"Royal flush."
Sabo laid the cards down in a widespread fan on the low table they were using, and Ace gaped in shock. This was supposed to be a simple time-waster, something to fill the void while Luffy was out having a great time with his friends! It had swiftly turned into a fierce battle to hold onto his money, however.
The two of them had been playing for hours and sure, Ace had won his fair share - even though Sabo was extremely careful not to overbet if he was uncertain his hand would win; but the amount of times that that guy had wiped the floor with him, cleaning out his pockets and calling his bluffs like he was competing against a two-year-old who had no idea was poker was…
His incredulous stare moved up to take in the blonde's smug grin. "Again!? How!? You have to be cheating!"
A single thin, blonde eyebrow raised at the accusation, his smile not anywhere close to dimming. "Really? You're saying that I'm cheating after all the times I caught you slipping cards up your sleeve?"
"That wasn't… I… Aw, damn." He glowered at the floor. "I didn't think you'd notice."
"I notice everything, Ace. Including that you're sneakily trying to do it again right now."
Leaning across the small table, he tugged lightly at Ace's sleeve for effect and a stream of cards came filtering out all over the rug. He chuckled at the angry blush that was quickly spreading across his face. "You'll have to do better than that to fool me."
Ace grumbled something about cocky idiots under his breath, scooping up all of the cards and reshuffling them back into the deck as Sabo watched him with laughing eyes. Nothing got past the bastard, no matter how stealthy he tried to be. Ace's sad attempts to perform sleight of hand may not have been something to write home about, but shit! It was impossible for anyone to be that observant, wasn't it?
Man, who am I kidding? This is Sabo we're talking about, he inwardly groaned. He's the same man who gives a single probing look and can instantly tell what's up with me seconds later. If I had a shit day or not, whether I've had enough sleep, if I skipped lunch or even if I had another one of those stupid narcoleptic fits!
Duping him was a futile effort that any smart person would have given up on by now. There was literally no possible way to pull the wool over his eyes, and Ace should know. He had done absolutely everything that sprang to mind, pulled every move from every game he had ever played in his life and used it on the blonde. All of them were wild, risky gambits that had usually resulted in a win, yet he still lost under the searching gaze of that damn moron.
The fact that they'd known each other since their early kindergarten days didn't help matters much, either. Every move that Sabo made against him was calmly calculated based on what he knew of his enemy. As it was, there existed no one else alive who knew Ace better; even Luffy didn't know everything, but Sabo did.
It was probably really dumb for him to say yes whenever that innocent grin coerced him into playing a game.
Pfffft. Innocent, his ass.
Maybe he accepted the challenge because he liked to see the devious mind underneath all that composure. Watching his boyfriend at work was quite a sight, no matter what game he was playing. He didn't leave anything to chance, and he never walked into any situation unprepared. There was always some kind of gap in the brunet's armor that he just couldn't see, and Sabo singled out that weak spot every time. No opening was too small for him to take advantage of, Ace had learned that right away. So it stood to reason that his every thought was being foreseen, analyzed and countered. The jerk read him as easily as he did one of his books.
I don't know what I expected, Ace thought with a long suffering mental sigh. He's always been that way.
Absolutely no fun, that guy. No fun at all.
The cheekiness on the victor's face hadn't settled, his arms crossed and eyes gleaming with the usual triumph that made Ace huff. "Fine, quit your damn crowing. How much do I owe you?" he asked, slapping the deck back down onto the table. Tugging the pockets out of his jeans proved beyond the shadow of a doubt just how poor he was. There wasn't even a moth fluttering out to emphasize the emptiness. "I'm running out of cash, 'Bo. Pretty soon I'm gonna have to call it quits."
Those green orbs traced a pattern up and down his body, shoulders rolling in a small shrug. "There are other ways to pay me back," he suggested, his tone carefully modest. Ace didn't believe him, though. Not when his smile had morphed to look like the devil's.
"Uh-huh. If you want me to wear a dress or something, think again," he deadpanned. "Even I have standards."
"Is that so? I had no idea."
Sabo chuckled, earning a dark glare from the brunet. "Well, thanks for telling me. It's good to know that there are at least a few lines that you won't cross, although now that you mention it…" He beamed brightly, sizing Ace up from within the boundaries of the frame that his fingers had formed. "I think a skirt would suit you quite well. They're breezy from what I understand, perfect for a hot summer evening. And it would mean easy access for me."
Ace bristled from the casually spoken comment that had forced him to blush hard enough to put a tomato to shame, scowling his dislike and trying to lean away from that look. To the right, then to the left as his lover's hands followed his movements. No matter what he did, there was no escaping the teasing stare shining through those fingers. "Since when have I ever gotten 'easy access' for all my trouble?" he griped, trying not to think about what kind of skirt Sabo was currently imagining him in.
The wink he received in response made him frown. "When you have earned that privilege, I'll let you know."
A sarcastic laugh slipped out of Ace, almost as dry as his tone. "Funny, as always. Except when you're not funny - which is all the time."
The blonde pouted his lips, pretending to look hurt while Ace stared pointedly at him. "So. Get that brain of yours out of the gutter and tell me what you want."
"What I want, huh…"
Ace tapped a finger against his knee, watching the thoughtful expression on Sabo's face with curiosity. "You don't expect me to believe that you're gonna let me out of your sight without giving you something in return?"
The sound of that word made Sabo shudder, and he gradually pulled on the knot of his tie to loosen it. He blinked languidly in Ace's direction and smiled in such a way that even Ace couldn't mistake it for anything other than trouble. "Absolutely not," he murmured. "To the victor goes the spoils. No exceptions."
Ace swallowed thickly, his cheeks burning up from the stare he was receiving. It penetrated like an arrowhead straight to his heart, pricking just hard enough to raise the tempo to an uneven drumbeat. Shit, this was exactly how he'd felt after seeing the blonde for the very first time. Years spent apart at separate colleges only to be met with that look, those eyes that seemed to rip all the layers off and leave him bare. The boy had turned into a man while he was gone, and that man actually wanted him.
Calm down, you overeager son of a…
Ace let out a breath, liquid fire surging through his veins as he bit his lip. God, you shouldn't feel this aroused from one fucking look!
"How about you take the shirt off first?" the blonde suggested with a sly smirk. "That seems like a good place to start."
"A-are we playing strip poker all of a sudden…?"
Sabo grinned. "Do you want to play strip poker?"
Only if it led to that lean, muscular body squirming and sweating in his arms. But he didn't say that out loud because it would just add more tinder to an already raging inner flame, and he was having a heck of a time controlling that infuriatingly large problem when they hadn't had sex since…
Fuck, how long had it been since he and Sabo did it? The circumstances of their daily life called for a lot of creative thinking just to sneak in the occasional kiss behind Luffy's back. Coincidental brushes against each other as they passed, knowing looks exchanged as they swallowed back the urges to somewhere the teen wouldn't be able to see. Even private time in the bathroom was out of the question. Luffy did not understand the boundaries of personal space that well and was constantly barging through the door to ask something, whether it was a stupid question or an even stupider question. Ace was losing whatever meager patience he held within him, and if he caved right now then…
He didn't want to 'accidentally' break any more furniture with the unleashing of his passions. So he wrapped the chains of control as tightly as he could around his throbbing aches, putting on a show of shrugging casually at the offer as if it sounded mildly appealing at best. "I guess. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I denied the requests of the one I love?"
"Aw, how sweet. Thanks, love muffin," Sabo cooed, pressing a small kiss to his hand and blowing it in Ace's direction. The brunet rolled his eyes at the display, but a small smirk played on his lips from the attention. "You won't regret it, I promise."
"I'll start to if you don't change that tone to something normal," Ace retorted with an amused snort. "I swear, you sound just like Luffy's friend when he spots a lovely lady."
Sabo cocked his head for a moment, the action endearing to Ace in so many ways. "Sanji, right?"
"Yep, that's the guy. He literally grows hearts for eyeballs and fawns over women like they're goddesses. I've even seen him go completely boneless once. True story."
"Wow. He sure takes dedication to the next level," he admitted, snickering a little before bringing a dramatic hand to his forehead. "Oh, if only I knew that kind of love. But no, instead I'm stuck with the man whose face looks like he's always sucking on lemons…"
Ace's scowl seemed to prove Sabo's point even more, and he grumbled at the shaking laughter coming from the blonde. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe I've found something worse? Lemons would taste sweeter than you!"
"That's because you don't know where my sweet spots are," he giggled in response, giving Ace a bright, hungry smile. Leaning his elbows on the table, he plopped his chin in his hands and examined the few undone buttons of Ace's shirt with a simmering gaze. The way he was biting his lip made the brunet want to instantly close the gap between them, but he held off. Just barely, he kept his desire in check.
"How dare you suggest that I'm terrible at sex," he responded with a feigned glower, doing his best to maintain a believable frown. "I'm offended! I don't think I can ever sleep with you again…"
"Suck it up, you big baby. You haven't paid me back yet for kicking your ass in poker."
Ace chuckled at his eagerness, reaching up to pop his thin shirt open just a little bit more. His fingers worked with a slow, methodical grace as he slipped the plastic buttons through the holes, watching with amused eyes as Sabo closely observed every movement. "Participating in a friendly game of strip poker doesn't mean you get to automatically jump me. I don't think you understand the rules as well as you think."
"Or… maybe I make my own rules?" he offered, leaning in so that he could see better. "More exciting, pleasurable rules that you can't possibly turn down."
"Oh yeah?" Ace fought to keep the rugged purr of anticipation out of his voice. "So what are you gonna do to me if I decide that it's too cold to take my shirt off?"
"I don't think we'll have to worry too much about that," Sabo drawled, the deeply arousing sound making Ace's fingers falter. Cursing inwardly, he fumbled with the final button and slipped the fabric off of his shoulders, letting the open top of the shirt hang seductively around his hips as he grinned.
"How's that?" he asked with a playful wink. "No complaints, I hope?"
"Why would I ever complain about you?"
Ace laughed then, a loud, jovial one that shook his chest. "Don't lie. I've heard you muttering to no one in particular about how I never make the bed. After all these years of putting the man I love before myself, you have to get on my ass about a few messy bedsheets. Remember when you caught that nasty bug, and I got it too just so you wouldn't have to spend all your time alone in bed? I never complained once."
"That… was unnecessary but also very sweet and I think part of it was selfish too, seeing as you spooned and cuddled me until I almost suffocated. Still, I can't believe you willingly contracted the flu."
"Only for you, babe. Tell me that you didn't love every second."
The blonde was actually blushing in embarrassment now, and Ace took the opportunity to admire his elegant beauty while he was glancing away. The slight tilt of his head, the flustered curve of his lips, the way tufts of blonde fell into his eyes and framed that perfect, handsome jawline. The air began to stick in his lungs like syrup, forcing him to lick at his lips to ease the dry feeling. He couldn't help it if just one look at Sabo was all it took to render him breathless.
Breathless and horny. His blood churned, stirring a certain part of him awake, and he straightened up in an attempt to relieve the sudden pressure. Keep it together, Ace. Don't snap, you hold it together…
The blonde looked back to him after a moment, his seductive grin doing such ungodly things to Ace that he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stifle a groan. "You are an annoying moron," he sighed, "and even more so when you're actually right."
"See, there we go," he murmured, praying that his voice wouldn't shake. "Mr. Perfect declaring that, every so often, his counterpart isn't full of nothing but shit. Was that so hard?"
"Hmph. You may not be critically stupid, but you're definitely on your way there in a hurry. Honestly, who wakes up in the morning and decides to kiss their ill boyfriend until they become sicker than he is?"
Ace grinned widely, seeing his opportunity to quote a wise man's wisest words. "Stupid is as stupid does, sir," he replied, mimicking the accent perfectly.
"I really need to hide that movie from you." Sabo half-smiled, trying not to be overcome with fond affection, and Ace was pleased to see that he was failing miserably. "You know, I do have moments where I wonder how I fell for such a big, musclebound meathead… but most of the time, I'm glad I did."
"How strange. Most of the time I'm sitting around wishing I could've gotten in one last lap dance at the strip club down the street." Ace chuckled, laughing harder and ducking his head when Sabo threw some pieces of leftover popcorn at it. "I'm kidding 'Bo! Totally joking, not the least bit serious! I love you, and you know that I'll only accept lap dances if you're the one offering."
His expression carefully unreadable, Sabo rose and stepped around the obstruction of the table, coming over to gently nestle himself into the crook of his lover's spread legs. Ace stiffened, sucking in a gasp before tentatively releasing it. Firm hips rocked in a slow rhythm against his groin, providing an amazing amount of pressure that he couldn't possibly be prepared for. His chest swam with sudden delight, pulsing through his blood and pounding into his bones.
He needed that blonde so badly that he could practically taste it. But of course that wasn't anything new. Suffering in silence was kind of his thing ever since Luffy had become a permanent presence in their household.
Sabo giggled at his reaction, touching their foreheads together in a simple and heartwarming gesture. "I do know," he whispered, grazing Ace's lips with a subtle lick. "You suck at hiding how you feel - especially now."
The heat of his body was gradually seeping into Ace's lower half, making his breathing thicken with each exhale. Without thinking, he craned his neck to connect their mouths in a kiss; but whenever he was just about within reach, Sabo would pull away barely enough for him to miss. His arms snaked around the slim waist, intending to drag him closer, and this time Sabo held up a hand to receive the kiss on the inside of his palm instead.
Ace frowned, peering with light irritation at the entertained look on his boyfriend's face. "Hey! What gives!?"
"Are you going to accuse me of cheating again?" Sabo's fingers traveled in a feather-light caress over the searingly hot cheek before cupping it. "Don't worry. I'm not in any mood to trick you out of fucking me."
Ace swallowed thickly, blinking at the use of words. "Oh. W-well, that's… good…?"
Sabo snickered, bringing his right hand up to Ace's other cheek. He softly squeezed them together, making the brunet give his lover a flat glare. "I think it's adorable how you radiate such emotion all the time."
"Adorable I am not," Ace muttered grudgingly though puckered lips. "Not adorable."
"Whatever you say, cutie," Sabo teased with a final squish as he let go, his grin causing another pout to form unaided on Ace's lips. But there was no time to come up with a proper comeback.
Their mouths met at last, and he moaned as Sabo's tongue licked its way inside with no hesitation. The self-control that he had been employing shriveled up and blew away in that instant, no more than dust in the wind. He wasn't about to put up any resistance, not when he knew just how hot and delicious of a kisser his boyfriend was. Soft hands slid onto his shoulders, their grip tightening slightly as Ace moved himself closer and tilted his head, deepening the kiss. His own fingers moved into blonde hair, massaging the scalp gently until an answering moan escaped from deep in the back of Sabo's throat. Ace smirked against him and forced that wet cavern open even further. Their tongues warred for dominance, relishing the feel of each other with wild abandon. Definitely tastes better than lemons, Ace thought distractedly. Sabo's intoxicating flavor was something that couldn't be described, only experienced.
The blonde was first to pull back, gasping for breath that didn't seem to want to come. "Ace… I don't think I'll be satisfied with just your shirt off," he panted, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his lover's jeans and promptly tugging downward.
"I'd be disappointed if you were," Ace joked, equally as eager. "That is the point of strip poker, if I'm not mistaken?"
They both laughed, although Ace's turned into a husky groan when Sabo shifted in his lap. He was rubbing against all kinds of sensitive areas, and the constriction of his jeans wasn't leaving much breathing room. Fuck, the tightness made him feel like he was fit to burst…
When his shaky hand reached for the button, he found it being slapped away impatiently. "Allow me," Sabo grunted, tossing a frown in his direction. "You take forever to do this."
"That's because I was doing it on p-purpose… Ugh…"
Ace could feel Sabo's fingers working, the simple contact seeming to burn through all his clothing at once. His head fell back onto the couch he was propped against, and he struggled with the impulsiveness of his body to keep his hips from jerking. "S-shit…" Rasping breaths caught in his chest, and he practically whined his relief the instant that button popped free. "Sabo, zipper."
He heard a loud snort, glancing over to see a frown marring that handsome face. "What am I, your servant? Why don't you try asking nicely?"
Slender hands let go of him completely, and Ace growled, his head swimming. "Sabo," he groaned, eyes flitting shut, "just do it."
"Do it what?"
How could he even consider teasing anybody right now!? He had to want this just as badly as Ace did, yet he didn't look the least bit ruffled. That flare of want had to be lurking somewhere under the surface of that calm smile, it just had to be.
He squirmed blindly, his entire soul searching for an exquisite connection with the blonde that he loved. "Fuck…"
"I won't respond unless you say it," he murmured near Ace's ear, nibbling on the earlobe and pulling away before the disgruntled man could find his lips. "Come on. It's not that difficult to say. If it is, I suppose you could simply pleasure yourself while I watch. That seems like a good alternative, don't you agree?"
Ace's eyes opened to narrow a heated glare at the man. "Bastard!" he hissed, letting out a strangled laugh of raw, passionate arousal. "F-fine. You arrogant prick, would you p-please undo my zipper before I cum in my pants from your irritating hotness!?"
A low purr sounded over him, and he watched as emerald eyes darkened with lust. The zipper tore open with an unceremonious yank, Sabo's hand slipping inside to roughly cup the hardness in his boxers, and his hips lifted with urgency to meet the touch.
"Haaaahn… S-Sabo…" His fingernails dug into the couch cushions as that powerful hand rubbed against him, stroking in such a way that he couldn't sit still. "Shit, shit… Fuck… God, please, Sabo…!"
"There we go. Was that so hard?"
The blonde chuckled, leaning in to place subtle kisses all over the exposed sides of his lover's neck. "Not nearly as hard as you are right now, that's for damn sure. You've waited a long time for this, haven't you?"
He pushed a little more snugly against the brunet's rigid body, hand being replaced by his own clothed erection, and ground his hips down exactly as Ace was bucking upwards. They both moaned, Ace's easily sounding louder and more desperate.
"You have no idea," he growled, his arms wrapping securely around Sabo, holding him there while his chest heaved. "The single reason why I didn't jump you sooner was because I was afraid I might snap the table in half with you under me."
"Heh… You would too," Sabo laughed, although his timbre had lowered throatily at the very idea. Lifting his head, he gave Ace a smoldering look. "Any other furniture we should avoid tonight…?"
A wolfish grin lit up his face. "All of it."
"Mnn… The couch?"
"Yeah."
"The c-counter…?"
"Definitely."
Sabo was a panting, grinding mess atop of him when he finally whispered, "Even… even the wall…?"
"Unless you're looking forward to having a Sabo-sized hole punched through it."
"Fuck, Ace…!" He pressed a heated kiss to his lips, nipping and biting at the supple flesh until he could slip his tongue inside.
Finally. There was the aching need that Sabo had been hiding all along. Sensations flooded Ace as he tore the blonde's pants open, neither of them caring when they heard a harsh rip, and a button went dropping to the floor somewhere. He tugged at them until the soft, milky flesh of his lover's legs brushed against his lower stomach, and he reached in to knead those thighs with his hands, grabbing them and tugging his bottom half down.
Sabo broke the kiss instantly and tossed his head back, moaning loudly into the sweltering heat of the room. "Ace… God, take me now…"
"With pleasure." His arms surrounded the blonde's waist, tackling him to the floor as he towered over him. Emerald eyes gazed up, half-lidded and lustful, while his lips trembled from the force of his pants.
"Just make sure not to drill me into the floor," he breathed with a smirk. Ace shook his head, grinning back as he licked at his lips.
"Are you sure? Could be fun."
"Who the fuck am I kidding? Go nuts."
Ace reached for the elastic of his waistband, about to pull those damn boxers clean off of that writhing body when they heard the door slam open. The hand on his forearm tensed, and the two half naked men painfully held in their panting breaths as they strained to hear who the intruder was. A gentle humming sound carried over to where they were lying behind the couch, and Ace's mouth fell open. Sabo grimaced right back at him. Their eyes shared the same panicked thought in that moment.
No way. There was no freaking way.
"Yo, guys! I'm baaaaaaaack!"
Both of them froze, eyes blown wide with utter horror as they stared at the state they were in. They couldn't go out like this, with Ace shirtless and Sabo missing the crucial covering of his pants!
The mood between them still simmered with heat, and Ace did his absolute best to ignore the protesting in his groin as he sat up a bit. "I thought you said Luffy was going out all night," he whispered harshly, fingers trembling as he tried to do up the button to his pants. It was incredibly torturous for him to go through with, and sucking in a breath didn't relieve any of the tension although it did make it so that his pants were done up again.
Sabo frowned back, definitely as frustrated as his boyfriend was. "That's what he told me! I had no reason to think differently!"
"Damn it!"
"Shit. You ripped the button straight off," Sabo griped, and frowned harder when he realized that the zipper was busted beyond repair as well. "I can't go out there like this! My pants won't even zip up!"
Ace blinked at him for a moment, then grinned sheepishly. "Uh… Sorry?"
His apology didn't lighten the atmosphere very much. The blonde pouted, seeming both disappointed that nothing had happened and annoyed that these pants were now ruined. Tossing them down onto the floor with a huff, he crossed his arms, turning away from Ace's hangdog gaze. "You're buying me a new pair of slacks," he stated with a sour look.
Hearing that made Ace stop feeling so bad, and he balked at him. "What the fuck!? Why am I buying!? You took all my money smart ass! I can't afford the kind of Gucci shit that you wear!"
Sabo gave him a pointed glare, holding out his hand. "Nevermind then, just give me yours!"
Give me yours. Did he really just say that?
Ace stared at him, cheeks reddening as he imagined the blonde wearing the same jeans that he had just been… burning up in. Nice and warm from his skin, his sweat, his blatant lust. His fist tightened on the waistline of his pants, as if he were afraid that the man might strip them right off of his legs. "Y-you want to wear my pants? These pants?" His eyes flitted down and back up again worriedly. "But I need them…"
"Well it's either that, or Luffy sees what happened to mine and wonders what we did tonight," Sabo complained. His frown quickly turned up into a smile though when he saw Ace's defeated scowl slip onto his face.
"Sheesh. Whatever, give me a sec."
"You're the best boyfriend ever," Sabo beamed, leaning up just enough for a chaste kiss. Ace smirked into it.
"Yeah, yeah. You have no idea how much it hurt to stuff myself back in here…" he muttered, panting slightly as he moved to open the stupid button all over again. "You'd better fucking appreciate all the misery I'm going through for you."
Carefully Ace popped his head over the back of the couch, glancing into the kitchen to see if Luffy was there. He couldn't hear anything, and the flat was suspiciously quiet. That wasn't a good sign. Frowning, he stood up anyway. Maybe if he was lucky, the kid had gone to bed or something.
He had just removed the cursed button and let out a helplessly aroused sigh when he heard footsteps slapping the tile behind him.
"Hewwo!" came the slightly muffled greeting.
Ace stiffened, clasping his hands together in front of his fly to hide his obvious 'irritation' from view as he turned. Like he'd suspected, Luffy poked his head into the room from around the kitchen entryway and grinned, his cheeks puffed out. "I wash hungwy sho I came back fowr a shnack."
Luffy. God damn Luffy. He sighed, resisting the urge to rub at his forehead in annoyance. "You do realize they have food at the pub, too," he snapped. "Is that the only reason why you came home so early?"
Luffy swallowed the huge mouthful, shaking his head. "No. We were all having fun until Zoro accidentally tripped Sanji, then he spilled a drink all over the waitress, and they fought for like twenty minutes over the lady's honor and smashed up the place real good. The bartenders threw us all out after that, so I came home. I didn't even get to eat anything! It sucked, Ace. It sucked a lot."
His smile drooped as he took another bite of some meat that had been left over in the fridge. "So… what did you and Sabo do?"
Ace narrowed his eyes, unable to help himself. "Not much," he grumbled honestly before sighing. "We played poker for a while, and I lost. Big surprise there."
"Wow, poker huh! Can I play with you guys?" the teen asked, walking into the room with a grin. "I like poker!"
Ace's entire spine tensed, his gaze quickly shifting over to where Sabo was still hiding behind the couch. He couldn't let Luffy just waltz on over there and see the blonde in all his pantless glory! But if he moved his hands too much, then there would have to be a monumental explanation for that visual anyway. He groaned in his head, at a loss for what to do when Sabo popped his head up, eyes wide.
You moron! Hide! Ace made a tight expression of WTF, motioning with a nod to duck back down; but the blonde shook his head frantically, his eyes communicating some kind of message while he waved a hand towards the direction of their rooms.
The bedroom? What could that possibly have to do with…?
The brunet blinked as the suggestion flicked on a light-bulb in his mind. Oh, the bedroom!
"Uh… Y-you know what? We were actually just going to bed when you got here! Yeah, so um… you should get to bed too. It's pretty late."
Luffy stopped advancing on them, cocking his head. "It's late?" He peered at the clock on the wall, his lips pursed. "But it's only ten thirty! I've stayed up way later than that before!"
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sabo smile, obviously relieved that Ace had understood, and urge him on with an encouraging gesture. It was hard to hide how proud he felt, but he did his best to look like the stern older brother that he usually was and snorted. "So what? Tomorrow's Monday, and you're gonna have to get up early to go to school. If you don't get up on your own after the crazy weekend you just had, I'm gonna drag your sorry ass outta bed myself. You don't want that, do you?"
Luffy's bottom lip shook. "But… but…!"
He gave his brother the most vicious scowl he could muster. "No buts, Lu. If you get to bed now, you won't regret it. My patience is wearing thin over here."
Pouting sadly, the teen stalked over towards him bedroom, shoulders slumped, and tossed his head back as far as it could go. "Man… I don't even feel tired! Ace, you're so mean."
He was just about to open his door when he looked back to scan the living room. "Wait, where's Sabo?"
On the floor, waiting for me. He almost said it too, biting his lip at the very last second to bottle the sentiment up inside. Both eyes squeezed shut, and it took Ace a moment to banish the image of Sabo's panting, flushed expression and wriggling body from his mind. The way those emerald eyes had shimmered under him…
A heady smirk, a teasing touch to his abs that shook him to the fucking core…
"He went to bed," Ace muttered quickly, schooling his features to remain stoic. "Like I said, he was tired."
"Then why aren't you sleeping?"
"I was getting around to it, Luffy," he groaned, shaking his head. He waved briefly towards the hallway, hoping that the kid would take the hint. "Look, just… go to bed already."
"Okay… But I'm gonna say goodnight to Sabo first!" Luffy beamed, turning around on his heel to head for the blonde's bedroom.
"Huh!? N-no, wait…!"
Ace gaped in shock, unsure what he was supposed to do to deflect the moron from going in there. Frankly, he was amazed he'd managed to stay focused for this long. Thank god the uncomfortable hardness in his pants was lessening a bit. He could handle a dull throb for a while, but still… that wasn't going to stop his idiot brother from going into Sabo's room and discovering that Ace had lied. Looking back only showed the blonde giving him a worried stare, and he threw his hands up, trying to think of some brilliant excuse.
Why was his life always so difficult!?
"Don't go in there, stupid!" he barked at last, stomping over to grab Luffy's collar right as he was about to latch onto the doorknob. "He's sleeping! You can't just go in there and wake him up!"
"But I wanna say goodnight," the boy pouted as he dangled in Ace's grip. "I always say goodnight to Sabo before I go to bed."
"You can do that tomorrow night. Look, he had a long day and he turned in early 'cause he's exhausted. Let the guy sleep."
Luffy sighed heavily, as though not saying goodnight would mess up his grand plans. "Okay. Then I'll say goodnight to you instead!" he quickly recovered, wrapping his arms and legs around Ace's middle and squeezing hard enough to restrict his breathing. "G'night, Ace! Sweet dreams!"
The brunet wheezed, patting his brother's back a little before desperately prying at his arms. "Y-yeah, you too! Get off me, I can't…"
Luffy grinned, his deathly hug tightening even more. "I hope you guys had fun without me!"
"Y-yup…"
"I'll see you in the morning!"
"Okay, now get off!"
"Don't let the bedbugs bite!"
Ace's face was turning slightly blue. "L-Luffy… Go… to… bed…!"
With one last vicious squeeze of love, the teen finally relinquished his hold on his big brother, who had nearly collapsed against the wall in his desperation for air. "Fine, I'm going! Tell Sabo goodnight for me! Or good morning, I guess. Yosh, maybe I'll do that instead! Anyway, see you tomorrow Ace!"
Only when Luffy's door clicked shut and he heard the sound of raucous snoring from inside did the brunet feel any kind of relief, and he let out a sigh. That had been too close to count. He was infinitely glad that Luffy hadn't noticed his… er, big problem.
"Man, he's got some muscle for a kid…" Ace mumbled, running a hand through his hair.
"Hey. Is Luffy in bed now?"
He turned in the direction of the quiet murmur and saw Sabo pad out into the open, peering carefully around the corner with his scandalized pants held in front of his legs. Damn, but that had been fun. If only it could have continued a little longer…
With a smile full of affection Ace nodded, jabbing a thumb in the direction of his brother's door. "He just went in. I doubt he's too deeply asleep though, so be quiet."
The blonde gave him a half-smile, and was about to tiptoe past his lover to get to his room when he suddenly stopped. Taking a step back, he turned to him and whispered, "You survived the goodnight hugs, I see."
Ace snickered. "Yeah, just barely. I almost forgot how bone-crushing they are."
"He loves you, and that's how he shows it," Sabo explained with a grin. His hands ghosted over Ace's ribs, where Luffy had actually formed some bruises. "You'll build up a bit of resistance to it after a while."
Rolling his eyes, Ace gently rested his hands on his boyfriend's hips. "I used to have a pretty big resistance to it, but he loves glomping you more than me now. I'd be hurt if I wasn't so damn thankful."
Sabo laughed quietly, leaning in for a tender kiss that Ace readily returned. "I'm sorry we didn't get around to… you know."
"Eh, it's not your fault Luffy's the biggest cock-blocker known to man," the brunet sighed, running a hand over his face. "I guess we'll just have to plan ahead for another time."
"I did plan ahead, and still this happens. It's almost like he has a sixth sense when it comes to what we're doing."
Ace blinked at him, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait. You planned…? So you wanted to play poker and swipe all my money?"
"Um…" Sabo laughed nervously, his cheeks flushing pink in the moonlight. "Kind of?"
"You bastard," he grumbled, but he didn't say it with any real heat. "Why didn't you just come and grab me?"
"Because that isn't romantic at all," the blonde defended, his lips pursed.
"So… stealing all of my cash is romantic…"
"Hmph. Whatever, you obviously don't get it," Sabo mumbled, turning to leave.
But before he could get too far away, Ace smirked and slipped his arms around him, gently tugging him back against his chest. "Joking, 'Bo. It's a joke."
"Ha ha," came the sarcastic response, making Ace chuckle.
"I really loved it," he admitted with a dumb, lopsided grin that he was happy Sabo couldn't see. "Winning all of my money so you could suggest I take my clothes off… It was clever. And seductive as hell."
After a moment Sabo relaxed into the hold, his back pressing further into Ace's warm chest. "Thank you," he replied, his voice smiling for him.
"Kinda reminds me of something I'd do." Ace buried his face in the blonde's hair, inhaling the clean scent of shampoo. "I'm gonna use that next time."
"Hmm. Well, if you want to use that technique, then you're going to have to up your game a whole lot," his lover replied in all seriousness. "I can tutor you, if you'd like."
"Screw you," he muttered, placing a sloppy kiss on Sabo's neck. "Go to bed before I decide to let Luffy give you a goodnight hug."
He was about to let go and made grudging tracks to his own bedroom, where a nice, long masturbation session awaited, when a firm ass pressed into his hips, pinning them softly against the wall. Ace's eyes widened, his head tilting back on impulse, and he had to slap a hand to his mouth and bite it to silence his needy moan. The arm that was still holding Sabo grew rigid, and he could feel every damn chuckle that reverberated through the man.
"I'd much rather have a goodnight hug from you, Ace," he sighed, turning to place a sizzling kiss on the base of his throat. "I love your brother to death, but nothing in the world compares to what you give me."
"Mmm… Sabo," he breathed, only when he was certain that he could speak without groaning, "y-you know we can't. Not now."
"What if I promise not to make a single sound?" He pushed against him with gradually increasing pressure, smirking as Ace became more and more agitated. The hand on his mouth was probably bleeding by now. "I can be quiet."
"It's not you I'm worried about, shithead," he spat, biting unmercifully hard on his hand again. "S-stop teasing me. You're just m-making it so… so much worse…"
"Who said I was teasing you?"
Ace growled down at the blonde, both loving and hating that hungry smirk on his face. Whatever he had thought before was swiftly replaced by what he wanted now. "Fuck. Get your ass in my room, then."
"With pleasure."