The second installment (the sequel) to Ace of Spades is now out.
Read 'The Hanged Man' once you've finished this one.
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A rascal with a penchant for making friends with the wrong people, you were often regarded as a troublemaker by...
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Y/N -- NOW
You hadn't stayed one second longer than absolutely necessary in front of Ace's door, calmly -- despite the shaking in your fists -- walking into the two, eyes hardening to coals.
This hadn't been the first time you'd seen Pudding try to pull something with Ace, but it certainly wasn't as shocking as seeing him pinning her to the wall, his hand wrapped around her wrists in an oddly intimate manner.
To say you were bitter was an understatement -- you were crushed. But that didn't stop the small sliver of hope from worming its way into your heart. Desperately clinging onto that shrapnel of trust you still had rooted in yourself.
Maybe this was all just a big misunderstanding by someone who'd been dumb enough to publish the false rumor out of some sort of misplaced jealousy. Perhaps you were thinking too much into it. Then again, that wouldn't have accounted for the information on your past, save for the prostitute part -- that was completely false. Who besides Law, Kid, and Ace knew about it, and Luffy, though you had no doubt in your mind that the first and the last were clear. The only ones you could really suspect, no matter how much you wanted to deny, were Ace and Kid.
You were leaning more towards Kid though... because he seemed the most likely candidate. Not only had you gotten into a quarrel with him just the other day, but you'd managed to piss off his 'girlfriend' or 'friends-with-benefits or 'ex-lover' -- at this point, you didn't know, nor did you care too. His life was far too complicated for your pea-sized brain to even begin to comprehend.
"Ace. Why... is she here?"
The ravenette froze in his spot, eyes falling to you before his hands dropped to his sides. To be caught so easily in a situation like this, one would've thought it was planned out, and perhaps it had been, but now wasn't the time to be pondering on something like that. Not when you were looking at him with those hopeful eyes of yours -- his heart so close to shattering at the depth beneath them.
That expression on your face...
Ace had seen it only once before, and he never wanted to see it again. Something about it was terribly wrong, something... broken.
"Y/n--," Mahogany eyes clashing with yours, lips parted to spout an excuse -- any excuse, he suddenly stumbled your way, eager to clear the air before he felt Pudding's sharp eyes land his back; hot and heavy and threatening.
He froze then, teeth-gritting so hard he swore he felt his molar crumble as he stopped in place, outstretched arms falling to his side with a hard thud.
The smell of cleanser and your shampoo was sharp in the air. It was a scent you often found soothing, but right now, it did nothing to take the edge off the betrayal you felt at the moment. It only served to further your consciousness. How long had Pudding been here? And what had she been doing with Ace?
