Chapter Sixteen : Love

"What is Mom like?" Ace asked, full of desperation.

Ace had caught Roger. His father was frozen on spot, obviously not expecting that question. Roger stared at Ace with a new profound expression. His stare was soft and longing and it somehow made Ace feel warm inside.

Ace had never met his mother, not even once. As a young kid, he remembered asking Garp or Dadan about his parents but they would always turn him down. It was only during one of their drinking session that Ace eavesdropped upon that he learned about who his father was. But he didn't know anything about her mother, except her name and that was it.

"It's only natural for you to ask." Roger smiled warmly. "What do you want to know?"

Ace sighed while letting his fingers ran through his hair. This was the thing he wanted to ask for a long time. And now that he will finally acquire it, excitement rose upon him.

"Maybe. What does she look like...?"

"You look like her."

"I do?" Ace voiced out, taken aback. His gray eyes slightly widening.

"You have her eyes and her freckles," Roger said, voice laced with fondness. "That's how I concluded that you're my son when we first met. I'm glad you've got her freckles."

"Sabo and Luffy used to connect my freckles with a marker, you know." Ace grumbled, reminiscing the times with his brothers.

"They did that?" Roger laughed as he put his hands on his stomach.

Ace snorted. "Yeah, it annoyed me to no end. But now that I know that it's from Mom... I guess having freckles is a good thing."

"She's also fond of red hibiscuses. It's the first thing I noticed about her when we first met."

Ace softly narrowed his eyes. "How did you met?"

"It's a funny story actually..." Roger grinned as he started his tale.

After a week of trying to find an island to restock upon, they finally reached one. Roger, being the captain and adventurous one, was the first one to go. Stepping out of their ship, the Oro Jackson, made him thirsty for the new adventure waiting for them.

"Oi, Roger. Don't cause any trouble." Rayleigh, his vice-captain, reminded. He had his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed, indicating that he was serious about it.

Gaban laughed next to him. "Less than an hour from now and I'm sure we'll have to rescue your butt again."

Roger gave him a cheeky grin, eyes were twinkling with mischief. Rayleigh should know of his theatrics by now. "You know that I can't assure you that."

He could hear Rayleigh's angry rants and Gaban's calming words but Roger was never the one to listen. He ran towards the town, full speed ahead.

Roger allowed his sense of smell to dictate where he was headed. He was hungry and the smell of food was in the air. When he opened his eyes, a restaurant was in his front. He grinned to himself before entering. There were a few people seated eating and talking and minding their own business.

Roger sat on a table in the corner far from everyone else. A waiter immediately went to get his order. The waiter looked unsure when he ordered almost every item on the menu but Roger shrugged it off.

As he impatiently waited for his meal, his eye had noticed a card flying towards his direction.

He got the card that was on the floor. In it was a black card with a heart on the center turned upside down and a stalk at its base. He turned his head trying to find where the card came from.

And that was when he saw a woman alone at a table. She looked so serious as she laid down a deck of cards. A red flower was tucked in her right ear. She had strawberry blonde hair and soft brown eyes. Roger also noticed the freckles splattered on her cheeks and nose.

Roger took an approach, curious about what the woman was doing with the cards.

"Hello." Roger greeted simply.

But it fell on deaf ears, she did not pay him any attention. Her eyes were still busy looking at the cards on the table.

Roger waved his hands on her face and gently tugged her. It made the woman startled.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the card out of his hand. "That's exactly the card that I need!"

Roger asked, curiosity laced in his tone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm playing Solitaire." She answered with a smile. "I can't seem to finish it though. I didn't realize that the Ace of Spades was missing."

"What's soltar?"

She giggled softly putting her hands on her mouth. "Solitaire. It's a one-player game. You need to stack up the cards by suits. From ace up to king."

"Oh," Roger exclaimed, not understanding anything. His crew did play cards all the time but it never interested him. Pirates do play cards all the time since traveling at sea can be quite boring. Rayleigh tried teaching him one time but he gave up immediately because of Roger's impatience.

The woman removed her cards on the table as the waiter arrived with Roger's food. But before Roger could even taste it first, the woman got a plate with fried rice and started eating it.

Roger pouted. He was never the one to share his food with others. "But that's mine..."

"Sorry," She apologized, smiling sweetly. "But I'm famished. I don't have money with me right now."

"I don't have any either."

"Really? Then how are you planning to pay for all of this?"

"Eat and run. It's my modus operandi."

"Hmm?" The woman hummed before she started laughing. She put her hands on her stomach as she cannot contain herself.

Roger grinned sheepishly. Her laughter was nice to hear. It sounded like the twinkling of bells which made it an adorable sound.

"My name is Rouge. What's yours?" She introduced herself before eating a mouthful of rice.

"Gol D. Roger."

"Roger? You mean the—" Rouge halted. She hit her head on the food with a loud thud.

Roger was startled by it. He was about to panic when he heard Rouge soft snoring. Roger did not know what to do. He never met a woman who will just fell asleep in the middle of eating and a conversation.

"—Pirate captain who is causing all the ruckus on the Grand Line?" Rouge finished as she woke up as if it's nothing. She removed her head from the plate. A few rice was sticking on her face.

"Uhmm... What was that...?" Roger questioned, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, crap." She exclaimed putting her hands on her mouth. She giggled again, still mortified of the incident that occurred. "Well, I have narcolepsy. I just kinda sleep anywhere and anytime..."

"You're weird." Roger laughed.

"Now, now. It's inappropriate to say that to a lady, you know." Rouge pouted, quickly annoyed.

"Sorry," He said sheepishly. "So are you a pirate, too?"

Rouge sighed before replying with a cryptic smile. "That's for me to know and you to wonder."

"Don't be like that..."

"What about we play a card game? If you win, I'll say more about me." Rouge offered as she shuffled the cards in her hands.

"I don't know how," Roger answered with a shrug.

"Hush. I'll teach you then. Go Fish is easy to learn but I want to play Spades, too."

"Okay," Roger grinned in agreement. "But after we eat. Aren't you hungry?"

Rouge laughed and they started eating again.

And Roger was surprised. He finally met a woman on terms with him when it comes to eating.

Instead of a card game, it became an eating contest.

"So Mom would just randomly fall asleep? Even when she's eating?" It was the first thing that Ace asked after his father had finished his tale.

"Yeah." Roger laughed. "Hopefully, you don't get it. I once asked Crocus about it. He said that it's hereditary."

"Yes, that would be weird." Ace grimaced, shaking slightly. He can already picture Sabo and Luffy making fun of him if they ever encountered Ace doing the same. "But seriously, I am really named after a card?"

"Why not? Don't you like it?" Roger asked, frowning. "Rouge immediately agreed after hearing it, you know."

"You're the one who named me?" Ace asked in a deadpan tone. "Thanks, I hate it."

Roger's frown deepened making Ace laughed.

"Once I become a captain, I do plan to dub my crew as Spades Pirates. Glad to know I'm really named after the card."

"Nah, Roger Pirates II is better."

"Never in a million years that I'm gonna name my crew after you, old man." Ace rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"It's not late to change your mind, son!" Roger laughed again.

Ace flopped back on the grass. The talk with his father turned out to be better than he expected. A contempt smile formed on the boy's face.

He felt the joy and satisfaction after knowing even the tiniest bits about his mother. He was grateful for it, still. He could always ask more from Roger if he wanted to. He finally found inner peace and he embraced it fully because who knows when it will last.

In the first ten years of his life, Ace grew up without his parents. Still, he had been given another chance. Meeting his father never occurred on his mind and he never questioned it. He just let the tides of fate do its job and he will simply ride with it. He made mistakes in the past and he swore to never do it again. It was time for a new beginning, to live his life without any regrets. Because now, he will finally learn the truth about Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge without any filters. And as their son, Ace was happy to know one thing.

"M-Mom really did loved me, didn't she?" Ace choked back. His voice was quivering. He bit down his lips, not wanting his emotions to overwhelm him again.

Roger glanced and Ace noticed the tiny specks of tears in his father's eyes. Without any words spoken, Roger nodded firmly.

And the smile of Ace widened.

Finally feeling loved by his mother and father after all these years.

"Hey, it's getting late, Ace. Why don't you—"

Roger halted, eyes widening. He stared at his son, surprised. He chuckled to himself, enjoying the view in front of him.

Ace was sleeping out cold.

Roger smiled as he tugged his son's black hair back on his ear. Ace groaned and started turning back. Roger wondered if he was really asleep. Because even in his slumber, Ace seemed to hate his presence. Roger cannot leave him snoring in this place. It was a chilly night and he was afraid that Ace may catch a cold.

Roger suddenly smirked, an evil idea forming in his mind. Ace seemed to have self-sufficiency. He was going to get really mad if he only knew what to come.

He scooped Ace and carried him.

Roger stared at his son. The boy was still snoring lightly. Just the mere sight of his son made Roger also sleepy. But excitement rose upon him that kept him going. He cannot wait once Ace realized that he needed to be carried back. Maybe, it was not too late for him to do this kind of thing to his son.

When he arrived at the treehouse, Sabo was still awake. The blond was holding a book in his hands. He looked up to greet Roger but immediately froze because of the sight.

"You do know that Ace is gonna kill you for carrying him like that, right?" Sabo said, putting a hand on his mouth. He bit his tongue in an attempt to not create a sound.

"Yeah, it's well worth it. He looks like a baby." Roger replied, grinning.

That was when Sabo lost it. He started laughing loudly, tears almost falling from his eyes. He choked back, not wanting to wake up his brothers but it was already too late.

Ace groaned again, turning. He stretched his limbs that were already feeling numb. He had woken up because of the sound that sounded like laughter and he hated it. He was a light sleeper, quickly irritated when people were loud. He blinked, closed his eyes, and blinked again.

And then he realized where he was.

"What the heck, you stupid old man?! Put me down!" Ace yelled, kicking his father in an attempt to get away from his grasp.

"Did you enjoy your nappy, Acey?" Sabo teased with a devilish grin.

"Can't you just freaking woke me up!? I don't need you to carry me!" By then, Ace's face was red. His cheeks were burning as embarrassment filled him in.

Roger chuckled as he put his son down. He was unreasonably delighted by the sight. Ace jerked, almost falling down on the floor but that was the least of his problems. His mouth started spitting some curses towards his father in annoyance. Ace stomped his feet hard and snarled at him unapologetically.

"Get out! I don't want to see your face!" Ace ordered, pointing his finger outside. The veins in his temple throbbing as he fumed angrily.

"Good night, Ace! Good night, Sabo!" Roger greeted before he started walking out of the treehouse. "Sweet dreams, my son. Sorry, I can't tuck you in!"

"GET OUT!"

Ace watched with a hardened glare as Roger's laughter slowly faded away and he went back to his place. Sabo was still snickering and once Ace turned his glare to him, Sabo shut up with a gulp.

"I'm assuming it went well," Sabo asked, setting his book aside to talk to his brother.

"Yeah. I learned that my Mom kinda fall asleep randomly and I'm also named after a card." Ace said as he laid down next to a surprisingly still asleep Luffy.

"Sounds like a good talk." Sabo raised his eyebrows, smile turning into a smirk.

"Ne, Sabo."

"Yeah?"

"Don't mention that incident ever again, am I clear?"

"I make no promises, brother."

A/N: Roger took one look at Rouge's eating habits and said to himself "Yep, this is the girl I'm marrying"

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