ā ā ā ā ā previous.
portgas d. ace, your best friend.
portgas d. ace canāt stop staring at you.
sure, fine, heās in his cups. sure, fine, so is the rest of the division. crammed shoulder to shoulder in this portās small tavern ā the crowās nest ā heās fighting for his damn life. you and the other shipwrights have parked yourselves at a table in the back. old man weller is reliving a tall tale about a whale and a boy, but ace knows youāre not listeninā.
he knows, ācause youāre lookinā at him.
and heās lookinā at you.
portgas d. ace smiles like heās in love. your smile breaks over the crest of your cup, and aceās world spins a little, and he almost topples off his barstool.
he disappears into the crowd of the crew, only to appear at your side. he slides into the booth, slick and smooth. his thigh presses to yours and his arm curls around your shoulder and his breath is soft against your cheek.
āis this thā whale story?ā he whispers into your ear, a touch slurred and a touch deep, āagain?ā
he doesnāt pull back when you turn your cheek, your nose to his as you nod and whisper back: āheās embellishing.ā
this close, you can count each and every one of portgas d. aceās freckles. this close, you can see the faint reminder of a sunburn. this close, you can admire the deep, deep brown of his eyes. you donāt have to be this close to know heās beautiful ā but it doesnāt hurt.
sure, fine, youāre in your cups. sure, fine, so are the other shipwrights ā and they are none the wiser to whatever tension is crawling between you and the second division command in your little corner. between the music and the laughter and the chatter and the tall tales, this moment is sacred and secret.
aceās chuckle is delayed and a little rough. heās first to pull away ā only enough to sneak his ale to his lips and swig. you turn your cheek, look at weller, and listen cheek to cheek with ace.
āhow would you know?ā he asks in an incredulous whisper, nose dragging across your temple. heās a beat from laughing, and you smack his thigh. itās light. you keep your hand there. the arm around your shoulder twitches, and you let him rough-house. he shakes you gently. he pulls you into his chest and tucks you under his chin.
āiāve heard it a thousand times,ā you whisper back, lifting your chin to look up at him with a rum-kissed smile, āsame as you.ā
something flickers across his face, then. something you see. something that stays, and you blink ā your eyes dart from his gaze to his mouth. aceās fingers still where they draw a lazy circle across the skin of your arm. he canāt look away from you, not when youāre curled up in his arms and smiling. you canāt look away, not when he looks at you like that ā like you are more than just best friends.
portgas d. ace is your best friend. best friends donāt kiss.
thereās a line. a boundary. an invisible promise that the way you two touch each other is nothing more than friendship. he tries to remember the boundary, he tries to remember how things where before ā before things changed, before he knew he was in love with his best friend. ace smiles, because he canāt remember it.
his other hand engages in its newest habit ā he pushes a stray piece of hair behind your ear.
youāre lookinā at him.
and heās lookinā at you.
āā¦what are we doing?ā he murmurs. his voice is so low and gentle, it feels like heās dragged his blunt nails up your spine with reverence.
āi dunno, what are we doing?ā you breathe. youāre drunk enough that you stumble over your words; your face is close to his again. heās craned his neck down, his hat hiding you both from the tavern. from his division, from your shipwrights.
āi know what i want to be doing,ā he mumbles, so close his mouth brushes yours. his eyes stare, intensely devoted to the moment.
you donāt pull away. your fingers tense against his thigh, and ace wets his lips. you ask, already knowing the answer:
so, portgas d. ace kisses his best friend.