unknown number (Ace x-reader)

the wrongings

Do you believe that you need to love yourself before you can love someone else? Or does it not matter?
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Marco watches as the two of them hug, a smile plastered to his face. There's nothing better than seeing someone getting a hug when they need one. He doesn't know this woman, but he can tell she's a compassionate person. His smile falters slightly, but it curves back up again.
  He quietly leaves the room, to take care of the children who are left with sadness at the thought of not being adopted. The two broken people don't let go of each other; one known to be broken by everyone, and the other hiding it too well even she believes she's unharmed.
  Suddenly, she's falling further into his embrace, because of the warmth. She wonders if this is what heaven feels like; warm and secure. Her arms wrap around him tighter, wanting to engrave this feeling into her brain.
  With his eyes closed he can see a never-ending ocean. The thought of taking to that see, and never looking back is ever present in his mind. He can smell the saltwater, mixed with fresh air, an abundance so great that he'd never have to worry about running out of oxygen. The feeling of slightly swaying from side-to-side can be linked to the boat bobbing lightly in the waves.
  The sun beating down on his face, bringing warmth into his body. Tears never having to be shed. Never worrying about what people think of him, because he'd never be forced to deal with anyone. Ever. Stopping only to eat, to drink, to visit with the people he knows... he loves. And love him.
  But due to the hug, he's being forced to open his eyes. Her body being so cold that he's being grounded to this earth. Bringing him back from whatever strange dimension he was stuck in. Instead, his onyx eyes have to rest upon beauty. Something too good to be true, something that he'll taint.
  Just another thing, he'll screw up in his life; another person who, he'll wrong. Unintentionally harm. Love too much. Hurt until she can't take anymore.
  His grip on her tightens as a delayed response to when she did. He can't let go of this world yet. He can't leave Luffy, who still hasn't grown. He can't abandon Sabo, who still tries his best to be a good brother. There's good that he can't leave, dispose all the wrongings the world has done to him.
The door opens again, the couple too busy loosing themselves in each other to pay attention. It's not until the (h/c)-haired woman is ripped out of his arms that Ace even noticed their presence. The person responsible for the act, continues to drag her out the door.
  The black-haired man follows, the door being ripped open, causing Thatch to come back out the kitchen. He catches the tail end of the group exiting, he raises an eyebrow before going back to cook. Once the man who captured (Y/n) got outside, he yanked her arm hard before letting it go, causing the girl to fall into a puddle.
  Ace closes the door behind him, his eyes going straight to the other man. Why in the world did her do that? An act like that, so disgraceful. No one should harm another being, on purpose. But wait, the more he thinks about it, he's seen this man before.
  "So this is what you do when you tell me that you're going out on your own, you slut?" he slurs, darkness in his eyes. "First you go on a date with the man, and now you're sneaking around just to see him? You told me that you'd never leave me! So what do you do? You cheat! You're such a whore."
  It's her boyfriend. He's her boyfriend. And he's drunk. Ace takes a deep breath, knowing that this is his fault. He did this. Again. He's wronged someone he was supposed to protect.
  "That's not what was happening!" she screams, still on the ground. Not afraid of the empty street. Not afraid of someone coming along to witness this mess. She looks back her lover, "I would never cheat on you! And I told you that dinner wasn't a date! I was just getting to know my co-worker! What were you doing? Drinking? Following me? What's wrong with you?"
  "No! What's wrong with you, bitch?" he marches toward her and grabs a fistful of her hair, craning her neck to look him dead in the eye. "I'm not stupid! You're just like all women! Tramps. I don't know why I even bother with you anymore! You don't deserve to breathe-"
  "Who are you to decide that?" Ace interrupts, apparently making himself know to the bully of a man. "Who are you to decide if she's allowed to breathe? She's no less entitled to breathe than you! Why are you taking your anger out on her? Why aren't you even listening to her? Don't you love her?! Aren't you supposed to make sure she's not hurt?! Make her feel like she has someone who's listening and making her feel safe?!"
  "Who are you to dictate what my love is supposed to be? All you are is the side man!" he lashes out, letting go of (Y/n)'s hair. But he turns back to her and lands a kick in her side, causing her whole body to land on the pavement. "You're nothing. She's nothing. She'll obey me, she always has and nothing will change that. I've got that lesson through her head. Now, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson. Watch carefully, love, this is what happens when you try to leave me."
  The man's knuckles land on the side Ace's face, causing him to look away. Another punch, this time to the other side, followed by a kick, forces the air out of his lungs. He falls over, not being fully recovered from his mental attack from earlier. The other man, showing no mercy, continues to land kicks onto Ace's body. His stomach, his ribcage, his face, the back of his head, anywhere that he can reach.
  "Stop!" her voice reaches their ears, a pause from the blows, "Don't... please stop... he's bleeding... he's... he's going to die! Just stop! I'm sorry! I'm... sorry! I won't do it again! I'll... I'll never speak to him again! Just... stop! Please!"
  "Weak," Ace hears a scoff, but the blows stop completely. "You're lucky, weakling."
  Footsteps come closer to him, hands touching his bruised body, and he gets flipped onto his back. Her face is full of concern and he can't tell if there are tears in her eyes or if it's just the rain.
  His vision is blurry as she gets ripped from him again, his breathing slowing down. He watches as she reaches out to him, calling his name. She's being taken by the devil, down into the depths of hell. He gets the feeling, the crushing feeling like gravity is pushing him deeper into the ground, that this is the last time he'll ever see her.
  His eyes flutter close, letting the rain wash away the blood pouring from his wounds. A single thought crossing his mind. Is this what dying feels like?

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