Hello everyone, here is the next chapter
I know this is late and I apologize for that, but here it is finally
There are no warnings for this fic, it's still fairly calm. This chapters many consists of some scenes aboard the Moby Dick. I hope it is okay
Read and relax
Whitebeard walked to the railing, moving to stand next to Ace, who he now saw had a smoke in his hand. His hands, and even his breath, were shaking badly. "Ace, you're up late, how are you?" Ace took a drag of the smoke, the captain seeing how ragged and shaky his breath was as he exhaled. The kid gave a small, almost sarcastic, laugh, looking up at the sky, with glassy-eyes. "How do- do I look? Whatever the answer is, let's- let's go with that." Ace shook his head, taking another drag. "I coul- couldn't sleep." Whitebeard had to blink for a second. He had never heard Ace stutter before.
The captain looked around for a second, seeing no one close by. He was sure Ace wasn't allowed to be alone just yet. "Tr- Trevor is ge- getting something." He looked back at Ace, who exhaled raggedly, a shaking hand resting on his forehead,Ace looked to be really on edge. The way his eyes were tearing up didn't help, making him look a mix of stressed and scared, the captain was not sure what to make of the assassin's state.
After a couple of seconds, Trevor came and leaned on the railing next to Ace, handing a couple of pills to him. "Here, approved by Daisuke." Ace gave a small breath as he took the pills, before taking a cup from Trevor, using both hands to hold onto it, most likely to not spill any as his hands continued to shake. As Ace had taken them and handed the cup back to Trevor, the man gave a hum, looking at the ocean. "Want some more sleeping pills? To try and get some more sleep?" Ace shook his head. "I'm not go- going back to sleep." Trevor gave a nod, before sighing, looking tired. "You can go and rest if you want, Trevor. I have no plans to sleep more either." Trevor turned his gaze to him, keeping eye contact for a few seconds, before he nodded, placing the cup on the railing for Ace. "Yeah, I'll do that." He clapped Ace on his back. "Come get me if you need anything." Ace gave a nod, his hand once again resting on his forehead, his smoke halfway done. Ace did look a bit better, but still on edge.
When Trevor headed around a corner, the captain looked at Ace. "Are you feeling any better, son?" Ace gave a small sniff, taking a drag of the smoke. Ace gave a breath. "You mean better than the last days, or now?" "How about both?" Ace gave a sigh. "Worse, and better." The captain gave a nod, figuring that meant he felt worse than the last few days, but better than earlier. It was something. He knew Ace had been on edge, but this was the worst he had seen him. "Do the tablets help?" Ace nodded, taking another drag of his smoke. "Yeah. It helps with the worst." That was good to know, he was glad it helped. He was sure it was something Ace could take, even though he was staying away from most drugs, seeing as Daisuke approved it.
After a few seconds, Ace gave a small laugh, moving his head a bit down. "I'm pathetic." The captain gave a sigh mentally, before looking at the horizon. "You manage to go through symptoms of withdrawal with your mind still with you. Manage to know when enough is enough: when you need to take a break, or when to ask for help, even if that is in the form of a calming tablet. In my opinion, that is the direct opposite of pathetic. It is amazing. It shows how strong you are, how hard you try." The captain turned his gaze to Ace. "You are one of the strongest and bravest people I know. Never think that your are any less than that."
Ace, with his head still bowed, gave a small nod and sniff, hands still shaking, causing his smoke to lose a piece as it burned. "Ace?" He would have expected some kind of response from the other man. The captain was about to ask if Ace was fine, when the young man gave a sob, hands moving over the back of his head as his forehead come to rest upon the railing, another sob being let out.
The captain crouched down a bit, bringing a hand to rest on Ace's shaking form, using his index finger to stroke his back, letting the other get it out of his system. He was sure this was all hard for Ace too. "It will be fine, son," He said in a calm voice, comforting the young assassin, who continued to sob on occasion. Ace didn't seem to mind it, not even seeming to hold much back.
When the captain heard an exhale behind him, he turned to see Trevor leaning against the wall he had disappeared around before, a smoke in his hand. He had probably expected this to happen, and stayed to be sure that Ace would be fine. A nod to him had Whitebeard sit down on deck, looking at Ace, who had slid down to his knees, head still resting on the railing. "It's okay, son." Whitebeard didn't know what else to do, knowing that Ace had many responsibilities which rest upon his shoulders, but he heeded to get this out. But, that didn't mean he needed to handle it all on his own. Whitebeard still wanted to help Ace deal with all of this, Ace needed to start deal with his feelings and emotions in a healthy way, otherwise, like now, these emotions which he buries will continue to overwhelm him.
The captain softly stroked Ace's back, comforting him. Ace didn't speak, just continued sobbing. Whitebeard had a feeling that the reason Ace was overwhelmed, and didn't want to go back to sleep, had to be from experiencing another nightmare earlier this evening. Marco must still be asleep. Ace must had managed to not wake him and slipped out the room, otherwise Marco would be here with him. It was good that he went to Trevor, to get something to help, not going on alone. It proved how strong Ace was with how much he was willing to fight to get better, not going to go find some alcohol, or a type of drug, on his own. He had meant what he said before. It is harder to admit that you are not alright.
After a couple of minutes, Whitebeard heard a soft pitter patter on the decking. He turned to see Stefan walking over to them, lying down behind Ace, whilst looking at the other with a tilted head. giving a small whine. Whitebeard gave a small smile, bringing a hand to pet Stefan. "It's fine. He's just a bit overwhelmed right now." Stefan tilted his head, looking at Ace as he gave another whine, which Ace gave a sob to, making the captain stroke his back. Stefan laid his head down next to Ace, eyes looking up at the other, nose nudging his legs. Stefan wanted to help comfort Ace, which was nice of the wolf. Stefan really did care for Ace.
After a couple of minutes, the captain turned to look behind himself when he heard a sound, seeing Hanzo had joined Trevor, sharing the remains of his smoke. As he was looking at them, he saw the two saying goodbye, before Trevor left, Hanzo staying. He had a feeling Hanzo came to take over for the other. Trevor had seemed tired. He turned back to Ace when the kid gave another sob, Stefan giving a whine, wanting to help too. "Relax, son. It's okay." He could see the kid was somewhat tense, but not too sure if it was because he was crying, or because of the shaking, or maybe another side effect of ceasing to take drugs or alcohol. Whitebeard might ask about that, but it would be best to wait until Ace has calmed down, so that it didn't not overwhelm him. Plus, he didn't want to ask White Bay or the assassins, he wants to hear things from Ace himself, if possible.
Whitebeard sat and comforted Ace for almost 40 minutes: giving a few reassuring words now and then; Stefan giving a whine and a nudge at times as well, before Ace seemed calmer, or at least, he had stopped sobbing. When Ace had been quiet for a couple of minutes, Whitebeard asked, "Are you okay, son?" Ace gave a sniff as he nodded, moving his head up a bit. "Y-yeah." The young commander gave a sigh as he flicked filter of his smoke away, giving a pet to Stefan as the wolf gave a whine. "Yeah. I'm okay." The captain had a feeling Ace spoke more to himself than him.
"Here." Whitebeard blinked as Hanzo was suddenly beside Ace, the captain not having heard him walking up to them. The man had a small carton in his hand, Ace gave a sniff as he took a smoke from it, quickly lighting it with a match Hanzo lit, taking a drag of it. "It's only 3 am, still saying no to a couple of sleeping pills?" Ace moved his head down a bit, giving a bitter and sarcastic laugh. "Fuck, it's only 3? I thought it would be later. This day is already terrible!" Hanzo nodded. "I guessed. That's why I think you should go back to sleep." Ace gave a breath, nodding. "Yeah, I should." Hanzo moved and took a couple of pills out of his pocket, handing them to Ace. "Go to sleep." Ace gave a nod, heading toward the commander's quarters. "Yeah. See you later." Hanzo gave a wave to Ace, the captain giving a "Goodnight, son," which Ace gave a small wave to.
When Ace was gone, Hanzo gave a sigh. "Some days will just seem to have no end. Sleep helps to reset the mind to some extent. It's easy now, as it's only 3. It's worse when he is sick of the day at noon." Whitebeard got that. This was hard for Ace, some days are bound to be like that. "Can we do anything to help? If he has a day like that?" Hanzo gave a breath. "Not much. Just, stay a bit away. He can get easily annoyed, angry, and paranoid. Just play it by ear; read the atmosphere and act how you think is best." That sounded like a good plan, if it happened.
"How is he? Aside from all of this?" Whitebeard knew the assassins knew how Ace was, much better than they did. They knew how to read Ace, and he had a feeling Ace was more open with them. "Surprisingly okay," Started Hanzo, "I know it might not seem like it. But, I thought it would be worse, at his point in his recovery. He might get worse in the next few days, but hopefully not." Whitebeard had thought it wouldn't get much worse, hoping this was it. Ace was really on edge and already breaking down, this being the second onen he knows about. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what worse was.
The captain stayed out with Hanzo for a small while, before bidding goodbye and heading inside to his room. He knew Marco and Bay got annoyed when he spent the night outside. He knew they just cared, but it could be a bit bothersome to be forced to stay in his room to relax. Even if he did enjoy the small moments of silence it gave him.
When the next day did officially start, the captain staying a bit inside his room until 8, he didn't see Ace out. When Hanzo came out on deck to relax at around noon, he asked him about it. The man did say Ace decided to stay inside for today, apparently being tired. When Marco came out for dinner, without Ace, the first commander said Ace didn't feel like coming out, without elaborating any further. The captain did have a feeling it was about something more than Ace just being tired. He did try to ask Marco about it again when most had left the galley. The blond did mention Ace seemed a bit off, somewhat tired and on edge. Trevor had told him to let him be alone with Ace for a bit, Marco also understanding that something was up.
But, the captain was sure whatever it was, Ace would be fine. Ace might just be tired too, the captain knowing he hadn't had a good night.
-x-
"Sooo," Started Trevor, looking at Ace, who was lying in his bed, pillow over his head. "How do you feel?" Ace just gave a loud groan, making Trevor give a small chuckle. "Love you too, Bunny. You can't keep getting drugs all day. You just took some two hours ago. No more until at least 8 tonight." Ace gave a louder groan at that, his hands somewhat shaking on the pillow. Trevor knew that Ace was already on edge, but they couldn't continue to give him calming drugs, it wasn't good for him. He was just glad he got the first commander to leave for a while, both for himself and for Ace. It was never easy to go through this, for anyone, including loved ones. And, he knew Ace didn't want the others to see him like this.
Ace gave a breath, "I don't want to do this anymore, why can't I just get something." Trevor gave a hum. "And, you can get whatever you want, as long as it does not involve drugs, alcohol, or leaving." Ace groaned. "That is all I want!" Trevor gave a sigh, moving a bit closer to the bed. "Ace, this will be over soon, just wait it out. You will be better in a few days." Ace gave a louder groan. Trevor sighed. Well, it was one of those days. Ace was almost unbearable when he got like this. It was annoying and Trevor knew it wouldn't be long before Ace got even more annoyed with everything and anything. It was not going to be a fun day, Trevor was sure of it.
-x-
Marco sat in the galley. Most of the crew were still there as the weather outside wasn't the best, and he didn't see a reason to head to his bedroom or Ace's, wanting to see if he could get any news on Ace. He knew he had sort of been asked to leave, and if he hadn't, it wouldn't have been a question anymore, he knew Trevor that much already. The fact Hanzo and Mika were still in the galley, calmed him. The first commander took that as a good sign and tried to keep hopeful that Ace was alright.
It was two hours after dinner when the door opened and Trevor came in, alone. Marco was about to ask him how Ace was when the other was closer, but Trevor spoke first, sounding somewhat annoyed. "Who wants the next 'stop Ace from doing stupid shit' watch? I am fucking done." Hanzo lifted an eyebrow at Trevor. "Why? What stage is he at?" Trevor gave a sigh and looked at Hanzo. "The 'groaning and I'm done' stage." Both Hanzo and Mika gave a groan at that. "He's incredibly annoying then." Trevor snorted. "No kidding. Who's up?" Hanzo gave a sigh, standing up, clapping Trevor on the shoulder. "I'll take it. Maybe I can annoy him into not be annoyed." Trevor waved back at the man as he left. "Good luck." Hanzo gave a small wave before he was out the door.
When Hanzo was gone, Marco looked at Trevor. "How is Ace?" Trevor shook his head. "He is fine, just annoyed with all of this. It is normal, but Ace is just really annoying at times. It will pass." Izou moved a bit closer to them. "Why is he like this? I mean, that doesn't sound like Ace." Trevor gave a small chuckle. "It's like when your a kid; you annoy mommy and daddy until you get the candy." Marco blinked. "Oh… really?" Mika nodded. "Yeah. It's not like Ace- well it is too- but this happens to everyone who has any type of addition." Mika turned to look at Trevor. "Did you tell Daisuke?" The man nodded, not having anything further to say on the matter.
They sat and had some small chatter afterwards, and when he asked what they could do, Trevor didn't have any helpful suggestions. He did mention Ace needed a change, a change in himself. Trevor did mention that Ace had mentioned once or twice that he was thinking of cutting his hair, not really liking that it was as long as it was now. Marco could see that. Ace's hair were past his shoulders, often having it in a loose ponytail. Marco did mention Izou and Thatch were good with hair and would be happy to help. Trevor gave a nod to it. "Good to know. Last time his hair was this long,he cut it with his dagger, and it looked awful. We had to force him to get it sorted." That did sound like Ace; he liked to do things himself. "I'm gonna try make him go to them, and not cut it himself. He might be amazing wielding a knife, but he can't do hair." Said Trevor, making Mika give a snort, obviously agreeing.
When an hour had passed, Trevor did mention to him that Ace would be feeling a bit better after 8, as he would be getting something to calm him down some, which would last until the morning. So, when the clock closed in on half past eight, Marco headed to Ace's room, seeing Ace lying in his bed on his stomach, pillow over his head. Hanzo sat in the chair at the desk, reading something, turning to him when he came inside the room. "Well, hello to you. I think Ace fell asleep. Wanna tuck in and take over?" Marco was a bit unsure what to say when he came in, not really expecting that response from the man. Marco hadn't spoken much with Hanzo though. "Yes, yes he does." He heard from the bed, Ace obviously being awake. Hanzo just gave a chuckle, giving him a pat on the back as he left.
When Hanzo was out the door and the door was closed, Marco moved to the bed and laid down on the pillow next to the one Ace was under. "You gonna be under there all night, yoi?" He heard Ace give a sigh, moving the pillow up so that he could lie his head on it, turning to look at him. He could see Ace's eyes were slightly red and looked to be a bit tired. Marco brought a hand to Ace's head, moving some of the long hair away. "You know, if someone had said to me a year ago that the great Ace of Spades hides under a pillow at times, I would have thought them to be insane, yoi." It had the right effect and Ace gave a laugh, smiling at him. "I would too. I would it still." Marco gave a chuckle. "I won't tell if you don't tell I still use the pillow Thatch gave me as a prank, yoi." Ace chuckled. "Deal." Thatch had given him an egg-shaped pillow a year ago; while he had planned to throw it out, he discovered how soft it really was and kept it, hidden of course. Ace liked it too and it was big enough for the both of them. If Thatch found that out, he would never let him live it down. They shared a quick kiss, before settling down, Ace fell asleep quickly, which was surprising. He was probably tired and the calming medication he had gotten probably made him sleepy. Marco enjoyed having Ace close, and he was sure Ace was feeling a little better now, know that this was hard on him.
-x-
Izou walked out of his room, finding Trevor and asked if he could borrow him for a few minutes. If Hanzo was out, Izou would have gotten him too, but Izou didn't see him and decided that Trevor would be enough.
When they came to his room, Trevor asked why he wanted him here and Izou hoped this was a good idea. "I have had this planned for a while, but I hurried to finish after out you said that Ace needed a change." That seemed to peak Trevor's interest. "So, what have you done? Or made?" Izou gave a breath. "Clothes, or a suit to use here. I don't really know if it will fit." Trevor gave a shrug. "He likes to have a signature item, the reason he has his assassin cape, he loves it." That's what Izou was worried about. The sixteenth commander walked over to a mannequin he had covered, hoping this was okay.
"I was thinking about this," Said Izou as she took the cloth away from the mannequin, not wanting to give the surprise away to anyone who might peek inside his room, even Thatch. It wasn't to keep secrets, but in case it wouldn't be chosen. Izou was unsure about this design, never really making anything like this before. As the cloth came off, Trevor gave a whistle. "It's amazing. Really hit it, and the color is the best." Izou blinked, not expecting that response. He had worked a lot on it, but didn't know if it would be good enough, at least not his first attempt. Izou had worked on it piece by piece, sure that he would fail. But, it didn't look too bad.
The no-sleeve shirt was a deep red, the family mark on its back. There was an off-shoulder, long-sleeve black-red shirt under, and there were also black-blue elbow guards and wrist-length gloves. The pants were a dark blue, almost black but not quite, and so were the shoes, which went halfway up to the knees. It didn't have a cape, Izou was feeling a bit bold and wanting to try something else. He instead placed a greyish brown wrap belt, which could hold many items, due to Trevor mentioning that Ace liked that. The belt held up what looked like a long, layer, lower section of a Roman robe, which could be removed to make one more agile. It was the same dark blue as the pants, except the front, which was a deep red. On top of the 'robe' hung a thin drape-like sash, which was light blue at the edges and a bit deeper blue in the rest, to give some color to it, the Whitebeard mark on it. There was a small black neckerchief, just to have something on the neck since Ace had always worn a cape.
Izou felt proud of it before, but now he felt even more proud. He was sure he would need to fix something. "So, it looks good?" Trevor nodded, feeling the fabrics, Izou had gone with a regular but tough material on the clothes; the 'robe' having more of a leathery texture, but not completely. "Yeah, I think it would fit perfectly. Not too sure about Ace; he's always used a cape. But, this might be the change he needs." Izou nodded, hoping this was something the other would like. "Should we get Ace too?" Trevor shook his head. "No, not now. Maybe later today, or tomorrow. He's having a bad day." Izou gave a nod, knowing Ace had had a few days where things were just awful and he couldn't control his hands, and was paranoid and stressed. None of them liked to see it, but Izou was hoping that it would get better soon.
"How many smokes does he have left?" Trevor sighed. "Quarter of a carton. It'll last, maybe half a day." Izou wasn't stupid, he knew the man had taken some of Ace's smokes to make sure he didn't smoke them all at once. "I have a couple of cartons spare. Usually have one for when we celebrate, or other rare times if something bad has happened. You can have one if you need." Izou would gladly share if it could help. Trevor gave a nod. "What kind?" Izou thought for a second. "All Blue, the Red Peace one." Trevor blinked. "That would actually help a lot. They are over double the strength of the ones he has now. It's one of the strongest brands around." Izou had to admit, he didn't know they were that strong. But then again, he could easily handle the ones he got from Rakuyo, Blenheim, or Vista, but could only use half of one of his own cartons before he felt it was too much. Izou walked over to his drawer, opening it and reaching for a pack he had under his clothes. It wasn't to hide it- everyone knew he smoked now and then- but to keep others from taking one. They cost a decent amount- which actually explained why they were so strong.
"Here," Said the commander, throwing the small box to Trevor, who took it and placed it in his pocket. "Thank you, really. This might make things easier." Izou really hoped so. They then headed out, Trevor telling him that he would bring Ace to see the outfit when the assassin was better.
-x-
Ace gave a breath, looking out at the sea, hoping Trevor would show himself soon. He had taken his carton of smokes and Ace could really use a smoke right about now. He has hated all of today, and wished that the clock was later than just 3pm. Marco was beside him, trying to cheer him up. It felt a bit better having Marco there, as he didn't feel so alone. He had asked Marco earlier if he had seen Trevor, the man telling him that he had gone off somewhere with Izou. Ace could probably manage for a small while.
It was about half an hour later when he heard Trevor speak somewhere to his right. "Oi, here." Ace took the box Trevor threw him, quickly taking a smoke out and lighting it up. He took a drag, only to blink as he exhaled, looking at the box. It was his carton, the one Trevor took from him, but these are definitely not the same smokes as before. Ace looked at the smoke, now noticing the red streak on it. "What's this?" Trevor chuckled. "Got it from the sixteenth commander. It's the All Blue, Red Peace one." Ace nodded as he took another drag, closing his eyes as he felt how it calmed him. He really needed to buy a stronger brand, like this. He turned to his left as he exhaled, seeing Izou there. "Thank you, Izou. I owe you." The other commander gave a smile. "It's nothing. Had a spare carton, and heard you were basically out of your ones." Ace gave a chuckle, nodding as he took another drag, closing his eyes as he exhaled. This felt much better than the other ones. He took another look in the carton, seeing that he had 6 with the red streak, and 10 of the regular ones. It was something. Ace would make sure to thank the other properly when he could. Right now, he would enjoy this.
Marco seemed to understand that the new smokes helped, which it did, really. Maybe getting through this day would be easier. As time went by, Ace felt like he could breathe again, his mind was calmer, and for once, he didn't have those awful trembles in his hands. Perhaps, yesterday would be the last bad night he would have, or at least, that's what Marco hoped. Ace stayed out until the end of dinner, going into the galley to eat when there weren't too many there. Marco did join him and Ace was glad for that, he didn't feel like he had been around Marco all that, although they had been together. Ace just didn't feel like he was really there. So, this was nice.
When dinner was over, he and Marco headed to his room, Ace feeling he had been out enough for today. He felt okay, but still. When they got to his room, Ace took some of his clothes off, so that he could relax in bed for the rest of the night, or at least that was the plan. When he turned to the bed, he saw Marco was sitting on it, seeming to be scratching his leg or something, shoes off. That's when Ace got the idea of how to be closer to Marco for tonight, they hadn't for a while, after all.
Ace moved to straddle Marco, clasping Marco's hand before moving it so that it rested upon his hip. When Ace moved himself closer to Marco, the other grabbed his hand and moved further back, giving a small sigh. "Ace, yoi. I don't think we should, not now." Ace blinked. He knew Marco had been keeping away from anything sexual. "Why?" Marco gave a soft look to him. "I just-." Marco gave a sigh. "I don't think we should, not to be mean, but I think you need more time. To get better."
Ace gave a breath, leaning back and resting on his heels. He knew Marco was keeping away from this, he just didn't know this was why. "Hey," Started Marco, leaning a bit closer, moving a hand to his cheek, "I know you're better, you really are, but I just want to be sure, yoi." Ace shook his head a bit, moving a hand to Marco's and holding it on his cheek. "I get it, really. I know I haven't had the best few nights, and it must show, so I get it." Ace gave a breath. "I just wished you would, you know. But I get it." Ace gave a breath, closing his eyes. He really did wish Marco would, Ace knowing he was better. But, he knew he wasn't all that well, not yet. He would get there.
Marco moved his hand to stroke Ace's cheek, holding his hand as he did. "Just until you're better, okay, yoi?" Ace nodded, moving to have his head to rest on Marco's shoulder. It was a bit hurtful, knowing he was in a shape where Marco was too worried about him to have sex with him. But, it also made Ace want to get better, so things could go back to normal. Marco moved his head closer to his, giving a breath. "It will be fine and you will be fine. My feelings haven't changed towards you, yoi." Ace gave a nod, doing his best to believe those words.
Ace really wanted things to go back to normal.
-x-
Thankfully, Ace's night was a little less rough than the one before. He felt alright after a couple of smokes - those stronger ones really helped. Trevor suddenly grabbed him, telling him that he needed to see something. He was confused, but went along with it. He felt a bit more confused when they grabbed Izou along the way. The commander seeming excited for some reason. They headed for the sixteenth commander's room, Ace hoped he would be clued in soon..
When they got inside the room, Izou went toward the corner of the room while, Trevor staying with him by the door. "Soooo," Started Trevor, making Ace sure this was a planned thing. "We, or the nice sixteenth commander, has made something to give you a small change, a positive one. And, something to say 'this is me', as a pirate too. Izou made a new suit for you." Ace blinked. Izou had what? Izou had made him his cape, but he made a suit too? Izou then took a sheet off a mannequin,, making him blink at it. Izou put the sheet away as he looked at the suit too. "I don't know if the colour is right, or the style- I know you like capes- but it was what I came up with." Okay, so he was not supposed to wear his cape with this, but the robe made up for it, or he hoped it did. "It looks good. And, I have a couple of extra suits that don't have capes and they are good too, so don't worry." He would miss having a cape, but at the same time, it could be a hassle, and he was a pirate too.
Trevor pushed him closer to it, having a big grin. "Try it on!" Ace should, he would like a complete suit for his pirate life, an alternative to his assassin's persona. "I will I will, just calm down." Ace went and tried the suit on, finding it fit perfect. But, Izou had made clothes for him before, so he might have just remembered the measurements. When he went out to show it to the others, they agreed it fit perfect. Ace returned to Izou's room to look at himself again in the full length mirror. The clothes looked amazing and he liked how it fit. But, something felt off. But what? It took him a couple of seconds, but he got what it was and moved to take Trevor's dagger from his waist, making Trevor give a "Why do you need that?" Ace moved to look at the mirror, using one hand to grab his hair and the other, with the dagger, to cut it. He didn't really suit long hair, so it was a thing that would have happened anyway.
Trevor made a motion with his hands. "And there goes the hair! Hanzo owes me a hundred belli." Ace raised an eyebrow at the other. "You betted on when I would cut my hair." Trevor gave a small snort. "Of course, you don't like long hair, it was a long time coming." Ace shook his head a bit, throwing the hair he held in a bin. Before Ace could do more, Trevor moved to have him sit on a chair. "Annndd no, you are not doing any more to it. Your hair already looks awful. So, you can choose to let Izou, who is good, to fix it now. Or we do the thing we did last time." Ace gave a sigh, looking at Trevor. "So, I need to choose between Izou doing it now or you holding me down with Hanzo and Mika cutting it?" Trevor nodded, having a grin. Izou was standing to the side looking horrified by what he had done to his hair. Ace sighed again. "Fine, do it now then."
Izou went and got a pair of scissors, Trevor grinning behind him. When Izou started to fix what he had done- which didn't look that bad in Ace's opinion- it became slightly shorter and took on a stylish look. It did look better when the sixteenth commander was done, perfect even.
The suit looked much better with shorter hair too, being the small finishing it- he- needed. He had thought about cutting it before but didn't see a reason until now. When he did head back out again, everyone noticed the change and said it looked good, but none thankfully went to touch anything, staying a bit away. It feel good to, it felt nice.
He wasn't out the entire day, feeling like it was enough around dinner time and staying in his room after that, just waiting until he could go to sleep again. Marco was with him, which was nice. Ace was sure he would be fine, he just needed a little more time.
-x-
Marco gave a small sigh as he walked towards Ace's room, knowing the other was there as Trevor had said Hanzo had taken him there. Trevor had taken him to the side, telling him that Ace felt low and bored. The assassin had mentioned to Trevor that Marco wasn't being intimate with him. Ace had seemed okay with it, but a couple of days had passed since then though. Ace might be regressing because of this, and Trevor did say that he should offer it, which had him at a bit of a loss. "Do you want me to just say: 'let's have sex', yoi?" That wasn't something Marco did, and Trevor nodded to it. "That sounds great. Or, you can say fuck, do the dirty, vent a bit with your bodies, or whatever you want. You won't need to say much." Marco didn't really know what Trevor meant by that, but Marco would try being more intimate with Ace again. Ace did seem to be better than he had been before.
When Marco got to the second commander's room, he walked inside to see Ace moving the covers around, trying to get comfortable for the night. Marco figured he could just speak honestly, "So, I just wanted to say I think you are better, Ace, yoi. I know this is a lot and me being evasive about being intimate isn't helping, but I think you are, we-". Marco didn't get to finish as Ace moved and grabbed him by his vest, dragging him down on to the bed, wasting no more time, preferring to get to it.
Marco now understood what Trevor had meant when he had said that he didn't need to say much, which was true. Ace probably needed this, to know things were going in the right direction.
-x-
Marco had a frown as he walked out on deck the next morning, Ace beside him. From the window, he noticed that they weren't moving anymore, they should still be sailing, indicating that the New World had given them a new weather phenomenon to deal with. To make matters worse, they'd reach a winter climatic zone, which made the temperature drop below zero degrees. Ace was looking particularly uncomfortable and had chosen to wear a thicker sweater and cape. Marco knew that Ace didn't like cold places, and often tried to avoid them if he could, so he hoped that they would leave the area soon. If not, he would ask his father if they could leave.
When they got out on deck, Marco saw a small group speaking together, mostly consisting of commanders, a few from the eighth division, and the assassins. Before Marco could ask what was happening, Curiel noticed him. "Marco, we seem to be stuck, the water around the hull froze overnight. Could you take a trip around the ship to assess how bad it is?" That did explain why they weren't moving, the phoenix nodding as he changed into his phoenix form. Ace he was flying around the ship to look how bad it was, he saw Ace heading towards the group and standing beside Daisuke.
After a few minutes, Marco landed next to the group, giving a sigh. "It looks bad, yoi. Did it just happen overnight? We're frozen solid." Curiel nodded as he explained how they had started having issues with thin surface layers of ice, however, it wasn't anything that the Moby couldn't handle. However, the ice is completely solid now, which is very bad "How bad is it?" Marco looked over at Hanzo, the one speaking. "Bad, yoi. The entire ship is stuck." Hanzo gave a thoughtful hum. "Did you see how far down it went? , We could break it. As long as it's not too thick or dense." Marco blinked. They could do that? "How do you plan to do that?" Hanzo chuckled. "Let us worry about that. We should distribute ourselves out, to look at how thick it is over a wider area." That sounded like a plan. "I'll tell Pops to get ready for a meeting," Said Izou, as he moved towards Pops' room. They should do that, and Marco had a feeling they might be stuck for a little while.
After half an hour, they were all gathered outside, on the ice at the sides of the ship, for everyone to look at how bad the ice was.
They had been speaking outside for 10 minutes, in a small meeting of sort. Marco could see that the cold was bothering the others, who had thick clothes on, some more than others. He didn't mind as the cold didn't bother him. The assassins had their capes on, even Ace, and most likely thicker clothing underneath, especially Mika. Daisuke had a thicker cape than normal. Trevor and Ace seemed to just have a thicker sweater and pants on, Trevor seeming half-cold. Even Pops had a sweater on, but his jacket was still open and just draped over his shoulders. That man, he would get sick if he continued like this. Marco would be sure to tell him to put his jacket on properly after the meeting.
As they were speaking, discussing the last few details for resolving the current situation, the first commander noticed that Daisuke moved and opened his cape with both his arms. Marco could see many others looking curious as to why as well. Wasn't that cold? It was -4 degrees Fahrenheit now, and it would most likely get colder, especially when a gust of wind came.
Before the commander could think more of it, Ace walked over to the assassin and turned around when he was close, the other closing his arms and cape around Ace too.
"Really?" Marco looked over at Trevor. Ace gave a small shrug. "What? It's cold." Trevor made a motion with his hands. "What about me?!" Daisuke gave a chuckle. "Ace asked first." Marco blinked. Ace had asked? He hadn't heard anything. Maybe it had been a silent question. They often did that, the pirates had noticed. Trevor looked to almost be pouting. "So? I'm cold too." Daisuke gave a chuckle again. "Warmer cape, Trevor." Ace gave a small movement, mumbling. "Why didn't I get a warm one." Trevor gave a snort. "Because you don't like the heaviness and warmth on anything but winter islands. You would complain." Ace gave a slight nod to that, knowing Trevor was right. That did seem like Ace.
The meeting went by fine, Ace staying with Daisuke under his cape the older assassin seeming glad by it and Ace not seeming to mind either. Marco knows that Ace didn't like the cold. Maybe they should get Ace a thicker cape for winter islands? He would be sure to ask Izou about it.
When they were done with the meeting, they gave member of the crew direction on where to check the ice, whilst other, including Ace, stayed on the ship.. Marco was given the task of flying around and keep watch from the sky. What was nice, was that Dust joined him, flying with him. He never had anyone to fly with, so this felt really nice.
-x-
Whitebeard sat out on his chair, watching everyone perform their given tasks. As he looked around, the captain gave a small frown as he looked at Ace. The assassin had had his arms somewhat around himself. Was he cold? He was sure Ace had to be really cold for him to notice. But, they needed to be out for a while, to overlook everything and figure out how to get out of their current predicament.
An idea hit him. Earlier, Daisuke had warmed him up a bit, or helped him with the cold by holding him inside his cape. Maybe the captain could offer that?
Yes, Ace had apparently asked Daisuke, most likely with a movement, look, or by mouthing it. Ace did seem cold, and the captain could try and invite him as there was space enough on his armrest. Ace could sit a bit under his jacket, which was more than big enough, with a part of it resting on the armrest anyway. His first thought was to ask, but Ace wouldn't like all the attention it would bring, especially as many were busy speaking to each other and checking things out. The captain remembered how Daisuke had done it, and when Ace looked his way, the captain moved to pat the armrest with a finger, lifting the jacket a bit. The assassin gave him a small look- maybe contemplating- not seeming sure if he should do it or not. It would be a step.
A second later, the assassin seemed to have come to a decision, and Ace disappeared, before appearing on the armrest, settling under the section of his jacket laying on it , seeming comfortable with that.
Whitebeard couldn't help but have a smile on his face. He moved to have his hand relaxing on his leg, which was fine. This was a big step and every step in the right direction made him incredibly happy. A few did notice it, but didn't react or mention it, which was good. When Rakuyo came by and asked Ace about something, he didn't mention the fact that Ace was sitting on the armrest and under his jacket, acting like it was normal. Which it was, many did it, Ace just hadn't done it yet. Ace did seem comfortable, which was good, not minding it. It was a thick and warm jacket, so it was warm. Ace didn't seem too comfortable with the cold, but he didn't complain. At least not to his knowledge. And, he seemed to be having a good day, which was good considering the circumstances.
Yes, today was a good day.
-x-
Marco had flown around the ice and found out it stretched out for about 2 miles It was thick too, according to the ones checking it . He had given this information to both Pops and Hanzo, the assassin saying he would discuss it with Daisuke and see what they should do; he was the best with things like this. Marco had asked why Ace couldn't just get rid of the ice with his powers, and the assassin answered that Ace was tired, the whole withdrawal process taken its toll on him. And, to then use his powers to get rid of so much ice, wouldn't be good, it would have really bad side effect, which none of them wanted. Marco was curious of what the side effect would be but a part of him didn't want to know. He might ask Ace about it later. He gave a small goodbye as the other male went to Daisuke.
Marco stayed out on deck, seeing that Ace wasn't outside anymore, figuring he might be with Daisuke. The other assassins were out though. He did get wind that Ace had sat on Pops' armrest under his sleeve, obviously being cold, and had taken Pops' offer to warm a bit up. He had spoken to Izou about a thicker cape for Ace, for winter climates, and Izou said he had already planned that. Hanzo had apparently gone to him yesterday evening, when the temperature started to drop, to discuss whether Izou could make Ace one. It was good to know things would get better and they would do their best for Ace.
Many weren't out now, most had retreat to the galley, wanting to stay warm. Marco then heard Mika give a sigh. "Why is it so cold? It wasn't this cold 5 minutes ago." That was true- the wind had picked up, which made the temperature seem worse, and the woman didn't have her cape on, as it was being washed. Before Marco could speak, to say she should go and borrow some clothes, Trevor moved to her opening his cape and wrapping it, and his arms, around her. "We can share warmth. The wind is bothersome." Mika seemed comfortable with it, and seemed to move even closer to Trevor, which the man liked.
The two had grown closer the last few months, after getting back from their period of 'hiding'. It was good to see them happy. Marco wasn't certain if they were more than just friends, or friends with benefits; the assassins usually didn't have significant others. But, that might be his musings, and, he was with Ace, so there was that. He hoped the two would stay together, it seemed to make them both happy. Marco hoped things would go well and they would get the boat moving again soon.
-x-
Izou walked out on deck, finding Ace and asking him to join him in his room. He needed him to look at something. Trevor and Hanzo knew , having helped with the design, especially Hanzo. Ace gave a curious look as he followed him, and when they got inside his room, Ace asked what he wanted him to look at. "It was Hanzo's idea, just so you know. Or, a mix of ours, as I planned on just making a cape, and he had the idea for this whole thing." Ace looked more curious after that, and Izou moved to take the cloth of the mannequin, showing the clothing underneath.
As it was shown, Ace blinked. "For me?" Izou nodded, fixing the scarf a bit. "Yeah. For when we are on a winter, or a generally cold, island." Ace blinked, walking over to it and touching the scarf and jacket, making Izou explain a bit about it. "It's made from durable, light, but thermal material, so it will keep you warm. If it's too warm, you can take off the scarf, belt and the extra pieces which make up the sleeves." Izou made it so it would he would be able to retain his own body heat, even when it was -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Hanzo had mentioned that Ace had a lower body temperature due to his powers. "Do you like it?" Izou asked after a few seconds, Ace not saying anything as he was looking at it. Ace gave a nod as he turned to him. "I do. It's amazing. I really do need something warmer."
Izou smiled, glad Ace liked it. Izou had used a bit more time than the previous outfit, to make sure this one would be perfect He had gotten a bit of help from Hanzo choosing the right colours,and certain aspects of the design, but he mostly had free reigns, and was feeling happy with how it turned out.
Izou had used a red cloth for the coat-jacket, which was a button-up with asymmetrical sleeves: the left one halfway to the elbow, and the right one past the elbow. There was a red and black striped glove completely covering the left arm, while the right showed a black long-sleeve with black and red striped cuffs coming from under the coat. The right arm didn't have a glove, Hanzo mentioning that Ace needed to be able to use his fingers more freely. There was a large and somewhat fluffy black and red striped scarf, which had buttons and could also be used as a hood or mask. There was a black and red sash that looked similar to the scarf, except that it was more durable and had three holes that had thin rope-like cloth going through them. Underneath the coat was a pair of thick and warm black pants that ended where the durable knee-length black boots started.
Izou was really proud of this one too. He felt that the colours fit Ace perfectly and would match and conceal his weapons which were red and black as well.
Izou had a proud smile as he took the clothes off the mannequin, handing them to Ace, who took them with a smile and a thanks, as he went to try them on. Izou wasn't too sure if they would fit perfectly, but he had gotten help with the measurements. Ace was slightly bigger than his mannequin, and this outfit was less form-fitting and had multiple layers, compared to the previous one. Izou waited outside Ace's door, and after a minute, Ace came out, fixing his scarf more comfortably. But, the clothes fit perfectly. They laid against his body nicely, even having enough space so that he could wear thicker clothing underneath, or hold any items Ace want to bring with him.
"It feels good. Fits well too," Said Ace, looking it over,seeming to like the scarf the most. Izou fixed the belt, as it was slightly twisted. "I hoped you would like it. You also have space to wear more clothes, or items." Ace gave a nod, feeling the sleeves and gloves. "I figured that out, and that is perfect." Izou felt proud, and would remember all his outfit measurements and requirements for next time, hoping he might be able to make more like this, maybe for the other assassins on the boat too. "If one thing could be better, what would it be?" Izou needed to know. Ace hummed, looking it over. "Knee paddings, especially for winter wear. Waterproof but the material not too thick, so that I can crouch or kneel, either to get lower, or to aim." That made sense, and while Izou knew this outfit would be durable enough for that, the cold might seep through after a while if he had to kneel.
Ace seemed happy with it, so Izou was really happy. They were still stuck in the ice, but Daisuke said he could maybe get them free tomorrow, just needing to do some calculations for whatever he had planned.
Ace took the other suit into his room and kept the winter one on, seeming more comfortable outside, not as cold or stiff. Hanzo did stay close to Ace, something Izou thought might mean Ace was having a somewhat bad day or time. That, and Ace still wasn't allowed to be alone. Ace did seem okay with it, at least around them. But, the sixteenth commander was sure Ace didn't always like it. No one would like that. But, he was sure things would be fine.
He did hear that others liked the winter clothes, liking how it fit Ace. Izou got a bunch of compliments to, others telling him that it was an amazing suit. I
-x-
Marco looked at Ace, seeing the other moving his head down, making the scarf rise so that it became a kind of mask, covering half of his cold face. Marco had to say that the outfit was amazing, and he knew Ace loved it, him looking more comfortable than he was before. He still had times when he looked somewhat cold, but that was when he stood still, which was normal when in a cold place. They were thankfully going to be free today, according to Daisuke. Marco couldn't wait until they were moving again.
After an hour, he could see Daisuke walking over to the captain, having a couple of papers with him, Ace following closely behind him. Marco hadn't been around Ace that much in the last few days as he'd had a few bad days and often left before he woke up in the morning. Although, on occasion, he was woken up, by accident, when Ace was having a nightmare. . He decided to follow them to Pops' chair. "Newgate," Started Daisuke. "I believe if you used your powers at specific locations, the ice will break, nice and easy around us, and we can move on." That did sound like a good idea, and they had used Pops' powers before, but mostly on small icebergs and such.
Pops seemed to like the idea too, and Daisuke, with the help of Ace and Dust, pointed out places on a chart, along with how much pressure was needed for it to crack the ice. Everyone were hoping it would go fine and they could move, those on watch were already ready to lower the sails when they were loose.
The plan Daisuke proposed had been successful, they were finally able to move again, everyone gave a cheer of triumph. They would take note of this area on their sea charts, and how it was prone to had finally gotten far enough away from the cold that it was starting to get better outside. It was good that they weren't freezing all the rest of that day, and next one, thankfully went by calmly. More importantly, Ace was getting better, although his nightmares had gotten a bit worse. But, it would be fine.
Marco now sat in the galley, as it was dinner time. He was just wonder if Ace would show up, when he saw him coming through the door, wearing the new, everyday clothing he had recently gotten from Izou, not the winter ones. Hanzo was not far behind Ace. He knew that Hanzo would be leaving soon, as he had some business to attend to on an island they were heading towards. But, they for their next stop, which was Mara Island - the uninhabited island filled with the herd of horses Ace was fond of. It would be a good stop for Ace, and all of them, including the assassins. A lot had happened recently, this period of calm was appreciated by most people, and everyone was understanding of why it was needed.
The rest of the day went by fine, Ace being out with him until they headed to bed, Ace only receiving half a pill now, to help him relax enough to fall asleep. Marco was glad it worked and Ace usually fell asleep quickly.
But, during the night, Marco suddenly woke up when Ace was having a small panic attack from a dream, or nightmare. He used some time to just calm Ace down, before he asked what it was about, the answer making Marco frown. "It- just a memory with Trevor, he got mad once and tried to drown me… God, that makes it sound terrible but it wasn't like that, just… forget it." That didn't sound good, and when he tried to ask more about it, Ace didn't say anything, obviously not wanting to speak about it. He did let it go, just relaxing and making sure Ace was fine. Ace used a long time to calm down completely, and when he was, the day had already started and they headed out.
When they got outside, Ace went straight to Daisuke, as he was the one in charge of his calming medication. As Ace was with someone, the first commander went to Trevor, asking to speak to him in private, as he was needing to ask about the dream Ace had. When he mentioned it, telling how Ace had woken and really seemed out of it, Trevor looked guilty, telling him it was a stupid thing he did years ago. It was a rash decision, and he had thought it would help and hadn't meant to make things worse. He felt guilty about it, especially as Ace still seemed to have issues with it. Marco was sure Trevor would talk to Ace, he hoped that talking about it would help Ace. The fact that Trevor had tried to drown Ace just sounded… wrong. It didn't seem like Trevor, it didn't seem like anything he would do, even if he wasn't friends with Ace at the beginning. But, they were still working together, so it mustn't have been as terrible as he was imagining it to be.
When the clock was about an hour away from dinner, it seemed someone had asked Trevor if he could show them some combat moves, Ace also joining in as his sparring partner. The two began by throwing small, easy punches, moving towards each other and talking casually as they did. After a couple of minutes, things seemed to change as Trevor tried to throw a punch, but Ace just grabbed his arm and threw him over his head, Trevor landing on his feet. "We haven't done this in a while, Bunny." Said Trevor as he went to kick Ace, with the later avoiding it."Yes. We haven't since I was 17, you never seemed to want to after that." Marco wasn't sure why that comment intensified the fight between the two, but it did, .as Trevor's next punch had much more force behind it. "I felt guilty! I didn't want to do more harm." Ace had grabbed the fist and tried to trip the man, looking somewhat annoyed. "And how do you think it made me feel? You ignored me!"
Trevor retaliated with a fast kick, actually hitting Ace and sending him smashing into a wall, making a dent. "I regret that whole period! I didn't mean for it to happen!" Ace retaliated with a punch, making Trevor fall to the ground as he barely managed to move away from a kick from Ace. "You regret it?! Well, it's too late!" And that was how it went, the two hitting harder and faster, having some sort of argument as they did. When Trevor did get hit by a hard punch, causing a wound to appear on his head and face as he fell, bruises already showing up on both of them. All of them looked on in apprehension, none of them knowing what to do, too scared to interfere, knowing both were immensely strong. Hanzo and Daisuke had suddenly shown up, Marco being thankful for that, hoping they would stop them.
But, when the two tried to stop Ace and Trevor, both of them got punched to the side, Hanzo hitting a wall. It was obvious that the two weren't going to stop, and the fact that they both kept others from interfering couldn't be good.
Trevor moved to punch Ace, sending him a fair distance backwards, blood trickling down from the cut above Trevor's eye. "I care about you! For goodness sake! I love you Ace! You are my bestest friend in this whole damn world! I don't want to fucking lose you!" Marco didn't like this, things were getting out of hand, but they already kept Daisuke and Hanzo from interfering, both looking on with apprehension, clearly showing that this wasn't a friendly fight anymore. Ace moved with a small yell and tackled Trevor to the ground, ignoring his bruised and bleeding arm, the other letting out a grunt. When Ace was on top of the other, Ace moved to hit the man on his chest, Marco seeing the others on their way to interfere again.
But, the punches didn't have as much force behind them. Each one growing weaker and weaker, before Marco saw a tear fall down on to Trevor, who looked more somber now, Ace letting out a sob as he moved his head to Trevor's chest. Trevor moved his hands to hold around Ace, looking guilty in a way, but also melancholy. When Daisuke tried to approach the two again, Ace suddenly disappear in smoke, obviously needing to be alone, which Marco could understand, but he wasn't sure if that was the smartest decision at the moment.
Daisuke did help Trevor up, who looked to be out of breath and Marco could now see that he had a few serious wounds from their fight. As Daisuke began to order Hanzo to find Ace, Trevor spoke and said he was most likely in his room and to give him some space, Ace needed it. Daisuke seem to accept Trevor's statement, and grabbed a first aid kit to patch him up, though he was clearly annoyed with the man.
Daisuke patched the wound on Trevor's face, the older man giving a sigh. "Did you really need to do that?" Trevor shrugged, still looking guilty. "It kind of just happened. I didn't mean to." As the wound was patched, Trevor grabbed the first aid kit. "I'll check on Ace. I promise I won't agitate him any further. We need to talk anyway." Daisuke just shook his head. "If I hear one sound which suggests that you two are having another fight, I will make sure you regret it." Trevor gave a small wave. "Got it!"
Hanzo gave a chuckle. "They are-" "You shut up! You are just as bad!" Said Daisuke, cutting the other assassin off, who gave another small chuckle. "Shutting up." Daisuke gave a sigh. "I feel like I am surrounded by children." Mika gave a chuckle too. "You are. Those three are at least. Imagine if Hanzo had joined in." Marco had heard about Ace and Hanzo fighting, and had seen the result of one some months back. But, this felt different, worse, as it didn't seem like any of them held back. He hoped he didn't need to see it again.
When Trevor didn't come back for a while, Marco was sure Ace was in his room and Trevor was hopefully just speaking to him this time, not doing anything bad. Thatch, the one who had apparently asked to see some moves, felt guilty for making it happen, but Daisuke did say that it wasn't his fault. Based on what the two were saying during the fight, it was a long time coming. The man did ask if anyone knew what it was about, and all of them shook their heads. Marco decided to remain silent, as he didn't want to out either one of them. He had a feeling it was about the memory which Ace had a nightmare about. He did send a look at the other, the older assassin understanding that he knew something but wouldn't say anything unless they were in private. When Marco told him his theory that it had been the nightmare, or memory, Ace had had, which caused the fight, the man sighed. "I know about it. It was just wrong and shouldn't have happened and Trevor felt guilty for it. I thought they had fixed it, but apparently not."
Marco blinked. "Wait, so Trevor actually tried to drown Ace, yoi?" The man gave a sigh. "I won't say too much on it, it's not my place to. But, yes. Ask Ace about it, or Trevor, later. Just, not me or any of the others." Marco understood and nodded, he wouldn't ask one of the others, if he was to be told about it, it should come from Ace or Trevor.
Things were thankfully calm after that, all of them a bit on edge in case something happened, but Daisuke said he had checked up on the two, and they weren't doing anything bad. Things were going okay with them. Marco just hoped things would work out.
When Trevor came out a few hours later, he had a big smile on his face, Daisuke lifted an eyebrow. "Why are you so happy?" Marco wasn't sure if the smile was a good sign or not. Trevor's smile grew even more. "Ace and I had cuddly-wuddly time!" They'd had what? Hanzo gave a small sound. "I want to have cuddly-wuddly time too! He is so cute then!" Trevor laughed. "I know! Cuddly-wuddly time is amazing!" Ace then appeared, looking to be in a good mood too, though slightly annoyed. "Do not call it cuddly-wuddly time!" Trevor laughed. "But it is cuddly-wuddly time!" Ace gave an annoyed sound as he walked into the galley, but he still looked happy.
When Ace was gone, Thatch looked at Trevor. "What is that?" Trevor chuckled. "Cuddly-wuddly time?" When Thach nodded, Trevor explained. "At times, when Ace is upset and doesn't quite want to be alone, or when he's on some types of drugs, he'll want to cuddle! It is the cutest thing ever! And, it makes him happy." Daisuke snorted. "I still wonder if it makes you more happy than Ace." Trevor whined. "Aww. You love it too! We all love cuddly-wuddly time with Ace! The fact that it makes us happy too is just a bonus." That was confusing, it didn't sounds like Ace, as he wasn't someone who like to be too close, but did seem like a new thing, which is why it the assassins had a name for it. But, he knew many of them often needed someone to just hug them, or be with at times. He was sure Ace needed that too.
He would be sure to ask Ace about it later.
And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed it
This was just a few random scene of things happening onboard the Moby. The next chapter will be back to the usual stuff, along with a trip to Mara Island to see the horses.
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