That following morning, Ace had stumbled into the kitchen of the house he shared with Marco and several others (who more often than not wasn't there). He staggered to the table and slumped down in the chair, head lying on the table. The only thing that had woken him was the smell of Marco's cooking... well, cooking in general would've done it.
Marco had just finished up and fixed both of their plates. He sat them down on the table and cleared his throat. Ace refused to look at him, he already knew what was going to be said. He was spared of it last night at his return when Marco had been so generous enough to clean him up and help him to bed.
"Ace" the blonde spoke and Ace let a small groan out. "Marco, I really don't want to hear this... I already suffered enough."
Marco's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. "We have got to do something about this... I care about you, and I love you... it hurts me to see you come in like this..."
"Leave it... please" Ace grumbled, lifting his head to look at his friend.
"No. I will not. Listen, you need to stop making things difficult... we are trying to find a way out yes? We want better... but there's no reason to torture yourself while we wait. You need to make things easier for you..."
"Oh so it's my fault?! You think I ask for this?!" Ace growled, fists slamming into the table, teeth clenched in anger.
"No Ace!" Marco shouted back before recoiling and instantly regretting what he had done. "No..." he whispered. "It's just, why do you have to ignore the calls? That makes it so much harder on you... you know what will happen... why so you have to be stubborn? I hate the fact random men get to pay to beat you... but I hate even more that Teach's hounds get to do it for free!"
"It's because I don't want to be with the people Teach assigns me to! They're awful. They're disgusting and I hate to even look at them! I just want a day away..." Ace trailed off and swallowed hard looking down at the table. Regardless of his efforts, he couldn't fight the trickle of tears back. "I hate them... I hate him... I hate everything... all the world has ever done for me was fuck me over!" He began shaking. "Marco you have no idea how much I hurt inside... I'd rather endure this physical pain than to face the demons that torment me..."
Marco watched, wide eyed and mouth agape. No, he didn't know... as close as they were, there was many things Ace never told him about his past. He couldn't begin to understand, though he would kill to do so.
"The Gods themselves hate me... I shouldn't even be here... I should've died in place of her that day..." Ace muttered through his tears.
Marco blinked and finally spoke "Her?" He asked.
Ace drew in a deep breath and sat back down yet he still refused to look at Marco. "My mother." He answered. Marco's expression went somber. Ace had never mentioned his mother before nor his father for that matter... any family Marco had known of was his brother and his grandfather.
"Things happen for a reason, you know this... The Gods wanted you to live Ace! For fucks sake, you have a purpose! Otherwise you wouldn't be here!"
"Yeah, my purpose of being a whore and the laughing stock of this pathetic little town..."
Marco shook his head and sighed. "No. It's just a step! No it's not a step people are proud of but it is a step... I hate seeing this side of you... I hate to see you degrade your own self... if it'll help... I'll give you the money I've been saving up... Teach has no idea of it! You can have it, all of it! To leave, take Luffy, go wherever you like, start over! I just want you to be happy."
This time Ace was the one to look up at him in shock. Was he serious? Ace shook his head and wiped his tears away. "No Marco... I can't take your money and I can't leave you behind. We're in this together... and we'll get out of here together... I promise, I'm going to ask Luffy about that restaurant... you check into the other thing... okay?"
Marco huffed but smiled faintly. He already knew the answer. There was no way Ace would've done such a thing. He was too prideful to accept such help atleast from his friends. "Okay. I will call them tonight... I think I have to talk to some guy named Thatch first. I'm not sure." He shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair. "But for now, let's eat yea?"
Ace nodded, had completely forgotten that there was food in front of him. He picked up his fork and looked down, gaze met with blueberry pancakes, smothered in syrup. "Oh Marco, you know me too well!" He exclaimed happily, and began to dig in. Marco chuckled, and in a more delicate manner, started to work on his own plate.
"Are you sure you feel up to going?" Marco asked, as he stood in the doorway, and Ace in the drive way.
"Yeah, I really need to see him. I miss my little brother! And we really do need to talk." Ace responded, with a grin. Marco smiled lopsidedly. "Be careful, yeah?"
Ace rolled his eyes playfully. "I will. I promise. By the Gods grace, maybe Teach is still too furious to talk to me... and I can get some time away. It's kinda funny... he has his men fuck me up and in the end I do get the break..."
Marco frowned slightly. Though they just had a complete emotional conversation over this earlier, Ace was making light of the situation. His way of burying his demons for the moment, Marco could only assume.
"Well, I'm leaving now... Bye!" Ace waved to Marco, and headed off. They had no car so, wherever Ace went, it was on foot. Though, Luffy was only a little over half an hours walk away.
As he made his journey, he of course was met with just the very thing he hated... People's whispers and cold stares. Something he should've been use too. After all, even as a child, he had received them back in the town he came from, for just existing. Still, these in particular bothered him.
Mothers urging their children to look away, elderly people with their whispers of gossip and of course, the men who were offended by the very thought of what he was... not just a whore, but a fag too.
Ace sighed and shoved his hands into the pocket of his shorts and muttered to his own self profanities for them, all of them. It was one thing to be judged for his lifestyle, another to be judged for the natural way he was. Small minded idiots who refused to open their minds to the things they didn't understand. In a way, Ace judged them as they did him. Dogs, pigs, broads and the like.
The walk to Luffy's house seemed to pass by quickly and before he knew it, he was at the door, a nervous hand reaching up to knock. He paused briefly, as he swallowed deeply and prepared himself to put on his usual smile and demeanor that all was well. He exhaled and knocked.
Moments later, Luffy answered the door and as soon as he did, he wrapped himself around Ace in a tight hug. "Ace!" He exclaimed happily, nuzzling into Ace's chest.
Ace winched, but managed to endure the extra pain his brother unknowingly caused. He hugged Luffy back for a bit before finally pushing him away. "Alright, I'm a little sore today so easy on me?" He asked softly. Luffy looked up at him and blinked several times before sliding off of him. He popped back up however and grinned. "Yes! Come on!" He grabbed his hand and led him inside... well, Ace was dragged inside.
"Hello Ace-kun!" Nami greeted from within the kitchen, where she was wiping the counters.
Ace chuckled and looked over to her. "Hello Nami... isn't Luffy helping you?"
"Oh no. All he does when he comes home is sit on the couch and watch tv wit Zoro." She responded with a sigh. "It is what it is."
Luffy snickered and rubbed the back of his head.
Ace narrowed his eyes and shoved him. "Help out more baka!" He hissed as he plopped onto the couch. Luffy pouted. "Oi Ace! School is hard enough." He complained, sitting beside his brother.
Ace rolled his eyes and glanced at him. "I wish I was still in highschool! You have one more year don't rush it because then you'll have to work and take orders from other people and thats a damn drag."
"But I take orders now! And the others are mean to me... Especially that Kidd dude..." Luffy shivered.
"Another example for you to focus. He's been held back what? Three years now? But never mind him. Jocks are always like that."
"I don't care what they say about it's what they say about you" Luffy looked up at him with sad eyes. "They say really nasty things about you... about you liking boys and that you're a whore... whatever that means..."
Ace squeezed his eyes shut tight for a bit and sighed. "Just another word for people to use to make others feel bad." He opened an eye to look at Luffy, who was still frowning. Ace turned to face him. You didn't get into a fight again... did you?"
Luffy looked away. "Maybe... but, I'm not letting anyone insult my friends or my family! Just like Shanks taught me!"
"Yeah yeah." Ace smirked. "Just keep yourself out of trouble yeah?"
"Heh, well, I'll try! It's too bad Nami and the others still cant be there... but Robin is nice, for a teacher!" Luffy responded cheerfully.
"Oh speaking of which... Is that position still open at the Baratie still available?" Ace questioned.
"Eh... Position?"
Nami walked over and slapped Luffy on the shoulder. "You forgot?!" She asked then looked to Ace. "It still is! Why, do you want to work there Ace?" She asked enthusiastically. Unlike Luffy, she wasn't clueless to Ace's life style.
Ace shook his head smiling softly. "I'm asking because Marco really needs another job... I thought it would be a good place for him to start."
Nami gasped. "What about you?! You need it more!" She scolded.
"I can't see myself as a cook! Especially as Sanji's assistant!" Ace exclaimed with a deep laugh. "I would end up eating all the food anyways!"
Nami released an irritated breath but honestly couldn't deny that. "Ok... well they are holding interviews this coming wednesday. Just have Marco come down and talk to Sanji and Zeff." She responded with disappointment. Ace gave a lopsided smile. "Don't worry about me... there's an opportunity I'm going to pursue as well."
Both Nami and Luffy blinked and looked to him curiously. "Oh yeah?!" They both asked.
"Yup! As a bartender. Marco said the restaurant is high class."
"Oh! That's great!" Nami exclaimed.
"Awesome! I'm so happy Ace!" Luffy exclaimed as well and reached out to hug him.
Ace winched again but before he could say anything, his phone began to ring. He wiggled an arm free of Luffy's grip to retrieve it. Ace didn't even look at who it was, he immediately answered, fearing that it was Teach of all people.
"H-hello?" He answered.
"Hey brat"
Ace's eyes widened immediately and a large grin was plastered along his face. "Smoker!" He exclaimed happily.
Nami and Luffy looked at each other with confusion, both shrugging at one another. Luffy let go of Ace.
"Don't just shout my name out like that!" Smoker growled on the other end of the line.
"Sorry sorry!" Ace chuckled. "I'm surprised you called... But I'm glad..."
"I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow?" Smoker inquired.
"T-tomorrow? Oh... Tomorrow isn't really a good time I mean-"
"I just need to talk... It's the only day I'm in town."
Ace sighed. "Okay." If he wasn't nervous before, he certainly was now. Smoker never wanted to just talk
"I'll text you when I'm almost there." Was the last thing Smoker said before hanging up. Ace stared at his phone momentarily before shutting it off. "Oh boy..." what had he done? The only thing that he figured could rationally explain this was somehow he had done something to piss Smoker off.
Putting his phone away, Ace turned to the side of him only to be met with Luffy's only mere inches away.
A grin spread across Luffy's face. "Who was that?!"
"No one baka! Just a friend!" Ace retorted and pushed his face away.
"You sound pretty excited for it to be just a friend..." Nami nonchalantly replied, grinning all the way through.
Ace scoffed. "What time is that interview anyway?"
"11:30" Nami answered.
"Okay, well, he's gonna be there even if I have to force him." Ace leaned back, relaxing into his seat once again. The rest of that day went with mindless chit chat between he and Luffy, Nami occasionally popping in now and then. Wherever Zoro was that day, none if them knew.
Wow. I popped a chapter out that was over 2k words. That hasn't happened in a long time... YAY for dialogue!
Ace.. Oh Ace, what are you doing? Turning down an opportunity? but let's face it... He probably would eat all the food :P
And that suspense of what Smoker wants to talk about... Hm. I'm a little worried how I myself am going to pull off what I have in mind.
Yes this is totally going day by day at the moment. Sorry if that is annoying. D: But sometimes ya need to do it like that!
