Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
They had gotten off at a bad start, Tsuku and him.
Whitebeard had introduced Ace to the rest of his crew, announcing him as a new member and "son". Boy, were there many of them, all sixteen division leaders with their men on separate ships. Apparently, they had all gathered with the news broke out about their newest comrade.
Amongst the gathering of men, Tsuku and his older brother had stood out like a sore thumb. Tsuku had been dressed in a huge coat that hung from his tiny body that it even extended down his pants since he was so small. His taller brother, Susa, wore a dark trench coat with long sleeves, seeming to enjoy hiding his face beneath the tall collar and had his top hat hung low over his eyes. They both had premature white hair, but different eyes. Tsuku had a right gray, left blue, while Susa had the right blue, and the left gray.
The siblings had been connected to each other by a chain attached to a collar around Tsuku's neck and a belt around Susa's waist. The two had stood off to the side, not really a part of the festivities being thrown around them.
When Whitebeard approached them, they both bowed simultaneously and greeted the pirate warmly. The demeanor changed when he introduced Ace.
Susa had been intrigued in getting a new "little brother", grinning like a madman in a way that made Ace very uncomfortable.
But Tsuku on the other hand coldly rebuffed him. Flatly said that he didn't find Ace appealing to the ranks of the Whitebeard pirates.
Whitebeard only smiled in that fatherly way. He let the young boy go on his way, but when Ace made the title of commander of the second division of Whitebeard pirates, the old man had shackled both him and the kid together, calling them partners and assigning Tsuku to his division. That was the first time Ace saw the boy alone, without being shackled to his aniki.
To retaliate, Tsuku went out on his way to make Ace's life a living hell. Always berating him and insulting him, the boy simply could not be pleased. He had no official rank, and yet he was in a way Ace's superior. So the young man tried to tolerate the abuse the best he could.
But on this latest mission, his control snapped. Things weren't turning out to good in their dealings and the informant they used had been wrong on several occasions. Ace didn't need the added torment and he just couldn't handle it anymore. Thus the shower scene.
"I guess I should be referring Tsuku as 'her' now," he muttered quietly, waiting downstairs on the couch of their rented, two floors apartment after being chased out the bathroom with a shower of thrown items. He bowed his hand, slamming it into his fists. "Damn."
Generally, Tsuku had seemed like a frail boy. The white skin, the white hair, the skinny body and the strange vulnerability she had emitted, added to that belief. She, reportedly, didn't have the powers of a Devil Fruit, but apparently had enough power to obtain respect from the other pirates of the crew. Whatever it was, it seemed that Susa shared it as well, that it possibly had to do with the chain which recently connected the two.
Now, knowing the truth of her gender, Ace thought it might be that case. Why else conceal her gender? Perhaps it gave her an advantage? He couldn't think of another excuse for her to hide that body.
The door opened from above, telling him that Tsuku was coming. Ace lifted his head, trying to stay calm and collected. Who knew her mood right now, or how she was going to deal with Ace seeing her in the nude. One thing for certain, there was going to be one hell of an argument.
She came down the stairs, soft footsteps climbing down. Ace turned his head, catching a glimpse of her signature heavy coat, hiding nearly her entire body. Her hair was still wet and was tied into a short ponytail, which was strange since earlier it had been shorter.
He stopped wondering over that as Tsuku stopped in front of him, head bowed and fists kept tightly by her sides. From the expression on her face, he could tell that she was beyond mad. But that could only partially explain the blush he saw on her face.
"Tell me everything that you saw."
Her sudden command caught him off guard. "W-what?" he asked, trying to make sure he heard right.
"You heard me," she snapped, crossing her arms and scowling down at him. "Tell me what you saw."
"Um…" Ace had to clear his throat a couple of times. "Just… you."
"What about me?"
"You… as a girl. With girl parts."
"Say them."
Jesus, could this be any less embarrassing for him? Though Ace wasn't new to this department, he had some manners. Like a gentleman, he never kiss and tell. He kept his conquests secret.
But underneath this girl's stare, Ace felt worse than a lecher.
"Your… breasts. I saw them and your…" He nearly cursed when he felt himself turn extremely red. "Your vagina. I saw that too." He said the last part really fast, covering his face with his hand in embarrassment.
Tsuku's face got redder though she tried to keep a semblance of calm around her. "So basically you saw the whole package," she said.
"Yeah. You could have let me say that and not the details," Ace pointed out, glaring at her a little over his fingers.
"I had to make sure." Surprisingly, without any retaliation or yelling, Tsuku went over and sat by him on the couch.
Together, Ace was reminded how easy it was to mistake her for a boy of young age, almost reaching teenager years. She had kept her femininity so well hidden that he felt the need to apologize for destroying all that hard work. Instead, for he was sure she would only punch him in the face, he turned away and gave her more room on the small couch.
Tsuku didn't seem to notice. All her eyes were fixated on were her bare knees, her face stilled in thought. She tried to find a way to fix this, if it could still be fixed. Already, she felt that "thing" stirring inside her.
If Susa was here, he would just pull the chain and all would be good.
Things were getting dangerous now. Just what was Whitebeard-jii thinking when he separated the two of them? She wondered.
"You shouldn't allow the world to abandon you. Instead, make your own place within it," the pirate lord's words went through her mind. "Don't allow it to intimidate you. People will always fear the two of you, because you are something they cannot understand. But you shouldn't fear them. Make something of yourselves instead. Join my crew and I swear to you that harm shall never befall either one of you."
Whitebeard's words had been a beacon of hope to both Tsuku and Susa. He had saved the siblings from a lifetime of hatred, of misunderstanding. If it hadn't been for him, she would be something less than who she was now.
Tsuku looked up and found Ace staring at her from the side. She jolted, then glared back defiantly to her scare. "What?" she demanded.
Ace jumped as well at being caught and looked away, clearing his throat for the second time. "Uh, nothing. Just wondering…" his face reddened as he trailed off, looking at anything but the girl sitting beside him.
She narrowed her eyes. "Just spit it out. What worse could you say that will top what just
happened?"
"Good point," he agreed and risked a look at her, before turning his face away. "I was just wondering," he swallowed, "why do you disguise yourself. I mean, I'm not saying this as a lecher but, from what I saw, you're not half bad."
"Not half bad?!" Tsuku repeated, sounding highly offended.
"No! I meant-Arhhh!" Ace gave a grunt of frustration, throwing his head into his palm in an agitated fashion. Finally, he sighed. "You're pretty, Tsuku," he said, "even dressed as a boy. Not only that, you're sort of like a guys ideal fantasy. You have all the right curves guys go crazy for. I just wondered why you hide all that."
A blush formed and filled her entire face. Quickly, she covered her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry! I didn't- Damn, I wish this could be less embarrassing," he said quickly as he felt both responsible and guilty for her distress. He was no good with a woman's emotions, where you had to talk things out instead of punching each other and they understand the message.
"N-no. It's fine," Tsuku said, surprising Ace when she didn't argue with him. "I'm… not used to being told those things by a man other than Susa."
"Your aniki hits on you?" Ace asked, surprised and a little creeped out by the admission.
"Not in that way, you pervert!" Tsuku yelled at him, showing that fiery temper of hers. "He does it to prepare me, if the day ever comes when I embrace my womanhood. Though I guess," she paused for a moment, averting her face as she felt herself get redder, if that was possible. "It didn't work. I feel bashful about this. It's annoying."
Her insides felt as though they were burning, melting with the humiliation. She wouldn't be surprised if she died of it. Besides with Susa and Whitebeard, this was far the only conversations she spoke about these things with another man. Even when she was at the ship's physician getting her physical (the other man besides the two of them who knew about her true sex), Susa was there as bodyguard, watchman, and parent.
Susa was there for everything, for because of their condition, he needed to be.
"Huh. That's funny." Ace's words drew her back to the present conversation.
"What is?" Tsuku demanded.
"For someone who hadn't embraced her femininity, you're sure good at acting like a girl," he replied, smiling down at her with his face leaning on his hand. He was so much taller than her, yet he did it in a way that he wasn't looking down at her or berating her in any way. "Why hide it? Why force yourself to be someone you're not? Doesn't that feel lonely?"
Tsuku looked away. "It's none of your business."
"Is it? I am your Commander."
She gritted her teeth, glad to finally feel the anger replace the embarrassment. She faced him, ready to give a piece of her mind when he laughed.
"Don't take it seriously. I'm joking," Ace said. Suddenly he reached out and patted her head, messing with the strands of hair like he would with a boy. "We don't know each other enough much for you to be spilling your secrets to me. Hell, you don't even like me. But I will never pull rank on you like that, so I apologize if I hurt you just now."
Tsuku could only stare at him. Shock couldn't describe this feeling and neither did surprise. What she felt was beyond those two descriptions, even the both combined. She was surprised, though, to feel the embarrassment return. But it was different now. The longer she stared at those dark eyes, the burning returned. But this time it didn't mean anger. It meant… it meant…
'What's wrong with me?' she demanded of herself, her hands rising to touch her cheeks. 'What is this feeling? I've never felt this feeling before?'
"Huh? What's wrong?" Ace asked, concerned with the way she looked. She was red again, but this time, it seemed greater, more intense. "Are you running a fever?" He reached out to touch her.
"I'm fine!" Tsuku stood to get away from him. "I'm just tired. All this has given me a headache." Then she turned back, trying to look at him the best she could , without making a complete fool of herself. "Before, there were only three men who knew my secret, including Whitebeard. Now, there is you."
"What about it?" Ace asked, meeting her glare, feeling a little curious of what she was going to say to him now. With a red blush on her face and her strange eyes flashing, Tsuku looked kind of cute.
He blinked. What was it he just thought about her just now?
"What," she paused, taking a breath to calm her nerves. "What should I do to keep your mouth shut?"
It got quiet. Really silent. Ace stood, surpassing Tsuku that she had to lift her head up just to keep eye contact. He had a really solemn look on his face that made her wonder. Did she say something wrong? But she just asked what she need to know. Everyone had their price, even her. And she needed this to be an absolute secret.
If everyone learns that she was female, then it wouldn't be too hard to figure out the other part. Her true identity and that of Susa's.
So she looked up and repeated her demand. "What do you want that will keep you to keep my secret?"
Ace just stared, in that somber way that made Tsuku feel really uncomfortable and irritable. She gave a low grunt of frustration when he wouldn't just tell her.
"Well?! What-"
"I heard you the first two times, Tsuku. I was just thinking."
"Uh!" Tsuku gasped, feeling that accursed blush return. Just what was wrong with her today? She was usually more in control of her emotions than this. "Well, what do you want?" she
said. "Or do you need more time?"
"No. I have it now," he said nonchalantly, somehow sounding really angry.
Now that confused her. Why was he mad?
"Then, say it," she demanded, trying to stay focus on the conversation and not the way that Ace looked at her. Not the way his eyes appeared so dark.
"What I want, then," he paused, looking up. Obviously prolonging the moment.
Tsuku grew angry and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him a little down and close so she could yell in his face. "Stop messing around and tell me! I need to know so we can end this embarrassing talk!" she snapped at him, feeling frustrated.
Ace grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, so that their cheeks brushed against each other and he could talk in her ear. Tsuku grew still, her body quivering at the close contact and she felt her heart speed up.
That feeling was back again.
"I would say that I want nothing from you, cause black mail isn't really my thing. But I have a feeling that you would just hurt me. So, to protect myself from a raging female, I want you to do this.
"Be a female."
"W-what?" Tsuku stammered, her eyes wide with shock.
Ace drew back. "Not in public, of course, or there won't be any point for this. Just around me," he clarified. Then he smiled at her. "Just be yourself in the privacy we share. Don't hide from me. Let me the one you don't need to hide from. If you want, let me be your private sanctuary, where you no longer need to lie."
She could make a response, frozen to the spot. Who was this man? She thought. How could he be like this? What tragedy gave him this way of thinking?
"Well, I need to get back to work. If we're going to get the Pandora's Cube for Whitebeard, we need to at least get a clue to where the hell it is. I'm using the shower, 'kay? Thanks for the bucket, though."
With that, Ace turned around and went up the stairs, leaving her standing there. Midway, he stopped and added, "I mean it. I don't want to be someone who hurts you, Tsuku."
"But why?" she demanded. "Why do you give a damn? Why care to how I feel? I haven't even treated you like a person all this time! Why go so far?"
"Because," he looked down where she stood, to find her staring back with a terrified expression. His eyes soften as he smiled. "You're my nakama. It's my duty to always protect you. That includes being your scapegoat to make you smile."
He turned back and climbed the rest of the stairs. He kept that smile, until he went inside the bathroom. Then, Ace gave a sigh as he truly frowned.
He had meant what he sighed. Ace truly wanted to be that for her, someone she didn't need to conceal from. Someone who she didn't have to lie to.
But somehow, Ace knew that would not be enough.