Thanks MyLadyDay and Vergina-spva for beta'ing

"Well, I'm going to hit the shower. Koala will be here soon for our date. If she comes while I'm upstairs, you'll let her in, right?" Sabo said, struggling to get up from the couch.

"'Course," Ace said, not taking his eyes off the TV, until he remembered something. "Wait! Did you ask her yet?"

"Ask her what?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "About the book."

"Oh, that. I think I did," Sabo replied, scratching his head.

"You think you did?" Ace repeated slowly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I did…"

"Alright, if you did, what did she say?" Ace crossed his arms before his chest.

"Well, I mean… I don't know, man!" Sabo exclaimed. "What do you want from me? She was in my lap, wearing a short skirt, I got distracted. I'm only human, I'm weak."

Ace gave him a deadpanned look.

"Oh, please. Like you wouldn't be distracted if Marco was sitting in your lap wearing a short skirt," Sabo snapped.

They both fell silent then. Sabo was no doubt too imagining Marco in a short skirt, judging by the frown on his face.

Marco wasn't the miniskirt wearing type of guy, though, so Ace sighed. "Whatever, man. Though, I'd think you would be more eager to find out if Koala is a vampire. She doesn't have to be a bad vampire. Might as well be a sexy one."

"I'm not a teenage girl, Ace," Sabo said. "I don't fantasise about vampires. I'm a man. I fantasise about mermaids. Now can I finally shower?"

Ace bowed mockingly, gesturing him to pass. When Sabo had left, Ace flopped down on the couch again, reaching for the controller. He didn't often get so much peace and quiet. Luffy was out with his friends, so he only had to deal with Sabo's loud off-key singing in the shower until Koala got there. He could play any game he wanted.

The doorbell rang way too soon, and Ace had to pause on his way to become a famous chef.

"Hello, Ace," Koala greeted him. "Is Sabo almost ready?" Loud singing reached them from upstairs, and Koala winced. "Never mind. Are you going to invite me in?"

"Of c..." Ace suddenly paused mid movement, an idea striking him as he crossed his arms before his chest. "No."

"No?" Koala asked indignantly.

"Yes. I mean no. Don't you think it's weird to wait each time to get invited in?" Ace said challengingly.

"It's called being polite," she snapped.

"Yeah, if only you wouldn't do whatever the hell you want once you're in."

Koala looked both taken aback and insulted. "What's that's supposed to mean?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Ace hastily said. "Just… You know who also needs to get invited into houses? Vampires."

"Vampires? You think I'm a vampire?" Koala asked, eyebrows raised. "Do I look like I'm sparkling in sunlight, or like I don't have a reflection? Or not love garlic?"

She did have a point there; Koala loved garlic. She always put at least three cloves in any food. Any food.

Koala sighed. "Look, I thought Marco was nice and all, and it was cute he has mythological creatures as a hobby, but make sure you're not pulled down with him, Ace. You're being weird."

Ace stepped aside, inviting her wordlessly inside.

"Thank you."

"Did you tell Hack about the book?" Ace asked softly.

"What book?"

"Marco's book!"

"Hm? Yeah, it might have come up," she said dismissively.

"It might have come up? Mythological creatures come up in normal conversation?" Ace asked sharply.

"It comes up when I'm talking to you! Though, yeah, you're right, this is hardly normal conversation," Koala snapped. "Oh, thank God," she added when Sabo came down the stairs.

Sabo raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Koala said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just gonna grab my backpack," Sabo said, entering the living room.

"Don't forget your coat, it's chilly out," she called after him.

"Could you get it? It's on the coat rack."

Koala turned towards the coat rack, grabbing Sabo's long black coat. Immediately, it slipped from her fingers and fell crumples to the floor.

"Aha!" Ace exclaimed, pointing accusingly. "I knew it! You know why you can't hold his coat?"

"Because I have butter fingers?" Koala replied, eyebrows raised.

"Because I sewed a cross in there. And you know what vampires can't touch? Crosses."

Koala narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms before her chest as she opened her mouth to say something.

Before she could, though, Sabo stuck his head around the door of the living room. "Ace, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Ace didn't have much of a choice, when Sabo's hand reached out and yanked him inside.

Once the door was closed behind them, Sabo turned to Ace. "You like Koala, right? You're not just pretending because she beat you up?"

Ace frowned. "Of course not. I like her."

"Good. That's good." Sabo started to pace up and down. "'Cause I like her too. And I would like her to keep liking me. You get me?"

"Sure, but…"

"So I want you to stop accusing her of being a vampire! Or any other mythological creature, for that matter," Sabo interrupted him.

"But what if she is a vampire?" Ace said.

"I don't care!"

"But a vampire!" Ace exclaimed. "A neck-biting, blood sucking vampire!"

"I don't care! She can suck whatever she likes! God, Ace! You're completely obsessed. And paranoid. And crazy! Please let it go. For me."

Ace stayed silent for a moment, mulling over Sabo's words. "You're sure you don't want to know if Koala is a mythological creature?"

Something in his tone made Sabo look up. "What do you mean? Do you know?"

"I know a way to find out," Ace said.

Sabo narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Shanks' boyfriend. Apparently, he has, like, a sixth sense or whatever and he can sense if someone is a mythological creature. He could do the same for Koala."

"No way! I'm not going to let some random dude examine my girlfriend!"

"Okay, a) he's not random. And he's not going to examine her. Just a handshake. According to Shanks, anyway. Then you'll know."

Sabo was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating Ace's proposal. "No," he finally said. "Like I said, I don't want to know. If she is, then she should be able to tell me on her own time, shouldn't she?"

"You really like her, don't you?" Ace said softly.

Sabo huffed, looking a little embarrassed. "You're quick to catch up."

"Maybe you're right." Ace sighed. "I have gotten a little paranoid. Maybe she is a mythological creature and maybe she isn't. I'll leave it up to you to find out. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that. Tell her."

"That you'll find out whether she is a mythological creature or not?" Ace asked, confused.

"No, idiot! Apologise to her!"

"Right!"

When Ace was about to open the door, though, Sabo stopped him. "Did you really sew a cross in my coat?"

"Well, yeah. But not for Koala," Ace quickly added. "I did that when I thought Shanks was a vampire. Luffy's too." Sabo raised his eyebrows meaningfully, and Ace's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Yeah, I get your point about being obsessive. I'll go apologise now."

In the hall, Koala was sitting on the stairs, her head resting on her hand and Sabo's coat draped across her lap. When Ace exited, she looked up.

"Hey, Koala," Ace said sheepishly. "I just… eh… wanted to apologise for calling you a vampire. I got a little carried away with the whole mythological creatures stuff."

"Thanks," she replied, rising to her feet. "I guess I can understand it. I mean, you like Marco, so it makes sense you would want to take interest in his interests."

"Yeah, but don't let this affect your opinion on Marco," Ace hastily said. "Aside from his… eh, hobby, he's really normal. Like, boringly so."

She laughed. "I won't."

"And again, I'm sorry about the vampire thing."

Koala shrugged. "It's okay. I've been called worse in my life."

"Who calls you stuff?" Sabo asked sharply, his whole body screaming that he would beat up the first person she'd point her finger to.

"Nothing." She stroked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I was a late bloomer. And when I did bloom, well, it turns out catcalling is still a thing."

"Men are disgusting," Sabo spat, seething.

"They sure are." Koala pulled him close and combed with her hand through his hair.

"Well, as a man, I'm sorry," Ace said. "Oh, I know!" He ran towards the kitchen, returning with a bulb of garlic, which he pressed into Koala's hand, grinning triumphantly.

"Ehm, thanks," Koala said, a little taken aback. "I was wondering what kind of snack to pick during the movie."

Sabo snorted. "You'd eat that raw? Yuck."

"Yuck? Sounds like I was really wrong about who was the vampire here," Ace said jokingly.

"Yes, yes, very funny. I'm a vampire, Ace is a werecat, we're all mythological creatures," Sabo said.

"Cat?" Koala asked.

Sabo turned to her. "Hm?"

She shrugged. "You said werecat. Werewolf would be a more obvious choice."

"I… Eh… Yeah, I guess that's true," Sabo stammered. "I… eh, just read Marco's book."

"There is no werecat in the book," Koala countered.

Now it was Ace's turn to be suspicious. "How would you know?"

She stared at him, eyes wide.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Sabo intervened. "Ace, you promised, remember? Koala, let's go, before we miss the movie."