One Piece One Shots (Requests: Closed)

Shooting Star (Ace, AU)

Please Read Me!

I know a lot of you usually don't, but it's important!

My friend NdragonEyes , has made a 30 day writing challenge and she's allowing the readers, you guys, to chose who's included! She only has a few days filled out and it's this month. So go over and check it out! What are you waiting for? Christmas?! Get a move on! This oneshot will be here later, but the slots are limited! Shoo!

Also, NdragonEyes drew that picture up there for me. Isn't she the sweetest?

Additionally, it's Ace's birthday today! January 1st! Wish him a happy birthday!

Song: Satellite
Artist: Guster
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  She pushes the box a few feet before she has to rip it open. She stands up and wipes the sweat from her brow. Her day job is physically demanding, it is considered a "man's job", but she needs the money so that she can live.
  Ever since her father died and she was left in his debt, she's been having to avoid staying in one place for too long. But in a few more months... she'll be able to pay it all off, in full. She reaches behind her and fixes her obi (the sash).
She sighs out before picking up her mother's old fan and gazing at it. She holds it tightly next to her chest and silently makes a wish. She then places it on the stands and leaves the inn. She walks down the street; she can smell all of the outdoor kiosk's food mixing together.
  The new year's festival is coming up and fast. She stops as she sees a sheet of paper that looks like an interesting job, it's only for one night, but she's done it before and it's one of her favorite things to do; dancing. Turns out that they don't have dancer this year for the finale.
She smiles to herself as she takes down the date and time for the interviews. It might draw too much attention to her and the sharks could potentially get her, but it would make her mother happy to see her daughter take over the tradition... if she's even watching.
She then takes off and goes through the rest of her business, such as finding the food she needs and all of the other necessities. While she's doing that though, clear across the small town, three males sit at a food stand.
One of them is easily differentiable, with blond hair, while the other two have brown-hair. The oldest one–one of the brunets with freckles dotting his face–has his yukata tied around his waist and his chest showing, the blond–who happens to be the second oldest–unties the rope around his waist only to retie it tighter, the youngest of the bunch lays down and taps his fingers.
"Ace, I'm bored," the voice comes mumbled because of the direction it was pointed in. "And hungry."
"You're always hungry, Luffy," the blonde states before turning to the oldest that the other called Ace. "And you always fall asleep at the strangest times."
"Aw, shucks, Sabo," Ace laughs before patting his back. "Telling it like it is."
"You're a horrible constable," Sabo sighs before signaling to the seller their order. "At least wear your clothes properly. We're going to have to be working double time during the festival. Please don't cause trouble..."
"No guarantees, brother," Ace laughs as Luffy nods to agree before digging into the bowl that was placed before him. "Now let's eat!"
A few days passed and it was time for the festival. She ended up getting the one time only job, it made her really happy that she could take on the job her mother used to do. She might not have known her mother too well, but she did know that her mother loved her and was a beautiful dancer.
So with her heart racing, she steps out onto the stage. She takes a deep breath, and just as she rehearsed, she pulls out her fan. Ace happened to walk by as it was starting, and her beauty captivated him. He watches as she gracefully dancing across the stage, her feet never making a sound.
Her movements paralyzed him and even though he knew he shouldn't be wasting time watching her, he could help it. He couldn't leave this enticing dance. Her (e/c) orbs graze over his and his breath catches in his throat, but she doesn't have a reaction and they continue to run over the crowd.
Her eyes then rush back over to him, and they stay there as she gives him a faint smile. He immediately smiles back and he could swear he saw her face turn slightly pink, but it could have just been the blush that was applied before she was sent out to perform.
Once she stops–she had to strike the ending pose and hold it–the applause surrounds her and fills her ears. She breaths out a sigh of relief and turns to bow. She exits the stage all of a sudden, which causes Ace to furrow his brow. He looks behind him and notices a few of the men that was standing behind him are sneaking around to the back of the stage.
  He decides to follow them–as the duty of a constable requires–once he gets backstage he sees the (h/c)-haired woman surrounded by the men. He doesn't know whether to storm them, or wait it out to see what happens. Though it doesn't take long for the men to forcibly grab the woman and for her to scream out in surprise.
Her elbow lands in one the male's sides as she thrashes, but they end up grabbing her wrists and forcing them behind her back, "I told you, I'll get the money! I have it all, I just need to get paid for this job and I'll give you your money!"
"It's been too long," one of them snarls. "Your father died years ago and we gave you two months to get us the money."
"I didn't have a job! You expected me to have money saved up? You took everything that I owned!" she glares at the man, but shudders as his finger rubs her cheek.
"You're so pretty," she looks away, but she feels her hair being pulled and she's forced to face him. "We won't need the money... we can just sell you."
"Human trafficking is illegal now," Ace pulls out his jitte and sighs. "Now, leave the pretty lady alone. It's the New Year's celebration... and I really dislike having to do my job... but if I have to... this would be a great reason... Sabo my that actually cut me some slack for not doing my work... so actually, thanks."
Without any hesitation, Ace knocks out all the men surrounding the female. He grabs the men's collars and hulls them over his shoulder before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "Are you in debt, or something?"
  "Uh... um... my father was... but he died... so yeah," she looks away, but hurriedly looks back at him to confront it." It's now my duty to pay it back, but don't worry! I'm not trying to eva-"
  "Don't care," he sighs before smiling at her. "These guys are a bunch of liars anyway. They've been conning people out of their money for a while and then forcing them to give up their daughters as prostitutes to work in the brothels. Your performance was stunning, now I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to take these guys back to the station. Unless you want to come along?"
  She nods and rubs after him, "I'd like to thank you for helping me..."
  "I'm just doing my job."
  "That you said you never usually do," she points out to him as he shrugs it off. "So thank you..."
  "My name's Ace," he readjusts the men he's carrying and looks at her. "If that's what you were going to finish the sentence with."
  She nods before he walks into the station and talks to the person behind the desk/table/thing. They take the men away and he walks up to her before extending his hand.
  "I hope you don't mind, but they'll probably want you at the hearing," she nods already knowing where this was going to lead.
  "My name is (Y/n) (L/n)," she takes his extended hand and they walk into the street together. "I really do want to thank you..."
  "You already have," he laughs. "Like five times."
  "It's only been three," she looks away before his voice makes her turn back to look at him.
  "How often do you do the dances?" he lets go of her hand and stretches his arms behind his head before walking with his hands on his neck. "Where'd you even learn how to dance like that? It was really something else, trust me when I say that I've seen a lot of performances, but yours is by far the best."
"My mother taught me when I was just a little kid, she was a professional," she shrugs before fixing her kimono. "I don't think I was that good. My mother is way better than me, probably."
"What do you mean, probably?" Ace watches her as she claps her hands behind her back and takes a deep breath.
  "I mean, I've never actually seen her dance. She ran away from my father and his gambling problems right after she taught me everything she knew. I don't even know why she tried, but she did," her (h/c) stands float in the wind before she looks at the clock. "One more minute until the new year."
  Ace shrugs, "One more minute until me birthday. It's no big deal."
  "You were born on New Year's?" her eyes widen and she starts to walk backwards to look at him.
  "Yeah," he sighs out before looking away, but he didn't notice that she stopped and he walks right into her. "Oh, sorry."
  He grabs onto her and holds her up, his right hand placed on her back and his left on her shoulder. She smiles at him before she shakes her head, "I'm fine. Thank you for catching me. But why do you not care for your birthday?"
  "It's just another year that I'm alive," he feels compelled to hold onto her, even though he knows he should let her go. "It doesn't mean anything. I've done nothing noteworthy so celebrating my life seems kind of pointless."
  "You just did something though," she places her hand on the back of his neck and pulls him closer to her. "You just saved me, twice."
  They both close their eyes as she leans in even closer and kisses his lips. Without either one of them knowing, a shooting star passes overhead and they both make a wish deep within their hearts; to always find each other through the crowd and to always be with the other. Because they were both saved that day.
  One from a future that always seemed dark and dreary; the other, from a future that he trapped himself in and could seem to break away. They continue to make each other smile and happy, and they couldn't ask for anything more.

~Shooting Star End~