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[ it was more than understandable that it was a struggle for him to adjust to being alive again. just the fact alone was impossible and even unnatural, especially for him who was living it. ]     that’s okay..  it’ll take time.    [ she says as reassuringly as possible. his final words, however, cause her to abruptly sit up on the bed, looking down at him ]    don’t say that.  you deserve every moment of this second chance at life,  ace.  i don’t know how or why you were brought back but i don’t care because it means that you were meant to come back to me.  

@lasheds.
                (    slowly    ace    looked    back    over    to    liezel,    the    expression    on    his    face    showing    that    he    struggled    to    have    an    answer    for    her.    )    i...    (    he    started,    yet    paused    when    the    words    died    down    on    his    tongue.    but    he    made    himself    swallow;    an    attempt    to    try    and    answer    liezel's    question    again.    )    i    don't    know.    i    mean—    it's    not    that    i    didn't    miss    everyone,    just..    i    guess    i'm    having    a    bit    of    a    hard    time    adjusting?    (    ace    weakly    chuckles    and    tries    to    muster    a    smile,    but    it    doesn't    stay    held    up    for    long    which    makes    him    sigh    out    tiredly.    )    ...    it    feels    wrong    to    be    back...    like    i    wasn't    meant    to    be    alive    again..

[ she hadn’t meant to voice the thought out loud, the words having slipped out in her drowsy state. her eyes had fluttered open after a few hours of sleep and landed on the scar covering a great portion of his chest. ]     how has it been?   being back, i mean..    [ asking as her hand mindlessly moved to rest on his shoulder, tracing shapeless figures with her index finger. she couldn’t imagine how this all must’ve been for him, dying in such a horrid way and then involuntarily being brought back to life years later ] 

[ as soon as he took hold of her hand, she intertwined their fingers together by instinct. though the nightmares still tormented her, it didn’t matter to her how little sleep she got because he was there now. and she could watch his chest rise and fall every night. still, the look on his face as she told him damn near broke her heart. ]    since it happened.    [ a whisper as her other hand reaches up to cup the side of his face, thumb brushing his cheekbone ]    this is not your fault,  ace.  what haunts my dreams is the fact that i could not save you. 

@lasheds.
                (    he    quietly    waited    for    her    to    answer,    hoping    that    she    would    at    least    confide    in    him    about    what    was    going    on.    when    she    first    spoke,    he    already    didn't    like    it;    but    ace    remained    quiet    while    reaching    out    to    hold    onto    one    of    her    hands    in    his    own    as    a   silent     way    of    urging    her    to    continue    on.    hearing    liezel    finally    admit    what    had    been    bothering    her,    it    made    his    entire    heart    drop    in    sadness.    had    he    really    been    the    cause    of    her    hurting    like    this..?    )    ...    how    long?    (    he    asked    in    a    dry    whisper,    heartbroken    eyes    staring    at    liezel's    face.    )

[ the last thing she wanted was to worry him, especially when she thought she’d managed to get away with it. the nightmares should’ve ceased to plague her sleep now that he had returned. but even having him at her side at night failed to stifle them, though she held him close as he slept peacefully. and though she didn’t want to trouble him, she reminded herself that once they used to tell each other everything. ]    i have..  nightmares.  about / that / day, even now.  so i just avoid sleeping.   [ her voice soft as she runs a hand over her tired face, looking anywhere but his concerned filled eyes ] 

[ though he seemed overly confident of whatever it is he was about to do, she still sent him a knowing look. but his excitement kept her from reprimanding him, instead watching him intently. the moment the sphere took form in between his hands, her eyes lit up as a gasp fell from her lips ]     ace..  that’s incredible!     [ she knew he’d consumed a new devil fruit, having been informed by gloriosa a few days after their arrival. but the powers themselves were unknown to her until this very moment ]     you’re already a natural,  looks like.  what else can you do?      [ asking with enthusiasm and bright grin on her lips. she’d wondered how he’d taken no longer have his flame conjuring powers but it seemed as though he was embracing the new ones ] 

@lasheds.
                worried?    pssh,    as    if!    i    promise    that    this    is    entirely    safe—    i'm    literally    a    professional    at    this    point.    (    he    brushed    it    off    after    guaranteeing    her    nothing    would    go    wrong,    completely    undermining    the    lack    of    practice    he    had    and    the    hazards    his    new    devil    fruit    brought...    upon    her    confirmation,    ace    took    a    few    steps    back    from    liezel    to    create    a    safe    distance    between    them    both.    even    if    he    was    rather    over    confident    in    his    abilities,    her    safety    came    first    and    foremost    to    him;    no    matter    what.    )    i    call    this    one—    the    star    star    sphere.    (    for    his    first    move,    ace    lifts    both    of    his    hands    closer    together,    quietly    focusing    for    a    moment    until    a    large    ball    of    heat    started    to    form    in    between.    ace    stopped    forming    it    once    it    was    at    a    decent    enough    size,    now    tossing    it    up    and    down    in    his    left    palm    with    effortless    ease.    )    pretty    cool,    right?    it    even    works    like    an    actual    ball    would    too.

[ the excitement that lit up his features made it nearly impossible to turn down his invitation for god knows what. her fellow bandits seemed to have already started growing accustomed to ace’s presence and his antics since his return, no protesting on their behalf when he urgently whisked liezel away. taking in her surroundings, she looks up at him with a raised eyebrow but also with a grin ]    should i be worried?    [ she asked though anticipation grew within her. the process of rebuilding what had been left in ruins when ace died had been slow but flourishing nonetheless ]   alright let’s see it then. 

( … )    WHEN HUSBAND NNOMBOMNOMN

*      YES PLEASE !?!? PLEASE !!!

*      Can I —- can I make a babe for him pls 

( … )    HEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEH

╱     YOU  KNOW  WHO  YOU  ARE...

╱     THE  THINGS  I  DO  FOR  YOU  GUYS  ISTG.