An Eternal Bond

A Mysterious Island

Ace's eyes slowly opened, feeling the somewhat unfamiliar texture under his body. Once his eyes finally adjusted, he saw that he was lying on sand.

Well, at least that's what he told me he felt after he finished his freak out session, which lasted only about a minute.

He had thought that we got stranded on an island, but I assured him that I just stopped by. It didn't stop him from examining me to make sure I wasn't lying to not worry him.

Honestly, he needs to chill.

"Alright, you're alright." He moved back and sighed. "If you weren't, I don't know what I would do... I don't know what Oyaji and the others would do." A sudden chill went down my spine, chuckling awkwardly. "O-Oh, I'm sure it would've been fine!"

I pushed some food towards him. "If you want more, I'll run to the nearby town to get it. In any case, I won't just suddenly leave an island without paying again."

With a full mouth, Ace told me, "It's not like they'd catch us!"

I looked over at him, my famous "Really?" look on my face. While a bunch of chefs probably wouldn't catch us, I don't like the fact that we're practically stealing from them.

"Y/N." Ace got closer to my face. "If you want, we can... we can pay when we eat."

I smiled and put my hand on his cheek. "Alright, now with those puppy eyes, who could make you pay?" I was joking, but I knew for a fact that Ace's old habits would die hard.

"I wonder what's happening with Luffy." I thought aloud with a sigh. If I were to be technical, normally the older one, whether it's friends or siblings, would be the one that worried about the other. But knowing Luffy, he just stole gold from some blonde pirate and told his crew that he'd be going to the sky.

Why blonde? I don't know, it just seems like the pirate would be blonde.

"Ace." Ace looked up from his food with a questioning look in his eye. "Hm? Is something wrong?"

"Not really, it's just..." My eyes darted around the forest not far from the forest. "I have this strange sense of dread."

Ace put his arms around me from behind. "Well, if something bad were to happen I would protect you." I looked back at him. "You sound like some love stricken captain."

His mouth formed a smile and he buried his face in my right shoulder. He was cute when he was tired. I don't remember how much sleep he got, but I know it's a lot less than he normally did.

"Just nap again, alri- And he's asleep." I quietly chuckled and put him down, his bag under his head, and I placed his hat over his eyes. The sun was just coming out, but I didn't want the rising sunlight to disturb him.

I looked back at the small forest, just next to the town I bought the food from. There was something there. It was an annoying feeling, but I wasn't about to go to sleep.

My bounty was higher than Ace's... but, somehow, I feel like Ace would be in more danger if the thing hiding in there was some bounty hunter.

I approached the dark forest, which I found out was a lot larger than I thought. A small flame appeared in my palm and I walked in.

The moment I did, I felt like I was in danger. Majorly.

I turned around to leave, since nothing has jumped out at me, but then I was proven wrong.

"Hey girly, that was a cool little trick." The person grabbed my wrist and the fire in my palm went out. I tried turning my arms into Phoenix wings, but there were already Sea Prism Stone chains wrapped around my left wrist.

Damn it.

I gritted my teeth, twisting my arm in attempts to get my arms out of his grip. He pulled the chain, making my left arm go behind my back, then he grabbed my right wrist and put it behind my back as well.

"Hey! Ac- mmph!" A cloth was jammed in my mouth and tied behind my head.

My hands were already chained behind my back, so it's not like I could pull it out. I would try alerting Ace by making his Devil Fruit power go off, but the Sea Prism Stone blocks that too. How annoying.

Before I could get a glimpse of his face, my vision was blocked by yet another cloth, as well as my ears. This is so great. So very great.

Ace was way too far to be able to hear my muffled cries.

I hit the ground with a thud, my head hitting a tree. I think it was a tree, at least. I tried yelling. Of course, to no avail.

"Your muffled cries are adorable, but it's not—" Maybe my hearing was getting back because of the cloth, but it seemed too abrupt.

My captor stopped binding my legs. What was wrong? Well, other than whatever he was doing, of course. I tried moving my legs apart, but they were already chained together. Chained... they're by no means comfortable.

I didn't bother struggling, knowing I'd never be able to break out myself, and it would hurt me either way.

Then, I felt a new feeling on my skin. It was still a person, but the hand was warmer. A muffled whimper escaped my mouth, and I moved back a little.

"Hey, it's me." My blindfold was taken off and I met Ace's dark pupils, though they were much more friendly. "Nnmce!" I exclaimed, forgetting about the cloth in my mouth.

"Aha, I should take care of that." He reached behind my head and the cloth fell from my mouth. "You looked so scared." He playfully whimpered, hugging me.

I chuckled. "Babe, the uh... Sea Prism Stone." Ace lifted the keys and slowly brought the end to the keyhole. A little too slowly, but I don't blame him.

"And there!"

Ace wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair as if I were a missing puppy that was just returned to him.

"How did you know?" I moved back, looking Ace in the eye. "I don't know, my boyfriend senses were tingling." A proud smile appeared on his face, as if he had just made a grand discovery.

I giggled. "Okay, okay. We should probably leave before someone else comes." Ace nodded and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the boat. I sat next to him as he navigated the boat, sailing around and propelling it with his Devil Fruit power.

I slowly fell asleep, leaning my head on the small boat's mass. I felt a rather large cloth wrap around my shoulders and a small smile made its way into my face. I grabbed onto Ace's hand and opened my eyes. "I love you."

It was pretty abrupt, I know, but isn't that a normal couple thing? Saying "I love you" randomly?

Ace smiled down at me. "I love you, too." He knelt down and pulled me closer to him, between his legs, my back in his chest.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, knowing he doesn't have a blanket.

"Nope. Just rest easy, alright?"

I leaned by head on the crook of his neck. "O-Okay. Just cuddle up if you feel like it."

"I love you!"

"You're just upset that I said it first."

"Technically I did, since I was the one who confessed."

"Oh shush... I love you, too..."