Explosion, Implosion

Ace sped through the downtown streets, weaving in and out of traffic and in general being a menace. He knew what he was doing, his foot pushing down further, not that he would admit to himself and certainly not out loud. He was doing it for the adrenaline of speed, nothing else. Still he couldn't deny the way his heart started to pound and the twirling of anticipation in his guts as the blue and red lights started to dance in his rear-view mirror.

He pulled over to the side of the road coming to a smooth stop and he kept his eyes focused out his front window. His heart pounded furiously in his chest and he refused to look back, to see if it had worked. The knock on his window startled him but his heart sank as he knew immediately who it wasn't before even turning. The knock had been too soft, too professional to have been him. Ace slowly rolled down the window and murmured an apology without even trying to talk his way out of the impending ticket. There was an aching in his chest that he refused to associate with disappointment as he quietly took the assigned ticket and apologized once more.

He sat at the side of the row his car idling for quite some time, staring blankly at the yellow ticket in his hands. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Smoker had given him those tickets, the one with his address scrawled across it. He could recall every precise detail of that entire day including the blush on the police sergeant's face. He remembered everything and ached for it all, the thrill of anticipation, the heat, everything. Suddenly it occurred to him that maybe he could get some of it back still and with that thought in mind he merged back into the traffic the ticket clutched tightly in his hand.

-/\-

Smoker cruised down the streets keeping his eyes open for anything out of the ordinary or dangerous, his shift was almost over and he should really be heading back to the station now but that didn't stop him from making one last circuit. He couldn't return, not quite yet there was something he was looking for. He told himself that he was doing his job, protecting the citizens and he certainly wasn't looking for a specific delinquent. He was simply doing his job, yet when a familiar red car went speeding by there was a definite thrill of anticipation humming in his veins.

He flicked on his lights and moved in behind the red car, watching as it slowed and pulled over to the side of the road. Smoker parked behind the car and grabbing his pad off the seat beside him climbed out of the car. As he walked towards the red menace he was horrified to find his hands were shaking ever so slightly. He ignored them and walked up to the rolled down driver's window.

"Do you know how fast..."

Smoker trailed off as he looked into the hazel eyes of a gorgeous blonde woman. She looked old enough to drive but that was about it. Her lips were painted a bright red and her clothes showed off her impressive curves even when sitting down. Whoever she was this woman was most certainly not Portgas D. Ace.

"I'm really sorry sir. I'm late for a meeting and I guess I got carried away. I'll be more careful next time. It's the car really, it's my boyfriend's and I am not used to driving it. It goes much faster than mine."

The girl rambled her hazel eyes wide with sincerity and her bottom lip sucked into her teeth when she finished. Smoker continued to stare dumbfounded at the blonde and she let out a sigh and reached for her purse. The movement snapped Smoker out of his stupor and he quickly shook his head.

"There's no need miss. Just be more careful next time."

With that Smoker returned to his car, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Of course Ace had a smoking hot, young, curvaceous girlfriend. Smoker didn't want anything to do with Ace though, the other day had been a mistake. He was certain of that so why was there an unusual ache coming from a long since frozen organ?

With a heavy heart Smoker returned to the station ready to call it a night. He'd go back to his place and use the apartment's gym until he was tired enough to put his demons to rest. Or he'd try to, since it never quite seemed to work that way. He drove back to the station almost in a daze, the encounter with the gorgeous blonde having affected him more than he cared to let on.

"Taisa" the achingly familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks outside the door.

He slowly turned around to see the face that had been haunting his dreams, no nightmares, smiling at him from beneath the rim of the garishly orange hat. His heart sped up and a fury of emotions rose from within at the devastating image Ace presented.

-/\-

Ace had gone to the station to deal with the ticket, perhaps coerce some information out of Tashigi. If he was lucky he might even get this one dropped as well, though it wasn't from Smoker so maybe not. He hadn't dared to hope that he would run into the smoky cop here. He was starting to think that perhaps Smoker had left town. Instead here he was glaring at him with stormy eyes just outside the station his left hand fidgeting ever so slightly.

Ace recognized the indecision in his posture and he didn't know what to brace himself for. Who knew what kind of reaction he'd get out of the man. Then everything faded and Smoker was staring at him coldly, a blank expression on his chiselled face, giving nothing away. The coldness radiated off of him and Ace could feel it reaching him, penetrating his skin and destroying any warmth he had. Looking at the man in front of him he craved the warmth back. Whether it was a temporary flame or not he needed it for now.

"Taisa?" Ace almost pleaded as he walked closer.

"What are you doing here?" Smoker demanded, his voice harsh.

"I have a ticket. I came to pay it, seeing you is just a nice surprise."

"What the fuck do you want from me?" Smoker growled, his composure snapped.

Ace was taken aback by the cop's fury. It had come from nowhere and seethed off of him. It stopped Ace in his tracks and he struggled with an answer to the question, it was hard when he himself didn't know what he wanted.

"I don't know. I just know I haven't been able to get you off my mind and believe me I've tried."

"So you're bored with your girlfriend and come to find me for some excitement, is that it?"

"What!? No!"

"So you aren't bored with her but you're still cheating on her."

"No! What girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend. I haven't had a girlfriend in years."

"Don't mess with me Portgas. I pulled her over earlier, she said it was her boyfriend's car."

"That might be so but it wasn't my car. I've been in my car all afternoon."

"I know it was your car, it has the same detail job and that same small dent in the back left corner."

"Oh, that car."

"So I was right."

"No. I got a new car. I sold that car to a friend."

Suddenly the anger dissipated and all that was left was the aching chill that Ace feared was unapproachable. The dark grey eyes darkened even further until they were almost black and Ace had to fight with himself to not take a step back.

"Fine. Just leave me the fuck out of your twisted games. Fuck off Portgas."

Ace stared in shock as Smoker turned around coldly and walked into the station. He struggled to hold himself together long enough to get out of the parking lot. He drove blindly through the streets, not caring to watch the speed limits or any other bothersome signs. He found himself walking into a dive bar not too much later and ordered a double shot off the bat. He downed it quickly grimacing against the burn and called for another. He knocked back shot after shot until he lost track of how many he had done and his throat burned more than his heart.

-/\-

Smoker bumped up the speed on the treadmill ignoring the burning in his legs and the rasping of his breath. He had been on the treadmill for god knows how long and he kept pushing himself on. His head was starting to swim lightly but he tried to shake it off and keep running, bumping up the speed to its max. Every muscle in his body burned unpleasantly and his breathing was fast and shallow, not enough oxygen getting to his head. He knew he should get off the machine but he couldn't bring himself to stop running. He ran as if the devil were after him until finally his body couldn't take it anymore and the room rushed past his vision before going black.