Note: Very excited about posting this chapter! Ace is a giant nerd.
Proofread by savthekid!
Chapter 2: Purple Horizon
Smooth, cool smoke fills Ace's lungs. The twenty year old rests his calves on the arm of the couch, too tall to lie comfortably on the tiny couch. He looks to the side to see his brother on the love seat, blond hair pulled into a small ponytail and attention fully on the book in his lap.
The TV plays a movie that neither he nor his brother are paying attention to. Ace is bored, but the movie doesn't manage to catch his interest. It's a drama of some sort, which over-exaggerated crying confirms, but Ace has never really been one for drama in the first place.
He stretches his arms into the air and yawns, catching his brother's attention.
"What?" Sabo asks, looking up from his book. His left eye has a scar over it and his light blue eyes look just as bored as Ace feels.
"It's boring just sitting here. Weren't you like… going to see Koala today?" Koala was Sabo's close friend who was a year older than both of them. Sabo had met her in his sophomore year of high school and they had been friends ever since. Ace, however, understands that both Sabo and Koala have major crushes on each other, but still haven't done anything about it.
Ace didn't really get it, to be honest. It was obvious to everyone that Sabo and Koala both like each other, to the point where some people actually thought they were already dating.
"Supposed to, but she had to work on the article she's writing for Dragon." Sabo replies in boredom, flipping a page. It was clear that he was disappointed, but he understands that it couldn't be helped. Especially when it evolved Dragon, Koala's boss and Sabo's possible employer. Ace had never met the man, but what he's heard over the past year or so he knew that the man wasn't someone to mess with.
Ace hums, staring up at the ceiling. He holds his cigarette in between his fingers, letting it burn on, the smoke fills the air and ashes fall on the floor. He doesn't honestly care about the ashes, even if it'll make Sabo look at him disapprovingly whenever he notices it. It's not as if they can't be swept up.
Today, in general, was boring as hell and it made Ace want to do nothing but sleep, but he'd already taken a nap after his classes ended that day and he wasn't about to nap again.
So instead the twenty-one year old swings his feet off of the arm of the couch and sits up, the old small couch creaking dangerously. Ace pulls out the comb that he keeps with him at all times out of pocket and combs back his hair, well aware that his brother's eyes were on him the moment the couch shifted.
"Goin' for a drive?" Sabo questions, flipping a page as Ace reaches under the couch for a boot that he stuffs his foot into.
"Yep, you need anything?" He laces up his boot quickly, searching for the other when something bounces off his head. "What the hell, Sabo?"
"It's $20. Go nuts; buy me snacks." Sabo replies, returning to his book as Ace grumbles and stuffs the crumpled twenty in his pocket.
He finds his other boot and shoves it on, tying it and standing up with a lazy goodbye to Sabo, grabbing his leather jacket on his way out.
Exiting their two-room apartment, Ace passes a few of their neighbors who greet him before going down to the car lot.
His bike is as beautiful as ever and is something that everyone and anyone could admire. It purrs to life sweetly underneath him, as if greeting him.
Ace takes his sunglasses out of his pocket and places them on the bridge on his nose as he lets the bike warm up. He gives his bike some gas and he's driving out of the lot before he knows it.
The clear, purple and pink sky and palm trees greet him as he drives down the street, the sun beginning to set on the purple horizon.
He smiles widely as the refreshing breeze fans across his face, making him feel more awake than before. Ace merges into the small area between the cars and speeds up, just managing to make the light before it turns red.
He passes one gas station and then a second, knowing from the start that he wasn't going to go to any of the ones in the city, even if it was much more convenient.
Ace wanted to drive, wanted to get out of the city that made him feel a little trapped at times. Luckily, there was plenty of space outside of the city for him to just drive.
Not only that, there was the lonely gas station with the cute worker on the outskirts where the city ended and the more deserted areas began.
Ace would be lying if he said that his mind hadn't wandered to the cute worker a few times over the past few days. The teen had interested him and he was awfully cute, if he was being honest with himself. It was a shame that Ace hadn't gotten his name, but if the worker was at the gas station today, he would ask him.
It was just… odd that such a young looking guy would be working all alone in a nearly abandoned gas station on the edge of town.
Maybe, Ace thinks when he makes a left turn, he doesn't have anything else.
If that's the case, maybe it's something they both have in common.
The sky is slowly getting darker and when he drives down the road, the city lights getting further and further behind him.
Ace is careful as he weaves through other cars coming back from their other obligations. One of the drivers sticks their head of the window, with an odd clown mask of all things in their face and screamed at Ace. Luckily, Ace didn't swerve into other cars.
California is a very strange place and one never knows what to expect with all of the bizarre people. (Not that Ace himself was necessarily normal.)
There had been one time where an extremely tall man with very long legs and a large, feathered pink coat had run up besides his bike out of nowhere and scared the living shit out of Ace.
That situation had made Ace accidentally crash into a cactus; something he would rather not think about because the repairs for his bike were expensive and there were thorns in unpleasant places for weeks. Not to mention his hair had gotten messed up.
The guy who made him crash didn't stop to see if he was okay, of course, but had continued running as if he were facing a life or death situation.
Ace shakes his head, clearing it from any and all thoughts that had to deal with weird flamingo men outrunning motorcyclists.
After a few more minutes he sees the two neon signs in the sky. The one on the right side flickers lazily, just the same as the other day.
As he gets closer to the gas stations, he can see the gas station on the left is just as crowded as it was the other night and that the one on the right is just as deserted.
He drives up to the gas station on the right and parks at stall 'q'. Through the dirty window, he can see the worker from the other night, a tattered straw hat on his and a sleepy expression on his face.
Ace can feel a smile tug at his lips but he isn't entirely sure why.
He hops off his bike and checks his hair quickly before walking up to the run down building slowly.
When he tries to open the door, it's a little stiff and requires him putting his weight on it to open it open. It swings open and nearly causes him to fall flat on his face, but luckily he manages to catch himself when he stumbles forward. (He was glad he didn't fall because falling in front of cute people wasn't the coolest thing that you could do.)
"Whoa! You nearly fell! You okay?" The cute worker greets, making Ace quickly turn on the heel of his boot. When he notices Ace, his face brightens up and he leans forward in his stool, an excited look on his face. "Hey! You're the guy with cool bike from the other night! I didn't think you'd come back! What's up?"
Ace can't help but smile widely at the excitable worker. The smile the younger looking man wore was contagious and Ace thinks it would probably very hard to not smile back at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... was in the area and thought I'd stop by here. The other place is way too crowded… And they probably don't have snacks like you have."
The worker puts his hand on his chin, closes his eyes, and nods in agreement, like he's in deep thought. "That's true, they don't have a lot of snacks. That place is really weird though!"
"This place is pretty weird too, though. I mean I'd rather come here than go there, but still. There's a great assortment of snacks that looks like it's restocked regularly, but the place is pretty run down."
When Ace finishes talking the worker grins and chuckles, making the twenty-one year old arch an eyebrow in question.
"Shishishi! I think it's pretty weird too! But my boss Hammock doesn't really care about the place a lot even if she owns it! I don't think she wants it really, but she hired me and stocks the place with a lot of yummy snacks! She's pretty cool!"
"She sounds pretty cool." Ace says, grabbing a handful of snacks he knows his brother likes and for himself.
"Yep! She's pretty weird though!"
"Does she work during the day?"
"Huh? Oh nah, she's pretty busy cause she has a bunch of other stuff to do! I think it's closed during the day or something.
Ace pauses and looks at Luffy, who sits at the counter without a problem in the world. "That's… really odd."
Wide eyes blink, but they shine with a gleam that implies they have never thought about it before. "Is it? I never thought about it before."
Ace has to close his eyes for a second, shaking his head and fighting a grin. This worker was incredible.
"Hey!" The worker chirps after Ace's eyes open and he walks to the counter with an armful of snacks. "I didn't ask you your name last time! What is it?"
"Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself first?" Ace teases, amused by this whole situation. He dumps the snacks on the counter, happy at the turn of events. The old fuzzy TV is on, playing old wrestling like it had been the other day.
"Oh, I guess! I'm Luffy! I'm gonna be King of the World! It's nice to meet you!" Luffy introduces, a wide smile on his lips and a hand extended towards Ace. The twenty-one year old didn't really know what Luffy meant about being King of the World, but he had assumed after their last meeting that the smaller male was eccentric.
"Luffy… The pleasure's all mine." Ace says, taking Luffy's smaller hand in his own. It's a bit colder than his own and calloused, but it fits nicely. "I'm Ace, not really looking to being King of the World."
Luffy smiles brightly and shakes Ace's hand enthusiastically. "Good! I'm glad because I'm not gonna let anyone else be King!"
"Well you don't gotta worry."
Luffy laughs gleefully, still holding onto Ace's hand even after he's stopped shaking it. Oddly enough, Ace doesn't let go either until he realizes that they're holding hands.
Even if he lets go, Luffy doesn't seem to realize and continues to hold Ace's hand happily, swaying in his spot with wrestlers screaming in the background. Ace swallows the lump that forms in his throat and tries to think of something to say, feeling an awkward bubble in his stomach. It wasn't bad, just bizarre, even if Luffy was cute and his hand felt nice in Ace's.
Luckily he doesn't have to because Luffy slips his hand out of Ace's soon, a bright smile on his lips.
He starts ringing Ace up, but looks at Ace the entire time. "So! Do you live in the city or do you like… live outside of it? I heard there are a lot of lizards and really cool bugs out there!"
"Nah, I'm from the city. Going to the university out here." Ace replies, stuff his empty hands in his pockets. "What about you?"
"Ohh, okay!" Luffy says, reaching the end of the snacks. "I live in the city too! Just moved here a few months back with my grandpa, but I like it! But why are you out here though? Aren't there like a bunch of gas stations in the city?"
Ace shrugs, pulling out his wallet after asking for a pack of menthols. "Yeah there are, but I go out on drives sometimes on my bike when I'm bored and I don't have anything to do. I didn't need gas when I was in the city."
He knows that he isn't completely telling the truth, but it's not all a lie.
"Oh? You need gas too?" Luffy asks, looking up at Ace. The freckled man wonders how tall the other male is, not being able to tell due to the younger looking male sitting on a stool.
"Yep, on stall q." Ace hands over the money to Luffy, who plucks it out of his fingers with the excitement of a five year old being given their first dollar.
Luffy punches something in to an older monitor and turns to the cash register for Ace's change, but by they the time he turns back around, there's a different expression on his face.
He hands Ace the change, their hands touching once more. Again, Luffy doesn't bother to pull his hand away from Ace's, catching the college students attention.
"Hey… Do you maybe wanna stay a while? It gets really boring and pretty lonely just waiting here. And you said that you didn't really have anything to do, right?" Luffy asks, his eyes shining with hope and his cheeks flushed just a bit with what might be nervousness but Ace isn't sure. Even if he hasn't known him for long, Ace can tell Luffy isn't the type to get nervous.
Ace blinks and rubs his neck with his free hand, eyes flashing out the dirty window to his bike and thoughts to his brother. But it doesn't take him much time at all to make a decision once those earnest blue eyes bore into his. Ace jumps up on the counter next to the snacks and takes a seat.
"Yeah, why not." Ace says and Luffy blinks, an overjoyed expression on his face with each word.
Luffy's smile is so wide that Ace thinks he's going to pull a muscle in his cheeks with how wide and happy it is. Ace can't help but smile back, feeling a bit lighter than before.
The commercials end and another round begins, but the smile on Ace's cheeks doesn't fade as they fall into easy conversation and cheer on their chosen wrestler on the fuzzy TV.
Sabo could definitely wait for snacks.
