PELAGIC - Ace x Reader x Law

CHAPTER NINETEEN: When We Were Young

"Thatch, I swear, I'll be a literal angel, so please take these cuffs off! We haven't bathed in almost a week and I think I'm starting to grow a bacterial civilisation in my pits!"

I had my hands together, begging and pleading with the cook to have mercy on me. We had just docked at an island, and all I wanted was to shower whilst most of the crew were away from the ship.

"Sorry, as well behaved as the two of you have been, I'm not risking it when we're docked. What if you run off and get into trouble? It's best if you stay by Ace for the day." He responded, giving my hair a rough tussle before leaving me, Ace chuckling by my side.

"See? I'm not the only one worried you'll make a break for it. Don't worry, kiddo, you'll have fun with me today." He thumbed himself, and I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck.
"I'm two years younger than you. Don't call me kiddo. It's demeaning." I muttered, acknowledging Deuce and a few other crew members as they approached. "So, what island is this, and where can I buy some deodorant?"

Flipping through a notebook, Deuce hummed jotting something down in lead pencil.
"We've landed on Hilltide Island. See how the landscape is made out of lots of rolling hills?" He pointed outward, and I followed his finger, nodding when I saw the tall, lush mounds. "Well, twice a day they change, like the tide. The buildings here are constructed by using sturdy sheets of bamboo. Think of a sushi mat, but huge. It's so they're flexible when the landscape shifts."

The thought of the ground moving was incredibly strange to me, but it sounded pretty awesome. I liked hearing about new places, especially after having been restricted to Dressrosa for so long.
"Is there some scientificly proven reason why the ground shifts, or is it still a mystery?" I asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"I'm glad you asked! So, actually, the-"
"Let's go find something to eat! I'm starving!" Completely interrupting Deuce, Ace sprung forward, unceremoniously dragging me away from my science lesson and down off the ship, having to catch me before I hit the ground, considering he just jumped right off.

"H..hey! I was trying to learn something!" I barked, being completely ignored as Ace set off towards town, still carrying me like a baby.
"Meh, you can hear it later. My stomach is about to eat itself." He shrugged, and I pounded at his chest, my cheeks heating up when I realised he hadn't bothered putting me down.

"Fine, but don't carry me! We're stuck being close enough without you treating me like your pirate booty!" Ace placed me back on the ground, but leaned to take a quick look at the back of me, shrugging his shoulders.
"Don't see much booty there, but whatever you say."

Spluttering, I just allowed him to drag me onward as I muttered empty insults and threats, continuing with my near silent tantrum until our path reached a steep hill. Stopping, I trailed my eyes all the way up to the stop, taking hold of the chain that connected us so he couldn't just drag me ahead.

"Don't tell me we have to treck all the way up there? I'll die. That's vertical. I'm more of a horizontal kind of gal myself." Before I had the chance to step back and try to haul him back to the ship, Ace shifted and lowered himself, backing into me before forcing me onto his back.

Startled, my first instinct was to move my hand to his front, over his shoulder so our chain wouldn't pull to hard, and my legs tightened around his sides. Shocking myself, I didn't even immediately refute it.
"Now you won't die." Ace turned his head a little and gave me a cheeky grin, and much to my dismay my heart skipped a beat or two. I hoped it was arrhythmia instead of the obvious.

"Fine, but you better put me down once we get close to the top. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea..." I mumbled, ducking under the back of the brim of Ace's hat, hoping he couldn't see my fluster.
"Aw, thanks for worrying about my reputation!"