Hello everyone, here is an another one shot. This time it is a missing scene, or scenes rather.
Ace and Benn have seemed to be close, or closer than Ace usually is with others. How did that relation/bond get to where it is now?
This was a request from Lady Histoire and a guest. Know you also wanted Shanks, but he will get his own chapter later.
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Ace laid on his back on a bed in the spare bedroom at Shank's ship. After agreeing to be acquaintances with the red haired captain, he had asked Ace to do a lot of small things if he had the time. Ace didn't really think off it as a bother, it gave him something to do and gave him the chance to get a lot of information around and visit a lot of places. Ace wasn't really known yet, so he didn't have a lot of assignments to do. He often went with Azuruko or any of the others, but he wanted to do more by himself and Shanks gave him that chance.
Ace turned a page in the book he was holding over his head, reading as he couldn't sleep. He had had some sleeping issues for a few years, it was really annoying. Ace usually liked to be out on deck on sleepless nights, to look at the night sky and watch the waves. But none on the ship knew of his sleeping issues, and he wasn't going to tell them, not if he could avoid it. Ace could feel he was tired, it was a day since he had last slept and he was starting to feel it. But he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Having one of his normal annoying sleepless nights. As Ace went to turn a page again, his tired mind and hands managed to lose its grip on the book, and it fell on his head. Ace ave a sigh as he lifted the book, massaging a sore spot on his forehead, the book was heavy.
¨If you can't sleep, you can come out on deck, you know.¨ Ace looked towards the door, where he saw Benn standing, looking at him. ¨No use in locking yourself in.¨ Ace turned back to the book as he raised it again, ¨I'm just reading a bit before going to sleep.¨ Replied Ace, not wanting to admit he couldn't sleep. He heard a sigh as Benn closed the door, a second later the bed dipped as Benn sat down. ¨And I would have believed that if you hadn't been reading for 2 hours.¨ Ace turned to look at Benn, who had his usual expression on his face. Had he been spying on him? Before he could ask, Benn spoke. ¨I came by two hours ago, to see if you had settled down.¨ Ace turned back to his attention back to the book, forcing his face to remain calm as he spoke. ¨I just got caught up in it, I will go to sleep soon.¨
He could see Benn lifting an eyebrow in his peripheral vision. ¨And yet you haven't gotten past a chapter.¨ Ace's hands tightened on the book, he didn't know Benn had caught onto that. Ace couldn't concentrate on the book. Benn gave him a calm look as he continued. ¨There's no shame in having sleeping issues, Ace.¨ Ace put on a nonchalant look, ¨No fifteen year old have sleeping issues.¨ Benn shook his head. ¨And no fifteen year old is usually an assassin.¨ Ace's eyes locked onto a world in the book, not realizing Benn would be as observant and perceptive. ¨I'm just reading before bed, I'm going to sleep soon.¨ Repeated Ace. Just because Benn seemed to know he couldn't sleep, didn't mean he would admit it to him. He barely knew him.
Benn gave a sigh as he stood up again. ¨Fine. I'm on watch for the rest of the night, so I need to go back out. Come join me if you can't sleep after reading the chapter.¨ Then Benn left out the door, closing it softly behind him.
Ace turned a page and continued to read, hoping Benn wouldn't come back inside. When he reached the end of the chapter 10 minutes later, he contemplated if he should take up on Benn's offer. He was sick of lying in the bed, or just being in the room generally, it was starting to get really boring. But that would mean to show Benn he was right, that he couldn't sleep. Ace gave an annoyed sigh as he turned the page and started the next chapter, hoping Benn believed he had fallen asleep and wouldn't come back to check. Ace didn't want to show he couldn't sleep. He was glad when Benn didn't.
-x-
Ace walked through a hallway and into the bedroom he had used a lot on Shanks ship. Ace had just returned from an assignment for Shanks, and the red haired captain had asked Ace to stay, almost begging him. Saying how he hadn't seen him in ages, which was untrue, seeing as it had only been a month. As Ace closed the door behind him, he started to favor his right leg as he walked over to the bed and sat down. He had managed to land wrong after a jump and injure it a bit. Nothing bad or broken, but it still hurt. He wouldn't show it to the pirates, not if he could hide it. As Ace sat down and was about to take his shoe off to assess the damage, the door opened and Benn came inside.
Ace sat up and pretended he was fine as usual. ¨Benn, do you need anything?¨ Benn gave him a look as he shook his head. ¨No, but you might. You might be able to walk, but you clearly hurt your leg.¨ He said as he closed the door. Ace pretended he didn't know what he was talking about. ¨I don't know what you are talking about. My leg feel fine.¨ Benn gave a sigh as he walked over to Ace and crouched down in front of him and taking a hold of the leg, making Ace flinch in pain. ¨Not hurting I see.¨ Said Benn as he took the shoe off. Ace stared at Benn uncertainly as he took the sock off, not liking that Benn had been able to see that he was injured. It might mean Shanks knew too, and Ace didn't want that. The read haired man was an annoyance when Ace had an injury.
¨Shanks doesn't know you are injured, I didn't tell him. So don't give me that look.¨ Said Benn, making Ace frown. ¨But isn't he your captain?¨ A pirate always told his captain about things and never hid injuries or important things, that was at least what Ace believed. Benn gave a snort, ¨He is, but he is also an idiot who overreacts and annoy people, especially injured ones.¨ Started Benn as he looked the foot over. ¨You clearly don't like attention when you are injured. He would not be able to do anything anyway, he has no medical training.¨
Ace gave another flinch as Benn turned the foot. ¨Won't he be mad that you didn't tell him?¨ Benn let the foot go as he took out some bandages, ¨He can't be mad about something he doesn't know about.¨ Said the man as he started to bind the leg. Ace looked away when Benn looked up at him. ¨I don't want you to hide an injury because you don't like Shanks acting like an idiot. If that means to not tell him, I won't.¨ As Benn continued to bind the leg, Ace looked at the wall, thinking. Benn was willing to hide information from his captain if it meant good for Ace? Ace's hands tightened on the covers as he tried to grasp that Benn was lying to his captain. He knew the man hadn't told Shanks about the times he found Ace up all night.
Ace had no idea how to react to that. To know Benn was actually willing to hide things from his captain for him, so Ace wouldn't be uncomfortable.
¨There.¨ Said Benn when he was finished with binding the leg. Ace gave a nod, but didn't say anything. Benn stood up and headed towards the door, when he was about to open it, he paused. ¨Also,¨ He started, ¨I'm on watch tonight.¨ The the man left, softly closing the door behind him. Ace sent a look towards the door when it was closed. Benn seemed like a good man, who somehow knew what Ace didn't like, as well as he could somehow read Ace. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, he already had a lot on his mind, and Benn had said that so he knew who was out. Every time Ace was over and couldn't sleep, as he often couldn't, Benn always told him if he had nightwatch. He was the only one who knew Ace had sleeping issues, even though Ace hadn't admitted it yet.
As the night came, Ace stayed inside the room and occupied himself with a book. He wasn't ready to show Benn he was right.
-x-
Ace stood in front of the door leading to the deck. He knew Benn was out on watch, he had told him earlier in the day. Ace and his brothers was visiting the red haired captain and everyone was asleep, everyone aside from Ace. Ace couldn't stay in the spare room and read, knowing his brother were sleeping there and they would notice if he stayed up. Ace took a breath as he opened the door and walked out onto the deck.
When he got out, Ace did a quick look around, and saw Benn standing to the left, leaning on the railing as he smoked. Ace slowly walked over and leaned on the railing next to him. Ace felt the man give him a look as Ace kept his gaze at the water. ¨Luffy and Sabo finally fell asleep?¨ Ace gave a nod. Luffy had fallen asleep before his head hit the pillow, but Sabo had stayed up a long time, waiting for Ace to sleep too. He hadn't fallen asleep until Ace had pretended he was asleep. Benn gave a nod as he took a blow from his smoke, turning to look at the distance himself.
¨I know Shanks can be an idiot most times, but he only means good.¨ Ace nodded. ¨I know. He's just so intense sometimes.¨ Benn gave a chuckle. ¨He is. How he managed to become a Yonko is beyond me sometimes.¨ Ace couldn't help but laugh at that. It was true and Ace had himself question it himself many times, Shanks acted like a fool most of the times.
Ace stayed out the entire night with Benn, talking about thick and thin, Benn never bringing up Ace's sleeping problems, just keeping him company. When the morning came and Shanks walked out on deck and saw them, he asked how long he had been up. Before Ace could answer, Benn did. ¨Only for a short hour. We've just been enjoying the sunrise in silence, which is rare when you are around.¨ Shanks let out a whine at that, saying how mean Benn was. Ace however, could only send a look at Benn.
He actually lied to Shanks. Ace knew Benn was faithful to his captain and crew, caring about everyone as one usually did. But he never believed Benn would outright tell a lie, a small one, but still a lie. Ace turned back to the sun who had just gotten over sea level with a smile. He was starting to like Benn. He seemed to understand Ace, something very few did.
When Ace stayed over and couldn't sleep after that, he often joined Benn when he had watch. It was good to have someone to talk to and be around when he couldn't sleep. He usually was up with Daisuke or Azuruko, them being the main ones Ace was around.
-x-
As time went on, Ace started to open more and more up to Benn. He didn't tell him a whole lot about himself or his troubles, but he was around him more. Whenever he managed to get injured and showed up at the ship, Benn always helped Ace patch up. When it was a visible injury, he let Shanks fret for a bit, before sending him away or stopping him when he saw he got to intense as usual. It was weird to have someone who understood him and didn't try to change him. He never said against Shanks when he told Ace he could join them, but only if he quit. But he never said the words himself. He did probably agree with them, but he never voiced it.
Shanks had started to catch onto that Ace was bonding more with Ace than him, making him whine. Especially the morning when he found them out on deck and looking at the sunrise, making the captain jealous and starting to whine. It always made Ace laugh, especially when Shanks acted like he was pouting and ignored Ace. But always went back to be his usual self after a few hours, going back to annoy Ace and be his stupid self. Ace never said he was injured or that he had any sleeping issues, not liking to admit it to anyone. The one he had admitted it too, was Azuruko, and that was so he could get sleeping pills when it got to bad, which was rare.
There had been a few times that Benn had tried to ask about it, but Ace either didn't answer or changed the subject. He might be more close to Benn than what he had been, but he wasn't ready to tell him about it, to admit he had any problems. Benn knew he didn't like to admit he was injured or had any problems, much less show it. He had sometimes forced Ace to say he needed help, but that was it and it was only when they were alone. Ace always hated it, always had issues with saying the words, but he did manage to force them out. Benn always handled it in a way Ace liked, never looking down on him or making him feel to uncomfortable.
He had gotten closer to Shanks too, him sometimes actually realizing he was making Ace uncomfortable, but was still oblivious most of the times. He was there to help if Ace needed it, but he was not someone that Ace liked to be around when it was about his problems with trust and to be able to rely on others.
-x-
Ace sat inside the galley with Benn, a storm raging outside. They sat close to the window and was slowly drinking some coffee as they watched the lightning outside and heard the thundering thunder. Ace had not been on the boat for a while, not for almost 3 months now. He had still done assignments, but had never stayed over, not wanting to since Azuruko died 3 months ago. Shanks had tried to get him to stay over, but Ace had always declined, saying he had other things to do. When he tried to start pouting after Ace said no, Benn had interfered and made Shanks give it up. And Ace was thankful for that. It did seem Shanks understood after Benn kept him from whining, he seemed to get this understanding look in his eye as he backed down.
After Azuruko had died, Ace's sleeping issues had gotten worse, terrible so. He rarely slept every every night, often staying awake to not sleep. Every time he slept, he always had nightmares and dreams that reminded him that he was alone, that he was everything that he was being called. He knew his brothers was worried for him, as well as Daisuke even, but they had given him space.
Ace watched as lighting flashed across the sky and listened to the thunder that followed, making the ship tremble. It was an awful storm. Benn had stayed silent for the most part, only sometimes asking Ace if he wanted more coffee when he had run out. All the others was asleep, somehow managing to sleep through the storm. Another rumble shook the ship, making a cup fall down, thankfully not shattering. ¨How is the others able to sleep through this? The entire ship is shaking.¨ Ace wondered out loud as Benn placed the cup back on the counter. Benn gave a chuckle as he sat back down, ¨They have amazing sleeping abilities, especially Shanks. You could tie him upside down outside in the storm and he'll still be able to sleep.¨
Ace gave a nod and watched the rain hit the window as more lighting flashed across the sky. ¨I wish I could do that, to lay down and just sleep, not caring about anything around me. To not fear what sleeps brings.¨ Ace felt tears start to welled up in his eyes, but still continued. ¨That I could get more than a few hours now and then.¨ The tears started to fall as Ace saw Benn moving, when he saw Benn crouching down next to him, Ace looked at him. ¨I wished I could be normal for once.¨ Ace didn't care he showed weakness to Benn, that he would see him in distress like this, to hear how much it bothered him that he couldn't sleep like a normal person. Benn didn't say anything as he slowly put his hand around Ace. Ace gave a small sob as he clutched Benn's shirt.
He felt really alone and vulnerable after Azuruko had died, losing the one man who had made everything manageable. Ace didn't want to stop being an assassin, it was something he wanted to do, to help everyone and keep his brothers safe. He tried to ignore his emotions and keep going on and being the strong person he was said to be, not the young kid he felt like right now. Benn had never judged or cared when Ace had not been able to sleep or been injured, and didn't seem to do that now either, which was exactly what Ace wanted and needed.
Benn made no sound as he comforted Ace, knowing it was going to happen.
Ace had been looking real depressed and worn out the last few months. Benn knew it was because he had lost his mentor. Ace tried to stay strong and pretend he was fine, that he was invincible, but he was starting to crack. Ace had never admitted anything, never said anything until now. For almost 2 years, he had never said anything. But now that the man who was everything for Ace was gone, Ace was vulnerable. To the point even Shanks had noticed, making him actually taking a step back. As Ace clutched his shirt and tried not to make any sounds, Benn noticed the door opening.
When Shanks came into view with a tired face, which quickly changed to shock when he saw them, Benn send a look to his captain, a look that clearly said leave.
Just getting Ace to open up to him was hard, taking almost 2 years, he wasn't going to let his captain interrupt the one time Ace really opened up. Shanks pushed his lips together as he left, softly closing the door behind him. Benn was thankful his captain had listened, he had realized himself Ace was having a hard time, but he probably didn't think it was this bad. Benn used a hand to stump his smoke in an ashtray and carefully brought it back to Ace's back. Ace wasn't fond off touch, he knew that, and would therefore be careful now, being sure not to mess this up.
Benn sat up the entire night with Ace, not caring when his shift was supposed to end and Rockstar was supposed to take over, who never even came to the galley. Benn had a feeling Shanks was keeping him away, which made him glad his captain did realize he couldn't do anything right now. The next day, Benn would lay all the cards on the table to Shanks, tell him how the last couple of years had been. He couldn't hide it from his captain any more.
And that's the chapter, hope you enjoy
And as I said at the start, Shanks will get his own chapter, both his perceptive off this, as well as how he and Ace know each other as well as they do now.
Don't be afraid to leave requests.
If you have any scenes you want to see or event you would like to go different, leave a review/comment.