A.N. Third chapter is here! :}

Ace's POV

I blew warm air at my fingers, I've been waiting here for already five minutes, so my fingers were red and very cold. I looked around, the streets are almost empty, there's almost no cars in the road and office buildings around had dark windows; it is Sunday after all … I looked up at the sky and saw only grey mass of clouds; when was the last time I saw blue sky? I think it was Monday, while I was on my business trip…

I heard footsteps that got louder and louder; he's finally here… Just as he turned at the corner, I used that moment to pin that much bigger man to the wall, I stopped his hand which was just about to go into cloak pocket. "A, a, a, I know what you got there sir Crocodile, no guns, or I will have to arrest you."

The man with horizontal scar on his face frowned. "What do you want? I thought everything was settled ages ago."

I snorted. "I thought so too, but you know that Luffy is gone and I think you could have helped that to happen."

The one armed man raised his eyebrow. "And why should I do that? Sure he destroyed my plan, but in the end because of him I got even better deal with Doflamingo, I don't have anything to do with that boy's disappearance. I think you should remember that later I even helped him."

I gritted my teeth. "I don't need a history lesson Crocodile, I know what happened, but with you, one can never be sure, maybe you still feel angry about that deal, maybe you decided that now, when everything settled down you can take your revenge."

"Listen Portgas, I don't like being in debt, so I never get in one, but that guy made me have one to him, so I helped him, the end. I don't want to have anything in common with him 'cause I will be in debt to him again. I don't care about him anymore, now let me go and find someone else to get your frustration out."

Crocodile easily got out of my grip and walked away, I stood there for several seconds and closed my eyes. Fuck, he was the last one I checked, last that police couldn't know about interacting with Luffy. No one knows anything, it's like he disappeared into thin air… My phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey brat, you finished what you had to do?"

"Yea, I still got nothing."

"So even your mysterious way couldn't help…"

I rubbed my forehead and started walking. "No, it's like he simply disappeared into thin air…"

I heard the grey haired detective sigh. "It's like we checked everything we could, but no one even turned out to be suspicious." Silence stayed for several seconds. "I don't want to consider this as an opinion, but it might be that he became a victim to some serial killer and that we will find his…"

"No! He's isn't dead… He can't be dead…"

"Listen brat, he's gone for three days, his picture is already in the newspapers, TV and internet, it's not possible that he just suddenly went on vacation, somebody would have contacted us already. You got to try to understand that we might not find him alive…"

I felt a lump in my throat; no he has to be alive, he couldn't have just died… There was a ring at the other side of my phone. "My work phone is ringing, hold on a moment brat."

I heard Smoker answer his phone, after another moment he said 'okay' and I heard a sigh. "You're still here brat?"

"Yea…"

I felt crushed, Smoker words were spinning in my head and I couldn't help, but to think that what if he's right? "Well I got a call from morgue again, are you far from there?"

"Uh, yea, I'm on Arabasta street."

"What the hell you're doing there?"

I sighed. "I had to talk to someone…"

"Well whatever brat, I will pick you up in ten minutes."

I turned my phone off and put it in my coat pocket while feeling dazed; what if Smoker is really right…?

-II-

I walked out of the morgue, this time the guy I had to look at had seriously injured face, it looked so creepy, but at least it wasn't him. A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked at Smoker. "You need a drink brat, that view wasn't pretty."

I just nodded; the fact that Luffy is still gone is simply crushing me, if he was here he would probably kick me to go drinking. He would probably say something like: 'I'm adult, go have some fun' and then he would ask Smoker if he likes me… The thought of Luffy doing that made me feel little better; he will definitely do that once we find him… "Yea, I really need one…"

-II-

I opened my eyes and looked around. "Where am I?"

I looked at left and saw Smoker looking at me. "At a bar."

I rubbed my eyes. "Really?"

"Do you fall asleep every time you get drunk?"

A small laugh escaped my lips. "Nah, I have narcolepsy, that's why I don't have driver license." Smoker raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "How long was I out?"

"Fifteen minutes."

I stared at the half full glass in front of me and lost all want to drink, I sighed. "I don't want to drink anymore…"

Smoker threw some bills on the table and stood up, I tried to follow his example, but when I tried to stand up my legs gave up on me and I fell back on the bar stool. "Need any help?"

I looked up at the face of the grey haired detective; his hair really suits him, he wouldn't look so hot if his hair was black or brown, he would look terrible in blond hair… And that scar makes him look dangerous and a little bit wild… "Brat." I blinked several times and focused on Smoker. "Do you need help?"

I looked at my legs; why am I still sitting? I tried to stand up again, but failed, I looked up at detective and remembered his question, I nodded. The older man sighed and put his hand a little above my waist. "You sure are a lot of trouble…"

We walked out of the bar, well Smoker walked out while dragging me 'cause I found it hard to walk. I heard Smoker sigh; why is he sighing? Am I that much trouble? Or is he just getting annoyed at me? Maybe he's tired? He's working overtime after all… We reached Smoker jeep, it was black and looked pretty new, from those rides I already had in it I understood that this detective likes cars and that this jeep cost a lot…

Smoker helped me sit into the passenger seat and walked around to sit into the driver's seat. He started the car and we drove off the bar's parking lot. "Where do I need to get you?"

"Spade street 3."

The rest of the ride was quiet and depressing thought once again fell on my mind. For some reason my traitorous brain started to imagine what happened if we found Luffy's body, dead. He once said that he doesn't want to be buried, so we would cremate him, he has so many friends and I don't even know half of them… Grandpa would get furious, he did when I was used as a hostage once, Luffy then used a lot of his connections and saved me…

We would pour his ashes by the wind into the sea 'cause he loves it so much… After that we would try to live our lives as nothing happened 'cause he definitely wouldn't want any of us suffer. But we would feel empty, we would miss him with all our might, it just wouldn't be the same without him. The parties wouldn't be so wild, the meals so fun and no trips to some strange places he found… No new strange people he met and became friends with…

I felt the lump in my throat shoot up, a little bit more and I will cry… Luckily the car stopped in front of my apartment building, Smoker turned at me. "In which floor do you live?"

"Fourth."

"Which stairwell?"

"First."

Smoker looked at the building and cursed. "And of course it has to be a four storey building without an elevator…"

The grey haired detective got out and my thought about 'what if' disappeared. Smoker got to the passenger seat and once again wrapped his hand around me, my coat pressed to my body and I could feel that place heat up. Seriously, there should be a limit at how hot he can be… We reached the front door. "What's the code brat?"

I looked at the number lock. "Hmmm, I know there should be one and zero… Hmmm, try zero, one, five?"

The door opened and we walked in, I looked at Smoker's face while he climbed up the stairs, he didn't have an annoyed expression like I was thinking he will have, it was somehow a little gentle. All the way while we, well Smoker, climbed up the stairs I continued to watch his face. The only change that happened was a small trail of sweat that went down through his temple. It was quite warm in this staircase and he was wearing a coat and dragging me…

We reached the fourth floor and detective looked around. "Which door is to your apartment?"

I blinked several times and withdrew my eyes from his face. "Middle door." I put my hand into my jeans pocket. "I got the keys right here…"

I took out the keys and when Smoker dragged me closer to the door I tried to open them, of course that damn lock, just had to move every time I brought my key to it. So Smoker took the key from me and opened the door; traitor lock…

We walked into my messed apartment's corridor, I took of my shoes and with the help of the man that from the moment I met him was the person in my fantasies I also took of my coat. I tried walking by myself, but only stumbled by my slippers and almost fell down, but a strong arm caught me before I kissed the floor.

Smoker for the third time that day wrapped his arm around me, only this time the hand ended up on my waist. It was just so natural to have it there, it just kind of felt like it belonged there… "Where's your bedroom?"

I felt my cheeks blush as imagined those words being said with a different meaning; oh, if only that was possible… I showed at the door in my right. "There."

Smoker opened them and we walked into my bedroom, the bed was a mess and there was a pile of dirty clothes in the corner. The curtains were closed and a little bit of light from outside went through its small gaps. "Looks just like mine…"

Like his? His bedroom is also messy? He doesn't date anyone either? Well if he did, he probably wouldn't be in an apartment with a drunk man that he knows for several days at midnight… Smoker brought me to my bead and let go of me, I didn't fall down like I expected and was quite happy about that, but that left me incredibly close to the grey haired detective. I looked at his face straight into his blue eyes, those eyes got me in some kind of trance 'cause I tiptoed and put my lips on his. Then I felt incredibly sleepy and blacked out.

A.N. Okay, so this is long… For me… And I hope you enjoyed! :}