Portgas D. Ace X Reader - The boy from the church

2

After you called Marco to explain him what happened in that stormy day, he immediately offered himself to go with you the next time, so you decided to try again and give up one visit in order to help him find his brother. You weren't quite sure why you agreed to this, but a part of you really wanted Ace to open up to you, for some reason. The moment you saw him sitting on that bench all alone, you were dying to know the reason he's seeking help. And the fact that no one else knows that reason, it made you even more curious and interested. Of course, it was also the fact that this is about Marco's brother, and that they're both going through some tough times, so you needed to help them with all you could.

With that said, Marco came to your place the next sunday to attend to your next ritual. As soon as he stepped into your apartment, he lost his balance and he leaned over a wall. You noticed he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair and outfit were a mess. You checked on him, but he just brushed it off, continuing his visit with a cup of coffee that he barely managed to hold in his hands. The blonde man insisted on going earlier than usual to catch him before he even gets there, so you agreed and you lightly poked him to get him on the track after he threw himself on the nearest bed from your house.

"Yeah, just five minutes..." he yawned. "In five minutes we're leaving."

"How many hours have you slept? Or should I say minutes?" you waited for an answer. "Seconds?"

Marco already began snoring and you realized you couldn't wake him up, or else, he will be extremely nauseous and would probably pass out if he didn't eat today. You had to leave him here to sleep, so you left a note beside his bed where you told him where to find food in your house and that you already left, and off you went to the church, waiting for Ace.

After a thirty minute wait outside the gates of the garden, while all you did was stare at the people who entered there, you decided to take a look inside, as well. He wasn't there. This time, you didn't even stop to begin your ritual, but you went outside again and searched the distance for a man wearing a cowboy hat. When you have finally spotted him coming from the other side of the road, you noticed that the more he was approaching you, the more his face features became clearer and you realized that Ace had a concerned look on his face. Moreover, his intention wasn't to enter the garden, but as soon as he recognized you, he went straight to your direction.

"Hi, I knew I would find you here." he waved at you. He seemed more energetic today, and his eyes looked bigger now that you could finally see them properly. Also, the sun has found its way through the late autumn's remaining leaves in the trees that were standing over you, minutes from falling down. You waved back. "I know this seems out of the blue but I wanna apologize for what I did the last time..." he scratched his head.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I already forgot it. Actually, I have something to tell you, too..."

"Yeah, I know, it's crazy. Hey, look, I'm not going to the church today. Wanna come with me on a walk?" he smiled, after he interrupted you intentionally. You hesitated, but you finally agreed and you completely forgot about the sleeping Marco you've left at your house, as soon as Ace came with this interesting idea.

You were both heading further into an open park, which was unusually empty, given that it wasn't that cold outside, but you remembered it's also an early morning. The predominant color of the horizon was faded orange, with a hint of yellow and dirty red. Most of the leaves were laying on the ground, waiting to be stepped on with a crispy crunch. The slight wind made the other leaves fall from the trees and would slowly fly down, in the beautiful distance of sun touched colorful flakes. Ace was walking next to you.

"What's your name, by the way?" he suddenly asked.

"I'm y/n. Let me guess yours... Ace?"

He widened his eyes. "How did you know?"