[ON HIATUS] Bounded (Ghost!Ace x Reader) AU

Imaginary Friends

Ace had been grumbling for a while now. Although he kept saying he was fine, he obviously was not.

The apparition stayed close to you. It was nice to have him around but you felt like he was being just a tad bit too clingy. You sighed. It couldn't be helped either way, you were stuck with him after all.

"I'll need this too." Franky tells himself as he picked up a rather large wrench from the shelves.

You were out in the hardware store shopping with him today for a new hammer and wrench since his coworker lost the one he borrowed from him. The scent of wood was strangely calming, making you feel like you're in one of those log houses out in the woods. You breathed in and sighed contentedly.

"Oh!" Chopper suddenly exclaimed. "It's Kid!"

Out of curiosity, you turned to where he was looking at and saw a large man with pale skin. His bright red hair seemed wild, sticking out in all directions as the goggles on his head kept them from falling to his face.

His companion was a blonde man with even wilder hair. The two together seemed to give off an aura that you didn't like, but now realizing that Chopper somehow knew them, maybe they were friends?

The man with red hair, which you assumed was Kid, suddenly glanced at you for a brief moment before turning his attention back to his friend. You flinched a bit, having seen his red colored eyes stare straight at your own (E/C) ones. It almost seemed sinister, the way he looked at you.

"(Name), those two are seniors at our school..." Chopper quietly informed you. You looked down at him and saw the hint of fear in his eyes, making you slightly worried. "Please don't get involved with them. They're bad news."

At the last statement, you quickly nodded your head and proceeded to the cashier where Franky had left to.

Tomorrow would be the day you would be transferring to New World University. Now knowing that those two would be your seniors, it made it rather difficult to look forward to.

"Something the matter?" Ace inquired. You hadn't even noticed that he was standing in front of you the entire time, having been lost in your thoughts of the dread of going to school. You whined and shook your head, "Now I'm scared of going to school!"

Ace laughed. Seeing you act like this was surely a first for him. Who knew you had such a childish side. "Just relax. I'll be with you the entire time." He smiled, before frowning a bit and resumed his grumbling. "Then again, that noisy kid would be there with you too."

"You still on about the whole kiss thing? Luffy was just being friendly."

Chopper smiled as Franky paid for the items he bought, but his smile faltered as soon as he looked at you. "(Name), who are you talking to?" He asked with a frown.

Upon realizing that you had been speaking out loud the entire time, you froze and looked around. People were giving you weird glances and concerned looks. Ace quietly laughed at your predicament and you glared weakly at him, hurriedly straughting yourself out and smiling sweetly at Chopper.

"Sorry... I was... Uhh.. I was just talking to..." You felt yourself sweating as you tried to think of an excuse. Some sort of reason. Anything really. Just to break the awkwardness from the atmosphere.

Chopper tilted his head and blinked up at you. "Do you have an imaginary friend too?" He says with a smile.

You shifted on your feet, not quite sure how to respond to that kind of question.

"...maybe?" You respond in a murmur, although he seemed to have heard you. His aura seemed to radiate, making you regret about your decision to have even bothered to reply at all.

"That's so cool, (Name)! Who is he?" He asks, following Franky as he announced that you were all leaving.

You followed in step with him, glancing at Ace as he just floated beside you with a big goofy grin on his face. "His name is Ace." You said. "He's umm... He's a cowboy." You added.

Chopper smiled brightly. It was nice to see him so happy and relaxed around you now, unlike when you first came to the family, he used to avoid you completely. "I have a friend too!" He laughed. "His name is Dr. Hiluluk, he's really nice."

By now you were at the parking lot. Franky popped open the trunk of the pick up truck while you and Chopper got inside the back seat. "What do you and Dr. Hiluluk talk about, Chopper?" You ask curiously. You never knew he had an imaginary friend. But with his shy nature, maybe he made one up to keep himself from being lonely.

"We talk about medicine!" He answers with enthusiasm, pumping a fist in the air.

"You're way too young to be talking about that stuff..." Ace deadpans.

"Like herbs!"

"WHO TALKS ABOUT HERBS?!" Ace shouts at him. You try to ignore the pain in your ear as he had shouted near it.

"We do!" Chopper answers him back.