Summary: For kits, first impressions last forever. Ace tries to give a good impression to his new neighbor, who is a kit, but one thing leads to another and he almost scratches his eye off. (Ace learns, albeit bit slowly and with a lot of confusion, that the logic of whatever his textbooks tell him does not work on Luffy. He's different.) HumanNeko!AceLu. Alpha-Omegaverse.
Author's Notes: Hello! My friend and I concocted this AU and this happened. This is actually the lowest word-count I have, which makes me worried because I'm comfortable writing at least 9000 words. But, I was dead-beat tired the whole day and a bit distracted and a little bit uninspired so this happened. Anyway, this is a three-shot series, so stay tuned to the other installments :3
This is an AU in which everyone's half-human and half-cat. There are Alphas, Betas and Omegas. Each person has a feline specie descent (their feline of origin) and it depends on your classifcation (the Alpha-Omega system). All Alphas have jungle wild cats as their specie descent; betas are domesticated cats and breeds; and Omegas are the rare wild cats. Children inherit the feline specie descent of the parent they have the same classification e.g. Parent A is a Beta and Parent B is an Omega. Child A is an Omega therefore he inherits Parent B's feline specie dscent. More of the AU will be explained in the story.
The Science of the Boy named Luffy
ルフィーと呼んでいる男の科学
One
His mother always tells him that he is a good and smart child, and that makes Ace sport a blush as red as a ripe tomato.
Ace is a young kit of eight-years old, yet the others are amazed that Ace knows Elementary Genetics of the Grade 6th level. It's not because Ace is a natural-born genius or anything of that sort, it's just that Ace likes to read and the only books he is willing to read is his Genetics book because they have colorful pictures and letters. More so, he has no trouble memorizing terms or definitions at all, so he can easily remember terms and words that Grade 6 students use in their classes. Sometimes, when he doesn't understand some words or concepts, he turns to his Mother dearest and she dutifully teaches him the concepts and even adds some trivia about the lesson. To be honest, he will not have been able to understand the concepts – just remember the terms – without his Mother's help, so he can't completely own his achievement when his mother played such a huge role in his learning process.
Nonetheless, his Mother will pet him between his cat ears and proudly tell him 'Good job!' whenever he gets a perfect score in his tests, as if she has no part to play in this. On the other hand, Ace will be embarrassingly be happy and swears he will do his best, so that he doesn't have to ask his Mother for lessons from time to time. He simply wants to make her proud.
Ace loves his mother – that itself is an understatement. Ace will do anything so that his mother doesn't have to feel lonely for being a widow or feel tired for working as a waiter in Makino's tavern. Ace's mother is an Omega of the Caracal feline specie descent, but she is strong and independent and undoubtedly beautiful, and Ace is proud of her in every ways possible. He knows his mother feels the same way to him, but sometimes, he knows that his mother gets disappointed and more tired when Ace gets into fights – Ace can't help it if he's too much of a hothead and a wild-spirit like his father. His mother has expressed her desire for Ace making more friends besides Sabo – because Sabo is his only guaranteed friend in the whole village.
So, when his mother excitedly tells him that an old friend of hers will move to that creepy, abandoned house next to theirs, he takes this chance to make her mother proud again by making friends with the kit of this old friend.
Ace goes back to his textbooks and reads something about building social relationships between kits. His textbook says that first impressions last forever for kits, and if he wants to make good friends with his new neighbor kit, he has to give the latter a good impression. That way, he can get along with his new neighbor and at the same time, make his mother proud.
Ace spends a day with Sabo, concocting a plan to give a good impression to his new neighbor.
With a flawless plan in mind, Ace sleeps next to his mother contentedly, excited for the next day to come.
Ace is eating breakfast when it starts. His cat ears catch the familiar roar of a car engine and men carrying heavy luggage, and a very unfamiliar sound of a loud shriek and an angry grandpa marching to the house next door.
He jolts from his seat and scurries to the window despite his unfinished breakfast to get a better look of the scene. His black ears and tail – the textbook calls it 'Premature' because his the traits classification and line are still not shown by his feline features – perks and stiffens as his nose catches a familiar scent, the scent that he smells on Makino's husband.
The old man is an Alpha, and that kit is probably his.
Ace's brown eyes narrow.
Omegas are treasured and revered people, but that doesn't mean everyone treats them that way. Ace knows and gets wind the news of Alphas from neighboring cities coming to other villages to rape Omegas or Betas to sate their heat. He will not have believed the news – or he will have refused to believe – if it isn't for the fact that he has seen the act first-hand: When a guest by the name of Bluejam has tried to convince Makino to end her shift in the tavern, so they can have fun together. The implication makes Ace sick to the stomach and he will've punched the guy if it isn't for Shanks beating him to it.
The experience made him cautious to any new faces in town, especially when they're Alphas and their scents are as strong as than Shanks' – and Shanks has a particularly strong scent.
Ace briefly remembers reading about Alpha scent and it being a symbol of their physical strength. If some Alpha has a strong scent like Shanks – who, debatably, is the strongest Alpha he knows – then he's sure the person is bound for trouble.
Ace will not let this stranger ever have a chance of even speaking to his mother. This person has to go through his dead body, first.
The young kit feels the familiar scent and warmth of his mother's body as she hugs him from behind. "Ace, what's the matter? Your claws are coming out." she gently says, and Ace immediately retracts them as he notices the newly-formed scratch marks the window sill. He sees the worry in her eyes and the ugly frown in her pretty face, and he immediately feels guilty for making her feel that way. He turns around and hugs her back, so she can carry him like she did when he was a baby. She carries him with ease despite him being eight-years old.
"Some weird guys are out." He says as she brings him down back on his seat, to finish the meal that he ungraciously interrupted.
His mother blinks. "Weird fellows?" Then, her face lit up in recognition and smiles. "Oh, you mean Mr. Garp?" she says. "He's our new neighbor!"
Ace almost chokes on his spit as his mother speaks of a name – this strange Alpha's name – with warmth and recognition. "Garp?" he exclaims. Then, he speaks back in a lower and quieter voice. "Our neighbor is an Alpha?"
The sounds of arguments roar outside as his mother smiles all too well-knowingly. "Yes. He is the father-in-law of one of my closest friends and works as an top-notch Admiral in the Marines," she says, and she closes her eyes to reminiscence old memories. "Isn't that great? A Marine and his kit will be our new neighbors!"
No, Ace wants to scream. An Alpha will be moving next to them and he doesn't seem to be with a mate; His mother is an Omega and a widow to boot. Ace isn't stupid to think that nothing will be coming out from the two. Nature is relentless and cruel and greener – both the color and implication – version of cupid, and she will continue the course of life whether Ace likes it or not.
Ace refuses to hand his mother over anyone; Ace isn't like his father who failed his job of protecting his mate by dying.
Ace briefly remembers a part in the textbook wherein Omegas abandon their kits from their previous mate if a new mate claims them, and the freckled child pushes the thought away before his fear starts to claw from the recesses of his mind.
Sensing his worry, his mother brings him to her chest and strokes his black locks. "Don't worry Ace, they're good people," she says. "They're a little rough on the edges, but I know you'll grow to like them soon."
The comforting presence of his mother pushes his dark thoughts away. He knows that Alphas and Omegas have a tendency to link, and, even though the thought of 'Garp' and his Mother going out together is an icky thought, it might happen. But, if his Mother tells him not to worry, then, Ace shouldn't worry… at least, for now. He trusts his Mother as much as he believes what the textbook says, and he'll take on her word until his new neighbors try to do something funny to his Mother.
That old man might be an Alpha, but that doesn't mean Ace won't go down without a fight.
His mother smiles as she senses Ace's worry diminish. "How about we visit them after breakfast, hm? I'm sure they'll appreciate a sweet early morning visit," then, she adds. "And I'm sure Luffy will be happy to meet a new playmate."
The name 'Luffy' rings in his head before the events outside flash in his mind. 'Luffy', the new kit who he needs to give a good impression to. 'Luffy', his new neighbor who is the grandson of a Marine Alpha. 'Luffy', his new chance of making his mother proud of him.
He remembers a young boy – probably five or six years old – being dragged by the sleeve of his tank top, screaming and crying to go home. A familiar straw hat rests on his head, too big and too wide for his small frame, so Ace couldn't see his face or his cat ears.
Something stirs inside Ace – something familiar and a feeling that has been, for so long, passive until his eyes meet 'Luffy'.
Annoyance, Ace thinks as he remembers all the people he has fought with, those snot-nosed brats that are now afraid of him. His first impression on these brats reflects so much of his first impression of 'Luffy'. This kid is going to be another pest, Ace thinks as he munches ever so slightly harder on his bacon.
But, unlike those snot-nosed brats that he can push around, he can't do that to this new kit. He has to be nice to him; he can't fight with him.
And for that, this new kit has become two-times more annoying.
OOOOoooOOOO
The house looks a bit old, but beautiful at the outside. When they step inside the house, it's another story.
The moment he steps into the room, he wants to go out. The house is old, dusty and filled with cobwebs, like any typical home that hasn't been used for a long time. It smells of mold and old man smell, and Ace can't imagine why someone will be willing to live here. It's a dump!
Unlike Ace, however, his mother looks at the house fondly and walks further inside like an old routine. Ace briefly wonders if his Mother has been here before.
When they reach the living room, they see Garp unpacking some boxes. The grumpy looks on his face lights up as his eyes gazed at his Mother's figure. Ace fights the urge to bristle.
Ah, Rogue! It's nice to see you again!" the old man, 'Garp', says as he hugs his mother, and Ace lets out the urge and bristles. "You haven't change at all! Your freckles are still there!" And he lets out a hearty laugh, too loud for Ace's sensitive ears. If he laughs like that always, then half of Fuusha will be deaf already!
"It's also good to see you again, Mr. Garp," His Mother says, in a very gentle manner that contrasts with Garp's. "It's been a long time since you've returned to Fuusha. How is the family?"
The old man dims and sighs. "Stupid son is stupid, as always," he says. "But, it doesn't matter. I have his kit here and that's all that matters." He grins and looks over at Ace. "So, he's your kit, huh? Vase, was it? He's pretty much all grown up!"
"It's Ace," Ace snarls, earning the ire of his Mother, but a hearty laugh from Garp.
It's not Ace's fault for giving the old Alpha a bad impression of him; Gard already has. He's merely following nature.
"I like him. He's got a good eye," Garp announces. "Kid, want to join the Marines?"
Ace furrows his eyebrows. "Hell no."
"Ace!" His mother scolds, but Garp just laughs Ace's rudeness.
"Don't bother, Rogue. He's a good kid – I can clearly tell. You were watching me, weren't you? To see if I was a threat or not?" When Ace returns a baffled stare, Garp's grin widens. "You'd make a good Marine, brat. I suggest rethinking your answer."
His mother sighs and crosses her arms, her pointed look shifting towards Garp. "You always never accept 'no' as an answer, do you?"
"Guhahaha! Of course, how then would these children realize that they're meant to be Marines?" Garp says.
Before his Mother can even retort, a sound of falling objects and a yelp of pain resonated at the ceiling, causing some dust bits to fall. Ace gives out a disgusted look on the falling debris. "What was that?" his mother asks.
Garp frowns and glares at the ceiling. "OI LUFFY, DON'T MAKE A MESS UP THERE OR YOU'LL GET ANOTHER FIST FROM ME!" he shouts, and the ceiling lets out a nervous wail before another sets of sounds emitted.
For a brief moment, Ace pities this pipsqueak kit named Luffy for having such a loud and violent grandfather.
"Ace," his mother calls, causing him to turn to her. "Why don't you go upstairs and meet Luffy, while Garp and I will catch up with the times?"
Ace immediately objects. No way will he leave this mother alone to this Alpha. "But – "
"We're going have a grown-up talk," she explains, her voice firm but gentle. "And you know the rules of grown-up talks, yes?"
No children should ever be present or listening to grown-up talk, Ace thinks as he hesitantly nods. He slowly walks up the staircase feeling the keen eyes of his mother bearing at the back of his head, ensuring that he is out of vicinity. But, when Ace is out of sight, Ace stays at the last step of the staircase to hear their conversation. His mother begins to talk: "Garp, where is D – "
"Who are you?"
Ace whips his head, tense and alarmed, having to be caught red-handed. His cat ears and tail perks, but soon lowers as Ace stares at the figure before him – a child with big black eyes, a wide hat on his head, and a finger in his nostril.
It is the kit, Luffy.
Ace immediately feels his anger flare for letting himself get surprised by a mere kit – a kit who's younger than him, but he suppresses it when he remembers his objective.
Give the meat. Talk a bit. Scram. He hears Sabo in his mind. It's not a flawless plan, but if he's like you, then that's what I would do.
"What are you doing in my house?" the kit, Luffy, asks.
Ace gives out a strained smile before bringing out a three slices of ham wrapped in foil from his pocket.
"Here, you – "
"MMMEEAAATTT!" The younger kit says before he rushes upstairs before Ace can even finish.
Ace blinks before he chases the kit upstairs. What he sees at the upper floor made him cringe.
Dust particles float around as boxes and their contents are scattered along the floor. The windows are covered with moldy curtains. The whole room smells of the old man smell and Ace is pretty sure someone died here. Ace wants to sit in the cleanest corner possible – the staircase – and brave everything until the grown-up talk is over.
His cat ears twitches as his mother's voice got a tad bit louder.
"You're nice, I like you," the kit says as he sits on the pile of rubble. The meat in the foil is gone. "I'm Luffy and I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Right. "My name is Ace and I'm…your new neighbor." Ace simply says, cautious from Luffy and from whatever that lurks inside this house. "Well, I'm glad that we – "
"Wanna see Chopper?" Luffy says as his ears and tail perk up. But, even before Ace can register the question, Luffy dives into the pile of rubble to search for 'Chopper' – whatever that is.
However, in the process, Luffy starts throwing the things that aren't 'Chopper' out of the rubble and into Ace's way. That's where the trouble begins.
"O-oi!" Ace squeaks as he dodges what it looks like a wet cloth. "Be care – "
Ace winces as something hits something hard, but cringes when his hand touches something soft and…stinky. His eyes widen in horror when he lifts his hand and see it stained with green.
Something inside him snaps.
By the time Luffy finds Chopper, a reindeer stuff toy, Luffy is back inside the rubble with an angry Ace towering over him.
And without warning, he slashes on Luffy's cheek.
Everything then passes by like a blur.
Now, Ace sits on his chair very timidly as his mother sits on her chair, staring at her son with utter disappointment. Ace keeps his head low as he looks at his knuckles, covered with sanitized scratches – the scratches courtesy of Luffy and the sanitization courtesy of his mother. He can't look at her in the eyes; his eyes and throat are burning and if he sees the disappointment and tiredness in his mother's eyes, he'll cry.
He doesn't want to cry, not in front of his mother.
"Ace, look at me." She speaks, the gentleness gone. She sounds firm and powerful, fitting for a Caracal specie descent that she is. When Ace raises her head, he can see the golden glints in her eyes. "Why did you scratch Luffy earlier?"
Ace keeps silent. To be honest, it was his another infamous outburst of anger. He really doesn't want to tell his mother that he got too angry again and launched the first attack. His mother will get more disappointed that she already is.
However, when he feels his mother's eyes bear into his skin, he surrenders his silence. "H-he hit me with something icky …" he answers. "And I...jumped on him."
His mother stares at him, breathes, and quietly sighs. Ace can already see the tiredness in her eyes of the familiar situations she has endured for many years. "Did Luffy deliberately hit you?" she asks. When he shakes his head, she speaks "Ace, when someone hits you with something accidentally, you don't resort to violence. Luffy didn't mean it, and you know that. I cannot tolerate the behavior you showed to Luffy – he was a young kit. He had no chance of defending himself from you."
I know, Ace thinks. I know that now. He cringes at the memory of his earlier anger outburst. A deep gash below Luffy's eye immediately appeared and started to bleed and that's when Luffy started crying. When Ace saw the sight of blood, he knew he went too far.
"I-I'm sorry…" he murmurs. He feels the tears climbing from the corner of his eyes as the burn in his throat grows more painful. "…I'm really sorry, Mom…"
The stern and pointed look on his mother's face melts as she watches a tear escape from Ace's eyes. She stands from her chair and reaches to Ace, who immediately jumped into her embrace the moment he opens her arms. "I know, Ace, I know…" she says as she tries to calm the boy down. "Luffy is okay now. It wasn't a grave injury. The doctors say he'll be fine in no time. And as for Garp, well, I managed to calm him down."
Ace cries more as he puts more burdens into his mother's shoulders just because he can't control his anger. Today, his mother was supposed to visit close friends who became their neighbors; Ace ruined that for her.
"I-I'm really s-sorry…" he sobs. He feels so sorry for disappointing his mother like this.
"I know, I know…" His mother repeats. She removes Ace's face from her chest and wipes his tears with his dress, then flashes him with her warm and gentle smiles. "Tomorrow, we'll go and say sorry to Garp and Luffy, yes?"
Ace automatically nods.
When he sleeps next to his mother, he peeks through the window, just to see what was happening over at his neighbor's house.
The whole house is dark except for one of the windows at the second-story, which has an open light. He finds Luffy, watching through the same window.
Their eyes briefly meet.
Seeing the bandage below Luffy's right eye, Ace goes under the covers and ignores how sad those big eyes are.
Ace uses the whole night to think of a way to apologize to Luffy.
With his mother at his right, Ace gulps as he stares at Luffy, who is flanked with Garp at his left. The grandfather is still angry over what happened yesterday, while Luffy…well…
Luffy stares at Ace like yesterday.
Ace is irked by it.
"My son has something to say to your grandson," his mother announces.
"Oh now," Garp says as he picks his nose. "I do hope he won't claw my grandson's eye out again."
His mother's smile briefly turns into a frown before coming back as a smile again. "I'm sure that won't happen again."
The silence of the adults signals Ace to continue on with whatever he is planning. Ace breathes in and out before he steps in front of Luffy and bows.
"I'm sorry for yesterday! It won't happen again!" Ace says, but he knows that simply apologies don't work on kits. He knows what he did. He ruined his first impression with Luffy. And since first impressions always last forever to kits, Ace isn't expecting total redemp –
"Okay. I forgive you." Luffy says, nonchalantly.
"Okay, I unde – " Wait, what.
Ace looks at Luffy like he had insulted his mother. Luffy is now beaming at him, showing all of his pearly whites.
"Do you want to see Chopper now?" Luffy asks, but does not give Ace the chance to answer as he pulls the older kit inside.
Ace has to stop Luffy by pulling the younger kit towards him. Luffy looks at Ace questioningly.
"Wait, you're not mad?" Ace asks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "At least, not a bit?"
"No. Because I already forgave you." Luffy says, like it is an obvious answer. "Come on, let's go!"
As Luffy pulls Ace upstairs, Ace stares at Luffy and ponders how Luffy isn't mad at him.
It isn't in accordance to what he has read in the textbooks.
It's…weird.
OOOOoooOOOO
After getting hit by Garp's Fist of Love (Death) as a way of forgiveness of the old Alpha, Luffy has become Ace's playmate and they always walk together to school and to home. Ace has no escape since he owes Luffy so much for almost blinding the poor kit and Luffy is happy and excited for being with Ace since Ace is his first friend in the village.
Ace, however, isn't as excited. It's been weeks and Ace starts to find his new job as 'playmate' as annoying.
It is partially because Ace finds Luffy generally annoying since he can't drive the kit away because his mother expects him to be good and all, and Ace goes anywhere he wants and Luffy follows him like a mouse to the mouse piper. Furthermore, Luffy is such a blabbermouth and Ace is already wishing he is deaf at the first few minutes of their conversation. But, it is mostly because its irritating how Luffy is still happy and contented when Ace has started ignoring him after a few months of being together, when he plays with the other kits while Luffy sits on the bench, when Sabo and Ace keep him out of their conversations
It's weird.
Ace remembers from his lessons that kits needed to be socially active. They need friends and family and other people to talk to everyday – Luffy has none of that. His grandfather Garp is seldom at home, Luffy has zero friends besides Ace, and the person whom he regularly talks to – which is him – never responds. Luffy should be unhappy. Even from the beginning, Luffy should stay clear from Ace even from their very first meeting because of the incident. Luffy shouldn't stick to a person who tried hurting him!
Yet, here we are, Luffy tailing Ace like a mouse to a mouse piper.
It's weird, and he doesn't like it. Can't Luffy take a hint on how weird this whole set-up is?
"Yo, Ace! Ready to play?" Sabo asks, eager and excited for their daily basketball plays. When his sights turn behind Ace, he smiles even wider. "So, Luffy came again, huh?"
"Yo!" Luffy eagerly waves at the people at the basketball court. When people see him, they immediately call him 'Monkey' like an old routine. Ace fights the urge to growl. Everyone calls Luffy a monkey partially because he acts like one and mostly because it's his literal surname – Monkey.
Ace will have joined them in their chorus if it isn't for the fact that Luffy doesn't seemed to mind being teased and bullied like this.
It's weird and it sets him off in a bad way.
"Come on, guys, break it off!" he hears Sabo yell, and everyone gradually stops teasing him.
Ace feels a feeling similar to relief when his playmates stop teasing the smaller kit. The smaller kit turns to Ace with big and bright eyes. "Can I play this time, Ace? Can I, Can I?" Luffy asks as he bounces. Luffy looks so happy despite being teased just a while ago and the younger kit remains oblivious by the hostile glares some of Ace's classmates are giving. It's ticking Ace off. Why can't you notice, you little shit, Ace thinks.
"No, you suck. Stay on the bench." Ace orders, keeping his thoughts silent. Like usual, Luffy deflates and walks back to the bench with a head hung low. The freckled kit smirks when Luffy sits on the bench, out of his way. He'll soon cheer up anyway. "Great, let's start!"
"Aren't you a bit too mean to him?" Sabo whispers as he teams up with Ace and some kids named Kidd, Law and Zoro. "He comes but you never let him play."
"We never let him play," Ace corrects. "Besides, he sucks anyway! Why would you want to play with a crybaby like him?"
Sabo shrugs. "I'm just saying…He follows you around but you always ignore him. Why don't you try being nice to him for once? I feel sorry for him sometimes…"
Ace frowns. "He can handle himself!" Ace knows that's a lie. Textbooks never lie. "He can entertain himself for all I care! I just got roped by his grandfather to be his babysitter. As long as he's safe, then there's nothing wrong."
Before Sabo could even retort, the ball is passed the game begins. As usual, Ace and Sabo dominate the whole play, scoring shots with their alley-loops, Ace's dunks and Sabo's three point shots. In the midst of the intense play, Luffy cheers for them. "Go Ace! Go Sabo!"
"Shut up, monkey!" one of the opponent team yells.
Luffy completely ignores him and continues to cheer.
Ace gets momentarily distracted and Sanji – one of Sabo's classmates – steals the ball from him and scores for the opposing team. Ace growl and tells the opposing team to be quiet, although they blame Luffy for being too noisy. Ace opts to ignore them, though.
After a few seconds, Ace scores for his team and shouts in glee. His team high-fives him and Luffy cheer for him louder. In the end, Ace and Sabo's team wins, much to the chagrin of the opposing team. While the kids, Zoro and Sanji, bicker about who scored the most, the other kids prepare to go home.
"You guys were so awesome!" Luffy exclaims.
"Thanks Lu," Sabo says, and Ace glares at the blonde for even replying at the younger kit – or for calling the annoying kit 'Lu'. Who even does that?!
"Come on, let's go home," Ace calls and Luffy bounces in glee for being noticed. As Ace and Luffy get pass the opponent team, Ace hears them sneer and cuss at Luffy like a plague.
"Stupid Monkey, too loud that we lost the game!"
Ace clenches his fist and continues on. He hears Sabo telling the opposing team to stay away from Luffy.
"And what the heck is with that hat anyway?"
Ace bites his lip and turns around.
When he sees one of their hands shot out to reach for Luffy's hat, Ace pushes Luffy down and punches the person who tried to get the hat.
His treasure.
The annoying things that spout from Luffy's mouth comes flashing in his mind and Ace realizes, in horror, that he has memorized every single detail of it.
"Hi! My name is Luffy and I'm going to be the pirate King!" "Shanks is so cool and nice and brave and one time he saved me from this gangster people, and after he beat them up he gave me this hat!" "I don't like how Shanks makes fun of me though! One time, I told him I was a real man but he fooled me in drinking milk so I looked like a kid!" "Your mom is so pretty! I like the dots on her face – or were they called freckles? Dimples? Pimples? I don't know so I just call them dots instead. The dots on your face are also pretty too!" "You know there were a bunch of kids who started calling me Monkey yesterday! I don't why but they sound so weeeeiiirrrdd!" "Hey, you know what! I saved up a lot from my allowance so I can buy a basketball! You say I suck so I practice every day just so I can play with you guys! You and Sabo are so cool!" "You know Ace, I always feel sad when I'm alone, but I'm with you I'm so happy! I wish you could talk to me though…" "I love this hat more than the worlds ever combined! But if I had to choose between the hat and Ace, I don't know which to choose shishishishi!"
And at the same time, the anger that he suppressed for months – on the people that called her Monkey to his grandfather who left him – snaps like a twig. "Don't you fucking dare touch Luffy's hat!"
A brawl erupts, but after a few punches and kicks, Ace is left standing and holding Luffy's hat. Anger is still written in his face.
Luffy looks at Ace, frightened and curious at the same time, while Sabo looks at Ace warningly.
"Ace…" Sabo starts as Ace reaches out to Luffy's collar and brings the younger kit closer to him.
"What the fuck were you doing?" he screams. "What the fuck were you doing?! Those guys were bullying you and all you could was stand there and take everything! Do you know how annoying is that for me?"
Ace hears Sabo shout, but his eyes and ears are focused on Luffy. The younger kit looks like he is about to cry, yet Ace continues on. "You're not only very stupid for not doing anything about it, but you're also so stupid for following me! For months, I've been ignoring you, yet you keep coming back and following me even though you know I will never respond! You're so stupid for clinging to me even though I will never talk to you, even if you get teased by others, and even if you get hurt! Why can't you understand the simple hint that no-one wants you here?!"
"Ace! That's enough!" Sabo scolds, and Ace sees that Sabo's claws are retracted already. The freckled child feels a little guilty for making Sabo worry and drops the younger kit down on the ground.
Sobs are already raking his small frame.
"I-I know that…" Luffy murmurs. Then, he looks at Ace with the same big and sad eyes the freckled child saw the first night he scratched Luffy's face. "I know that, I know that, I know that! But there isn't anyone as friendly or as cool as you around here!" Luffy shouts. "I stick with you because all my friends are in the city! The other people are mean and Makino and Shanks are grown-ups so they don't count! I want you to be my own friend since you're the only one I always see every day – I don't want to be alone!"
"Luffy…" Sabo whispers as he decides if he should comfort the younger kit or stay still.
Ace clenches his fist. "I hurt you," Ace begins. "I put that scar on your face with my claws. I injured you! You…You're…You're supposed to avoid me!" In social relationships, the first impressions are always important. For kits trying to socialize, the first is always the lasting impression, which is why a kit must project a good impression in the first meeting. If a kit does something that earns the ire or disdain of the other kit, then there is zero chance for the two kits to bond and form a social relationship.
"Yeah, but you apologized, so that's okay." Luffy sniffs as he wipes his tears away. "I know you didn't mean it."
"I know that! But…this…this isn't right!" Ace yells, pulling his hair. "You're supposed to hate me!"
"But, I don't hate you!" Luffy yells back, remaining firm. "Why would I hate you?"
"Because I scratched you stupid!"
"But, you apologized, so we're okay now!"
"No! That's not how it works!"
"Yes, it is!"
"No, it's not!"
"Yes, it is!"
"No, it's not!"
"Yes, it is!"
"No, it's not – Gah!" Ace scratches his head and frowns. "You are so complicated!"
"And you're confusing!" Luffy huffs.
Ace looks at the young kit, who stares at him with frustrated confusion. The freckled child doesn't get this kit at all! The textbooks say that first impressions last to kits. Luffy should be avoiding him, or hating him, or anything that is equally displeasing since Ace hurt him! Luffy shouldn't be happy near Ace; Luffy shouldn't even be near him! Luffy is a kit! The same logic should apply to him!
And Ace shouldn't be caring about it, because he did not like Luffy when he first saw him. The same logic should also apply to him!
Why isn't it working, though?
Ugh! Looking at Luffy makes him so frustrated and confused!
Ace breathes and calms himself, before looking at Luffy's eyes. "This…this isn't should how it work. For kits, first impressions always last and I hurt you when we first met. So, that should mean that you should be treating me with displeasure because of that experience. It's how it's supposed to be." He explains. "Luffy, you should hate me. When I clawed your face, I gave you a bad impression." But, you didn't, and that's how everything became weird, Ace thinks.
Luffy, however doesn't seem to understand anything that Ace said and tilts his head. "What? Impressions?" he asks "What's that? Can I eat it?"
Ace looks at Luffy like a scientist to a new specimen of stupidity. He doesn't know whether to scream in frustration or have a new-found respect in Luffy's stupidity. In the background, Sabo starts laughing.
"You don't even know what first impressions mean? What are you, six?!" Sabo says, holding his stomach.
Luffy tilts his head. "But, I am six."
Sabo stops laughing before he lets out a louder laugh, while Ace feels his left eye twitch as he stares at Luffy, who remain clueless on his dilemma.
It will have been easier if Luffy hated him, but he didn't and now it's confusing Ace.
This…this isn't indicated in his text books at all.
And Ace is frustrated for not understanding the case of Luffy.
What makes this kit different?!
"Whatever!" Ace shouts and Sabo descends in giggles. He pulls Luffy up and crams the straw hat on top of his head. "I'm done! I'm tired! And we're going home!"
When Sabo stops giggling and Ace starts walking away, Sabo's expression shifts from glee to worry. "W-Wait Ace, what about your inj – "
"I'll worry about it when I go home. For now…" Ace glances at Luffy and back. There are still tears in the corner of Luffy's eyes. "It's getting late. I need to walk Luffy home."
Sabo, Luffy and Ace soon part ways, and Luffy and Ace are left in each other's presence as they walk home. Ace decides to be considerate this time and slows his pace so Luffy can catch up. The younger kit seems to be happy on this invitation and steps up so he can walk besides Ace.
Ace can't believe the headache he's feeling today.
His textbooks say this and that, but Luffy breaks them all and treats them like nothing. It's annoying and even becomes confusing since he can't figure out why Luffy doesn't act the way he's supposed to. Ace himself is not even acting like he's supposed to anymore!
Ace bristles when Luffy grabs Ace's hand.
"Oi Luffy!" Ace says as he retracts his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Holding your hand?" Why is the kit asking him?
"Don't. That's weird. Why are you even touching me in the first place?"
"Well, I'm always comfortable when I hold someone's hand when I walk home…"
"Well, get used to it! I'm not gonna hold your sweaty hand."
Luffy pouts as his ears bend. "Stingy."
"Don't be such a whiny baby about it."
"I'm not a baby."
"Yeah, tell that to the judge."
"What judge?"
"…It's a figurative speech."
"What's a figurative speech?"
"It's when you use creative words to express your thoughts… "
"Oh…but the word judge isn't a creative word."
"I…Never mind. Forget what I said."
"But – "
"Forget it. Please. "
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Ace…"
"What?"
Luffy smiles. "You're finally talking to me."
Ace opens his mouth to give a sarcastic retort, but stops. He looks at the kit who looks like he has won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The freckled child sighs.
This is weird, but it doesn't mean he doesn't like it.
After all, Luffy is less annoying, this way.
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next installment :)