There was no way he was saying this. There was no way Ace was actually going to leave, not so soon! This had to be a joke. He was going to wrap an arm around you any second, pull you close, and grin that beautiful smile down at you as he tells you he was only kidding. You would shove him away, pouting with crossed arms as you turn your back on him. You waited looking for some kind of sign, some kind of tell.
But the freckle faced boy didn't smile, didn't laugh, just stared at you with baited breath. He was serious...He was really serious.
"Ace...when do you leave?" Two fingers brushed a lock of hair from your cheek as a smile graced his lips. Warmth pooled in the pit of your stomach and you couldn't stop yourself from returning the look.
He pressed a kiss to your forehead. You pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I don't leave for a few days, don't worry (Y/n)!" You huff, reaching up to flick his nose, before shrugging from his hold. Ace couldn't expect you to truly not worry about him. After what happened to Sabo...
"Don't..." You sucked in a breath, one hand turning to rest on the back of his neck. "Don't do anything stupid Ace. Don't be a hero, okay?"
"What are you saying, (Y/n)? When do I ever do anything stupid?" His hand rose to cover your own, tracing patterns along the backs of your knuckles. Those big brown eyes peered into your (e/c) ones and before you could give him an example (of which you had plenty) his lips touched to yours.
The kiss was just like him, burning hot and sweet. You pull back, fingers tangling in his bangs, and tug gently. "Come back Ace. Promise you'll come back."
Ace lifted the hat from his head, dropping it onto yours as he so often did during the summer. "I promise, (Y/n)."
You clung to him then. Determined to stop yourself from shaking with nerves you wrapped your arms around him, holding him tightly to you as if that would make him stay. You were grateful for the words.
Even if you knew this wasn't something he could swear.
Lesson 12: Sometimes the words themselves mean more than you know.