What's Not To Love? {Portgas D. Ace x Reader}

His Protection.

"Seriously? Rain?" You mutter under your breath as you exit the café, holding your hand out as drops fall down from the sky and land into your palm. A sudden warmth unexpectedly coming over your back, it only takes you a moment to realize Ace is draping his coat over you. 

You had been in the café with him all morning, just chatting and mostly teasing each other. "Wear this, you'll freeze out here." Is all the freckled boy murmurs to you, a sweet smile spreading across his face as he also wraps his scarf around your neck. Something about his eyes has your body burning under his gaze as you adjust the coat a little, having it sit on you better. But then you realize something.

"Won't you be cold? You've only got a sweater on." Now you think about it, since when does Ace even wear sweaters? Your eyes then locking onto a mark on his neck, it looks like the jumper's hiding half of it though. A hickey? "Oh~! That's what you were trying to hide~?"

Yes, that stings a bit. But you reach out to point at the mark nonetheless, trying to make a joke out of it despite the hurt it causes you. "What do you mean?" Ace mumbles, his brow raised slightly. He does genuinely look confused, perhaps he forgot about it. 

Wow, a real dog, Ace!

"This hickey~!" You chuckle, your cheer sounding beyond forced as you tug the collar of his sweater down a little to expose it some more. But what you see is a surprise itself. The mark goes all the way down his neck and probably onto his chest! Not only that, but it also spreads out more the lower it goes. 

What sort of mouth does his lover/lay have?!

"Ah, that?" The boy mutters nonchalantly, trying to cover it once again with his collar, a pale blush spreading across his cheeks. "It's a rash." ...Duh. Well, don't you wish you could just smash your head against a wall right now.

OF COURSE IT'S A FUCKING RASH! WHAT SORT OF HICKEY WOULD LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THAT?!

"How did you get it? Allergic to something?" Yes, you're trying to cover up your previous stupidity with some smart question now. Though your face is just giving away your embarrassment, you could see the red in your cheeks from the corner of your eyes.

"No...I have a tendency to scratch my neck when I'm nervous," Ace begins to explain, his hands reaching out and doing up the zipper of the coat he let you borrow. You had neglected it when you noticed the 'hickey' on Ace's neck, looks like he's dressing you now. "Thatch and Pops made me nervous..."

"How?" You didn't think at all when you asked that, all that's going through your mind is his closeness to you and the fact that when he zips up the coat, you could feel the back of his hand lightly following the zipper up to your torso. Your blush burning up more when he reaches your chest.

"Why do you never dress appropriately for cold weather?" He chuckles, completely blanking your question as he begins to walk with you by his side. "First the beach and now this? [F/n], are you trying to catch a cold~?"

"The beach was your fault! And I was dragged out of bed at 7 in the morning today, my mind wasn't prepared to dress properly!" You argue, his chuckling only becoming a hearty laughter as he falls back against a shop wall. Not that you're complaining, his laugh is just too sweet and rheumatic for you to be mad at and you sure love that adorable smile plastered across his face.

Wait, what's so funny?

"Trust you to stroll straight through a puddle after I just gave you a coat to keep you warm~!" Ace blurts before he breaks out into fits of giggles, his muscular arms clutching his stomach and small tears seem to be appearing in the corners of his eyes.

And only now do you realize your legs are soaked. Looking down, you see that you are in fact stood in a pudd-no, it might as well be a river! The puddle's water coming up to your shins, your mouth falling open at the mere sight. 

IF THE STUPID RAIN DIDN'T RUIN THE CHANCES OF SNOW THROUGHOUT THIS MOUTH, THIS STUPID PUDDLE WOULD HAVE BEEN FROZEN OVER AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE!

Well, that's a lie in itself. Known your luck, you'd just slip on the ice instead. "Come on, [F/n]! Get outta there~!" Ace chuckles merrily, reaching out and grabbing your hand before tugging you over to him. You couldn't quite help the pout etched into your features, your legs a little stiff from the cold now. But most of all, your favorite pair of shoes...soaked. And most likely ruined.

"I'll see if there's any clothes you can borrow at my house, it's closer than yours." Ace offers, a pleasant smile gracing his lips as he wraps his muscular arm around you, beginning to walk with you in a half-hug. 

Seriously, this boy is like a radiator, you could barely feel the chills in your legs when you're close to him. His arm tightening around you when a familiar group approaches. In order to be polite, you scoot into Ace a little, giving the gang more room to get through. Shockingly, one of them acknowledges the gesture.

A man with very long blonde hair giving you a subtle nod in appreciation. However one of the followers steps out of line, just to block your path. Out of instinct you stop, Ace freezing along side you and sending the boy daggers. 

This guy is also blonde but his hair is a lot shorter than the other's. He's wearing a long coat but it's sleeveless, exposing his bare arms and he has strange red tattoos on his both of his biceps. 

Honestly, who dresses like that in this weather?!

"You look cold, girly." The blonde starts with a creepy ass grin etched into his features, his dark orbs starting down at your small form with a pale brow quirked. "Maybe you should go back to the brothel, eh?"

Fuck you, man.

"Get lost." Ace growls from beside you, the glare in his eyes could surely burn someone alive. Not to mention his muscles already beginning to tense, you could feel them through his sweater. The blonde only giving him a mocking look in response but then a sudden voice emerges from behind you.

"Bellamy, leave the chick alone." The voice sounds pretty gruff but genuine in a way, looking over your shoulder you find that the owner of said voice belongs to that guy with red hair, the one who's supposed to be a real jerk; Eustass Kid. "Picking on girls doesn't make you look tough, cut it out." 

This guy is meant to be an asshole? Really?!

"Yeah, Bellamy." The blonde with long hair adds, his thick arms folded over his chest. "She moved aside for us, have some common courtesy." In response to being double scolded, the male known as Bellamy starts to make his way back to his friends with a face as red as Santa's suit.

A silent laughter in your head as you look up at Ace, the boy still looking about ready to kill a man with his bare hands. "Let's go, your legs must be frozen." He still murmurs as he ushers you along. Your heart going spear at the mere look in his eyes.

Boy, I love me a man with a sexy, dangerous glare.