A/N: *sarcastically* Oh no, her modesty...

My tumbls: fanfiction-by-abalisk

Ace gave an unmanly squeak when he saw the fabric roll over the taut flesh of her stomach, his face instantly flushing hot. With the first swell of her breast, he remembered his manners, turning around so fast he almost tripped. "W-what are you doing?" he stuttered, unable to keep his voice from cracking, eyes widening as he processed what he just witnessed.

Because while she was wickedly sarcastic and used innuendo like a lethal weapon, this was Spoons. She was… She wouldn't…

At the moment, he didn't know what she was.

"I wanted to show you something," she said, voice low and full of hidden promise.

Ace almost spontaneously combusted right there. His body coiled tight like a spring, not knowing if he wanted to stay put or bolt out of there like the devil was on his heels. This was unprecedented. He had no knowledge to fall back to here.

He was sure he was blushing red from his neck to his forehead.

"You can turn around now," she murmured.

Gulping down the nervousness that tightened around his throat like a vice, Ace had a moment of hesitation before he did just that.

And immediately felt cold.

It wasn't like he thought.

Not at all.

"This is the reason I can't join your crew," Spoo— no Leith said, not even looking at him as she bared her back to him, her shirt clutched to her chest to give a semblance of modesty. Her left hand clenched the muscle above her right shoulder, the thin fingers tracing the topmost scar on that side, "What they did to me…" she trailed off, seeming at a loss for what to say.

Ace's eyes followed the lines, his mouth drying with every new intersection. They'd beaten her, tried to break her spirit. That much was clear. He didn't know if it was punishment for going against their orders or her sharp tongue or even if it was simply for their twisted amusement.

Nor did he care.

His crewmate was hurting and he wanted to fix it.

So he reached out and gently brushed the largest scar, the flesh uneven beneath the pads of his fingers.

She yelped in surprise and flinched away, a motion that snapped Ace out of his daze and made him instantly babble a slew of apologies. "S-Sorry! Sorry!" he blurted, darting his hand back, "T-that wasn't—I didn't—" What the fuck am I doing?! Ace wondered, grimacing and shoving his hands deep into his pockets, intent on keeping his damn wandering fingers to himself. "I don't—Sorry. That was… rude."

"It's fine," she huffed, glancing over her shoulder to give him a contrite look of her own, before glancing away again, "You just… startled me. Give me some warning next time."

"Yeah," he agreed, licking his lips nervously before giving the back of her head a frown, "Leith…"

Wide eyes turned to him and for a moment he marveled at how deep the green of her hazel iris looked in the light. She was always scowling or pensive, so her eyes were usually hooded and it was doubly difficult to see when her hat shaded them.

He'd never really noticed before.

"Leith," he said again, stepping closer and keeping eye contact, gauging her reaction as he invaded her space. When she made no move to step away, he moved closer and placed his hands gingerly on her shoulders. She didn't flinch this time. He traced the brand on her left shoulder with his thumb, the bastardized "Claw of the Dragon," and suddenly had a very vivid fantasy of burning every palace in the world. Of going back to Paramour and torching every last crevice, turning the entire island into slag and glass.

But that wasn't what he wanted right now.

"Please don't leave us," he whispered, an unidentifiable emotion swelling in his chest as she looked shamefully away. Gently, he enveloped her in an embrace, his arms encasing her lithe form and drawing her close, the feel of her flesh bare against his eliciting a shiver. She was cold. How can she stand to be so cold? "We'll protect you, I promise."

"I hate being a burden," she breathed, her voice nearly indistinct from the creaking of the hull.

"You aren't." Ace declared, firm. He placed his cheek on the top of her head, smelling the faint aroma of shampoo. He'd seen the way she fought, the way she trained with Pitch. She had the drive to get stronger, and she would. He knew she would. "You're a part of my crew. My family. You could never be a burden."

Her only response was a shuddering sigh.

They stood like that for several minutes, listening to the splash of water, the groans of the ship, and the quiet breaths between them. In the distance there was faint snoring, the sounds of the crew in a deep slumber.

It was interrupted by Ace giving a huge yawn, his jaw popping with the strain.

Leith chuckled. "Tired?"

"Mm," Ace hummed in agreement, heaving a deep breath to sigh only to choke when several very important details he'd forgotten took the moment to remind him, blaring warning sirens in his brain.

First: Leith (Spoons, damn it!) was a woman.

Second: She was practically naked right now and was so close they were literally skin to skin.

Third: They shared the same bed, which was only a couple feet away.

And finally: She smelled and felt really… Really… Nice.

Ace leapt back like he'd been burned, flinging his arms wide. "Spoons, put your shirt back on!" he wailed, face aflame in a blush so warm he was sure he was half on fire right now.

Spoons blinked at him nonplussed. "Hah? What's your drama?"

"Nothing! Just—" he paused, words failing him yet again as his arms jerked and gestured unhelpfully.

The smile she gave him was positively evil. "Oh~ I see… I thought you were supposed to be a big bad pirate, Captain. Shouldn't you want girls to be naked in your room?"

"T-that's—" Ace fretted, his shoulders igniting before he tamped down on his powers. What they'd done hadn't been sexual, the words exchanged and the intimate contact had been entirely platonic. But the fact remained that he was a man and well…

His blush, if possible, deepened further.