Starring: Ace, Law, mentions of Drake and Heart Pirates
Timing: Before Ace joins Whitebeard's crew
Rating: T for kissing and fluff
Summary: Ace gets jealous when he sees Law chatting with another man at a port city. Bickering, confessions, and fluff ensues.
A/N: You know how once upon a time, I said I'd update frequently? That is what we call counting chickens before they hatch. Apologies for this very long overdue update. I've been busy because sadly, I do have a life off my computer screen even if I wish I didn't. On a brighter note, this is a pretty light chapter and I'm working on another toothache-inducing one before I go back to depressing and gloomy. So enjoy my lovelies~
Ace thinks his actions were perfectly justifiable. Law, not so much.
"We were talking Portgas-ya."
"His hand was gonna touch your ass!"
The captain of the Spade Pirates pouts when Law just rolls his eyes and drawls, "I assure you that if he did do that, I would have personally made sure he could never use that hand again. But putting your temperamental nature aside for a moment, I'm quite certain Drake-ya has never touched even a woman inappropriately never mind another man."
Okay, so maybe, just maybe, Ace overreacted with dramatically shoving a guy away from Law and then dragging him off to a secluded alley to argue. But what else is he supposed to think when he happens across a port city that Law happens to be docked at with his crew and then happens to spy his sort of friend-with-benefits standing way to close to another man with some mask on his face like a weird pervert?
The fact they had a good five feet of space between and weren't even bodily facing each other didn't register in Ace's head. It still doesn't even now.
Cool hands cup his face as Law murmurs, "Jealousy is unbecoming Portgas-ya. I thought we agreed to not get emotionally invested in our… partnership."
Ace's cheeks light up from the feather touch as he mumbles sullenly, "I'm not emotionally invested! I just… I dunno, I don't like you being near other people."
He just misses the flash of fear flit through Law's eyes but he does notice when his sort-of lover withdraws from him. Reaching out, he quickly catches Law before the other captain can fully retreat and this time, he sees the small flinch his touch causes.
Confused, Ace asks softly, "Hey, what's wrong?"
Law doesn't meet his searching eyes.
"Nothing. I need to go Portgas-ya. My crew is waiting and-"
Warm lips cover his and silvery gray pools widen before Law tries to briefly push him away. Then his shoulders slump and he kisses back but it feels wrong and Ace doesn't like it because it seems as if it's forced and done out of resignation than genuine want like usual. Breaking lip contact, Ace presses their foreheads together and asks again, "What's wrong?"
For a minute, he doesn't get a response. But then Law murmurs a question of his own. "Why can't I be with others? I am not a possession."
Ace blinks and then oddly enough, reddens. Not from anger but from embarrassment. Finding the wall of the small alley they were hiding in the most fascinating thing ever, the Spades captain fidgets uncomfortably before finally mumbling, "Well… see… I know we're not actually together or anything… but…"
Too honest dark eyes like burning coals that radiate nothing but warmth meet his gaze briefly before averting again and Ace's face turns an interesting crimson.
"I-I don't want others to see how great you are and vice versa or else you're gonna like them more than me and then you won't like me anymore and then I'll have to watch you go off with someone else and I'll get lonely but it's your choice so I won't be able to do anything about it."
Law has to take a couple minutes to figure out what Ace said because the other let all that out in a single rushed breath. When he does unscramble the jumbled admittance, he is at a loss for words.
Ace isn't being possessive. Not in the way Law is familiar with at least. He's afraid; afraid Law will leave him for someone else. But more than that, there is the underlying message that Ace fears this… because he won't try to force him to stay if he can find happiness in someone else's arms.
He doesn't understand. Ace is a pirate and pirates care very little for the feelings of others. They take and take and take until nothing is left and Law knows this because he has done the taking and has been taken from before.
So why?
"Why do you care?"
Ace tries to keep avoiding his searching gaze but Law won't have that. He needs to know if Ace is speaking the truth because he's tired of falling for the same false promises over and over again. Is this peculiar relationship they have just going to become another chain that rips a piece of his life away? Or is it something else that is infinitely more terrifying and liberating than anything he's ever known before?
When he catches Ace's gaze at last, he holds it with some invisible grip most likely born from pure will power and maybe some sort of desperation since Ace doesn't look away again. Instead, the Spade captain stares back with the same earnestness of the young adult he has only recently become as he declares fervently, honestly, "I like you Law. You're special in a way that's a lot like nakama only a little different and that means I want you to be happy. It'd be nice if I could give you that happiness but I'm not really good at that…"
He grins then and it's one of the most precious treasures Law has ever laid eyes on.
"I'd be a cliche liar if I said I can't live without you but I will get real lonely without you. But your happiness is mine so who am I to complain right?"
Ace jumps a bit in surprise when he's suddenly enveloped by slender arms but then he returns the embrace because whatever issue Law was having earlier seems to have been overcome for today. He never says a word about the weakness in that expression that Law displays to him and only him in that dingy alley.
In Law's perspective, he doesn't know what he's done to deserve this single blessing in his life outside of his idiotic but loyal crew. He doesn't know how Ace can truly like someone as twisted and dirtied as him.
What he does know is that Ace's affection isn't the same as the forced desire others have had for him. It's pure and honest and melting in his arms is different from drowning in those of Doflamingo.
He's not ashamed to admit he's too weak to give Ace the same emotional affection as he is given. But from now on, he swears to try to do everything he can to show Ace that for him, there can only be one fire that lights up his world.
