's your name, by the way?"
Though Ace couldn't hear anything from your interaction watching it was more than enough to get him worked up.
You were caught off guard at Ace's sudden appearance. "Ok. That's enough socializing for you.." He grabbed you by the arm and dragged you further away from the group where you really laid into him.
“And who are you to decide that for me?" you challenged in a defiant tone.
Ace looked back at you with annoyance. "I'm your soulmate. It's my job to make sure you don't do something stupid.”
"You gave up that title and everything that went with it."
Ace tensed at your words, his expression becoming more stern. He hated being reminded of the fact that he had walked away from you. It wasn't his first choice, but it was still the one he made.
"That doesn't mean I can't look out for you." he muttered, his tone gruff and irritated.
“Yes it does! Don't you understand that? You don't have a say in my life anymore.” your frustration continued to bubble over, "You don't get to pretend like you care when you're the one who pushed me away in the first place. So just leave me alone."
"I'm not leaving you alone until you're sober enough to think straight."
"Then you're gonna be here for a while. And for the record nothing you can say will convince me you made the right choice. I know being with you is dangerous. I've always known. But it was always worth it."
"You deserve better than me." Now was the time he was choosing to open up? When you're too drunk to fully process the weight of his words?
"I am not listening anymore." You turned on your heel to return to the party. To get back to drinking away this awful feeling in your chest.
"Damnit. You're gonna make yourself sick, dumbass."
"Oh well." For this moment in your drunken stupor, it was like you forgot who he was. Forgot about the fighting and everything else that happened.
You grabbed a full drink off a tray that was passing by despite having no idea what was in it. "Just leave me alone. That's what you wanted anyways. Or did you not think that far ahead?"
“You need to rest.” He tried to grab your arm, but you quickly ripped it away from him.
"No. I don't. What I need is to forget about this shitty day. So let me."
He refused to let the conversation end there. Not when it was already so tense. He felt he might as well say everything else that was on his mind.
"Why did you have to come here!" He yelled at you. It made it so much harder to hate you in person. And it was hard enough to convince himself in the first place. You were messing his whole plan up.
"You really thought I'd go down without a fight? You thought I'd just accept you randomly leaving me?"
"Yes! That's what any sane person would do!"He knew he had been foolish to think you'd just accept his rejection without a fight. But he still hoped you would. "You weren't supposed to show up here damnit.”
His voice grew soft for a moment as his emotions climbed back down enough to show a moment of honest vulnerability, "I thought you'd move on and forget about me."
"How could I? You were everything to me Ace. Everything. I didn't want to believe you didn't love me anymore. Couldn't. But now hearing it face to face I know it's true."
Your words opened up something inside of him. For the first time he could fully see the pain he had inflicted upon you. He could hear the raw emotion in your voice, see the pain of heartbreak in your eyes as they brimmed with tears.
He wanted to deny it, to tell you that it wasn't true, that he still loved you. He wanted to end the pain you were feeling, but the words got stuck in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to say it.
"So excuse me for getting a little drunk."
"Getting drunk isn't going to solve anything, you know that, right?"
"Well nothing else is either.”
He hated hearing how broken you sounded. He wanted to pull you into his arms and let you get everything off your chest. He wanted to tell you everything was going to be ok, but he couldn't. He felt like he had no right to comfort you when he was the one who hurt you in the first place.
"You don't have to resort to this.”
“And what else am I supposed to do? Just sit around, hoping like a lovestruck idiot that you'd change your mind and take me back?"
"I'm trying to do the right thing here."
"The right thing would be not leaving me you idiot!" You pushed against his chest. "It would have been letting me live with you. Letting us settle down and go on adventures like we use to talk about." You continued to push him back more and more taking your anger out on him. Ace stumbled backward with each push, not fighting against you in anyway.
He knew you were right, knew that he was a fool for walking away from you and throwing away everything you had talked about. For throwing away your future together. But his own damn stubbornness kept him from admitting the truth, from admitting that he had made a mistake.
"You don't understand," he protested, his words strained and frustrated. "It's not that simple."
"I am too drunk to handle this conversation. So just sit down and leave me alone." You ignored him and attempted to return to the party.
Ace looked over to Marco, who was also monitoring you. "I am taking her back to her room."
Marco nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "Fine with me. She's too drunk to be running around like this."
Ace was quick to go after you. You stumbled as he caught your arm and easily, pulled you tightly against him. You pushed against his body, hit his chest and dragged your feet. Ace let out an annoied sigh, cursing under his breath. He knew that there was no point in trying to reason with you in this state. You fought against him until you tired yourself out. You were exhausted and half-conscious, your head spinning from the alcohol.
Once your energy was gone he scooped you up in his arms and held you firmly against his chest. He wondered why every conversation with you ended with you in his arms.
Ace shifted you in his arms to readjust his grip on you to a more secure one. Your head lolled against his chest, your hair spilling over your face. He resisted the urge to stick the stray lock of hair behind your ear.
He carried you all the way to your room once again. He gently laid you on your bed, making sure to carefully cradle your head as he did so. You groaned softly as he carefully tucked you in. He took a moment to appreciate how peaceful you looked falling asleep before he turned to exit the room. Just as he reached the door, your sleepy voice reached him.
“Ace?” He turned to face you. “What did I do to make you not love me?”
Knowing you wouldn't remember anything by morning,he was honest with you. “Nothing darling. I am just no good for you.”
By the next morning Ace realized he didn't hate you as much as he thought he did. He convinced himself he could muster up something to sever your bond, but even that idea was built off his intentions to protect you. His plans were doomed from the start and it was finally time for him to realize that he couldn't fight fate.
Chapter 4 Loss
You and Ace avoided each other and pestered each other when you did meet. The strained atmosphere between you and Ace became the talk of the crew. After all, the tension was impossible to miss. Whenever your paths crossed, a heavy atmosphere was sure to follow.
Your once affectionate and playful banter with him had faded away and turned harsh. He tried to ignore how much the change hurt, but he knew he couldn't afford to have you return to your kind personality as much as he yearned for it because then he'd surely be running back to you.
You hardened your heart against him, but part of you still cared about his opinion of you and that part desperately wanted to prove him wrong. He left you because he thought you were weak. Too fragile to live the hard life he lead, as if you didn't share many of his hardships with him.
At first you started training for him. To prove that you were not as fragile as he thought and could handle the danger that came with being with him. But after a week you realized you enjoyed finding strength in yourself.
At first you were a push over and it was quiet embarrassing to be bested so easily. But soon you were able to hold your own enough to gather a crowd. Your morning spars became entertainment to the crew and made it impossible for Ace to ignore you.
He watched you grow over the next few weeks without him. You grew in strength and confidence as you learned to find your voice for the first time.
Ace remembered how awfully your family treated you to destroy that part of you. Yet here it was surviving, flourishing, growing and he wasn't allowed to have any part in it.
He wanted to tell you how proud Sabo would be of you right now. Proud that you escaped from the boundaries your social class had put you under. You were free.
He hated the way he still felt protective over you. He hated that he had to watch as other crew mates flirted with you. He hated that his mark was not fading because that meant that he still cared.
Then tragedy struck, as it usually did in your life. Thatch, one of the Whitebeard crewmates, was murdered by a fellow crew member and Ace was determined to bring them to justice. Knowing how pig headed that boy was, you knew you couldn't dissuade him from his goal once he set sights on it. But still you tried.
You yelled at him till your lungs hurt. You gave him as many reasons as you could to not leave. To not go after Teech, but he did not listen. He slipped away during the night without you knowing. Once again you called him a coward for not facing you, but he did not care. Because now you could not follow him. Now he would cover his tracks.
Months passed before you got any updates on his whereabouts.
You fell to your knees, crumbling up the paper in anger once you were fully able to absorb the news headline. You yelled out in anger and frustration. That idiot was always getting himself in trouble and you weren't sure how much more your heart could take it. Why did the universe have to torment you with such a reckless man?
You were ready to storm off to talk to Captain Whitebeard, but to your surprise you were summoned to meet him. You, like everyone on his crew, held the man in high regard. You respected him and the way he treated his crew like family. You appreciated the way he made Ace feel loved. Even if you were angry at him you still wanted him to be happy.
"You're his soulmate correct?" You knew he was telling you more than asking, but you answered anyway.
"Yes Captain." You answered firmly, because no matter how hard either of you tried to deny it, it was the truth.
"Even though he rejected you?" He asked the question despite knowing the answer.
"Yes." You answered firmly. Despite everything you still cared about Ace and you did not want Captain Whitebeard to doubt your loyalty towards him.
"So what is your opinion on the matter?" The question surprised you. He wanted to know you're opinion? You didn't have to fight to be heard?
"We have to save him."
He grinned down at you and laughed, "Glad we're on the same page then."
"You'd really--just for him?"
"I'd do this for any of my sons."
You weren't sure if you believed his words. How could anyone have a big enough heart to be willing to take on the world government for so many people? How could he care so deeply about each crew mate? He had hundreds under his lead, you wouldn't blame him if he forgot their names. But here he was, saying he would be willing to start a war to save any of them.
When the day came you were ordered to stay on the ship. Of course, you didn't listen and when the Moby Dick caught fire, it gave you a good excuse to join in on the fight. You didn't rush into anything though, you knew you were not strong enough for that. You stayed toward the back lines and helped defend your comrades.
Among the fighting you still stole glances to check in on Ace as he sat upon the scaffolding. He looked like he already accepted death.
For a moment you felt excited when you saw Garp on the scaffolding next to Ace, believing he loved him enough to rescue him. But when he made no move to free him, you realized they were just talking.
"I didn't go through all of this just to lose you in a dumb way!" You mentally shouted at Ace.
His voice replied sounding broken like he was crying, "Why are you even here?"
"Beause I love you! I am tired of pretending that I don't!"
There it was, the L word neither of you could say as children out in the open. You felt a pull of emotions deep in your chest. You were sure he was crying now, you heard a slight shake in his voice as he spoke. The hiccupy raspiness that usually followed a long crying sessions.
You wished you were there by him to comfort him, to hold him close and tell he would be ok. But you couldn't. You were too far and too helpless to reach him with anything other than words. Then his tears stopped and his voice sobered. "Luffy.....he's here."
"Good. Maybe he can drag your ass off of there." You joked.
It felt like enough eternity, but Luffy did manage to reach him. He freed Ace from his shackles and together they tore through the battlefield.
They both easily fell into a synchronized fighting style. A familiar rhythm you recognized from your past. It was as if they never stopped fighting together. They knew what the other was thinking before they made a move and followed up each other's attacks flawlessly. You were ecstatic. You were actually getting out! You were saving him!
But that emotion was quickly shut down.
You could not see his wounds directly but from others' reactions, you knew it was bad. You tried to rush in to help Ace, but you felt someone hold you back. Marco.
"What are you doing? Go help him!" You desperately pleaded. But something in you knew why he was not rushing in.
Through the gaps in the crowd you could see Luffy clinging onto Ace's limp body and crying. But you could not see him directly and take in how badly he was injured.
"You shouldn't have to see this." Marco tried to let you down easy.
"No. No we just got him. He's ok. He was......" you voice cracked as Marco just shook his head at you. Telling you, your words were no longer true. Ace wasn't ok. Ace was….
"I need to see him! I need to see him! Ace!" You fought against Marco as he dragged you away
"It shouldn't be your last memory of him."
Chapter 5 The End
You returned to Goa Kingdom to be with family after Ace died. You reunited with Makino in Windmill Village and drowned your sorrows over a drink with Dadan, though she was using it as a crutch more than you were. And like her you used Garp as a punching bag to blame and bully. You took all your anger out on him and unlike Dadan, you could not forgive him.
In your mind he deserved to be hated. He deserved to be reminded of the actions he chose even if it was just through your anger. You wanted him to feel the repercussions of his actions. To know how much pain he caused to all the people who cared for Ace.
"It's your fault!" You lashed out at Garp, your voice shaking with rage, "You were there! You could have helped him, but you didn't! Your duty as a Marine was more important than your own flesh and blood, wasn't it!"
He didn't answer and you continued to yell.
"I hate you and your stupid organization for getting him killed. I know you didn't want him to be a pirate but he didn't deserve this." You sniffled and wiped the tears with the back of your hand before continuing ,"He wasn't a bad person just because he was a pirate goddamit!"
"I had a duty to uphold as a Marine." He stated firmly, "I had to uphold the principles and responsibilities I've lived by all my life to keep my honor. You may not understand it, but I cannot betray the foundation that I am build off of."
"What about the responsibility and honor of protecting your family?"
For a moment you could see pain in his eyes in response to your words. It was awful, but you felt pleased at the sight. Pleased to know that maybe he did regret his actions. Maybe, he was in just as much pain as you and it was what he deserved.
You wondered why your soulmate mark had not faded or changed in any way after Ace's passing. You assumed it would have faded or disappeared entirely. Instead it remained like a brand of what you lost. After the town found out you both shared a soul mark, everyone began treating you differently. They avoided talking about him as if merely mentioning his name would send you into a spiral.
Months passed and you learned how to live on without him. You met with Dadan at the bar once a week to share a drink and talk about him.
She was the only person you felt could really understand your grief. Others tried to comfort and nodded at you and told you it was ok when it clearly wasn't. They avoided talking about him like it was a sin to say his name, but to you the only sin was forgetting him.
You enjoyed reminiscing over Ace with Dadan because she never treated you those ways. To her you weren't fragile and didn't need to be coddled. What you needed was someone to lend an ear.
Dadan took a large gulp from her mug, "I told him I loved him....but he....he never had the chance to say it back and sometimes I wonder if he would have. Why did I take so long?"
You felt haunted by the thought. Haunted by dozens of what if thoughts and regrets. Dadan's demeanor softened upon understanding your words.
You saw the sadness in her eyes as she spoke, "We're both a pair of fools, aren't we? Two grown adults, reduced to a mess because we miss one little dumbass."
You couldn't help but laugh at her statement. Lately she was the only person who could make you smile with her odd jokes.
Every stupid adventure Ace dragged you into as kids suddenly flooded your mind and suddenly the ache in your chest lightened for a moment by the memory of him. Was that all he was now?
"He always made a mess of our lives, leaving chaos in his wake. Yet you couldn't help but love him."
Dadan nodded in agreement, her expression softening as she recalled those memories.
"Yeah. I couldn't stay angry at that damn rascal for long. No matter how much trouble he caused. I always forgave him."
You swapped stories with her for a while. Until her face pailed like she saw a ghost. For a moment you wondered if you accidentally hit a sore spot. Accidentally bringing up a memory she wanted to forget. With tears in her eyes, she raised her finger and pointed behind you.
To his surprise you didn't slap him or yell at him or even kiss him. No you cried and that reaction scared him, because it was the one he did not prepare for.
You wrapped your arms around Ace's neck and cried into his shoulder, a rare honest moment of vulnerability. He wrapped his arms around you and held you close.
You gripped onto his shirt, one he now wore to cover up his scars. Eventually he would get use to them, but for now he hid them away.
"You idiot, you died. You died over a stupid comment you idiot you...." your words trailed off as he pulled you against him.
His voice was calm and even as he reassured you. "It's ok. I am here now."
He ran his fingers through your hair and let you cry.
It took a moment for you to gather yourself enough to talk to him. "You can't leave me again ok? I am tired of this shit."
He laughed and smiled at you in an anxious way since he wasn't sure he was off the hook yet.
He turned to face Dadan who was still standing behind you, waiting for her to respond. "You dumb punk. You had us all worried." She complained.
"Are you crying," Ace teased and she didn't deny it.
His teasing managed to break through the heavy atmosphere that hung over the room.
Dadan huffed, wiping away a stray tear as she shot him a glare. "Shut up, you idiot kid......Never do that again.”
"Mind if I steal her for a bit?" Ace questioned as he slung his arm around your shoulders.
Dadan smirked in response, happy to see you getting a second chance with him. "Go on boy. Take her." She waved the two of you off.
He took your hand in his and lead you outside where the two of you could talk in private. You wandered down empty dirt roads that felt oddly scenic with him around.
"You got a lot of explaining to do." You stated in order to get him to open up.
"Where to start." He said to draw out the topic, knowing it would annoy you.
"From the top. Where the hell have you been all this time? And who do I have to thank for saving you?" Your questioning came off more aggressive than you intended, but you were eager to get answers.
"Law helped save my life. Him and his crew fixed me up. I headed to you the moment I was well enough to be on my own."
"Law. Isn't he a war lord? Why did he help you?"
"I don't know but he saved Luffy too."
"Luffy's ok too?" You questioned hopefully. "I haven't heard from him either. I was afraid he....."
You gripped Ace's hand with more urgency. You could not bring yourself to say the words out loud and hoped he would catch on.
"He's ok. He wanted to go to Amazon Lilly to train with Rayleigh."
"Why didn't you go with them?"
"Because the night of the war there's something you said to me I can't get out of my mind. I've been wanting to return to you ever since." He held your face in his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. You stopped in your tracks and caved into his touch.
"I love you. I always have. Even before we got these marks. I've always loved you and I was being stupid running from it. I was just so convinced you deserved someone better than me. Someone you could be proud of. Not some pirate."He took in a breath, showing how hard it was for him to say all of this. There was weight to his words.
"But then you followed me and I realized I was in big trouble. Not because you were mad at me but because you cared. You actually cared about me and I knew I couldn't keep running. So now I promise. I'll make up for all the time I made us lose if you let me.”
You nodded, too nervous to be able to do anything else and he immediately swept you up into his arms for a kiss.
He was clearly trying to make it one to remember, like he was trying to make up for every kiss he missed giving you. His arms wrapped tightly around your waist and pulled you firmly against him.
When he pulled away you were left light headed and breathless, not quite knowing how to react. He was looking at you with the proudest grin on his face. You were not sure if he was proud to have kissed you or proud to make you react that way.
You pulled his hat down over his face, breaking the line of sight he had on you. He laughed at your antics and readjusted his hat. For once your world felt good, hopeful like everything was settling into place. For once you could look at him and see a real future.
"So. What's your plan now?" You questioned, looking up at him as you took a stroll to nowhere in particular. Anxiety filled you by just asking the question. You tried to distract yourself by kicking a rock down the path.
"Doctor's orders were to take it easy for the next few months while I heal and readjust." He laced his fingers between yours, seeming to want to steady you. Immediately you held onto his hand, the warmth of it calmed you down enough to handle the conversation.
"So you're staying?" You questioned hesitantly. If the answer was no, you were not sure how you would react. Move on? Would that even be possible?
"I don't plan on leaving your side again. I was a fool to do that in the first place." His words were honest, void of any of the playful tone that usually underlined his words. He was taking all of this seriously.
"What happened to it being too dangerous for us to be together?"
"Maybe I can pretend to be dead.” He joked, “Lay low and stay with you."
You jabbed him in the ribs with a smile, "We both know that is not an option for you.”
He laughed. You knew him too well. “Yeah. You're right. But now I just want to be with you.”
Your heart fluttered at his words. Ones you had been waiting to hear for so long. A definite confirmation of everything you had ever wanted to know. He loved you, really loved you.
"Maybe you can teach me. How to fight. How to be a pirate. I was kind of enjoying it."
It was the truth. Those weeks you spent on the Moby Dick were some of the most rewarding days of you life. You never felt so accomplished and satisfied with your life. You had adventure, the promise to see new lands and tasks to challenge yourself to grow as a person in the direction you wanted it to be.
He looked at you in surprise, not expecting such a comment from you. "You sure?"
He wanted to offer you a way out, just in case you were saying it to make him happy. He would never want to drag you into a life on the sea if it was not what you truly wanted. He could always find his fix for adventure through other careers. He would make it work for you. But based on your words, maybe he would not have to.
You nodded, "Yes, I'm sure. I want to be able to be by your side, no matter where your adventures take us. And I know that requires me to learn a thing or two about piracy. Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"Don't ever get yourself killed over something petty ever again."
Warning: Some of these songs do focus on depression and assault in case you're sensitive to those topics
Robin
Robin's Playlist focuses on her struggle of feeling like an outsider and her journey to rediscover herself and find a purpose to keep going
- Freaks by Surf Curse
- Undercover Martyn by Two Door Cinema Club
-First Love/ Late Spring by Mitski
- Russian Roulette by Porter Robinson
Sabo
For Sabo I am focusing on more rebellious music center around government corruption and politics. It also focuses on how suffocated he might of felt while being a noble.
-The Family Jewles by Marina
- People I Don't Like by UPSHAL
- Family Line by Conan Gray
- Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer
-The Kids are all dying by finneas
- On loss and having by The Flobots
-May Loving Hands Show you the Way by Grand Commander
-Twenty Something Socialist by
- Stickup by Grandson
- Run by The Flobots
- Give and Take by Poor Man's Poison
Law
Since Law in not good with feelings I see music as a way for him to decompress. I think he would struggle with grief and survivors guilt for everything he's been through.
- Sad Divide by Auto Heart
- Saint Bernard by Lincoln
- Problems by Mother Mother
- Orleander by Mother Mother
-Talk to You by Ricky Montgomery
- Ship in a Bottle by Fin
- Sleepwalking by forest day
Ace
I feel like Ace is the type of person to have self destructive tendencies and a negative view of relationships because he doesn't believe he deserves genuine love.
- Stalkers Tango by Auto Heart
-Wolves by Down Like Silver
- Wrecking Ball by Mother Mother
- Loving Me is Really Hard by NESYA
Corazon
Honestly his list is based on vibes
- Please by the Smiths
-This Charming Man by The Smiths
- Cold, Cold, Cold by Family Crest
Nami
She's a confident girl who knows who she is and knows what she wants.
- Too Much by Dove Cameron
- You Are the Probem Here by First Aid Kit
- Chick Habit by April March
If anyone has other suggestions feel free to comment them and maybe I'll update the list
Summary: After the king and queen secretly leak information to the revolutionary army, they were targeted by allies of the world government who saw their actions as a threat. Now it's up to Sabo and Koala to protect your family from an unknown attacker.
Word Count: 9.7K
Masterlist
You were the princess of an affluent kingdom with a family legacy that was built off of generations. With it came the privilege of being let into inner circles of the government knowledge given in trust. But your father turned around and betrayed that trust. He leaked secret information to the revolutionary army that put you and your family in danger. And now they were assigning personal body guards to protect all of you.
Today was the first day you were dealing with them and you were not looking forward to having them around. You already felt trapped enough on the castle grounds with the patrolling guards as it was. Having one assigned to follow you around all day was a new level of surveillance you were not pleased with.
Overall your life was not impacted too harshly. You still had breakfast every morning with your parents in the dining hall to discuss the plans for the day and give updates on how you've progressed. After that you would meet with your tutor to go over whatever topic you had to learn that week and either attend some public event or other extra curricular activity. In other words, you were just as busy as usual but now with a shadow following you around.
Since you could not bring up your displeasure over the situation with your father, who would turn it into a lecture on responsibility or something else mildly related, you took it out on the new guard. It was immature but you did not care. They would be gone within a month anyways.
You did not bother to introduce yourself to the blonde who waited outside your bedroom door. You just walked past him as if he were not there, but it seemed like the blonde had no intent to introduce himself either. You did not mind, it made things easier if it meant he would not try to interact with you but instead accept blending into the background. That was what all good guards should do in your opinion anyways. Observe and assess threats without disturbing whatever was happening around them.
You did not realize how wrong you were making this assumption about Sabo but would soon learn just how vocal and annoying he could be. Especially if it meant he could get under someone's skin.
While you spoke with your parents Sabo and Koala, the second revolutionary guard to be stationed at the castle, caught up with each other. They stood in the corner of the room, keeping a watchful eye over their charges while talking to each other.
“This whole assignment sucks. She's such a snob.” Sabo whined.
“Have you even talked to her yet?” Koala questioned despite already knowing the answer. He always had a sore spot for the elite and was why Dragon assigned him to this mission.
“Don't have to. Just look at them.”
Koala studied the group as they sat at the dining table with perfect posture and a cloth napkin across their laps. They had perfect etiquette as to be expected that came off as cold and distant, but despite that she saw nothing wrong with the scene before her. They were just having a conversation.
"Her parents aren't that bad. Direct and rude but otherwise quiet." Koala explained.
Sabo hated this place, it all felt too familiar to him. The fake smiles and forced conversations. The crushing pressure to be perfect and maintain a facade of it at the cost of your own well being. It was something he never wanted to experience again and yet here he was, thrown back in the middle of it.
"I hate people like them. Rich snobs that couldn't care less about the people around them.” He was voicing his thoughts before he even realized it.
“You know you can't let your past affect this Sabo. The information they have is too important.” Koala warned, hoping her words would help make him realize how harshly he was judging them with no real grounds.
He sighed, “I know. I wouldn't let anything happen to them.”
“Looks like breakfast is over. Back to work.” Sabo stood tall upon registering Koala's warning.
It almost felt out of habit from his environment rather than something he wanted to do. Something in him still remembered to look the part in the presence of the elite and he hated it.
Your class for the day was an etiquette class that was based on a distant kingdom's culture you were not familiar with, but had to learn to fit in with their aristocracy there none the less. Sabo escorted you down the wall to your class without a word. You sat at a school desk by yourself in an empty room that was much larger than it needed to be for just you. This just ended up making the atmosphere feel empty and wrong like your mind somehow knew there was supposed to be more people present for the class. But there was not. It was just you, your professor and Sabo tucked away in the corner like usual.
The class was boring as it always was. Filled with information that was only really useful at public events when you had to come off as composed and professional in a room full of strangers. Despite how much you hated the class, you knew you had to take it seriously. Your personal image as well as the public image of your family relied on it.
You swore you could hear Sabo snicker every time you got a question wrong, which just made you mess up even more. He could not help it, there was just something he found immensely satisfying in watching you be humbled through a simple correction. By the end of the lesson you were outraged by the audacity of the guard, but managed to keep that somewhat hidden until you reached the hall with him.
“Something funny about watching me fail guard?” You confronted Sabo, which just made him smile deviously. You were giving him an opening to speak his mind and he was not going to waste it.
"Yeah. The sight of you butchering your lessons." He grinned as he noticed you freeze up from the unexpected insult.
"As if you'd be able to understand these classes." You retorted.
"As if I'd need to waste my time learning unimportant rules that only your type care about. "
"It's not useless, you're just too much of a revolutionary brute to appreciate the topics."
Sabo bristled at your comment, his smirk quickly disappeared. It was satisfying to you to watch his face fall.
"A revolutionary brute, huh? Just because I don't care about impressing high society assholes who have nothing better to do than worry about which fork to use at a fancy dinner party."
You tensed up upon hearing the harsher cursing from him. When insults were flung around during arguments they were usually done up to sound witty and thought out.
He leaned forward, "Oh no. Did I offend your delicate little royal sensibilities with my brute revolutionary language?" He mocked
"Nobelmen aren't supposed to curse."
He smirked mockingly before teasing you more, "Good thing I am not a nobleman princess."
"Stop calling me that."
"Your title?"
"You know what I mean." You clenched her hands into fists. "I don't know why my family would ever open our doors to people like you."
You said it as if it was the most offensive comment you could make towards a person, which of course it was not. The way you were raised just led you to believe that your rejection was one of the worst things you could bestow upon a person.
Sabo laughed at the fact you thought that would be insulting.
"Don't like the idea of 'people like me' being around you nobles? Or do you just not like being called out on your mistakes?"
"Don't pretend to know what I am thinking. "
"Why not? You royal types are all the same. You act all high and mighty but the truth is you're nothing more than a privileged brat who's had everything handed to her on a silver platter. You don't understand the type of hard work and sacrifice it takes for the average person to just put food on the table."
At this point Sabo knew he was projecting from memories of his childhood. What he witnessed from his own family. The way they discriminated against the people of Grey terminal was monstrous.
"Don't speak on topics you're too uninformed to understand."
"Uninformed? Yeah, I'm just a lowly revolutionary who fights for the people. What the hell do I know about politics, right?" He gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Don't forget what my parents did that led us to require your services today. We gave you important information at our own risk." Sabo paused as a moment of guilt hit him and vanished.
"Yeah, yeah. You nobles are so selfless having to hide in your ivory towers now. What a sacrifice that must be for you."
You stopped in your tracks as you reached your bedroom door. "You're just determined to be mad at me aren't you. No matter what I say."
He laughed bitterly, "What can I say? You just make it so easy to hate you."
"Then we'll leave it at that. Goodnight." You opened your bedroom door and slipped inside, but stopped closing the door when he spoke up again.
The way you tried to casually close the conversation angered him and he was not quite sure why. Maybe it was making him feel dismissed or maybe he just wanted to argue. Either way, he was not happy with that closure.
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
"Yep." With that you shut the door in his face. It was very satisfying to you.
Sabo was left completely stunned by your actions on the other side of the door. He did not expect for you to match his snarky attitude like that. Having a door slammed in his face, preventing him from having the last word in the fight annoyed him even further.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down and muttered under his breath as he walked away. "Damn spoiled princess."
By the second day you were happy to see they swapped out your assigned bodyguard. Now it was a girl with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. She seemed really kind and level headed unlike the other revolutionary who's name you never bothered to get.
You gave your name, though you're pretty sure it was unnecessary. You still wanted to be polite and introduce yourself properly.
She informed you that her name was Koala and after that the day continued on as normal. But with her around instead of that other guard the day felt much more pleasant.
She was polite and quiet, following you around with a watchful eye without any sarcastic comments. It was a wonderful change of pace, but it bothered you to know you would have to meet with him again tomorrow.
By the third day you were back under Sabo's care. Your class had not started yet and Sabo was already complaining about being bored.
You handed Sabo a pad of paper and a pen. "Here you can draw or something ok. Just don't fall asleep, you're supposed to be protecting me."
He rolled his eyes, but still accepted the offer. For some reason you decided to take it as an opening to talk with him. To try and convince him to actually learn something if he was gonna be stuck here anyways.
"History is important you know. There's patterns in it. The rise and fall or kingdom. The mistrust that is sewed into the citizens like clockwork. We can learn from it."
"So what. You're studying it for warning signs so you know when to hide?"
You did not even try to fight him, you had no time to do so. You could not make him understand that you did care about your people more than your parents do. That you study history to try and understand them and see not just what mistakes lead to social unrest, but what actions solve it.
You just sat back at your desk and set up your work station. Books, pens, pencils, high lighters in multiple bright colors. You were prepared.
While you actually worked and studied Sabo doodled. The irony that he called you lazy just two days ago was not lost on you, but you did not comment on it. That was too easy.
The class ended and you snatched the notepad back from him before he could react. You looked over what he drew and notated. You'd be surprised if he paid attention enough to even do that.
To your surprise his drawings were quite detailed and realistic. You had a feeling this was not the first time he was bored out of his mind during a lecture.
He drew everything around him including you, which you did not read into too much considering he also sketched a drawing of a squirrel on the window sill in immense detail.
Among all of this you spotted notes he crammed into the margins of the paper.
You ignored Sabo's pleas to return the book and instead squinted at the handwriting as if you could not believe what you were looking at.
His handwriting was impeccable. Neat cursive writing that could only be mastered by hours of practice.
"Your penmanship....it's been practiced." You held the paper closer to your face. There was no denying your interest in his work.
"You impressed princess?" He questioned with a taunting smirk.
"Wouldn't expect that from a revolutionary." You pressed the notepad against his chest. "You can keep it.”
You began to walk away, acting as if he was the one slowing you down.
"Can we get on with the day now? We have an important event to attend next so I expect you to be a model guard in public." You said the words as a command more than a request.
Sabo groaned, annoyed at the idea of having to follow the rules but agreed
"Fine. I'll be on my best behavior. I'll stand there looking all serious and stoic." He suddenly stood tall and serious to jokingly get his point across.
"It's for a campaign to make education more accessible to the lower class by building libraries. Today is the opening ceremony for the first one." You left out the part stating that it was your own passion project you started last year. Knowing Sabo, he would turn your words on you. Insinuating that you were just doing this to look good to the public.
Sabo rolled his eyes and decided to get one last comment out of his system. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be the model bodyguard. Just for you."
Once you were out front he opened the carriage door for you and gave you a teasing bow to enter. It felt odd coming from him compared to when your usual guards did it.
You sat alone in the cabin, leaning against the wall and letting out a deep sigh. Neither of you said a word until you reached the event where a large crowd had formed.
You peeked out from the curtain to get an idea of what you were dealing with. There was a walkway set up for you, with barriers and guards posted on either side to keep it clear. Spectators leaned against the metal barriers, trying to get a better view. The crowd began to cheer once they noticed you and you quickly retreated back to your seat.
Sabo opened the door from the outside, offering his hand as any guard would so you could safely descend the carriage steps. You hesitated for a moment, locking eyes with him as he gave you a knowing smirk.
"Everything ok princess?" After that comment you quickly took his hand trying to prove everything was normal.
He held your hand for the briefest of moment before taking place in front of you as you walked down the aisle. He eyed the people who seemed a little too aggressive at trying to get your attention.
"This is nauseating," Sabo mumbled under his breath. You jabbed him in the side, a reminder for him to remain professional. This caused him to sit up straight once again.
You stood in front of the large ceremonial ribbon, delicately holding a pair of oversized ceremonial scissors. You made sure your speech was simple but meaningful. You wanted the public to know how much this unveiling meant to you without making it too boring or political. You wanted this to be seen as a gift to the public because to you, it was.
Soon after you were walking back to your carriage, taking photos and signing autographs along the way. Then a shot rang out, dispersing the crowd instantly.
You were on the brink of panic. Mind clouded and racing with your nerves on end. You try to control your breath and that odd shaking that filled your bones and sent tingling across your skin. It ran through your body. Even your muscles felt tense and prepared to fight against something unknown and intangible.
It took you a moment to process what happened, you looked behind you to see one of the guards was struck in the shoulder just where your head was. He fell to the floor, blood staining his clothes as he yelled in pain. A few guards broke off to help him by applying pressure to the wound which only added to his discomfort.
It was your first time seeing someone get injured and to say you were scared was an understatement. The crowd dispersed, leaving behind the person responsible for the attack. Sabo removed the pipe from his back looking eager to fight.
"Go." He commanded, not to you but the other guards. Your chest felt tight at the thought of leaving him, but this was his job.
"Becareful." You said it before you even realized you were speaking.
Sabo scoffed in response, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips, "Don't worry princess. I won't get a scratch on me."
To avoid making another issue you allowed yourself to be guided back into the carriage by the other guards. The driver snapped the reins, setting the horses off into a full gallop. The switch from chaos to silence was dizzying as your racing mind tried to keep up with what just unfolded before you.
Your hands were shaking as you tried to find your voice. But flashes of the violence you just witnessed were already flooding into your mind.
The carriage suddenly shook and there was knocking on the door. "Sorry to scare you princess, but can you let me in?"
You immediately tried to recompose yourself before going to unlatch the door. He swung in and settled into the seat across from you as if nothing was wrong. Did he really just jump onto a moving carriage?
"You idiot." You chastised and looked away from him with your arms crossed.
"You ok princess? You weren't worried about me were you?"
The ride to the castle was full of nothing but sarcastic comments aimed at your slip up. It was aggravating that he would make fun of your moment of vulnerability. You were genuinely worried about his safety and this was how he repaid you?
You kept your attention focused on the outside world, keeping darker thoughts at bay but you could still feel them in the corner of your mind. You felt barely composed, ready to break down at any moment, but you refused to show any more weakness in front of him.
The ride back was shorter due to the urgency of the situation, but it felt just as slow. You were eager to retreat to the privacy of your own room where you could cope with your emotions on your own.
Sabo shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked you down the hall to your room. "I never thought I'd see our kingdom's strong willed princess reduced to such a scaredy cat."
"Will you just shut up? With your dumb insults? I am not you ok. I am not used to being in danger. I am trying to be open with you and still you--" you groaned in frustration and crossed your arms clamming up. "Forget it."
Watching your demeanor change caused Sabo to panic. Did he just mess things up?
He picked up his pace following you down the hall and caught the edge of the door as you tried to close it. "Wait a minute. I wanna talk."
You paused for a moment and looked him in the eye to think over a response but none came to mind. So just like the first day you slammed the door in his face. You fell into your pillow wishing Koala had been assigned to you that day. Maybe then you would actually have someone to understand you.
The next day you were in Koala's care. Your parents were surprisingly kind and cleared your schedule for the day due to the incident at the event. Koala came to visit you early in the morning to help you get ready and to talk.
She was one of the most caring and mature people you had ever met and you greatly appreciated her company. You were not used to having someone you could freely talk to without worry of backlash for being honest. You hoped she understood how much you appreciated her friendship in times like this.
You were brushing your hair in your mirror while she sat on the edge of your bed. "I am not used to people getting hurt because of me. Then Sabo jumped in and it was all so much.”
You gripped onto the hairbrush a little tighter as you placed it in the vanity desk. "I mean. That stupid revolutionary is bound to get hurt with the way he acts. It worr--was scary."
Koala smirked, picking up on the word you tried not to say, "You don't have to worry over him. Sabo knows how to handle himself in a fight."
"He's always making stupid decisions. How could I not?"
"He can be a bit reckless and stubborn." She agreed, "He makes his own decisions to make sure he's truly living his own life. That he's the one calling the shots.”
"I suppose he's lucky to have that choice."
"It's more than luck. Being from a noble family, he had to earn it."
You paused for a moment to absorbed the new information that was suddenly dumped on you. "He's a noble?"
"Was. He ran away after seeing how horribly they treated the average person."
Suddenly so much of how Sabo acted made sense in your eyes. His bias hatred for anything noble. They way he could be surprisingly eloquent with his words, but chooses not to. His indepth knowledge of random topics and even his elegant penmanship. They were all remnants of his past that he tried to hide.
“He was still a jerk for making fun of me after the incident. That was terrifying and all he did was make fun of me for being scared.” you stubbornly pointed out.
“I think that's because that's how we deal with those emotions when you're in the revolution. Most soldiers don't address the fear but cover it up with jokes and teasing. It's not healthy but it's what he's use to. It was his way of trying to help.”
“Making fun of me was helpful?”
“You're supposed to banter and joke back. Make whatever happened to you feel small. In other words. He was being a stupid guy. He didn't mean to hurt you but he still owes you an apology.”
The next morning marked the fifth day since you've met Sabo and Koala. You were not exactly thrilled to be under Sabo's care after your last interaction. You braced yourself for the usual rounds of banter, but to your surprise he was trying to apologize to you.
It was after breakfast when he tried to speak with you again. You figured Koala had talked some sense back into him.
"Hey. Can we talk for a minute?" His tone was void of the usual sarcasm that filled it. Now it was soft and serious.
"Yeah. I can spare a minute, just don't make me late."
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night. I was being a total jackass to you. I wasn't thinking."
"That seems usual for you." You could not help but take advantage of the opening. "Koala told me that you used to be a noble. Is that why you hate me so much?"
His voice grew heavy, "I ran away from that life a long time ago."
"How did you do it? Get away I mean. That seems impossible." He seemed to have been in the same trap as you growing up, but he was able to free himself out of it. You felt a little jealous that he was brave enough to escape this life. Not everyone can just abandon a life that was planned out for them.
He was going to make a comment about you getting cold feet, but held his tongue. This was serious.
"It wasn't an easy decision. My family....they treated me like I was nothing unless I met their requirements. They planned my whole life out for me, one I never agreed to. I could not accept it and was forced to run away from everything I ever known."
"That's very brave of you.”
You saw a bit of his cocky attitude return. "Impressed huh."
You playfully hit him in the shoulder. "I give you an inch.”
"Gotta enjoy the compliments while you give them out. It's not easy to get one from you. Besides we're gonna be late for your next class. So I think we're done being serious."
Your eyes went wide for a moment as you realized he was right. You lost too much time talking.
You ran down the hall and entered the room where your dance instructor seemed more excited than usual for your lesson. At first you assumed it was just because of the ball that was coming up.
"I am sure your guard here wouldn't mind stepping in today. It would be helpful for me to guide you from the outside. Though I suppose these are more complex manuvers." He paused and turned to Sabo. "You don't happen to know more than the box step do you?"
Sabo grinned as if he was waiting for a chance to show off his knowledge. "Of course I do.”
"Perfect." He clapped excitedly, "then you can help with today's advanced class."
"Whoa, wait. I did not agree to this!" You spoke up without even thinking. Immediately you shrunk in on yourself as if you suddenly realized who you were talking to.
The teacher's attitude immediately soured. Sabo was taken back by how quickly he became hostile. He forgot how ruthless people could be when you didn't agree with them.
"Was that an objection I heard? You know how much your father has planned for you. Do you want to fall behind?" He was trying to guilt trip you into submission, a common tactic that was used against you.
Sabo immediately became defensive on your behalf. He stood tall and glared at the teacher.
"Hey, she was just expressing an opinion. You don't have to speak to her like that."
"It's fine Sabo." You said, your voice hollow and void of any emotion.
He quickly turned to you, making sure he heard you right. "You sure?"
"Yes. Just…help me practice please."
He could not refuse your request. "Alright, princess. I got you."
"Wonderful." The teacher clapped, "Now get into your starting positions.”
He waved his hands to usher you both into position. Sabo gently placed his hand on your waist, you stiffened at his touch. He leaned in, his smirk widening.
"Relax princess. I'm not going to bite you.”
You huffed and tried to ignore the way his touch managed to make you shiver. You refused to show any kind of weakness and averted his gaze as you thought up an excuse.
"You're the last person I'd want to dance with."
"Chin up. Face forward my dear." Your teacher corrected you.
You grudgingly lifted your chin, forcing yourself to look towards Sabo. "Aww, you hurt my feelings, princess. Here I am trying to be a gracious dance partner and you can't even make eye contact with me?"
He picked up on your sour mood and dropped the teasing. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?" Sabo suddenly questioned. "You're the princess. I didn't think you had to take anything from anyone if you didn't want to.”
You were taken back by his sudden question and it showed. You underestimated Sabo and how perceptive he was. Especially since he usually acted like an annoying jerk.
You let out a frustrated sigh, "It's not that simple. There are consequences for anything perceived as disobedience. You wouldn't understand."
Sabo's expression softened. He understood how it felt to have no control over your life more than you knew. He did not interrupt and continued to let you speak.
"Everything I do gets reported to my father. He pays no mind when it's good news but when it's bad....when I do something that's wrong in his eyes. Let's just say he can still take a lot from me. It feels like he controls my present and my future.”
Sabo felt his jaw tighten, an unexpected anger flaring up in him at the thought of you being mistreated. He wanted to comfort you. To take you away, but he knew he couldn't. Not as long as you lived within these castle walls. Sabo managed to steady his voice.
"He has that much control over you? That's bullshit."
"Didn't your parents do the same for you? Plan out your role, who you'd marry, what you'd be.”
There was a tense silence between the two of you as he realized you were right. He was not far off from being in the same position as you.
"How'd you get away from it?" You paused as if you realized you were revealing having a dangerous thought. "Actually. Let's focus on dancing." You requested and despite all of his usual attitude, he obliged.
You continued to dance with him at a slow pace, making sure to keep your distance from him as much as you could. You ignored how nice it actually felt to be in his presence and pushed down the butterflies in your stomach when he looked over at you.
“You ok there princess?”
You were ready to speak up but your teacher corrected you again. "You're too far apart. Did you forget everything I taught you already? Your movements should be fluid, not stiff."
Sabo tried not to laugh at your teachers over dramatic redirection. But he also realized he could have a little fun with you.
Without warning, he pulled you close against his chest. "Oops. My bad." He apologized to you as if it was an accident.
"Trust your partner. Let him lead." Your teacher continued to chimed in cutting off any of your attempts to snap back at Sabo.
You let down your guard and followed his lead. The rythm you had to follow fell to the back of your mind as you fell into the proper rythm.
"See, princess? I'm not so bad at this after all. You can trust me."
"I expected more flair." You teased.
Sabo took that as a challenge. His grip on your waist suddenly became more secure as he spun you around. The teacher praised him for his performance which he ate up of course. Anything to get one up on you.
"Since when did you get so flirty?" You questioned.
“Since when were you so affected by it?” Sabo questioned back.
The song ended before you could make a witty come back and suddenly you were back in class again.
Sabo watched as the teacher showered you with praise. He stepped away and blended back into background. He folded his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall as he observed the interaction quietly.
A few days later he got to see in person what all of the training was for. A ball that your family was hosting for not only a social gathering but as a statement. Because everything your family did had to have an ulterior motive to it.
Rumors were being spread among the nobles that your family was no longer safe to socialize with. They would be seen as rebel sympathizers and it was harming your family's status and power. So, in a desperate attempt to regain favor, they have set up a ball with all of the trappings.
Sabo watched you from across the room, noticing how your smile never reached your eyes. How your demeanor and stance changed slightly according to who approached you.
No matter how off-putting the person you were having a conversation with was, you never let them know. You were an expert at hiding your feelings in order not to offend the other party.
Beside him Koala smiled smugly. "You like her." She teased. He rolled his eyes and turned away from her
"I am just keeping an eye on her." He reasoned.
He watched as you tried to reject the advances of a noble, but their ego didn't let him take the hint. Sabo hated watching the way he treated you as if your attention was a prize to be won and not something to be genuinely cared for. His patience snapped. He confidently strode over to interrupt your conversation.
"Princess," he bowed as he approached you, playing his role properly, "you're needed outside." He looked up at you with an expression that told you to trust him and play along.
You quickly put on a polite smile and tried to sound disappointed as you apologized to the nobleman who just frowned. His ego was clearly bruised from being dismissed.
"We were having a conversation-" he began to protest, but Sabo impatiently and aggressively cut him off.
"It's a request from her highness." That statement silenced any further protest the nobleman had which seemed to please Sabo. He was not going to waste an opportunity to speak up without backlash after all. Not when he has been forced to watch his words since he arrived.
He took a moment to revel in his victory before guiding you through the crowded ball room floor. He cut right through the crowd and smoothly guided you away from the party.
The moment you stepped into an empty hall with him, he let out a sharp breath and let his proper demeanor fall. "You were seconds away from punching that guy. I could tell."
"Sure you're not projecting? You seem pretty worked up." You teased.
"Me? Projecting." He scoffed, "As if. What was he even talking to you about anyway? His immeasurable wealth?"
"The night festival actually." You corrected him. "My family always saw it as below us so I've never heard much about it."
"I am sure it's like any other festival. You know carnival games, greasy food and cheap magic show." He talked about it so casually.
"I don't know actually. I've never been to any events outside our class." That statement caught his attention.
"You mean all you know is these stuffy events that force you to talk with the dullest people in the region?"
“Pretty much. I hope to experience more in my life….one day.”
You felt your guard lower as you spoke with him. He was so casual and open with anything you talked about, you could not help but feel comfortable around him in return.
He sat on the floor with his back to the wall for support and you joined him. You sunk down to the floor and made yourself comfortable.
"You know I am kinda jealous of you being a revolutionary." You admitted, "When you're done with this mission that's it. You get to leave here and have a new adventure."
He looked over at you with a softened gaze as if he understood your struggle. "You don't have to stay here.”
You perked up to remind him of your responsibilities but he quickly shot that reasoning down.
“You don't owe them anything. Not your life, not your freedom, nothing. You get to choose who you are and what you become. Not your bloodline or tradition or whatever else."
"I am not trying to throw a pity party for myself. I just wanted to apologize in my own way for treating you poorly. I've just been jealous I guess." You wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling vulnerable and defensive as you shared an honest opinion with him.
"You didn't have to apologize. I get it. Besides, I've done worse to you. We're even."
You smiled. "Even? I like the sound of that."
He held his hand out to you as an offer to help you stand. Something he would never have done just a few weeks ago.You locked eyes as you took his hand. For the first time you felt something flutter in your chest as he looked at you.
You stiffened when you over heard your mother looking for you at the main party. Her voice was loud enough to make it past the wooden doors. "I should probably go back now. Thank you for taking me away. Even if it was just for a moment."
Those words stuck in his head for the rest of the night as he realized that's exactly what he could do for you. He could take you away even if it was just for one night.
So he snuck over to the balcony of your room, to take you to the night festival not as a princess but as a commoner.
He threw rocks at your window until you walked out on your balcony and looked down at him on the ground below.
You glared at him and he cut the joke. He used his devil fruit to land up on the balcony with you. "There's a door you could have used you know."
“That's too borning.”
“Is that why you're here? Bored?”
"I want to take you somewhere.”
“Why?”
“Cause I think we got off on the wrong foot. And I think you deserve to experience a day without having to worry about responsibilities or status or whatever it is you worry about."
“What if we get caught while we're out. What if Koala gets in trouble for not guarding me today? What if–”
Sabo held his hand up, cutting you off.
"Hey, it's ok. I've got everything covered. Koala is already in on the plan. I promise no one is going to get in trouble. Trust me."
He hefted a bag onto the floor you did not realize he was carrying. “I even got you a disguise.”
You eyed the bag of clothes, "Give me that."
You grabbed it one he held it out to you and left to change, "This outfit better not look stupid!"
You changed into the clothes he bought you. It was a simple dress. Nothing ornate or too ostentatious to make you stand out, but you enjoyed it. For once you felt like yourself, a person and not a princess. You returned to the balcony once you felt prepared.
"You look perfect." He said with a little more charm in his voice than you were use to.
He vaulted over the balcony railing and silently landed on the grass outside. You peered over the edge and felt your stomach drop. It wasn't far to jump from if you knew what you were doing.
“Don't worry. I'll catch you.” Sabo reassured. He stood under the drop, his arms open and ready.
"Okay." You said your voice still shakey, "I trust you."
You couldn't help but think this was how birds felt when they leave the nest. Nervous, scared but over all excited for the world that laid before them.
You jumped with confidence knowing that you would be caught. His arms cradled you with care before helping you stand back on your feet.
"I don't know if that was scary or fun." You said with a smile.
He smiled at your enthusiasm. "How about adventurous." He suggested. "That's how they usually feel. A little scary but overall exciting."
You walked along side himm, matching his stride. "You know you never told me about them. I am sure you have a lot of stories."
“If I ranted off to you about myself I'd be no better than noble what's his face from earlier.”
“The difference is you're actually interesting and I asked to know more about you.”
For the next few minutes Sabo shared stories with you from his childhood. He told you about the Goa Kingdom and the trouble he got in with his brothers there. How he chose to grow up earning every meal himself despite not having to.
Then light cut through the tree line and carnival music and chatter could be heard, bringing his stories to an end. You felt a rush of excitement flow over as you jumped in place like an excited kid. You rushed forwards.
Sabo laughed, "Really that excited huh?" It was then you noticed he was purposely slowing down just to rile you up.
"Sabo!" You groaned before rushing back to him, "Come on."
You took his hand and pulled him along after you to force him to keep up with your excited pace. Once you broke through the trees you stood in stunned silence as you took everything in.
The festival was just as eventful as Sabo made it sound. There were stalls selling indulgent food and sweets you would normally never be allowed to have. Entertainers of all types preformed for varying sizes of spectators. Musicians, dancer, magicians. They all took up their own designated spaces.
There were vendors selling food and trinkets, street performers doing dangerous stunts and musicians gathering a crowd. There were stilt walkers, magicians and a crew of people setting a stage for a play.
"Maybe.....maybe you can just call me by my name while we're out here."
“Oh so no more princesses?”
“No more princess.” You confirmed.
"Okay then. What do you want to do first?" You could feel him holding back the nickname he had become so fond of calling you.
Then you paused to think. What did you want?
It wasn't a question you were asked often and you felt caught off guard by it. You almost didn't know how to respond, but quickly made up your mind. You pointed towards one of the food stalls, the smell too enticing to ignore.
"Get ready to throw all your meal time etiquette out the window." Sabo warned.
You held onto the stick, looking it over as if trying to find the least messy way to eat.
You covered your mouth with one hand as you spoke, "This is delicious. Messy but worth it.”
He chuckled as you still tried to maintain your manners.
"I told you you'd like it. Sometimes you just gotta forget about etiquette and embrace the mess. It's more fun that way." You had a feeling that was the same philosophy he applied to everyday life and you had to admit, it was pretty eye opening.
He kicked his feet up and leaned back in his chair. He stared up at the stars in the night sky.
"I gotta ask...do you ever wish you were an average person? No royal duties or restrictions....just free."
You were afraid to admit it, as if wanting something for yourself was a sin. "Yes."
You began nervously picking away at a napkin you balled up in your hand. He placed his hand over yours. The action was jarring and he smirked as you looked up to face him.
“Come on. Let's get your mind off that. Next activity.”
It was a ring toss game. There were different targets floating on a tub of water, each earning a different amount of points based on difficulty. The two of you had to work together on this one, taking turns for each throw.
You couldn't help but have your competitive side peak through despite this being a game that required teamwork.
"I am gonna get more points than you."
"It's teamwork." He said
"Then I am gonna win the top prize." You replied
You took your time to analyze the movement of your targets. You did the math and If you wanted the big prize, whatever it was, you had to hit the harder targets.
He relied more on his instincts and haki to get the job done which resulted in him finishing quicker than you. Of course he gloated about it and began pestering you when it was your turn.
The very last toss had everything laying on your shoulders. If you missed it, no grand prize. Again you took your time to analyze and line up the last shot. You figured how much force you needed to toss with to get the proper arc. After pantomiming the move a few times, you released the ring and hit your goal.
You were so excited that you won, you hugged Sabo. He stumbled backwards from the force of the hug, one arm gripped onto you while the other held his hat in place.
"Woah, easy there, princess. You almost knocked me over." You quickly let go of him, feeling embarrassed and tried to redirect his attention, "What did we even win?"
It was an ornate wooden trinkets box with blue velvet lining and hand painted with stars and moons to commemorate the event. You saw them for sale at one of the souvenir booths but winning it with Sabo's help made the object feel priceless to you.
"I think the real prize here is seeing you get all worked up over a carnival game." He teased.
"You should feel honored to see me in such a state."
From then on Sabo let you plan out the night. You dragged him around from one stall to another according to whatever caught your eye. You did not want the night to end, but eventually the sub had to rise and put an end to the night.
You froze up when you noticed the sun starting to peek over the horizon. "What time is it?"
"Damn. Morning came fast." He mused, seeming not to have full absorbed the importance of the situation.
"We've been up all night! I have to get back now!" You pulled on Sabo's sleeve to follow you.
"Come on. You were just opening up. Can't you stay a little longer?"
"No. I have responsibilities to attend to and we gotta get back before the guards change."
You ran through the forest towards the castle. Sabo kept his mouth shut once he realized how panicked you really were and took the situation seriously.
You reached the castle in time and looked up at the balcony of your bedroom. Without needing to even be asked, Sabo picked you up in his arms and jumped up to carefully land on the balcony.
"See. Everything's fine. No one even noticed." Sabo said with a convincing grin.
His statement was followed by the sound of someone coughing to get your attention. You immediately jumped away from him like he burned you.
Standing in the doorway was Koala who had a smug grin on her face. "We went to the night festival." Sabo tried to explain to her.
"I know. You were supposed to be back a few hours ago. Just get out of here so I can help her get ready." Koala Sabo shooed off with a wave of your hand.
"I'm going. I'm going." He raised his hands and backed towards the balcony, before disappearing over the railing.
With her hands on her hips, Koala looked you over. Your hair was disheveled, you clothes weren't even your own and you barley held her gaze. A knowing smirk spread across her face, but she did not say anything else on the matter.
"Go clean yourself up." She approved. "I'll grab you some new clothes."
You did not say another word and hopped into the shower. She talked to you through the door while she put something suitable together for you to wear.
"You know when I signed up for this assignment, there was nothing mentioning covering you for late night rendezvous with my higher up."
"It's not like that!" You shouted back.
"Well then what did happen."
You paused for a moment. What would you call the sudden outing he whisked you away on. "He was just trying to be nice. Said we started on bad terms."
"Sure. That was it huh?" She was clearly not convinced by your explanation. You shut the water off and patted your hair dry with a towel. Koala handed you a fresh set of clothes through the door.
“That's what he called it.” After you changed your clothes, Koala helped brush out your hair while you cleaned your face in the vanity.
You did your best to go through the day as normal despite being tired from accidentally staying up all night. You stayed quiet during breakfast to avoid being questioned by your parents and drank strong coffee to make up your energy.
Your act went down hill after lunch time when you hit a wall. The caffeine you had in the morning wore off and you were now starting to fall asleep at your desk. The odds behavior was quickly flagged and you were sent to speak with your father in his study.
"Should I be concerned about the rumors I heard of you sneaking out with one of the guards." He paused, "I thought it was just a lie until I saw your subpar performance today."
You wondered if you could lie further about the incident or just come clean. The look in your father's eye told you he already knew everything. This was a test.
“It was only supposed to be for a few hours and–”
“Enough. Clearly these guards don't understand the importance of your life if they're willing to risk it so needlessly.”
“Because of this and other mistakes on their half, I've decided to terminate our relations with the revolutionary army. Our guards are more than capable of keeping us safe. I also fear the RA are much too permissive of you. But that's what you get from a group of....rebels I suppose."
You struggled to keep your response neutral as your father criticized your friends. You did not appreciate the slander, especially since it was a reminder of how he once convinced you to think.
"But tell me. Have they truly lead you astray? Have you really thought about abandoning your duties and your people even if only for a day?"
You did not need to say a word in response as he noticed the flash of guilt as it crossed your face. He scoffed in disgust as he reprimanded you.
“I give you everything you ever could want. A life others could only dream of obtaining and this is how you repay me? With defiance and ingratitude?"
You tried to speak up but your quiet voice was quickly drowned out.
"I suppose you're just confirming my fears.
You spent far too much time around them. You forget you should be focused on more important matters regarding your future of running the kingdom when the time comes.”
His words struck a chord with you like you suddenly realized how trapped you were. For the first time you felt the need to voice this idea.
"What if I don't want to marry into another royal family. Or I don't want to rule.”
His expression hardened as soon as the words left your mouth. You had never seen him filled with such genuine rage. It scared you to make him so upset, but you had to if it meant speaking your mind.
"Watch your words, child." It was a cold warning for you to fall back in line. He leaned forward, his voice sharp and stern. "I have worked tirelessly to mold you into a proper princess, to make you the ideal representative of our family. Despite everything I put into you, you have the audacity to defy me?"
"I have the right--"
"No you don't." Your father cut you off in anger. "I have entertained this conversation long enough." Your father turned away from you and towards the guard that was manning the exit door. "Guard. Make sure my daughter returns to her room.”
You accepted your fate and returned to your room without a fight. You were enveloped by silence, a constant reminder of how alone you now were. You are not left to contemplate for long as you heard the soft ringing of a transponder snail. You immediately perked up and hunted the object down to find it hidden inside your new trinkets box.
Sabo or Koala must have snuck it into your room before they left.
You carefully held the transponder snail in your palm as if you were afraid it would break making you lose your only connection to the outside world.
A familiar voice crackled to life, "Princess? You there?"
"I am here....just got back from having a conversation with my father." You took a seat on the edge of your bed.
"He told you everything then?"
"Yeah." There was a tense silence on the line.
He let out a sigh, "I can only imagine how that went."
"I was objecting to having you and Koala leave. Felt kind of good honestly."
He let out a low whistle. "Maybe we're rubbing off on you."
You laughed, "That's what he seems to be afraid of."
"Oh no! You discovered autonomy. How dare you!"
"Can I ask you something?" The line went silent as he gave you space to speak, "Is it wrong of me to want something more for myself?"
"No it's not wrong. Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you can't have your own desires."
"Wouldn't I be abandoning my responsibilities?"
"That's just an excuse to control you. They'll find someone else."
"I am really glad I met you revolutionary." You decided to change the topic as the weight of your words bared down on you. "Where are you now? If you say a ship sailing far away from here I'll be jealous."
"Then I won't say anything." He joked back.
You flopped over onto your back and stared at the celling wistfully, "Tell me what it's like. To be out there on the sea."
He pauses to think over how to properly explain to you how it feels. He reflected on how he felt the first time he set sail with the revolutionary army. "The ocean is endless and it has a way of putting the world as you know it into perspective. You realize how much there is to explore. Some people might find all the openness scary, but I always found it comforting."
"You make it sound wonderful." You replied feeling swept up by his words
"It is." He replied. You could practically feel him thinking in the silence that followed. "Want me to get you out of there?"
You felt your heart stop at his question. It was selfish. It was treason. Yet you couldn't not helo but accept his offer. "Take me away from here."
"And Sabo?" He hummed in response to show he was still listening, "Next time you see me you better do something about us." you hung up before you could over think the implications of what you said.
You weren't able to talk to Sabo for the next few days and tension around the castle was increasing with the absence of the revolutionary army.
He told you to let him handle all the details of the plan, but that still made you worry. So you packed a small bag in preparation to leave. Just a few essentials and keepsakes you could not leave behind. You had to be ready in a moment notice.
It only took a day for you to become anxious waiting to be saved. You hated being in the dark about the plan, but the less you knew the better with so many loose lipped guards around. One mistake on your part could risk the whole plan.
You decided to sneak away from the guards and walk around the garden to clear your mind. It was the only place you ever felt like you weren't suffocating under someone's gaze.
You hid away in the topiary garden that was surrounded by a perfectly manicured hedge wall. As long as there was no guards on the inside, which there never was, you were safe.
You enjoyed your privacy until you spotted a figure standing at the entrance of the garden. You felt your breath catch in your throat as you immediately recognized the person despite their attempt to disguise themselves behind a guards uniform.
You rushed into his arms and he wrapped them around you without a second thought. It was warm and strong.
"Miss me?" He teased.
"You know I did."
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear and gently moved his hand down to cup your face. "There's just one more thing I need to do before we go."
Your eyes flutter shut as you leaned into his hold and you felt your legs give out as he wrapped as arm around your waist to pull you close. You felt your racing heart simmer down to a gentle beat as you melted into his hold before pulling away. Sabo looked at you with the biggest grin on his face.
You held onto his hand, ready and willing to follow him into the unknown. And for the first time you weren't afraid.
Summary: You're a doctor at the hospital and after a mysterious man tries to burn it down, you head off to give them a piece of your mind.
(Spoilers for Law's backstory)
Ace x Soulmate! Reader
How do you fall in love with someone who is determined to hate you? That's the question you have had to answer for the last three years when your soulmate suddenly cut ties with you.
(Spoilers for Marineford Arc)
Bodyguard! Sabo x Princess! Reader
After the king and queen secretly leak information to the revolutionary army, they were targeted by allies of the world government who saw their actions as a threat. Now it's up to Sabo and Koala to protect your family from an unknown attacker.
Summary: You're a doctor at the hospital and after a mysterious man tries to burn it down, you head off to give them a piece of your mind.
(Spoilers for Law's backstory)
Ace x Soulmate! Reader
How do you fall in love with someone who is determined to hate you? That's the question you have had to answer for the last three years when your soulmate suddenly cut ties with you.
(Spoilers for Marineford Arc)
Bodyguard! Sabo x Princess! Reader
After the king and queen secretly leak information to the revolutionary army, they were targeted by allies of the world government who saw their actions as a threat. Now it's up to Sabo and Koala to protect your family from an unknown attacker.
Summary: How each of them handle having an insecure partner
Masterlist
Sabo
You and Sabo were tied to each other's hip the moment he was adopted into the revolutionary army. You trained together, worked on missions together and even spent your free time with one another.
You always wanted to pretend it was nothing more than friendship. Not because you weren't interested in him romantically, but rather you were afraid of the consequences that came with a relationship.
You didn't want things to change, didn't want to acknowledge the elephant in the room to the point you convinced yourself it didn't exist. But Koala wouldn't let you forget that easily.
She saw right through your lies and she came prepared to prove you wrong. She sat you down and pulled out a list of "intimate moments" she caught between the two of you over the past three days. She listed every time you two held a longing glance at each other from across the room. Everytime you laughed a little too loud at one of his dumb jokes. Every time his hand unnecessarily lingered on yours.
You tried to get her to stop through her rant, but she was determined. She didn't let up as you tried to talk over her and explain every situation away. She wasn't having any of your excuses today. She was having you sit and listen to the cold hard fact.
"I don't like him like that ok."
"This isn't how normal relationships work!" She cried out in frustration.
"It's less complicated this way. Less dramatic." In reality you were just afraid of losing the relationship you did have with him. You were comfortable and were willing to settle for that.
"Everything is fine the way it is," you continued as if you were trying to convince yourself and not her. You were acting as if you weren't actually afraid of the risk of heartbreak that came with confessing your feelings to someone.
"You're just scared," she said in an understanding tone, "You're scared of losing what you do have."
"Love is always a risk," she said gently. "there's no guarantee it will work out, but you can't let fear hold you back from something that could be beautiful."
"Dammit Koala.....that was a good one." You joked. She was forcing you to acknowledge your fears and it was working.
Though you weren't planning to confess your love to him any time soon, her words did stir something up in you. Thoughts of what if and what could happen if things did work out. For the first time, you were able to think about your future without fear.
Even though you were now starting to change your views of your relationship with Sabo, you didn't let him know about it. Like always you hid away the confusing thoughts that plagued your mind. You bantered with him as if nothing changed. As if your mind now wasn't fighting with your heart every time he smiled at you. As if he wasn't making you question everything.
Then he invited you to go out with him later that night to watch the stars with him and it felt like it ruined everything in the best way. There were nights you laid in his arms without question. Now you were overthinking what it meant. Your mind was flooded with questions and doubts, analyzing every touch and gesture in a way you had never done before.
Could these be considered dates? Were they always unofficial ones?
The long walks around new town, dining at nice restaurants. On their own maybe you could make yourself believe they weren't, but then you began to reflect on how you acted with eachother during each one.
The way he always held the door open for you, or how he remembered your favorite food without you even asking and even removed the parts you didn't like. The time he leant his coat to your when you were cold. The memories came flooding back, each one taking on a new meaning as you were able to finally accept them for what they were. Acts of love. And it wasn't just random acts. It was steady, consistent.
Sabo caught on to your sudden quietness and recognized the far off look in your eye when you were lost in thought.
"Hey," he said gently, "what's going on in that head of yours?"
"Just over thinking work as usual. You know."
Sabo laughed softly, "Yeah, I know how you get."
"That's why you balance me out."
You forced your mind to settle down and accept what was happening. It felt too comfortable, too natural to want to fight. You enjoyed the way Sabo's arm draped around you and leaned into him, laying your head against his chest.
Sabo smiled as if he was proud of the role you gave him, because your words were true. His more carefree attitude always kept you grounded. It felt like another confirmation. Another reason you worked well together.
You could feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek and heard the steady beat of his heart. It was soothing and lulled you into a sense of security.
The two of you talk for a half hour. Everything felt light and playful until you looked over at him. You realized your faces are only inches apart.
For the first time you allowed yourself to wonder what it would be like to kiss him.
Sabo, who seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. His gaze locked onto yours, studying your reaction to the situation to try and understand your intentions.
The space between you felt charged with the tension that comes with unspoken love. It felt like the whole world shrank down to this moment. You leaned in closer, too afraid to make the move yourself and hoped he would catch on. His eyes flicked down to your lips and then back up to meet your gaze. He knew what you wanted.
His lips met yours in a tender and hesitant kiss that turned your limbs weak. Soon after his hand came up to cup your cheek. You smiled and even laughed once it was over. It was not on purpose, it just kind of fell past your lips.
Sabo looked amused by your response as his thumb tracing a slow path across your cheek. "What's so funny?"
"Feels silly that all my problems were solved so easily." You let out a deep breath and felt as if it released all the tension that ever resided in your body.
"You do tend to over complicate things in that head of yours." He spoke in a teasing manner, but there was still a softness to his voice.
"You're very patient for putting up with it."
"I've learned how to deal with you and your overthinking tendencies by now," he replied, "It takes patience to understand but I don't mind. It's part of who you are."
His supportive words made you realize maybe a relationship could last between the two of you. His words demonstrated that he was willing to be patient and supportive. That he valued you for who you were, flaws included.
"I am sorry it took so long."
Sabo's lips curved into a small, affectionate smile at your apology. He knew you had been wrestling yourself over the topic for a while and he was willing to wait on you to reach your conclusion.
"Don't apologize for that. Like I said, know how your mind works. It's ok."
"I am so lucky to have you."
Sabo felt like his heart clench from the overwhelming love he felt.
"No, i'm the lucky one here," he said vehemently, his arm tightening around you, pulling you into a hug. "I get to be the one who loves you.”
Ace
Before the two of you started dating, Ace was always flirting with you in any way he could.
When you were being blinded by the sun, he would throw his hat on your head and playful tilt it over your eyes, so you'd have to readjusted it.
Whenever the crew sat around the table he always made sure to sit next to you, draping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you close.
When you needed to brush up on your fighting, he would make a point to be your partner since he did not trust anyone else to be careful with you. It also gave him the opportunity to be closer to you when he needed to correct your form. Sometimes he'd let his grip linger on your arm or he'd give your hip a light squeeze as he adjusted your stance. One time he fell asleep against you in the middle of dinner. He looked so peaceful then, even though his face was covered in crumbs.
What made you realize that he might actually like you was the late night talks you had with him when he let his guard down. When he allowed himself to be vulnerable and raw with you in a way only you were allowed to see.
Once you were in a relationship with him, you would unintentionally sabotage it with your insecurity. It was especially evident when women would approach him to flirt. Any other woman would be proud to have a man they wanted but you just felt scared. Scared he would leave you despite knowing better. No amount of rationalization would comfort you enough to permanently settle your mind. You still feared how he would respond if he realized how broken you were.
So when a woman sitting next to him at the bar began to flirt, you stuffed your emotions down and let it happen.
As someone who also struggled with his self worth he recognized when you were pulling away from him and hiding. You were good at it too. Always redirecting the conversation when it turned to you. Sacrificing yourself with an excuse that being quiet was the best thing you could do for the relationship.
But he wouldn't let you just dissappear.
The moment he saw you leave the bar without a word he went after you. He found you in the back alley looking like you were on the brink of tears. You felt embarrassed for being so emotional, so needy during a time that should be fun. You were celebrating with the crew, there was not time for this. You couldn't damper the mood.
You tried to hide your tears, but he just held your hand in his and brushed them away. He held your gaze, his words just as soft. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"
You shrugged feeling yourself clam up despite wanting to talk to him. You hated that you were like this.
"Was it that girl? I am sorry. I was trying to shake her. But maybe I was too friendly about it."
He held you close to him and the proximity made you feel safe. You felt warm and protected resting against his chest. He just held you for a moment, not pressuring you to respond but giving you the time you needed to gather yourself.
"What if this issue doesn't go away? What if you have to deal with this all the time?"
He hated the way you saw yourself as a problem to be fixed all the time. "You worry too much. Sure, it's annoying a times when you go all insecure. But I'm not gonna run away just because you get a little jealous. I'm here to stay, even if I have to deal with it all the time. So stop overthinking it." You appreciated how open he was. That he was willing to admit the situation bothered him. It felt more genuine than him waving it off saying it was fine.
"Promise?"
"I promise.” He paused offering his hand once he realized you were feeling better. “Ready to go back in?”
Luffy
Luffy was always afraid of you dying and you always tried to help him through his fear, but it was hard to be understanding at times when he got over protective of you.
When he introduced you to new groups of people he made it clear you were his girlfriend, which was both flattering he cared and embarrassing since he would keep bringing it up.
If you ever leave the Sunny he always made sure one of the crew members or himself went with you.
The treatment felt unfair at times since Luffy himself tended to be more reckless than you. He was always running around challenging war lords and announcing to people that he was going to be king if the pirates. But the moment you would say anything challenging or get into a scuffle he would shut it down.
It bothered you that not only was he being hypocritical with his treatment of you, but he would not support your reasoning when you did get into a fight. Sure he would fight, but he did not treat it like a game like he normally would.
You were in the streets with your crew, fighting off a small group of bandits that attempted to pick pocket you. You immediately knocked out the perpetrator upon noticing they stole from you and Luffy was not pleased with your rash actions.
"There he goes again." You thought to yourself, "Acting like you're picking fights with powerful figures every other day."
He pushed you behind him as if you could not handle yourself against a few grunts and called the crew together.
When you were in a fight he did not want you to be in, there was no way for you to literally beat him to the punch.
Everytime you came close to engaging with an enemy, he would suddenly appear and "accidentally" take them out. He was not letting you handle yourself and you were getting tired of being ignored in every fight and feeling like a spectator.
Soon the fight drew to a natural end and the crew took a moment to catch their breath. Luffy walked over to you, with a grin. "That was fun wasn't it!"
You just gave him an annoyed look that he almost missed. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, right?"
You can feel a mix of irritation and frustration swell up inside you. Why was Luffy being so overprotective? It was as if he didn't trust you to handle yourself in battle. You knew he was not trying to upset you on purpose, but the situation was still frustrating.
"Fine considering I didn't even get to fight." Your passive aggressive comment sailed right over his head as he grinned back at you.
"Well that's great then."
"No Luffy that's not great it's--" you cut yourself off with a sigh. You did not want to argue with him in public. "We'll just talk about it later ok."
That anger sat squarely in your chest until you had privacy to talk. You confronted him on deck when everyone else was busy in town.
He furrowed his brows in concern, his cheerful expression shifting into a more serious and contemplative look.
"I...I didn't let you...fight..?" He repeated your words, as if he was only now realizing what he did.
"Yes Luffy. It's not fair. And it's not like you do this now and then or anything. You do this to me in every fight and--" you took a breath to calm yourself down. You knew he meant well even if it was annoying you.
You thought he'd be offended by your accusation or defensive at the least. But to your surprise he was distressed.
"Why do you keep doing this anyways?" You continued on before your thought process was cut off. You forgot everything you were going to say when you looked back at Luffy.
With tears silently streaming down his face, Luffy lunged towards you, literally wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. He clutched your body against his and buried his face in your shoulder. He was openly crying and that was when you realized this topic was so much heavier for him than you knew.
"I am sorry. I didn't meant to!" His words were cut off by sharp hiccups from crying. You managed to calm him down from his frantic worried state.
"Hey it's ok. Why don't you just talk to me? Tell me what's going on? Why do you keep doing this?"
"After what happened to Ace--I just get afraid of something happening to you too!"
"I am sorry for what you went through, but I am not going anywhere and it's not because you're preventing it ok."
He wiped his nose, "You're not?"
"I am not. I am strong enough to handle myself and if I do end up biting off more than I can chew, I'll call you for help ok. You don't have to constantly monitor me."
"Ok. That sounds fair." He agreed.
"Good. Now. Let's go to town. I hear they have a really nice restaurant we can try." You offered with a smile.
"Heck yeah!" Luffy cheered and just like that everything felt better again.
Summary: What I think Sabo and Ace would be like as the Ghostface duo.
Song: Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge
Masterlist
Ace would be the one to become obsessed over you first. Maybe he'd spot you on campus while you're on your way to class or see you studying in the library. No matter what he would be interested in you right away.
He'd find himself thinking about you at random times. Wondering how cute you would look like when you were scared. Would you fight back? Would you freeze?
The small crush would soon turn into an obsession and that's when he knew he was done for and would have to drag Sabo into it. He was easy to convince anyways, always ready to cause mischief. Sabo would be a wing man to set up little scares to make Ace look like the hero. You think you saw a hooded figure staring at you from your yard? Ace'll be right over. Someone is following you home? Not on his watch.
While Ace is the face of the operation, manipulating your emotions and getting you to fall for him, Sabo would be manipulating you from behind the scenes. He is very good at reading people and predicting how they'll react, which makes him perfect for damage control when you go against the script. Between the two of them, there would be no escape for you. You wouldn't realize what they were up to until you were in too deep just like they planned.
Imagine rage baiting Sanji with bad tik tok cooking recipes.
He would probably go into an angry rant over how the recipes don't make sense and how bad it would taste and that it's wasting food. Then he would try to teach you proper cooking recipes for beginners. (I can also see him taking this as a challenge to make good food on a budget with cheap ingredients since everyone deserves to afford a good meal.)
Doflamingo grabbed Law by his throat and carried him high into the air. Law remembered this day. It was the day he lost his right arm. He was reliving it. One of his many recurring nightmares.
He fell to the ground, the pain and shock of losing his arm coursing through his body. The agony was overwhelming, and he could only let out a strangled cry as he laid there, writhing in pain. And suddenly you were there, doting over him. Why were you here? You were never there that day, he made sure not to bring you to Dressrosa.
You yelled out his name and ran up to him, quickly moving to apply a tourniquet. The pain was so overwhelming, and all he could manage was a weak gasp as he tried to respond to you.
"F-Sweetheart..." He groaned in pain as he tried to call out to you. He could barely bite back a curse that was at the tip of his tongue.
"It's ok. I got you." You tried to soothe him. He clenched his teeth as he tried to focus on your voice.
"Damn it... it hurts...so damn much..." he mumbled out in pain.
"All done just lay back and--" you never got to finish your sentence as a bullet pierced clean through your chest.
Law froze up in shock as your body immediately went limp and fell into him. Reactively he wrapped his arms around you, but he knew you were already gone.
"Who's this then hmmm? Someone coming in thinking they could save you?" Doflamingo mocked. "You actually managed to find someone to give a damn about you Law?" Doflamingo laughed, taking joy in Law's pain.
Law did not care how ridiculous and weak he looked at that moment worrying over you. He did not care that Doflamingo was watching on with that stupid grin on his face. All he cared about was the fact that you were just wounded.
"No no no. Not you. I can't lose you." Law held you close to his body, knowing he wouldn't be able to handle seeing the cold look of death on your face. The cold dead eyes, the vacant stare. No. That couldn't be all you were now. You couldn't be gone.
Law suddenly bolted upright in bed. covered in a cold sweat as his heart raced. He felt disoriented, trying to process the change of scenery around him.
“Dam. It was just a nightmare.” He reassured himself, dragging his hand down his face.
He looked over hoping to steady his nerves by being able to see you safe beside him, but for once you were not there. Normally he would just watch you for a moment, maybe hold your hand being careful not to wake you.
It was silly, but he had to see you. To know you were ok. He threw off his blanket and wandered around the ship in search of you dressed in nothing but his pajama pants.
He found you outside on the deck looking off at the ocean which looked like a dark void of inky darkness. The calming waves and the cool night air was something he knew you tended to seek out some late nights.
Without a word he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against his chest as he buried his face in the crook of your neck.
You knew something was wrong the moment he wrapped his arms around you. "What happened? You ok?"
He took a deep breath, his arms wrapping around you even tighter as he found his words to speak.
“It was just a bad dream.”
"You need to talk about it?”
You knew it was a privilege to see him in such a weak state, and you did not take it lightly. You would give him anything and everything he needed in that moment to feel better. To be reassured that you were ok.
You were aware of his traumatizing past, of all the loss and heartbreak he already experienced at such a young age before meeting you. His parents, his sister, and new father figure.
No one could walk away from such horrible events without carrying scars. Fear of loss, abandonment that was the one he bore.
He knew how quickly and suddenly someone could be taken away from him and that fear that it could happen again always haunted him. The worry and paranoia that you could be taken away.
“It felt so real. You were there and...you were hit right in front of me and–”
He couldn't find it in him to finish the sentence. The image of you limp in his arms
was still fresh in his mind. His emotions rose sharply in response, threatening to overtake him. He squeezed his eyes shut as she tried to ground himself again.
You were fine. You were with him, in his arms. It wasn't real.
You turned around in his arms to face him.
“Well I am right here and I don't plan on going anywhere.” You gently kissed him on the forehead to comfort him. His body went lax, but still he held you firmly.
"I'm sorry for being such a clingy bastard. I just needed to know you were ok.” There he was, worrying that he was being too much. Too annoying. Too needy to want.
"We can stay here for as long as you need." You reassured him. He let out a soft sigh, appreciating how much you understood him. You were always so patient with him and unjudgemental. Maybe that was why he trusted you so deeply in moments like this.
The tension in his body slowly melted away as he held onto you. Your presence was soothing to him. He nestled his face in the crook of your neck, feeling your heart beat as a steady reminder that you were alive.
"Just a little longer, sweetheart. Just let me hold you a little longer."
The first time you got hurt you didn't even notice and he scolded you for it. He went on about how important it was to take care of yourself. You called him a hypocrite and he smiled.
"Well if this is doctor's orders. This doctor says she's fine." You teased.
“No you're not. You need to rest your injury to avoid any further damage.” He demanded, not letting you get away with ordering him around.
"It this the boyfriend, the doctor or the captain speaking now?"
He huffed and crossed his arms, "How about all three? As your boyfriend, I'm concerned for your goddamn health. As your doctor, I know that you need to rest and take care of yourself. And as your damn captain, I'm ordering you to take a damn break and get some rest."
"You have too many titles." You joked still not taking his demands seriously.
Now you were hurt again and not heading his orders. You hid away to tend to your wound on your own, too proud to ask for assistance. But you couldn't get a secure wrap on the wound with just one hand. You had to admit defeat.
You cradled your injured hand as you approached his office door. You used your elbow to knock, not wanting to release any pressure on the wound.
He didn't say anything at first, just stepped back to allow you in and pulled out some basic medical supplies. He motioned for you to sit down next to him and gently laid your hand palm up against the desk.
He took the task seriously and you shamelessly stared at him, admiring how handsome he looked when he concentrated. A calm silence settled over you as he diligently worked. The only sound heard was the ticking of the clock. Then you.
"You look cute when you're concentrated." You teased, bringing a blush to his cheeks. You loved how easy it was to embarrass him.
"What was the mechanism of injury?" You also found it funny whenever he switched from acting like your boyfriend to acting like a doctor.
“I was working on some repairs and my hand slipped.”
“You need to be more careful.” He reprimanded without even looking at you.
Another moment of silence settled over you as he finished up the wrapping. “There. That should help. Just come straight to me next time. No more of this hiding around crap.”
"Thank you Doctor." You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek leaving him in a flustered mess as you left the room. You were a handful to him and you were worth every moment.
Ace
Word Count: 1.4K
You called him on your transponder snail and anxiously waited for him to answernas you stared at the setting sun.
"I am in the forrest on the west side of the island. And you better not tell anyone about this."
It took him a second to process all of the sudden information, but once he did you could hear the grin forming on his face. "You're lost?" He teased.
"Just come and get me."
"Not until you admit it."
"I need your help ok."
"Ok, stay calm. I'll get ya. Just stay where you are got it?"
"Thank you." You sounded so quiet and meek. The opposite of your normal confident self.
He stayed on the line with you the whole walk talking about nothing in particular while being able to make the conversation interesting as hell.
"So, you never told me how you ended up stranded in the forest in the first place. Can't blame me for being curious."
"Marco said there was some herbal medicine he needed out here. I didn't realize how far off path I wandered. I....might of made it worse trying to get back on my own."
As the sun continued its steady descent the darkness grew deeper and with it your growing fear.
"Guess it's time to light things up a bit." Ace spoke to himself, lighting up his hand and using it as if it were a torch.
"So what, your fear of the dark finally over rode your pride or something?" He questioned you.
"It's not exactly fun being in pitch black darkness. I got as much luck finding my way back home with my eyes closed once it's dark."
As Ace approached your location, he couldn't resist the urge to have a little fun at your expense. He extinguished his fire and moved quietly making sure not to make a sound.
"Ace?" You questioned fear rising in your voice. "This isn't funny where are you?"
You screamed as you felt a pair of arms suddenly wrap around your waist. "Boo!"
You quickly spun around and punched the man straight in the chest, trying to ignore the way you were shaking, "You jerk. You made me drop everything."
He quickly crouched down and began to assist you with gathering everything that you dropped. His fire burned brighter to shed more light as you scanned over the forest ground of the herbs that blended into the grass.
"Next time you're out gathering herbs, maybe don't go wandering so deep into the forest." He paused, meeting your eyes. "Or, you can just ask me to accompany you. I'm always up for taking a long walk with you."
You thought over the offer, you pride stopping you from out right accepting it. "I guess I could ask you for help next time."
"You know, it's not a bad thing to admit you need a bit of help sometimes. Especially when it comes to navigating through creepy forests in the dark."
"I guess I am not use to having someone I trust enough to call for help." You had handled everything on your own for so long, you weren't use to having someone to turn to. Having someone reliable and trust worthy.
When things went south you always just handled it and asking for help felt like losing control. Like you were admitting defeat.
"I get it," he said, his voice gentle. "It's tough letting someone in, especially if you've been on your own for a while." He reached out, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze "But hey, you've got me now. I may be a smartass but I do take your trust seriously."
Once you gsthered all the herbs, you stuck close to Ace'sside, staring down the shadows as if they'd jump out at you. He smiled at your ridgid behavior. It was interesting seeing you so vulnerable.
"Why did you you call me to help you out of everyone on the crew?" Ace questioned.
You answered honestly without even thinking of the implications of your words. "I am comfortable with you."
Ace's eyes widened upon hearing your response, but thankfully you were too focused on the environment to notice. He hadn't expected such an honest answer from you, especially considering your stubbornness and prideful demeanor.
A subtle smirk played across his lips. The cocky tone returning to his voice. "Comfortable, huh? I must be growing on you then."
"Just a little bit."
When you returned to the ship everyone seemed to take note of your tardiness.
As you and Ace returned to the ship, you could feel the gazes of the crew member on you. Ace acted unphases, playing it cool like he always did.
"Looks like we have an audience," he said in a low voice, hunching over to whispering in your ear. You could hear the smile in his words but you were not as accepting of the welcome party.
Your heart sank, you weren't ready to be teased. It was then Ace decided he would take the blame for you.
He raised his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, his casual tone filling the air. "Hey, relax. It was my fault we were late. I got distracted, and she had to drag my ass back."
No one questioned the statement. They just needed someone to tease and it was not often they had dirt on Ace. He gave you a sly wink, signaling for you to play along.
A few teasing remarks were thrown in Ace's way, but he easily brushed them off. He grew up with some of the worst words someone can say thrown at him.
He guided you through the crowd, soaking up all the attention and letting you just slip by. Once you were away from the crowd he spoke again. "There we go. Crisis averted."
"Thank you. That was really sweet of you."
When you arrived Marco immediately began to lay into you in a teasing manner. "Well, look who finally decided to return. I was starting to think you got lost in the woods permanently."
Like before Ace tries to take the blame but Marco sees right through it.
Marco's eyes flickering from you to Ace and back again. "Really Ace? You expect me to believe that you got lost in the woods? Try again."
Ace chuckled nervously, realizing that Marco wasn't buying his excuse. He knew it was futile to keep up the facade. "Alright, you got me. It was actually her who got lost."
"Traitor." You teased with a smile.
Ace shrugged, "I did try to take the blame, you know. Not my fault the truth got dragged out of me." You rolled your eyes at him and he gave you a grin that showed he knew you already forgave him.
"So have you told her yet?" Marco questioned suddenly.
Ace falter for a moment, his eyes flicking towards you before returning to Marco.
"Told her what?" He feigned ignorance, playing along even though he knew the tactic would not work against Marco.
"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb."
His smirk widened as he watched Ace nervously shift on his feet. It was only further confirming his belief.
"What's going on?" You questioned genuinely confused. You never even thought about Ace being interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you. It always seemed too ridiculous to hope for.
"It's nothing." Ace brushed off.
"Ok. Well. I am going to go back to work." You said skeptically. It was obvious Ace was holding something from you, but you decided to let it slide for now.
Once you were out of earshot, Marco turned his attention back to Ace, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "You really need to tell her eventually, you know."
Ace groaned in frustration "I know, I know. It's just... complicated." He knew Marco was right, but the thought of confessing his feelings made him incredibly uneasy.
"You literally just rescued her from the woods at night. That was the perfect opportunity." Marco's voice turned into a deadpan tone. He was starting to get annoyed at his friend tip toeing around the problem and looking for excuses. "You're hopeless, you know that? You've been crushing on her since she joined but you can't even muster the courage to tell her. It's pathetic."
Ace once again tried to object, but Marco made sure not to give him the chance. "She called you when she could have had anyone from our crew help her. She felt safest with you."
"I really am an idiot aren't I?" He said, wanting to laugh at how hopeless he was.
"Yes. You are. Now go tell her before I do." Marco threatened.
Sabo
Sabo 1.4K
You had been burning the candle at both ends for the past week and your self destructive actions did not go unnoticed by Sabo. He respected that you were a hard worker, committed to the cause, but he worried over your mental health. So when he stopped by your office to check in on you, he was not too surprised to find you asleep at your desk.
"You're hopeless, you know that?" He mumbled under his breath.
He carefully woke you up, gently shaking your shoulder and calling your name until you were awake.
You groaned into the desk upon realizing you wasted time sleeping, "I missed so much work.”
"Seriously? You finally get some rest and the first thing you think about is work? You're worse than I thought."
You sleepily rubbed your eyes as you looked up at him. He smiled gently down at you appreciating how cute you looked.
"Stop being a workaholic for five minutes and focus on taking care of yourself."
"But there's so much to finish still."
"There always will be, but it's not all up to you. We're a team for a reason, we'll handle it."
His reassurance was enough to get you to agree to rest. You got up a bit too quick and felt the ground beneath your feet roll.
"It's alright, I gotcha." You felt butterflies in your stomach at Sabo's words. You didn't even have to ask for him to help you.
He slung your arm around his shoulder and slipped his own around your waist. You fought back anymore signs of embarrassment the best you could.
He was guiding you out the door and into the main hall before you knew it, "Sabo! This is embarrassing!"
You felt like you were being paraded around as a punishment. He chuckled at your reaction in that smooth way he usually did.
"It's just a little embarrassment. It won't kill you. And maybe you'll think twice next time before working yourself to the bone." He lectured you a little too enthusiastically.
"It kills my pride. Does that count?"
Koala had a mischievous grin on her face as she approached you the next morning.
"Soooo...I heard something interesting happened yesterday." She trailed off allowing you to fill in the blanks, which of course you didn't.
"I fell asleep at my desk." You tried to give her a partial truth despite knowing it would not satisfy her curiosity.
Koala pretended to be surprise, placing her hand over her chest dramatically, "No way! Really? That's so unlike you, you workaholic." She pushed you on the shoulder. "Seriously what happened between you and Sabo?"
"Yeah yeah. I needed help for once very funny." But you knew it was more than that. It was the fact that he was the one that was helping you that had her so intrigued.
"Kind of sweet, isn't it? In your one moment of weakness, he was the one there to help you. I mean what really are the odds of that? I bet he checks on you every night." She teased.
"Don't say that you make it sound–” you couldn't bring yourself to finish the sentence, but Koala understood the implications.
"Like what? Like he might have some feelings for you or something?"
"You're the only one who gets to know about this."
She laughed suddenly as if your words were ridiculous, "The whole RA knows what happened last night."
"You think anyone else is gonna say something? God. The mess hall is gonna be awful right now." The realization of your situation suddenly dawned on you.
"Might as well let them get it out of their system." She said, "Better than dragging it out all day."
You bravely entered the mess hall and immediately felt everyone's eyes on you.
Most members tried to hide their snickers with coughs or fake sips of their drinks that they almost choked on. Then a few tried to break the tension by making loud comments.
"Have a nice nap?sleepy beauty?" Followed by a "how was your prince charming's carry princess?"
Sabo himself sat at a nearby table with a grin on his face as he enjoyed your embarrassment. You wanted to glare at him before remembering his comment from last night. This was part of your punishment.
He made direct eye contact with you, forcing you too look away first. You walked down the assembly line to grab your food with Koala right next to you. She's glared at anyone who made fun of you on your behalf. It was a small comfort among everything being thrown at you.
She gave your arm a supportive squeeze and spoke, "Ignore them, they'll get bored and move on soon enough."
You wanted to correct him on his exaggerations but part of you knew it was useless to fight it. Sabo's body tensed once he heard the suggestion and his attitude shifts from teasing and playful to serious.
"I'll be eating in my office." You told Koala. “Don't feel like you have to stay with me.”
She hesitated to leave your side, but realized you might need your space. "Ok. Yeah. I'll see you later."
Sabo watched you leave the mess hall, the anger brewing in him until you left the room. He didn't want to risk humiliating you more by making a big speech right in front of you.
"I never want to hear you guys talk about her or any woman like that again. There's a difference between teasing and harassment. What you were doing was the latter and it's disappointing to witness that.”
The room fell silent as he addressed everyone in it. As a high ranking leader, they respected him and his words.
“Sorry Sabo. We didn't mean any harm by it. We were just trying to mess around.” One of the soldiers spoke up, another nodded in agreement.
“Then let me make something clear. I do not tolerate this kind of behavior towards anyone, especially not her. So next time think about your words before you say them.”
Meanwhile you were alone in your office pouring over your work. Unaware that Sabo was currently standing up for you. Your tray of food slid across your desk as you threw it onto the surface.
You felt overwhelmed by an emotion you could not pinpoint. It was frustrating to not only be unable to understand what you were feeling but to be distracted by it. You tried to push everything to the back of your mind, but it resisted.
"Stupid Sabo and his stupid face." You began mumbling under your breath as you tried to work.
"And here I thought I was doing a good thing." He spoke up.
Your head snapped up in surprise as you heard his voice, only to find him standing in the doorway looking down at you.
You returned to your work, only giving him part of your attention, "You know exactly what I am talking about. You let everyone tease me when you know you could have stopped it. It was stupid to let it go that far.
“Don't worry I laid into them the moment you were gone.” He pulled up a chair and sat across your desk. He took off his hat, an oddly disarming act, and left it to the side.
“Well uh….thanks….I guess.” You clearly weren't sure how to respond the the statement. The last thing you saw was him relishing your embarrassment.
"I appreciated the trust you put in me and I hope I didn't ruin it.”
“No. I still trust you, you idiot.” You teased. "But only because you're the chief of staff and you defend me.”
He let out a sharp laugh, "Oh, so it's just my title that makes you trust me? Not the fact that I'm the one who carried your stubborn ass to bed yesterday?”
"You didn't carry me. You assisted me.” You corrected him.
His tone shifted to be a bit more serious. "Just come to me next time you need help. Before it gets too bad." Sabo requested."I promise no more teasing. It's just between us ok.”
“Ok.” You quietly agreed. It was nice to know you had someone besides Koala to fully trust in the base.
Summary: Sabo gets high on pain medications and accidentally confesses to you.
Word Count: 3k
Masterlist
You and Sabo were placed on a simple mission together to collect evidence of an underground smuggling ring. You needed proof that the local government was working with pirates to ship contraband into the kingdom. The undeniable proof of corruption would serve as the tipping point to push the people into starting a revolution. In other words, the evidence you would be collecting was vital to the war effort. Without the support of the people change was impossible.
There was a whole shipyard hidden underneath the kingdom. Pirates were unloading massive crates from the ship in a steady stream. A few were over looking the group shouting commands. You used the chaos to sneak in and hid behind a collection of barrels.
Sabo held his hand on your back, ready to pull you back into cover as you leaned out to take photos. You tried not to think about how natural it felt.
"Look at our little revolutionaries uselessly hiding away." Gladius mocked.
You turned to face Gladius and Baby 5 behind you. At least you now had confirmation on who was behind the transactions.
"We knew you wouldn't be able to resist the chance of collecting evidence against us.”
You used your devil fruit power to create a sword made of ice. Sabo stood tall next to you with a smile on his face. "Mind if I handle the human balloon?"
"All yours." You say with a smile.
You were quick to engage in combat with Baby 5. You used your sword to deflect any rounds she shot at you as you rushed towards her. Your swords locked together, and you put your weight against it to keep her sword from coming down on you. She broke the connection and quickly kicked you right in the chest. You fell onto your back and rolled to the side just in time to avoid her swords from cleaving you in half. She was relentless with her attacks, making sure to never give you a break.
Once you were on your feet, you swung your sword out, intending to lock swords with her once again when she switched weapons. Your sword hits nothing but air and suddenly, she has a gun drawn on you. You barely have time to react, and the round grazed your cheek.
The close call kicked your mind into high gear. You realized you had to study her movements if you wanted to beat her. You realized that she relied on her speed and agility. Always attacking in quick successions and on the move. She also needed her limbs to create new weapons. Pinning them down was equal to disarming her. Once you felt like you had enough information on her, you made your move.
You coated the floor in ice to get rid of her agility and froze her limbs so she couldn't fight back. She looked up at you in fear as she struggled to free her arms and legs. She turned her left arm, the only one you didn't freeze, into a large hammer and tried to free herself with no success. You coated your fist in a thick casing of ice and knocked her out with one hit to the jaw.
You turned to Sabo, ready to flaunt your success in his face when you realized he was in trouble. Gladius stood just to his side, eyes locked on his partner as he froze up.
Gladius realized he needed to retreat if he did not want any more harm to come to his partner. He scooped up baby 5 in his arms. You both glared at each other for a moment, both wanting to care for your wounded partner. It felt like a truce and you accepted it as one.
You ran to Sabo's side and began inspecting the extent of his wounds. He was hit by shrapnel from the explosions. Blood was flowing freely from his wounds and all you could do was apply pressure to the largest one.
"I kinda let my guard down when I heard the gun go off." He admitted to you.
"You know better than to worry about me."
"You're hurt." You felt your face heat up as he held his hand against your cheek.
You removed his hand and tried to act normal. "And you're losing blood."
You pulled out your transponder snail and contacted Koala, "Koala? We ran into some trouble here. Sabo got hurt. Can you make sure medics--"
An explosion rocked the building, the rock walls around you started crumbling and massive amounts of sea water started to flood the area. You dropped the transponder snail in your haste to create cover. Even ankle deep water could mean death for either of you thanks to your devil fruit powers.
You created an ice wall to have the water divert around you. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to protect Sabo like you hoped. He was swept off his feet by a strong hidden under current, the kind you see in flash floods.
You reacted as quickly as you could. You created a large floating platform. It felt like you were standing on a giant ice cube. You plunged your arms into the water until you gripped onto the collar of his coat. It was a miracle he didn't sink any deeper. Somehow despite the weight of his soaked clothes adding onto his weight, you managed to pull him up onto your platform.
By the end you were barely clinging to consciousness. The edges of your vision were fading and you were fighting to stay awake. If you went out that was it. Your platform would disappear and you both would surely drown. You laid on your back for a few seconds to allow yourself to recover. That's all it took for whatever hold on you the sea water had to disappear.
You checked his pulse, studied the slow rise and fall of his chest. He was alive but there was no telling how much water he might of swallowed. You might as well been stranded in the middle of the ocean with how helpless you felt. All you could do was wait to rise until you rose out of the broken ceiling of the port.
By the time you were exposed to the open air of the outside world you were beyond grateful to find Koala already manning a dinghy and heading out to help you. She must have known she was in need the moment your transmission suddenly went out.
You were only monitored for a few hours in the medical bay until you were cleared. Your energy returned to you, the injuries you sustained were superficial and a good night's rest would cure anything else that ailed you.
Sabo on the other hand did not make it out as easily. While they were able to get the sea water out of his body, the doctors were still worried about him experiencing “dry drowning” which referred to the accidental inhalation of water. That also meant he had to be monitored closely over the next few days.
The injuries he sustained had to be stitched together and were delicate enough that he was ordered to stay in bed until it healed to avoid any further injuries. The pain it caused would also flair up from time to time, meaning he would be on pain medication for the next day or two.
You visited him between doses when he was still coherent with items to keep him entertained. Not being able to work for an extended period of time was driving him up the wall and it was quite amusing to you to see.
"I bought you one of my favorite books to try and read and some tea.” You placed the items on his bedside table. He didn't know it yet but they were a peace offering for the words that were to follow, “aaand I got called on a simple tracking mission with Koala. I'll be back soon.”
Sabo knew you could handle yourself. Hell, you even saved his life on this last mission, but that didn't do anything to settle his mind. The thought of you out on a mission without him there to have your back made him uneasy.
“You what? You just got back that's–” he tried to object but you cut him off with a look.
"It's a simple tracking mission. No danger. Shouldn't take long."
"How long?"
“I'll be back before dinner.”
“Fine.” He still didn't seem too pleased. “What am I supposed to do without you here?”
“If you're good I'll sneak in some reports for you to go over when I am back. That includes taking your pain medication and staying in bed.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," he muttered in an annoyed tone. "I'll take the stupid meds, alright? Just come back safe, will you?”
“I'll be fine. I promise.” You gave his hand a quick squeeze to reassure him which he reciprocated.
You met up with Koala right after you finished visiting Sabo. You were tasked with tailing a random noble man to see if they were worthy of joining the Revolutionary Army.
You were about to move in when your snail went off. Koala gave you a sharp look, silently judging you for not keeping quiet. You quickly ducked into an alley way to answer the call while she peeked around the corner to keep tabs on the target.
Sabo's voice is heard loud and clear. The pain killers seemed to have taken full effect as he sounded drunk.
"Heeeeeyyyy…. “Sabo drawls through the snail, voice slow but happy. “I am bored! I miss yooooou!”
You froze and Koala side-eyed you. "...Is that Sabo?” she questioned as if she could not believe it was really him. You just nodded in response.
"I--I'll be back soon." You informed Sabo.
“Better be soon. I need you here.” He let out a groan like an impatient child. “There's nothing fun to do without you here!”
You hated the fact that Koala was grinning at you as she heard every word."You're not helping.” You hissed at her.
Your attention quickly went back so Sabo as he began to mumble out everything that was on his mind.
"You're always so nice." He paused for a moment to think, "You're more than that. You're something I look forward to everyday. Something that makes my life brighter like sunshine."
"Ohhh?" Koala laughed a little, "That’s definitely not just drugs talking."
"It is! It has to be." you quietly hissed at her, but you weren't sure you even believed yourself. His words felt too sincere to be fake.
Sabo sighed dreamily. "Wish I was there... could hold your hand or something."
You want to relish his words but Koala's constant muffled laughter from behind you was a real mood killer. "I swear, if you tell anyone about this."
"But it’s adorable! How can I not share this moment with everyone? The great Chief of Staff confessing his undying love like a love sick teenager.”
You returned your attention to Sabo to try and soothe him, “I'll be back safe and sound just like I promised. You just focus on getting your rest. Ok?”
“Ok…love you.” his voice faded out as he was already drifting off to sleep. The line went dead as if he didn't just casually end the conversation with a confession of love.
Koala turned to you with the widest grin you've ever seen on her face. “Don't even start. He's drugged up. He doesn't even know what he's saying.”
“Ooooor he has no filter and is finally able to say what's been on his mind since forever.”
You try and fail to play off your suddenly bashful mannerisms. “Let's focus on the mission.”
“You're gonna have to face him sooner or later you know.”
“He'll probably forget the whole conversation once everything wears off. It's fine."
Koala agreed with your decision to settle you down, but there was no way she was going to let the back and forth between the two of you go on anymore. Not when she literally had a confession on recording. “Quicker we're done quicker we can get back to your boyfriend right?”
You recomposed yourself and readied to continue the mission before she stopped you for one last comment. "And by the way. You’re totally keeping that transponder snail call recording. It would be so cute to play at your wedding."
You had been avoiding Sabo since that day. Or avoiding addressing the fact that he liked you. Whenever he entered a room you suddenly had work to do. He tries to call you? You pretend your transponder is broken.
The more you tried to run away the more Koala held you accountable to your actions, of course she did. She was always the more responsible one who was able to face her problems, unlike you. She knew it was the best course of action for you not matter how much you tried to avoid it.
She tried to pressure you into speaking with Sabo by adding to the already existing rumors surrounding you two. She didn't share anything that happened that night, not yet. She just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't try to forget the situation as if you weren't kept up at night with thoughts of him.
This went on for six days until Koala was fed up with your shenanigans. (She also placed a bet that you two would get together after a week and she wasn't planning on losing.)
Koala intercepted you on your way to get breakfast in the cafeteria, knowing you were never fully awake and aware until you had your morning coffee. It was the perfect time to ambush you.
She told you to meet her in one of the large meeting rooms and the moment you stepped through the door, she locked it behind you. You didn't even take in your surroundings before you were jiggling the doorknob and demanding to be let out.
“Not until you work things out!” She demanded. Slowly you turned around to face Sabo who was locked inside the room with you. You were so caught up with the fact you were trapped you didn't even realize he was already there.
"Hey," he stuttered out the words and cleared his throat before continuing. "So...I...uh…I heard I got pretty high that day." He scratched the back of his neck in a nervous manner. You couldn't help but think about how cute he looked doing that.
"Yeah. You said a lot of dumb stuff."
His cheeks redden ever so slightly. He hoped he didn't make a fool of himself in front of you. "Yeah. The medics said I was all out of it. I don't remember much, just vague nonsense."
A heavy silence settled over the room, "Did I say something wrong to make you avoid me?"
"What no!" Your denial came out quickly and unintentionally. "I mean. Nothing happened, I've just been busy."
"I know what's been assigned to you (y/n). Nothing heavier than what you're use to."
"For the love of God will you two just!" Koala's frustrated voice is heard yelling over the intercom system.
A recording of your conversation plays. It's filled with every single compliment he paid you that night. Each sentence filled with romantic emotional sentiment that was undeniable and ending with the "love you" straight from his mouth.
He pulled his hat low, trying to hide the blush forming on his face but you can still spot his red cheeks.
"It's ok you know. If you didn't mean it." Your mouth suddenly felt dry. You wanted the words to be true, but you didn't want to hold him accountable for something he said when he wasn't thinking straight.
"No. I meant it." He looked away from the floor to meet your eyes. "I meant it. That's just not how I wanted it to come out."
"What did you want to say?"
"You giving me a second chance?" He smirked at you, making your heart flutter.
"If you want it."
He took a step forward, carefully closing the distance between the two of you. He's calm and collected now as he took your hand in his.
"I am not sure there is much else to say." He admitted, "I do love you. I love the kindness you show everyone. The passionate light I see in your eyes after every successful mission."
"You're such a sap." You laugh as he closes in even more, your hands now flush against his chest.
"Just for you. Always for you." His hands rest on your waist and pull you closer to him, "My mind is consumed by thoughts of you. You're the first think I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of when I fall asleep. I can't imagine going a day without you. The thought makes my heart ache."
The confession flowed out of him so naturally. It wasn't hard for him to think of reasons he loved you. Proof that he loved you. It's always been there for awhile now, he was just to afraid to admit it.
"And I am so afraid of someone else taking that from me. Taking you from me."
"I feel the same."
"You do?" He grinned.
"Yeah. I love you.”
He pulled you against his chest, you felt his chest vibrating as he laughed and spun you around in a circle. The moment your feet were back on the ground he pressed his lips against yours in a sweet kiss. He kept one hand on your hip while the other was tangled in your hair, pulling you closer to him. You felt him smile into the kiss and couldn't help but smile back.
By the end of it you were both staring into each other's eyes with big goofy grins on your face.
"Damn....." he paused as if he didn't know what to say. As if you took his breath away, "I've been wanting to do that for so long."
"Well, now you can do it whenever you want." You teased.
"Careful. You might regret making an open offer like that."
"I could never get tired of kissing you."
"Awwwww!" You heard Koala coo over the sight of the two of you followed by the muffled laughter of unknown soldiers.
"Will you guys just give us a moment?" Sabo yelled angrily at the nosey revolutionaries. You just laughed and gently turned Sabo's face towards you so you could steal another kiss.
Summary: After you've been trying and failing to get Law's attention through subtle means, Robin and Nami realize they have to step in to give him a little push.
Word Count: 2.6K
Masterlist
You were a traveling doctor that ran into Law from time to time when your paths just so happened to cross. At first he thought you were stupid. You risked your life to save strangers without expecting anything in return. You traveled randomly from island to island helping heal people as you went and relying on the kindness of strangers in return.
He tried to warn you in the past about your life choices. He told you putting your trust in the wrong people was an easy way to get yourself killed, but you never let his pessimism sway you. Instead you would joke about it every time you met him again. And every time he saw you again he felt a little relieved.
Still he finds himself surprised when he sees you on the deck of the Strawhat crew's ship. But in a way it does make sense. Their captain was the only person he met that was more gullible and trusting than you.
“So I see you haven't gotten yourself killed yet.” Law greeted you with his usual calm tone, but you still tell there was a smile peeking through somewhere on his face.
“I try not to.” You joked back. “So what are you doing here?”
“I got business with their captain.”
“Does that mean you're gonna stay with us till the next island?”
He let out a sigh, “Maybe. Why are you here? Don't tell me you're a pirate now.”
“No. Just staying indefinitely. Figure I could help people while they run around making chaos.”
He didn't like the sound of that. You run around on dangerous islands on your own. Official crew members or not, any enemy of theirs might see you as an associate now. Someone to target.
“That's a stupid plan.” He chided.
“Well. It's nice to have somewhere more permanent to stay.” you explained. “But I'll let you go now. I know you're busy.”
You don't talk to Law much after that over the next few days, but you still appreciate just having him around.
You find Nami and Robin towards the back of the ship, enjoying the fresh air as they sat and talked. It was not often Nami wasn't wrapped up in some type of navigational task, so you couldn't miss the opportunity to talk with the two of them while they were together.
“Hi there (y/n).” Robin greeted you with a smile upon noticing you approach. Nami turned her attention towards you as well and smiled, but it wasn't a normal friendly smile like Robin's. No, her smile held something sinister.
Robin chuckled upon noticing her expression and took the bait, “What did you have in mind, Nami?”
Nami grinned with a mischievous glinting in her eye, “I don’t know. I am just curious why our normally broody doctor suddenly seems more relaxed lately. It's almost like someone’s been softening him up.”
Now both of them are staring at you. Robin smiled as she waited for a satisfying answer from you. The question caught you off guard.
"What? No you got it all wrong. It's not like he treats me differently from anyone else.”
Unfortunately Nami seemed to be prepared for this reaction. She pulled out a notebook and cleared her throat before going over it. “Exhibit A! No matter what he's doing he always looks up when you walk in deck.”
“He's just vigilant.” you denied the suggestion.
Nami hands Robin the notebook for her to read the next one. “Exhibit B. He once talked with you for five minutes. The longest recorded conversation he ever willingly had with any of our crew members.”
“That's just because you guys all try to make him talk. He's like a cat. If you're too aggressive you'll just scare him away. I just leave him be.”
“Uh-huh.” Nami teased you with a smug smile. “Exhibit C. Yesterday, when you got hit by that wave and your jacket was soaked he offered you his.”
“That was just…..” you tried to make an excuse but your mind came back blank.
Nami grinned as you reached the end of your rope. “See! He totally likes you! Come on admit it! Now you can tell him and stop driving me up the wall!”
“Fine. Let's say I do like him.” You felt your cheeks heat up at even suggesting the possibility, “I'd just scare him away.”
“You're right. You can't be too direct with someone like Law.” Robin agreed. “Law would probably react better to something more genuine that lets him know you care.”
“But if it's too subtle he'll just brush it off.” Nami reasoned. “That boy's still too dense to understand emotions.”
While you wanted to be straight up with him, you knew Law was not the type to take a confession at face value. Knowing him he'd overthink it or rationalize it out of existence.
“We already know that he likes you. You just have to make him realize that.” Nami pressed.
“Ok. I'll figure something out. Thank you guys for talking to me.”
Over the next few days you try to get his attention. You straighten up his work space when he's too busy to clean because you know he values a tidy space. You finished up any medical paperwork he left out. You'd make him Onigiri and leave it on his desk when you noticed he skipped a meal. Despite performing all of these over the top gestures for him, he still brushed it off as nothing more than you being a good crewmate to him.
In his eyes that's just the type of person you were. Kind, caring, helpful. He never noticed that he was the only person you treated to this extent. He never allowed himself to look for any deeper meaning in your actions.
Nami and Robin quickly realized they had to step in. If Law couldn't realize he likes you then they'd just have to make him. They figured if they scared him into thinking you were in trouble, he'd realize how much he cares about you. Was it a little manipulative? Yes. But the subtle route you were determined to take was failing horribly.
"(y/n)!" Robin ran up to you and handed you a transponder snail. It was rare to see her worked up into a state of distress. "Nami is in trouble on the island. I'll get the others and we'll meet you there.”
“What? But this island is supposed to be empty. Why is she even there?” you arrived at a small deserted jungle island this morning, if you could even call it an island. It was too small to build anything meaningful on it. The only reason your ship was even docked outside it was because Franky had some concerns about the ship needing emergency repairs and wanted an hour or two to look the whole thing over.
“She just wanted to go for a walk. Stretch her legs but we were wrong this island–”
The transponder snail suddenly came to life with the sound of Nami’s voice, muffled and panicked like she was struggling.
“Someone help! I am trapped! They have weapons and someone please just get your butt over here!” She sounded desperate and scared.
“Get going. I'll tell the others and we'll be right behind you. We can't waste any time.”
You nodded along, “Right. I'll keep in touch once I am on land.”
Grabbing your sword, you jumped into a dinghy and made your way to the shore. You cut your way through the jungle foliage, following a set of Nami's footprints until they disappeared into the brush. You felt anxious and nervous, not knowing what enemy you were facing out there.
You fumbled to activate the transponder snail. “Robin! I made it but I lost track of her.”
“(y/n)?” It was Law not Robin who replied. He sounded equally and surprised and confused to hear you on the other end.
"Law?"
"What's going on?"
"It's Nami. I was told she needed help on the island and moved in.”
The line goes quiet for a moment. The dangerous type that means he's thinking over what to do.
“You're alone?” you couldn't tell if he sounded upset or worried. The way he questioned you was so flat and emotionless you could have inserted anything meaning you wanted into it.
“Yeah.” For some reason you felt nervous to admit that to him. Suddenly you felt stupid rushing in as you did.
“Where exactly are you?”
“I am not sure. I hear a stream not that far–”
“Don't. Move.” This time you heard the emotion in his voice. It was commanding and serious, daring you to oppose his words.
“Law this whole thing feels wron–” your transmission suddenly cut out.
He yelled your name into the snail transponder. His over active mind raced with a million thoughts of what could have happened to you, none of them being good. He cursed under his breath when he realized he was getting no where with the snail.
Without a word he stormed out from his quarters and used his ability to teleport himself down to the island. He was so focused he did not even notice the way Robin was watching him leave with an amused grin on her face. Their plan was working.
“Where the hell are you dammit?” He mumbled to himself, trying to ignore the knot of worry in his stomach. He was just looking out for a crew mate who stupidly wandered off nothing more. He found your tracks along with the fake ones Nami placed.
He followed them until they ended, just as you had done, then followed the trail of broken foliage you left behind. His heart ached with worry once again. What if you really were in trouble? Were there bandits here? Wild animals? Sure, you had your sword but you weren't exactly a trained fighter.
Soon he found himself calling out for you, despite his mind telling him it was a stupid way to give away his position to whatever else was out there. He had to get to you as soon as possible. Had to see you were ok.
“(y/n)!” no response. “(y/n)? Where are you? Can you hear me?”
He ignored the way he felt like he could breathe again the moment he heard you respond. He rushed towards your voice, tearing through anything that blocked his path.
He took a moment to catch his breath. “You're ok? Thank God you're ok.” He looked you over for any injuries. Held onto your shoulders firmly before having you spin around so he could look you over despite your insistent protest that you were fine. Nothing happened.
“Then why were you out here?” He questioned seriously.
"Robin told me Nami was here and--"
"Nami is on the ship." He informed you. Then he paused in thought. Why didn't he realize that earlier? You told him on the snail. How did he glance over that important information? It was like all he heard was that you were here alone.
"What? But Robin told me Nami was in trouble and–"
"Are you always this trusting?" He questioned you.
"Nami was screaming over the transponder. I didn't think to question it.”
“So they set you up?” He let go of you, arms now crossed, his face scrunched up in thought.
For some reason seeing him in such distress made you feel the need to hug him and you gave into it. "I am sorry."
Law was taken back by your unexpected action. His body tensed for a moment before he melted into it. "You have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault.”
He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer in a moment of need. It was like he was confirming you were safe in his arms.
He barely slept for the rest of the night. Over analyzing the moment of having you in his arms. Trying to figure out what could have possibly caused his reaction to be so instinctual. The only answer he could think up that made sense was the one he had been trying to avoid since he met you. He liked you.
“I was worried sick. I thought something happened to you.” Then he jolted up as if suddenly realizing what he was saying. What he was doing. He quickly lets go of you. "We should get back to the Sunny."
By morning you decided to do him a favor and make him a cup for coffee just the way he liked it. You found Law at the usual spot at sunrise. You approached him cautiously.
"For you. As a sorry for....everything.” Law glanced up at you from under his hat.
“Thanks.” He carefully took the mug from your hand and took a sip before leaning back on the railing. “You don't have to stay here you know.”
Your attention snapped up to him in confusion. He didn't take his eyes off the horizon, afraid he'd lose his nerve if he looked at you. He took a minute to organize his thoughts.
“I want you to stay with me.” you felt your breath get stuck in your throat at his words.
“Really? You'd be… okay with me staying?”
“I wouldn't offer it if I had an issue with it.” He took another sip to hide his nerves.
“I…..yes. thank you.”
“You don't have to thank me.”
"Why wouldn't I? You're hosting me.”
Another moment passed, one thick with meaning before he continued to speak. The words were almost stuck on his tongue. “Just… stay. If that’s what you want.”
Law turned his head towards you slightly, a look of disbelief on his face. “Hosting you? That's not what this is.” He paused, voice dropping lower, rougher at the edges. “You’re not just some guest. You don’t need permission to be here.”
For once there was no sarcastic tone in his remark. He didn’t smirk or look away sharply to try and lessen the meaning of his words. He lets them hang there with all the emotion they were intended to conjure up filled in them.
“Yeah. That’s what I want.” you felt your heart race as you accepted his offer. “I want to be with you. On your ship. For as long as you'll have me.”
“Good. Because you're stuck with me, now.”
You smiled brightly at him. "Good.”
You kept smiling, leaning just a little into his shoulder to enjoy the moment..
He glanced down at you, feeling the shift in your weight. He enjoyed it.
“Law. You're actually pretty cute when you're flustered.”
He grumbled under his breath a simple, “I am not cute.”
"Would you rather me say handsome?”
You felt him go rigid at the words. He was not use to getting compliments, especially ones about his appearance. A blush creeped onto his face and he tried to make his response dry.
“No.”
"What should I call you then?”
He thought over his next words carefully. A small smirk appeared on his face as he saw an opening to turn the tables on you. He spoke in a low smooth voice.
“Just call me yours.” it was a dumb cheesy line that still turned you into an awkward blushing mess. Despite the confidence in his voice, he was also too awkward to face you.
"That was really smooth Trafalgar Law.”
Without another word he took you in his arms and kissed you. It's a quick innocent one, full of love and all the other emotions he's unable to show you. You pulled away, your hands still on his bare chest and both of you were red faced and awkward. But you wouldn't want his love any other way than genuine.
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