PELAGIC - Ace x Reader x Law

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Bondage of Friendship

"CAN YOU JUST STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, FOR FIVE MINUTES?!"

"ALL I DID WAS SNEEZE AND YOU STARTED SCREAMING AT ME!"

"YOU'RE IN MY PERSONAL SPACE!"

"I WAS LITERALLY NOWHERE NEAR YOU!"

"STOP TALKING!"

The eyes of the surrounding Whitebeard Pirates were growing tired. Back and forth, back and forth, like an aggressive, verbal game of badminton with no end in sight. Even Whitebeard himself couldn't terminate our arguments, and he too sat upon his throne, exhausted as he watched on.

"It was cute at first, but now I kinda wanna ring their necks, yoi." Marco groaned, slumping against the side of Whitebeard's chair. Thatch, however, muttered something unintelligible to himself as he stalked off, seemingly much more agitated by the constant bickering than anybody else.

"IF YOU'RE SO SICK OF ME SCREAMING AT YOU, THEN TAKE ME HOME. TO DRESS-RO-SA!" I emphasised each syllable with a sharp clap, and each one caused Ace's jaw to clench harder.
"ARE YOU SO MESSED UP IN THE HEAD THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT I HELPED YOU?! GOD, YOU'RE DELUSIONAL!"

He was pointing at me now, with a fiercely critical finger, and I pointed right back. We were completely unaware of the hunched figure steadily moving towards us.
"YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME DELUSIONAL, YOU MOTHERFU-"

*Click Rattle Click*

My words died instantly when I felt something cold and heavy clamp down around my wrist, and once those large hands moved out of my way, I looked down. It was a metal cuff, and my gaze travelled along the chain, all the way to Ace's wrist, where its twin had been placed. Much to my absolute horror, we had been shackled together.

"Now that I have your attention, listen up." Thatch began through clenched teeth, trying ever so hard to keep his cool. "This is your last chance. Settle this now. (Y/N)?" He looked to me, and I immediately twisted my face into a sickly sweet smile aimed towards the freckle faced man across from me.

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Fire Fist. Now, would you ever so kindly agree to escourt me home? I'd very much appreciate it." Was it obviously fake? Yes, without a doubt, but all Thatch seemed to want was for us to stop being so outwardly aggressive towards one another. I'd do that to escape being stuck to an asshole.

Sighing, the cook turned to Ace, motioning for him to respond.
"Ace? Go ahead." Before he even started speaking I knew he was going to royally screw me over. It was just how he was.
"Pardon me for giving you the impression that I give a shit. I don't. Dreadfully sorry for the miscommunication."

I'll break your face!

It wasn't so much what he said that got under my skin. It was that bratty little smirk of his, the one he seemed to reserve just for me, that made me want to reel him in with the chain connecting the two of us and knock his teeth out.

Dragging a heavy hand down his face, Thatch groaned to himself, settling his thumb and forefinger into a pinch upon the bridge of his nose.
"This is why I never had kids..." He muttered bitterly, turning and beginning to walk away. "Don't even think about asking me to take those off until you can get along like decent human beings."

Realising the fate that Ace had sealed for me, I tried to bolt after him, my still healing shoulder jerking back when the chain ran out of length.
"W..wait..! Thatch..! You can't leave me tied to this..this lunatic! Thatch?!" It was no use. He wasn't having a bar of it anymore, and to top it all off, everybody else, including the man I was chained to, seemed to think it was the funniest thing in the world.