Time [Ace x Reader]

chapter 33 / the sage of elements

Ace's POV

The way to the house of this woman named Toki was kinda uneventful.
Well we were held up by a bunch of thugs once, but they were too weak to be worth the mention.
It didn't even take me a second to have all of them out cold.
Thought they were really cool attacking people just because they seem unarmed.
And they interrupted my walk with Y/N.
Serves them right.
Grinning proudly I began to whistle a made up tune. It was a habit I had picked up from Luffy back when we were still kids.

I sure have grown strong these past three years.
I wonder how strong Luffy is now? And Sabo- I haven't seen him in ages.

The warm feeling of happiness once again spread through my soul. It was a sensation I was pretty much feeling constantly these days. Especially since I knew that Sabo was alive.
Although I was still having a hard time believing it was true.
I would have died without ever knowing he survived hadn't Y/N saved me.
The thought was haunting me ever since the revelation of his survival.

"I really can't thank y- Y/N what's wrong? Are you alright?"
For the hundredth time in the past week I turned to Y/N to thank her for giving me a chance to see my brother again. However the words got stuck in my throat, when I saw her face. It was gone the second she realised that I had noticed her expression. However I was certain that before that everlasting smile reappeared on Y/N's lips she had looked sad. Really sad.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm fine. Let's hurry we're going to be late."

With those words Y/N slipped away from  my arm that I had wrapped around her shoulders for what I wished would be longer.
Her denial came as quickly as her expression had changed, but it was clear as day that Y/N wasn't telling me the truth. Why else would she feel the need to keep a physical distance so suddenly?

A shiver ran down my spine as a sudden cold breeze swept through the trees, making the missing warmth from the break of our physical contact even more evident.
It was still weird to feel the cold. It had been one of the small side effects of the Mera Mera no Mi that I only ever truly appreciated after I had lost it's powers.
Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about drowning anymore.
With the complete removal of the devil fruit my body no longer sank when I was submerged in water. Although it still took me a lot more stamina to swim than it would a normal human.
At first I had continued to practically drown. But Y/N's rehabilitation program had been very effective in building my strength even in terms of swimming.

I wonder what is bothering her?

Conflicted I watched the familiar figure of my elf mermaid hybrid companion steadily drift further away from me.
I had known her for so long now. But still every day I spent with her the feeling of not knowing anything about her kept increasing.
I normally had no interest in invading others privacy. Normally I didn't care if others weren't willing to open up to me. I myself rarely did the same after all.
But for some reason Y/N was different. The distance between us felt unsettling. When she suddenly pulled away it was frustrating. None of my usual attitude, my iron indifference seemed to apply to her.
Then again if I was honest the reason for that was pretty clear. I liked Y/N.
Sabo would probably say that 'the feelings I experience are what come with affection and attachment for and to another person'.

I definitely felt affection for Y/N. I had done so pretty early on in our acquaintanceship. She was my saviour, my friend and my mentor after all.
We clicked almost instantly, her always being down for my jokes and pranks, whilst still earning my absolute respect for her skills and determination.

But dammit why does it have to be romantic?
Frustrated I bit my lip, glaring into the world. Feeling normal affection for others was enough of a hassle. They were my weak points. The only reason anyone could ever break through my defenses. The only way anyone could truly hurt me. I knew it. I had experienced it happening more than once after all.
When I challenged Pops, at Marineford or even during my and my brothers fight with the Bluejam pirates. There was only one way to trigger my emotions and that was by attacking or endangering those I cared for. And whenever those emotions were triggered I lost control.
The outcome tended to be disastrous.
And now I had added another two weak points, two people I cared for. It was scary. Especially when one of them made my emotions run wild without even having to lift a finger.