One piece college Au— Oc x Portgas D. Ace.
A little something I wrote because I’m stuck on my “canon” chapter. Also included my other Oc Seki, she’s nowhere except my drafts and some animation pieces I made of her and Law on TikTok.
Nothing is edited, so bare with me:D
For the first time since seven that morning, nobody was knocking on her door, nobody was asking where a student had disappeared to, and nobody was arguing over detention slips that had very clearly been deserved.
Mira tucked the phone between her shoulder and cheek while balancing her coffee mug, her car keys and the several essays in her hand, simultaneously nudging the office door shut with her hip. “I still can’t believe he actually became principal,-” she sighed, already smiling despite herself. “-Do you remember him? He used to panic whenever someone cried. Now he gives teenagers detention like it’s his favorite hobby.” Seki laughed on the other end of the call. “You’ve been complaining about Coby for fifteen minutes.” She heard rustling from the other end of the line before she could argue. “I had to convince him for almost half an hour to let me leave early.” Mira sighed dramatically as she locked her office. “You mean… to let you take the day off that you requested three months ago?”
Seki added to Mira’s argument as
Mira clicked her tongue.
“Exactly.” She stepped out into the afternoon sunshine, stuffing the stacks of paper into her bag before she could unlock her car. “The man acts like the school will collapse if I’m gone for one afternoon.”
“You are vice principal.”
“I’m aware.”
“And somehow you’re surprised?” Mira rolled her eyes as she unlocked the car. “I’ll just plaster old yearbook pictures of him around the halls, braces and all flashing the students.” Seki’s laughter echoed warmly through the speaker before it settled into something softer. “My new implants are working really well, by the way.” Mira’s smile became genuine. “I’m glad.” She started the engine. “I was honestly a little worried, but it was Marco who operated, so it’s fine.” Another laugh.
“So was Law.”
“I bet he was.”
“He kept insisting nobody else should operate.” She heard seki frown and she slightly slurred her speech but Mira was long used to it and she understood her perfectly well by now. Seki had lost her hearing when she was still young and she had been working on keeping up her speech even if she could only do so much. After years of Highschool and college together, it had become second nature to both of them to switch between signing GSL and sometimes just speaking. “Well…” Mira pulled out of the parking lot. “That’s because Law still believes he’s the only doctor in the entire world.” Mira chuckled as she could hear him argue in her mind.
“He absolutely does.” The two of them laughed together, the kind of easy laughter that only came from decades of friendship.“How’s Cora’s birthday gonna’ be?” Seki asked her and the smile returned to Mira’s face before she could stop it. “She said she wants to celebrate her birthday by looking through baby pictures and stuffing ourselves with ice cream.” Seki let out an amused sigh as she spoke up again, “That sounds exactly like Cora.”
“I know!”
By the time she reached home, the sun had already begun dipping lower across the neighborhood. She parked in the driveway, still talking to Seki while fishing her work bag from the passenger seat. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” Mira finally said. “You’d better.” She heard Seki chuckle before Mira continued. “And tell Law not to make Marco’s shift a living hell.” Sekis laugh rang through the call and Mira’s smile turned into a grin. “I’ll do my best.” Mira laughed at that, balancing the phone against her shoulder while unlocking the front door. The familiar scent of home greeted her immediately; Something sweet, vanilla maybe. “…Mom?” A voice drifted through the house. “I’m home.” She kicked the door shut behind her, tossed her keys into the ceramic bowl beside the entrance, and dropped her work bag onto the kitchen counter with a relieved sigh. “I should go,” she spoke into the phone again.
“Give Cora a hug from me.”
“I will.”
“And happy birthday to her.”
“I’ll tell her.”
“Love you, peony.”
“Love you, rose.”
The call ended and before she had the chance to put her phone away, footsteps hurried down the hallway. “There you are!” Cora appeared around the corner carrying something enormous against her chest while her grin stretched from ear to ear. “Look what I found!” Before Mira could ask, the heavy object was already being deposited into her hands.
She looked down and she recognized it immediately; An old leather photo album. Its corners had worn smooth with age and the once-dark cover had faded beneath years of sunlight. Mira blinked once, “…Where did you find this?” She asked her as she flipped the album once over. Her childhood pictures are in there, she thought before she could say anything else. “The attic.” Cora beamed proudly. “It was hidden behind one of Dad’s old boxes.” Mira laughed quietly. “I haven’t seen this in…” She stopped counting. “…A very long time.” She sighed once as she kicked off her heels and took the cake out of the fridge with her free hand. “Can we look through it?” Mira only hummed in response and Cora immediately linked her arm through Mira’s and began dragging her toward the living room—careful enough that the cake won’t end on the floor.
“Dad’s still at work?” Mira wondered as she placed the cake down on the coffee table. “He said he’d be home before dinner.”
“Good.”
Cora flopped down onto the couch while Mira settled beside her, balancing the heavy album across both their laps. The leather creaked softly as she opened it and the first page held photographs of tiny hands wrapped around adult fingers, first birthdays, cake smeared across little cheeks, school uniforms and her first day at her Pop’s orphanage. Years passing one page at a time. Cora giggled every few seconds. “Oh my God.”
She pointed at one picture “Mom.” Mira looked over at the picture that her daughter pointed at and before she could protest, her daughter already beamed. “You looked like such a 90s baddie.” She exclaimed as Mira looked at her teenage pictures. She couldn’t help but cringe at the sight of all the smeared kohl around her eyes. But she still reached over and nudged her daughter’s shoulder while laughing under her breath.
She turned another page and something slipped free; Several small photographs fluttered from between the pages and scattered across the floor. “Oh!” Both of them bent down automatically.
“I’ve got them.”
“So do I.”
Cora picked up two while Mira reached for another, then another until the last one rested face down near the coffee table. Cora grabbed it first and inspected it once, “…Who’s this?” She turned the Polaroid over while Mira looked up absentmindedly—until she froze. Everything became impossibly quiet, the room, the clock, the laughter—her own breathing. It all disappeared and there he was; Messy black hair, midnight-dark eyes, freckles dusting cheeks pulled into the same crooked grin she’d once thought she’d wake up to everyday. The edges of the Polaroid had yellowed with time and the date scribbled across the bottom had been scratched almost beyond recognition. But his smile…his smile was the same. Forever to stay frozen in time. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the photograph and she took it carefully from Cora’s hands, as though rougher fingers might somehow damage him.
Her thumb brushed gently across his face, cool paper and faded ink alike. Still smiling—Always smiling. “…Mom?” Cora’s voice sounded strangely distant. “Who is he?” Mira stared at the photograph for another long moment as her heartbeat quickened without permission. It had been years, so, so many years. Yet all it took was one worn Polaroid…and suddenly she wasn’t sitting in her living room anymore.
She was nineteen years old again.
The afternoon sun behind the clouds of a december afternoon.
Her flip phone vibrated inside her pocket and ‘I wanna be adored, by the stone roses’ played shortly before she flipped it open and answered. She already knew exactly who was calling. “Oi, when am I supposed to pick you up tonight?” Mira smiled before she even answered. She had only heard a couple of words, and somehow she already knew he was grinning. “I thought nine would be good?” She tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder while stuffing another textbook into her backpack. The lecture hall had nearly emptied by now, chairs scraping against the floor as students drifted toward the exits in small groups. “Nine it is, sweetheart.” His voice came easily, warm enough to make her roll her eyes despite the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Behind him she heard chaos; Someone was laughing while someone else was shouting.
“…Luffy, we get it, she’s coming!”
“Finally!”
“Hey! That pizza is mine!”
Ace sighed dramatically into the phone, “Hold on.” His voice moved farther away. “Luffy’s talking about Viv again.” Mira slipped her backpack over one shoulder and stepped into the hallway. “Is Vivi coming?” she asked. “Isn’t that a long way from Arabasta?” The chaos of the hallway greeted her immediately and she quickly passed by to reach the cafeteria.
“I think she’s trying to.” His answer was interrupted by another burst of laughter somewhere behind him.
Mira greeted two classmates as they passed her, lifting a hand absentmindedly before hurrying down the staircase. “…Are you running?” Ace sounded amused and she immediately slowed her pace. “No.” But Ace only let out an unconvinced chuckle. “What’s the hurry, sweetheart?” She could practically picture him leaning back in his chair, one foot propped on another seat while he teased her—It made answering honestly impossible but she still scoffed dramatically. “I can’t believe this thing can spy now too.”
“I just know you.” The answer came so naturally that she forgot to respond, because he did. Somehow Ace always knew. He knew the difference between her annoyed sighs and her tired ones. Knew exactly what kind of smile she was wearing just from the way she said hello. Knew when she was pretending to be calm and when she actually was. And Mira wondered just when that had started. Enough, that somewhere along the way he’d become frighteningly good at reading her.
She pushed open the cafeteria doors. The familiar noise rushed toward her instantly; Students talking over one another, cutlery clinking against trays. Kid was playing his guitar connected through old speakers. And there they were, she spotted them immediately. Marco sat with one elbow resting lazily across the back of his chair while Deuce was already halfway through another plate of food. Across from them, Sabo appeared to be trying—and failing—to explain something to Luffy, who seemed far more interested in whatever dessert someone else had taken. Ace sat with his back toward her, one arm rested across the table. His flip phone balanced between his shoulder and cheek while he continued talking to her completely oblivious. “Gotta go now,-” Mira whispered into the receiver, unable to stop smiling. “-Seki’s right there.” She heard him laugh softly. “See you tonight, Love you.” Her heart gave the smallest, familiar flutter. “Love you too.” The line clicked dead.
Ace folded the phone shut without turning around and slipped it into the pocket of his jeans before immediately returning his full attention to the mountain of food in front of him. Luffy looked up first, his face lit up so quickly that Mira nearly laughed. He inhaled—Only for Sabo’s hand to clamp firmly over his mouth.“Mmff!” Sabo looked directly at Mira, then, with absolutely no shame whatsoever, grinned himself. Marco noticed next, one corner of his mouth twitched as Deuce bit the inside of his cheek hard enough that she watched him physically fight a smile. Traitors—Every single one of them.
Mira tiptoed the last few steps. Ace remained completely focused on deciding which piece of meat deserved his attention first and as she reached him quietly, both hands lifted. Warm palms covered his eyes but Ace didn’t even flinch, only a grin spread across his face almost instantly. “Oi.” He chuckled. “Is that you Thatch? “ Mira couldn’t help laughing as she leaned down slightly. “If I were Thatch you’d already be complaining about garlic on my fingers.” Ace barked out a laugh but before he could answer, she wrapped both arms around his shoulders from behind and all but collapsed onto him. “Happy early birthday.” Her cheek settled comfortably against his shoulder and she finally got a proper look at him— her birthday boy. The black shirt he’d thrown on that morning was already wrinkled and his hair refused to stay brushed no matter how hard he’d clearly tried. Freckles disappeared beneath another stupidly happy grin.
Birthday boy. He looked exactly like himself. Ace reached back automatically, both hands finding her forearms. “Thank you.” His voice softened as he twisted just enough to steal a quick kiss from her lips despite the awkward angle. It lasted barely a second but just enough. Just because he couldn’t help himself. Around the table, nobody pretended not to notice. Marco looked entirely unsurprised while Sabo sighed into his drink with the expression of someone who had watched this exact scene happen at least fifty times. Luffy finally managed to shove Sabo’s hand away. “You were about to ruin the surprise.”Sabo argued as he watched Luffy jump up and down in his seat. “It wasn’t a surprise anymore!”He argued before he could pout and push another bite into his mouth. “It was to Ace.” Mira added with a chuckle. “Oh.” Luffy considered that. “…Oops.” And he continued his food as though nothing had happened. Ace finally turned around properly. “There you are.” His smile somehow widened. “I was wondering why Sabo kept punching Luffy.” His entire face brightened with that familiar grin she’d fallen in love with long before either of them had dared admit it aloud. It spread so easily across his face that Mira knew was a goner the moment they met at the orphanage.
She slid into the seat beside him, their shoulders brushing naturally. Ace didn’t move away. He never did. Instead, his arm settled lazily across the back of her chair for the briefest moment before reaching for his drink again. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she reached into her backpack. The wrapping paper had wrinkled despite how carefully she’d carried it all morning, one corner folded awkwardly where she’d almost dropped it rushing between classes. It wasn’t perfect. She’d spent nearly an hour trying to make it look respectable before eventually deciding Ace wouldn’t care whether the ribbon sat straight. She placed the small package in front of him. “Happy birthday.” For a second…Ace simply looked at it, not opening it, not even touching it. Just staring as though somebody had handed him something impossibly fragile.
“…You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
Her answer came softly.
“I wanted to.”
Something quite settled between them then. Even the conversation around the table seemed to drift somewhere farther away while Ace reached out carefully, fingertips brushing over the ribbon. “You wrapped it.” He chuckled, already suspecting that it had been a war rather than gift wrapping. “I fought for my life.” His laugh came immediately.
“I wrapped it three times.” Mira complained as her shoulders slacked. “Really?” Ace glanced up at her, amusement dancing behind dark eyes. “So this is the improved version?” She looked at the package herself. “…Let’s not get carried away.” Marco let out a quiet snort over the rim of his mug. “I would’ve paid good money to see version one.”
“It no longer exists.”
“You burned it?”
“I considered burning the second one too.”
Ace’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter as he finally untied the ribbon instead of tearing it apart. “You know…” Mira sighed dramatically, watching him unfold every piece of paper with almost painful care. “Normal people just rip it open.” She couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. “I’m appreciating your hard work.” She rolled her eyes so dramatically Sabo laughed under his breath. Eventually the paper fell away completely, revealing the leather notebook resting inside and Ace fell silent again. His thumb traced slowly across the Whitebeard emblem burned into the cover before opening it. The very first page made him laugh—Not loudly but just enough that she saw the corners of his eyes crease.
Things Ace Will Definitely Forget
Beneath the title sat an embarrassingly long list she’d spent far too much time writing.
Birthdays.
Meals.
Handing in his projects.
His own jacket.
That sleeping in trees wasn’t technically normal.
That people generally preferred if he stayed awake during conversations. By the time he reached the last line— Please remember your girlfriend exists even when food is nearby.—he had covered his eyes with one hand. “Oh, that’s evil,” Sabo muttered, already leaning over to read the page himself.
“It’s accurate,” Marco answered.
Mira watched Ace continue turning the pages, in his own world now, completely ignoring the others as the smile never left his face. Some pages were blank for future islands. Others held little sketches she’d copied from places they’d visited together.
One page simply read:
Things Luffy somehow survived
There wasn’t enough room and Ace laughed harder. Tucked carefully inside the back cover sat the photograph Marco had secretly taken months earlier; Ace asleep beneath a tree while Mira slept against his shoulder. Neither of them aware anyone had been watching. His smile softened immediately. “…Marco.”
The older man didn’t even bother pretending. “What?”
“You took this.”
“Maybe.”
“You absolutely took this.”
“I plead the fifth.”
Marco shrugged. Ace looked down at the photograph again while his thumb rested carefully against the edge of it. “…This is my favorite.” Ace whispered as he couldn’t tear his eyes off the picture, stuck to the paper with pink glue. And watching him like this…Watching him laugh until his shoulders shook, watching the sunlight catch against the freckles she’d memorized years ago without ever realizing she was doing it…Mira thought she could’ve stayed in that moment forever.
The cafeteria buzzed around them exactly as it always did. Students hurried between lectures carrying stacks of books, somebody argued loudly over the last pudding cup, chairs scraped against the floor, coffee machines hissed somewhere behind the counter. Kids guitar squicked as he unplugged it. It all blurred together. Because everyone she loved sat around one small table, talking over one another, stealing food, laughing until it hurt and for just a little while…The future felt impossibly close to Mira. Like she could already see them in a house, having their fun together as grown adults, with grown adult jobs, life’s and responsibilities.
The afternoon sun had begun its slow descent by the time they left campus together. Ace walked beside her with one hand tucked inside the pocket of his jeans while the other remained comfortably wrapped around hers. Neither of them seemed in any hurry to let go. Students passed them in both directions, some carrying stacks of books beneath their arms, others laughing loudly as they crossed the courtyard toward the dormitories. Around them, life continued exactly as it always had, but Mira barely paid any attention to it. She was too busy watching the way Ace had already opened the notebook again. He had barely closed it back in the cafeteria before curiosity got the better of him.
“You really put everything in here.” He spoke up as he flipped through the pages now with difficulty as he wouldn’t let go of her hand. “I told you I suffered.” Mira reminded him as they continued walking toward her dorm room. “You definitely did.” A quiet smile lingered on his lips as he slowly turned another page. His heart warmed with every photograph she had glued carefully into the notebook. Around each one she’d scribbled little notes, dates, reminders only the two of them would understand. The first picture made him laugh immediately; It was him, standing in Pop’s kitchen with flour covering nearly his entire face while smoke curled lazily out of the oven behind him.
Beneath it, written in Mira’s unmistakable handwriting, were the words:
Ace trying to bake muffins.
Then came another photograph. Ace smiled before she even noticed which one he’d stopped on. The four of them stood awkwardly outside a restaurant. Law looked deeply inconvenienced by the camera while Seki was trying not to laugh. Mira held Ace’s hand so tightly she’d nearly crushed it; Their very first attempt at a double date.
“I completely forgot about this.” He pointed at the awkward picture of them and their friends. “Seki made us pose.” Ace laughed quietly. “Law looked like someone forced him to attend his own funeral.” Ace pointed out while they walked another few steps before he turned the page again.
This time… He stopped completely. His thumb rested gently against the edge of the faded Polaroid; The colors had softened over the years, but neither of their smiles had. They couldn’t have been older than fifteen and fourteen. Jozu stood somewhere outside the frame because both of them remembered he’d been the one to light the candles, while their Pop’s was holding the camera and everyone else crowded around the dinner table inside the orphanage. Mira’s lipstick stained one side of Ace’s cheek in a bright little kiss mark. Ace stared at it for a long moment before slowly tilting the notebook toward her. “We kissed for the first time that day.” Mira looked down and the memory came rushing back almost instantly. “Oh, God…”She laughed so hard she had to cover her face for a second. “That kiss was horrible.” Ace looked mock offended. “It wasn’t that bad.” He argued but he knew she was right. “Our lips just…” she gestured vaguely between them, “…stayed there.” He barked out a laugh. “There wasn’t any actual kissing.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“You definitely kiss better now.”
His grin immediately turned smug, “Oh yeah?” He teased her slightly as he leaned down toward her. “Don’t let it get to your head.” She retorted and nudged his shoulder hard enough to make him stumble half a step before he squeezed her hand again. “You forgot to breathe.” Mira reminded him as she started teasing him back but Ace laughed so loudly, that several students turned to look at them before continuing on their way.
“Nah, I breathed through my nose.” She stared at him for a second before shaking her head. “You’re unbelievable.” She sighed but the smile remained on her lips, she always knew she’d get wrinkles early on in life because of him. “And yet,-” He lifted their joined hands with a grin.”-you still kept me.”
By the time they reached her dormitory, the sun had dipped low enough to paint the windows gold. Mira unlocked the door while Ace leaned casually against the frame beside her. “So…” she asked over her shoulder. “Nine still works?”
He stepped closer almost absentmindedly, reaching up to brush a few stray strands of hair away from her face after the breeze had blown them loose,“Might be five minutes late.” She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve gotta pick Viv up from the station. Luffy’s car broke down again.” A small pout immediately appeared. “What about Sabo?” Ace sighed dramatically. “He’s busy with Koala.” He frowned himself now, already knowing that Sabo immediately ran away at the mention of driving in the snow.
“…Doing what?” He shrugged.
“I didn’t ask.”
“You definitely should’ve asked.”
“I value my peace.”
That earned him a quiet laugh while he leaned down, pressing a quick kiss against her forehead before resting his own there for just a second. “Don’t frown, sweetheart.” His voice had softened again. “I’ll be there before you know it.” He whispered against her skin, warm and tender. “And then?” She questioned him further as her fingers curled into his tighter.
“Then we go see Pop’s.” She smiled and hummed in approval. Mira rose onto her toes just enough to steal one last kiss before stepping inside. “I’ll see you later.” She bid him goodbye with a small wave. “You definitely will.” She watched him walk backward down the hallway for several steps until she closed the door behind her, finally turning around, notebook still tucked beneath his arm. And only once she’d closed the door behind her did another voice immediately cut through the silence.
“Eugh.”
Mira looked up; Seki sat comfortably on her desk chair with one finger pointed dramatically toward the door she’d just closed, her expression twisted into exaggerated disgust.
“You two are unbearable.” She signed, always more comfortable to remain silent and sign her thoughts and words instead. Mira dropped her bag onto the floor, “Don’t act like you didn’t have your tongue down Law’s throat last night.” Seki’s entire face turned bright red before she flipped her off. “Yeah, I heard you.” Mira burst into laughter as she threw herself dramatically onto Seki’s bed, burying her face into one of the pillows. Seki didn’t let her hide for long, she tapped her head and signed, “So?” She leaned closer, eyebrows wiggling. Mira looked up with a grin she couldn’t quite suppress. “He loved it, Seki.” Mira signed back before they both squealed loud enough that somebody banged on the wall from the neighboring dorm room but neither of them cared.
The room descended into complete chaos the moment Seki announced they only had forty-five minutes left; Clothes flew, sweaters landed on lamps. A pair of jeans somehow ended up hanging from the doorknob while Mira stood in the middle of the disaster, holding two completely different shoes with growing concern. “I swear I had brown boots.” Seki looked around the room but the floor had disappeared beneath sweaters, dresses, scarves, cardigans and enough discarded outfits to clothe an entire dormitory. “…Good question.” Her fingers signed the words while Mira dropped to her knees, digging through the growing mountain.
“This one?”
Sekis head shook, no.
“What about this one?”
Another headshake.
“What about this one?” Mira held up her Uggs and Seki frowned at the sight. “…Absolutely not.” She signed before she turned around again and continued fixing her short hair.
Eventually, after emptying nearly every drawer they owned and creating what looked suspiciously like the aftermath of a hurricane, Mira emerged triumphantly holding an off-shoulder turquoise sweater. “There.” Seki looked up from where she was trying to untangle a necklace. “You started with that one.” Mira didn’t understand what she signed at first, until Seki repeated it again. “It was meant to be.” She signed back her argument to which Seki simply sighed. Within another ten minutes the room finally resembled something slightly less catastrophic. Mira pulled the oversized sweater over her head before slipping into a pair of low-rise jeans. The turquoise fabric slid lazily off her shoulders while her black tank top peeked through, exactly the way she liked, warm enough for the winter evening without hiding completely beneath layers. Across the room Seki smoothed down her dress before pulling a soft cardigan over it, buttoning only the middle button against the cold. The two girls looked themselves over in the mirror.
“I approve.”
Mira glanced up.
“You look pretty.”
“So do you.”
The compliment came so naturally neither of them lingered on it. Instead Seki grabbed her coat, phone and keys in one practiced motion. “Law’s waiting downstairs.” She notified her as she grabbed her last necessities and stuffed them into her bag. “Tell him not to make you late.”
Seki laughed at that as she opened the door. “I’ll see you at the party.”
Then she was gone and the room suddenly felt strangely quiet. Mira looked around at the battlefield they’d left behind.“…We’ll deal with that tomorrow.” She collapsed into her desk chair. The small mirror reflected someone who looked older than the girl she’d been a few years ago, but still undeniably herself. She reached for the little pot of kohl first. The familiar motion came automatically now, darkening the edges of her eyes before she softened it carefully with her fingertip until the black became smoke instead of sharp lines and a little lip gloss followed.
Nothing dramatic—Just enough.
She leaned back slightly and nodded at her reflection in approval.
A knock echoed through the dorm room and her head snapped toward the door. He was early. A grin spread across her face before she could stop it. She practically skipped across the room, swinging the door open; Ace stood there with both hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, dark curls slightly windswept from the cold evening air. The second he saw her, he smiled. “Hey, gorgeous.” His eyes travelled over her for only a heartbeat before settling back on hers. “Your taxi’s here.” A delighted squeal escaped her before she could pretend she’d meant to act cooler than that as she leaned forward quickly, pressing a kiss against his cheek.
“I’ll be right back.” Before Ace even had time to answer she had already disappeared back into the room. He watched with an amused shake of his head as she rushed from one side of the room to the other. Her bag landed on the bed; Lip gloss—Into the bag. Her little Polaroid camera—Into the bag. A compact mirror, brush and her wallet until she zipped it halfway before stopping abruptly.
“Oh!” Ace raised an eyebrow as she darted back toward her desk. Two hair ties disappeared into the front pocket, then she stopped again. “Wait.” The cupboard opened and she grabbed a wrapped chocolate bar. Ace laughed about it before finally satisfied, she slung the bag over her shoulder and hurried back toward him. “Let’s go.” Without another thought she caught his hand and immediately started pulling him down the hallway.
Ace stumbled half a step before laughing. “Whoa, slow down.” She didn’t. “I wanna appreciate you before we’re surrounded by idiots.” That finally made her stop and she looked back over her shoulder just in time to catch the way he was already looking at her. Not just glancing, he was watching her with such softness in his eyes that Mira couldn’t help but turn around and drag him along again.
The walk across campus suddenly became slower, comfortable. Their hands remained linked between them while winter air curled around their sleeves. Outside, parked beneath one of the old campus lamps, waited Ace’s car; Calling it a car would’ve been generous. The faded paint had seen better days. One headlight always looked slightly sleepier than the other and the driver’s door still squeaked whenever it opened. Izou had finally replaced it last year after buying himself something newer, insisting Ace take the old one because, in his words, “someone should appreciate this heap of junk.” But Ace adored it anyway.
“So…” Mira reached for the passenger door but she never made it. Ace caught her wrist gently and she turned back just as he stepped closer—Until her back rested lightly against the side of the car. Neither of them spoke for a moment and the parking lot had grown quiet beneath the evening sky, the campus behind them glowing softly with warm yellow windows. “You look gorgeous.” His voice dropped almost instinctively, barely above a whisper while his fingers found the loose collar of her sweater, absentmindedly smoothing where it had folded against her shoulder. “I love when you wear this color.” The warmth in his eyes made her cheeks heat far more effectively than the sweater ever could but she still smiled, then closed the small distance between them herself.
Their kiss was brief—Gentle. The kind that came so naturally now neither of them had to think about it anymore. When they pulled apart, Ace rested his forehead against hers for just a second, smiling quietly. “…Happy birthday.” He laughed.
“I was wondering when you’d say it again.”
“I plan on saying it all night.”
“I like that plan.”
“So do I.”
Only then did they finally climb into the old car, laughter following them into the winter evening as the engine protested loudly before deciding, reluctantly, to start. ‘Wonderwall’ by oasis’ played on the radio and By the time Ace pulled the old car into the gravel driveway, music was already spilling out of the windows, yellow light glowed from every room of the old orphanage, laughter carrying into the cold evening long before either of them reached the porch. Mira barely had time to grab her bag before Ace caught her wrist and took the bag instead. “You ready?” She smiled, “As I’ll ever be.” The front door opened before either of them could knock.
“SURPRISE!” The shout hit them like a cannon blast and Mira actually jumped while Ace laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. The living room erupted into applause and whistles as nearly everyone shouted over each other.
“Happy birthday!”
“Old man!”
“Finally twenty!”
“About time!”
White streamers hung crookedly from the ceiling, paper lanterns swayed above their heads, and someone—Mira immediately suspected Marco—had attempted to hang a banner reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY ACE!!, though one side had already fallen loose and now read more like HAPPY… ACE!! Pop stood in the middle of it all with his enormous arms crossed, pretending not to smile. “So,” he rumbled. “You made it! The big Twenty!” Ace walked straight into the hug before anyone else had the chance. “Thanks, Pop.”
He whispered into his father’s chest.
“You’re still paying for the food.”
Now he rolled his eyes before he let him go.“I knew there was a catch.”
Laughter rolled through the room again and the next hour disappeared almost immediately. Someone handed Ace a drink while someone else handed Mira another. Music grew louder. The conversations split into little islands scattered throughout the house. Marco and Izou somehow ended up arguing over who had cheated during a card game five years ago.
“You absolutely hid cards in your sleeve.”
“I was wearing short sleeves.”
“You found a way.”
“I was simply gifted.”
“You were a criminal.”
“I prefer ‘creative.’”
Across the room Luffy had somehow convinced Thatch, Sabo and Deuce that balancing crackers on their foreheads before catching them with their mouths constituted a legitimate drinking game. “It absolutely does!” Luffy insisted. “It absolutely doesn’t,” Sabo replied. Three minutes later all four of them were playing anyway. Mira laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink as most of the beverages ended up on their faces instead of in their mouths. Nearby, Nami was absolutely destroying everyone at another game involving cards and bottle caps. Zoro claimed he wasn’t participating but he had somehow already lost twice while Usopp dramatically declared himself the undefeated champion of everything and nobody believed him—Not even Franky. The warmth inside the orphanage wrapped itself around everyone. Someone had pushed the furniture aside to make room for dancing while Somebody else had already broken one chair and no one seemed particularly upset about it. Mira wandered through it all with her Polaroid camera in her hands.
“Smile.”
Click.
Marco looked thoroughly offended. “You didn’t even warn me.” She laughed while she already went and took the next picture, which caught Thatch halfway through stealing food from Ace’s plate. Another captured Sabo laughing so hard tears had gathered in his eyes.
Luffy somehow appeared in nearly every photograph with a peace sign held up despite never standing still. One after another the little white photographs slid from the camera into Mira’s waiting hand. She shook each one carefully before smiling as the colors slowly emerged—Exactly like magic. Pop’s had stretched a thin piece of string across one side of the living room just for her.
Tiny wooden clothespins waited beside it and one by one she clipped every fresh memory onto the line.
Marco making a face.
Ace laughing.
Luffy standing on a chair.
Nami rolling her eyes.
Zoro looking confused about losing a game he’d never admitted to playing.
The line slowly filled with pieces of the evening, tiny frozen moments, little memories before they even had the chance to become memories. Mira stood back to admire them. “They’re perfect.” Her phone vibrated inside her jean pocket.—Law.—
She smiled before answering.
“Where are you?” She questioned him. “We’re almost there.” His voice was partly drowned out by the sound of a car engine. “I had to stop Seki from buying too much cake.” Mira laughed before she spoke again. “I’ll come outside when you—” Suddenly somebody grabbed her around the waist and she let out a small squeaked. The phone nearly slipped from her hand—Ace. He had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, one arm wrapped securely around her while he leaned dramatically into her shoulder. “Say cheese, Miku.” She chuckled as she smiled into the camera, Nami already had the Polaroid in her hands. “Got it!”
The flash exploded. Ace’s grin stretched impossibly wide beside her, freckles catching beneath the warm lights while his arm remained firmly around her waist.
The photograph slid from the camera. “There.” Nami waved it triumphantly. “My masterpiece.”
Ace looked entirely too pleased with himself as he looked down at her then, still smiling exactly the same way he always did whenever his eyes were on her. Like she had been the moon to his sun. Before Mira could question why he was grinning at her like that, the front door burst open.
Cold winter air rushed inside.
“We brought cake!” Law’s voice echoed through the house. Law walked in behind Seki, carrying an enormous bouquet that looked almost bigger than he was while she proudly walked in with the cake in her hand and a big ‘20’ candle in the middle of it. The house erupted into excited cheers once more while someone turned the music up. Someone else handed Ace another drink as they pulled him away from her and into the crowd.
And beneath strings of paper lanterns and a wall slowly filling with Polaroids, the night carried on exactly the way none of them knew they would one day miss. Mira had somehow ended up talking to Robin about an assignment they both still had due after the holidays. The conversation had drifted from professors to deadlines to how neither of them intended on thinking about university again until the end of January. Robin listened with the same quiet attentiveness she always carried, her glass resting comfortably in one hand while laughter echoed from the living room. Mira was halfway through explaining how impossible one particular lecturer had made their presentation when she felt gentle fingers slip around her own.
Warm.
Familiar.
Her sentence stopped mid-thought as she turned just enough for the beer in her cup to slosh dangerously close to the rim. Ace stood beside her now, he didn’t interrupt, didn’t speak. He only smiled—that easy, boyish smile she knew by heart—and tipped his head ever so slightly toward the staircase. Robin followed the silent exchange with quiet amusement. A knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I think,-” she said softly, lifting her glass, “-we can continue this tomorrow.” Mira felt warmth creep into her cheeks. “…Sorry.”She apologized with a sheepish smile. “Don’t be.” Robin’s eyes flickered briefly toward Ace before returning to Mira. “Go.”
Ace didn’t waste another second.
Still holding her hand, he gently tugged her away from the conversation. The music swallowed the sound of their footsteps as they crossed the living room together. On the couch, Seki looked up just in time to notice them. She was comfortably settled sideways on Law’s lap, one arm looped lazily around his shoulders while he continued an entirely one-sided debate with penguin about something neither of them seemed particularly invested in anymore. Seki caught Mira’s eye immediately and she lifted one eyebrow—Going somewhere?
The signs came effortlessly and Mira grinned. Knowing the distance was already too much for Seki’s cochlear implants to pick up voices, she answered with her hands instead—I’ll have some fun. Seki’s smile widened into something dangerously mischievous. She wiggled both eyebrows suggestively before lifting her glass in approval. Law finally noticed her moving hands and looked between the two women with visible suspicion.
“…Should I be concerned?” Seki only smiled innocently.
“So,” Mira murmured, “this was your master plan?” He only smiled while his hand found hers again before slowly sliding to the small of her back. She barely had time to return her own smile before he leaned down and kissed her softly and unhurried. The taste of beer lingered faintly on his lips, mixed with laughter and the sweetness of the birthday cake he’d stolen far too many slices of downstairs. “I’ve been thinking about doing that for a while,” he whispered into the kiss.
“I know.” Another kiss, followed as Ace slid his tongue into her mouth. The rest of the house faded into distant music and muffled laughter below, leaving only the quiet room around them. Mira’s fingers slipped into the curls at the back of his neck while he broke the kiss and rested his forehead briefly against hers, both of them smiling in that effortless way couples do after years of learning one another’s rhythms. Mira’s hands wandered to his chest, the Grandline university logo stitched onto his sweater beneath her fingers. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a little quicker than usual. His sweater was warm beneath her hands, and when she breathed in, she caught the faint trace of his cologne beneath the lingering sweetness of the party.
He leaned in just enough for his forehead to brush hers, the contact so gentle it made her breath catch. His thumb traced a slow circle against her exposed back, the motion absentminded and intimate all at once. Then Ace closed the last little bit of distance between them and the kiss turned into something much more hungry than before and a little deeper when his hand at her waist pulled at her sweater just enough that Mira lifted her arms above her head and he pulled it off of her. Mira smiled against his mouth. “I’ve wanted to do that since I picked you up.”
“I knew it.”
“You looked too pretty.”
She laughed softly, the sound disappearing between their mouths. “You are impossible.” She breathed heavily as his lips wandered to her neck and left a trail of sloppy kisses behind. “So I’ve been told.” His hand slipped carefully up her back, fingers tracing every part of her bare back, as though committing the moment to memory. Her own hands wandered naturally bellow his sweater before she pulled it off of him. fingertips brushing against his warm chest until he sighed quietly into her neck. The sound sent a small, delicious shiver through her, and she felt his mouth curve faintly against her collarbone as if he’d noticed.
Outside, the first firework burst across the midnight sky. Gold spilled across the bedroom ceiling through the window. Another followed—Then red, blue and purple lit up the sky all at once. The room flickered gently with every explosion of light, each flash painting their faces in brief, glowing color before fading back into the dim warmth of the room. Neither of them halting, neither of them letting go of each other. “Midnight,” Mira whispered. Ace turned his head just enough for his lips to brush her shoulder before they drifted lower, lingering near her chest. His breath warmed her skin, and she could feel the faint smile in it before he spoke. “Happy New Year,-“ The words were barely more than a whisper as he pressed a lingering kiss against the curve of her breast, slow enough to make her knees feel a little unsteady. “-sweetheart.” A shiver ran through her before she could stop it, drawing a quiet laugh from him. She nudged his shoulder lightly, though she was smiling too much to make it convincing.
Another firework bloomed outside the window, bathing the room in warm gold for a fleeting second. In that light, his eyes looked almost molten, fixed on her with a tenderness that made her chest ache in the best possible way. Mira looked toward it, then back at him, “happy birthday.” Ace straightened again and his eyes landed on hers. She rose onto her toes and kissed him again, slower this time, letting the celebration outside become nothing more than distant light and muffled cheers. The kiss tasted like warmth and promise. And when she pulled at his belt Ace knew they won’t be going down for a while. Downstairs, someone started counting another round of drinks while they chanted a birthday song for the birthday boy they knew was very much occupied. Because for now, the night belonged only to them while the fireworks continued to bloom beyond the window long after the music below had become little more than a comforting hum, and when they eventually returned to the party sometime later, they did so hand in hand, smiling with the quiet contentment that comes from stealing a few precious moments away from everyone else.
Eventually, the night ended and the walk back from the parking lot to Mira’s dorm was slow. Still a little sore between the legs, Ace carried her on his back, while neither of them seemed particularly eager to let the night end just yet. The campus had fallen almost silent now, the loud celebrations giving way to scattered laughter in the distance. Every now and then another firework burst somewhere beyond the university buildings, painting the sleeping streets in brief flashes of gold and crimson before fading back into the dark. Ace kept his arms securely around her legs the entire way. When they finally stopped in front of her dormitory, neither of them reached for the door. Instead, they simply stood there. “Alone tonight?” Ace asked quietly and Mira nodded. “Seki’s staying with Law.” A small sigh escaped her as she stepped forward without another word, pressing herself against him until her cheek rested comfortably in his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him with the kind of familiarity that only came after years of loving the same person. She could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear, Slow, steady and comforting. “Happy birthday,-” she whispered and the words were barely audible. “-I love you.” She smiled to herself before mumbling it again, almost as if she couldn’t help it. “Happy birthday.” Ace let out the softest chuckle as his lips brushed the crown of her head before lingering there. “I love you so much.” He told her while his hand disappeared into her hair almost automatically, gently smoothing it where the wind had left it messy. They stayed like that for a long while, neither speaking, neither moving. Fireworks continued blooming somewhere over the city, one after another, as if the new year refused to let the night end. The occasional crack echoed across campus before dissolving into silence again.
Most people celebrated the turning of another year, while Mira knew, that standing there in Ace’s arms, she had never cared much for that. To her—Tonight had always been about celebrating the life of the person she loved most in this world. She smiled against his sweater before she could repeat it again and again “…Happy birthday.” A yawn interrupted the last word and Ace laughed quietly. “Keep it for next year, you will run out” His fingers continued absentmindedly stroking through her hair. Mira only hummed in response before tightening her arms around him another fraction. “Don’t go.” The words came out muffled against his chest, accompanied by the slightest pout as she felt the laugh rumble through him before she heard it. “Luffy and Viv are still in the car.” He smiled down at her. “You forgot about that, sweetheart?” Gently, almost reluctantly, he eased her back just enough to look at her face and his heart melted instantly at the sight; Sleep tugged at the corners of her eyes while her lips were still curved into the smallest pout. But it was the look in her eyes that caught him. There was so much affection there, so much longing. The kind of love that never needed grand declarations because it lived quietly in every glance she gave him.
Mira looked away first. “Stupid Luffy.” Her brows knit together in exaggerated annoyance. “He should stop using that metal junk to race random idiots.” Ace couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, well,-” He reached up, curling a finger beneath her chin before gently nudging her face back toward him. “We’ll just do it again tomorrow.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and the expression earned exactly the reaction he’d hoped for; Her tired little pout dissolved into a laugh, “There she is.” He exclaimed softly before Mira shook her head. “Alright, lover boy,-” She smiled, the teasing glint returning to her eyes. “Tomorrow you’ll get some good old-fashioned birthday sex again.” Ace burst into laughter but before he could answer, a loud bang echoed from one of the neighboring dorm rooms.
“WOULD YOU TWO GO TO SLEEP?!”
The muffled shout through the wall made both of them freeze for half a second and Ace winced dramatically. “…Okay.” He pointed toward the exit. “That’s my cue to leave.” Mira laughed so hard she nearly leaned into him again but he stole one last kiss from her forehead instead.
“Sleep well.”
“You too.”
He began walking backward across the path, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, refusing to turn around just yet. When he was several steps away, he cupped his hands around his mouth. “Close the door!” He shouted without a care for anyone asleep or awake alike. Mira folded her arms and rolled her eyes affectionately. “Bossy.” But she smiled anyway and with one last wave, she stepped inside the dormitory and the door clicked softly shut behind her.
Only once Ace heard the lock turn did he finally turn toward the parking lot, the smile on his face lingering all the way back to the old beat-up car where Luffy and Vivi had undoubtedly been waiting—and probably complaining—for far longer than either of them realized. And he finally started the engine and dropped them off at the station.
‘i wanna be adored, by the stone roses’ rang through the night as Mira stirred awake. She flipped her phone open and Marco’s name flash her while she squinted her eyes and cursed him once under her breath, “What?” She sighed into the phone as she threw her head back into her pillow with the phone still on her ear. “Mira-“ Marco’s voice sounded different, it sounded panicked, stressed and somehow distraught. Mira instantly sat up as worry overcame her, any remains of sleep leaving her immediately. “Marco?” She whispered before he interrupted her “Mira… Mira oh my god, I’m so sorry-“ Mira sat up completely straight now, her hands starting to tremble as she heard the tremor in his usually composed voice “Marco what is it, calm down” she tried but she finally heard the sobs break out of him “it’s… it’s Ace.” He cried out as the name left his lips and Mira’s mind went blank. Ace? What’s with Ace? “What…” she said in a shaky whisper. “You have to come to the station, now!” he rushed his words before she heard the line end. Mira didn’t think, she slipped on her slippers and ran. She ran for dear life, the wind howling in the night, snow falling down from the skies and the cold biting at her skin as she left distraught and without her jacket. The night was dark with so many stars shining as the moon sat high between the clouds, illuminating her path.
Snow fell into her face as she ran and her breath fogged with each staggered breath she took. Her legs started to burn once she crossed the streets toward the station but she ignored it, she couldn’t even feel it if she truly thought about it. And as she neared, she could see the faint light of red and blue, one after the other illuminating the night. The big ambulance across the street and smoke, which rose higher and higher. As she finally arrived at the station, a crowd had already gathered around. People were talking, chaos of shouts and words she couldn’t make out—Everything was but a blur. She tried to push through the crowd as best as she could and when she finally bumped into a police officer, she no longer could sort her mind. “Ma’am you can’t pass through here.” The police officer nudged her back but she just tried again, tried to push past him but to no avail. “Ma’am don’t make me repeat myse-“ but he couldn’t finish his words, she used all her strength to push him away and crawl under the barricade tape “hey!” She heard him yell as two other officers rushed to help and pull her back off the scene. “Please! Thats-“ she choked on the sobs that she tried to contain ever since she jumped off her bed. “Thats my boyfriend!” She yelled as they finally let go off her and she crumbled to the ground. Marco spotted her and immediately rushed to pick her off the snow covered floor. “Mira…” he whispered but she didn’t look at him. She looked at The crimson stained snow and the old junk of a car that had been turned over and broken beyond repair. ‘Wonderwall’ by oasis echoed through the dark night while she looked at the other car that emitted all the smoke around them and then the body bag came in view. Zipped shut and about to be carried away. “No-“ she choked as she felt Marco’s arms tighten around her and the sobs he choked back trembling through their bodies. “No, no, no, no—“ she continued as tho all her words had been taken from her. But it hadn’t been just her words, it had been her life, her future, her past and her present. Everything was taken from her in just a mere moment. Everything they had planned, everything they wanted to do, all the promises of tomorrow and next years happy birthdays— all gone. He was gone—gone forever, never to smile again or light up the room. He was gone-
“Mom?”
Mira stirred once as she looked at her daughter. Cora was looking at her with so much worry in her midnight eyes as she watched her mother lose a tear. “Mom? Are you ok? Who is this?” So many questions all at once and Mira couldn’t answer any of them, she was still stuck in that night. Still the broken and distraught 19 year old girl that had lost the one thing she loved the most.
And despite everything flooding back through her senses, she coughed once, cleared her throat and placed a hand on her daughter’s small cheek. “I’m ok,-“ she clears her throat again. “-It’s an old friend.” She lied through her teeth as she placed the Polaroid upside down beside her. “Why are you crying then?” She cursed herself for still being the girl she once was so many years ago, weak and unable to speak of what happened with anyone. “Oh, honey— don’t worry… he-“ her voice cracked slightly before she continued. “He uhm, he passed a long time ago.” Mira couldn’t bare it anymore, she couldn’t sit still and look at her daughters worry filled eyes any longer. So she got up and went to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water before she gulped it down quickly. She could feel her heart beating erratically inside her chest as though it might burst through her ribs and leave her forever. Leave to go to a place long left in the past.
She glanced at her daughter, she picked up the Polaroid again to stare at it now. Her back towards her mother as she smoothed the wrinkles like she could save it— like she could maybe save him and thus save her mother’s tears. But Mira stayed put. Even as Marco’s voice rang through their home, even as she watched her daughter quickly discard the Polaroid on the couch and rush toward him. “Dad!” She exclaimed. But Mira stayed right where she was, watching the dark black curls of her daughter’s sway as she jumped into Marco’s arms, even as the freckles on her cheeks disappeared as she smiled, even as several tears escaped Mira’s eyes now, she simply watched what remained of him wonder just who he was.
