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An Experiment:

Please reblog if you think its okay to need time away from your family, or need moments where you don’t need to talk to anyone and just be alone.

My parents are insistent that I should not be spending as much time “avoiding” them as I do. I want to know if others feel the same way I do: That being alone or not wanting to spend every waking minute with people is normal.

I made a thing! I was thinking about this for a few days - because I realized that when I was young, I was also frustrated about being given the same advice over and over - without really knowing what it meant!!

Here’s 5 techniques which I have done before which have helped me grow as an artist, which are good for 5-minute warmups or just straight up challenges for your sketchbook! 

Obviously, these are not the ONLY techniques - they’re just the ones I find most fun! And maybe they’re not the most ‘correct’ ones out there, but it’s better than another comic about practicing more, right? 

Good luck to everyone on their drawings!

O M G MARK

THE VAN VIDEOS.

“GO BACK TO SLEEP”.

I THINK I FINALLY UNDERSTAND.

OH MY GOD.

BECAUSE

WE SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT

(Y/N) SLEEPS

WITH THEIR EYES OPEN.

THE VAN VIDEOS.

WE ALL KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING ODD ABOUT THEM.

IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT REAL.

THEY COULD BE DREAMS.

(Y/N)’S DREAMS.

SO THIS OFF-BRAND “MARK” WHO HAS BEEN LEADING US AROUND IN THAT VAN

WONDERING WHY WE WERE SLEEPING IN THERE

(SO ARE WE “AWAKE” WHEN THEIR EYES ARE CLOSED?)

HE’S BEEN LEADING US AROUND, LETTING THESE LITTLE SURREAL EFFECTS GO ON AND ON

(NOT MAKING A WHOLE LOT OF COHERENT SENSE, MIND YOU)

BECAUSE IT WAS SOMEONE INFILTRATING OUR DREAMS?

AND NOW

AFTER “DON’T REMEMBER”

DARK’S (?) VOICE TELLING US TO GO BACK TO SLEEP

(SO WE CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM IN THE DREAM WORLD??)

WHILE SOMEONE ELSE

MARK (WHOSE SOUL “LIVES IN THE DARK”)

IS TRYING TO WAKE US UP??

THE QUESTION IS

WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO NOW?

THIS HAS BEEN A SCREAMY MIDNIGHT KELLYPLIER THEORY

THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

if you’re struggling for AU ideas take a look-see at this list i wrote for my friend who dubbed it “better than the 10 commandments" 

1)     Coffee shop AU

i)       Barista and person who has a ridiculous coffee order

ii)      I’m worried about your coffee dependency

iii)     you accidentally poured boiling hot coffee over me so you’re responsible for taking me to A&E

iv)     you give me a different fake name every time you come into starbucks and I just want to know your real name bc ur cute but here I am scrawling “batman” onto your stupid cappuccino

2)      Flower shop AU

i)       You buy a weird amount of flowers and I’m concerned as to why

ii)      I’m allergic to flowers but I work in a flower shop – you’re a customer who’s very confused as to why I’d do that

iii)     (this is also a good way to incorporate flower meanings eg, buying certain colours/types for person to represent feelings etc.)

3)      Library AU

i)       You’re overdue on this book and I want it so I’m tracking u the fuck down

ii)      I work in the library and I’m a little concerned for your health bc you never stop studying

iii)     The library’s pretty empty save for you and me and OH that couple making out loudly in the shelves somewhere

4)      Awful first time meeting

i)       I accidentally punched you in the face when I was too overexcited about something

ii)      I thought you were my friend who’s just done something awful to me (read: cut my hair while I slept, dyed all of my clothes pink, etc. etc.) because you look similar from behind so I stormed up to you and shoved you from behind while calling you an asshole

iii)     You get the gist to this one

iv)     Oooh when you told me your name I thought you were joking because it’s fucking awful and I made a joke about it and things got awkward real fucking fast (perfect for a Hannibal au just saying)

5)      Weird places to meet/awkward meetings in general

i)       We live in the same block of flats but haven’t ever talked and Sunday morning we were both doing the walk of shame and had to stand in the lift together

ii)      “okay I know that being in the woods at 2am is a weird thing to be doing but my friend called me and- wait, why are you in the woods at 2am, fuck I’m going to die aren’t I?”

iii)     A personal favourite of mine – first day at a new job and oh fuck my boss is the person I drunkenly hooked up with last weekend/night

iv)     We keep accidentally running into each other I’m not a stalker I swear

v)      You live across from me in our apartments and we smile when we see each other but we don’t really know each other and oh you’re the stripper at my friend’s stag do/hen night fuck this is really uncomfortable

vi)     “My shower’s broken but I’ve got a date tonight could I possibly use your shower please?” “Oh sure (neighbour that I’ve been crushing on for the past six months) of course you can use my shower to get ready for your date (fuck fuck fuck)”

6)      Friends to romance – pining and all that wonderful shit

i)       You’ve got a date tonight and you asked for advice on what to wear but I’m so in love with you and damn you look good in the outfit I picked out for you

ii)      I really like you but you’re my best friend’s ex

iii)     You’ve liked me for ages and were really obvious about it and I didn’t like all the attention but now you’re over me I really miss it and fuck I think I like you too?

iv)     Somewhere along the way of getting into bar fights together, staying up all night with movie marathons, other friendship things, I’ve fallen in love with you but oh my god this could ruin EVERYTHING

v)      Friends with benefits oh wait I like you

7)      FAKE DATING HOLY SHIT I LIVE FOR THIS

i)       It’s my highschool reunion and I need a hot date so I can rub it in the faces of the people who hated me

ii)      My homophobic parents are coming to visit will you pretend to date me as an extra “fuck you”?

iii)     There’s a person who won’t stop bugging me will you pretend to be my partner so that they’ll fuck off?

iv)     I told my sister I have a boyfriend so she’d stop trying to set me up with people but now she’s coming to visit and I’m in too deep I need a fake boyf ASAP

8)      Soulmate aus

i)       The first words your true love(s) will say to you are tattooed on you and why the fuck are their first words something really ridiculous like ‘I’ll pay you a tenner to punch me in the face’ or ‘quick what’s your favourite animal’ or ‘fucking shit hell holy fuck wow oh my god jesus h Christ fuck me’ etc. or even worse a really ridiculous song lyric like  the opening lines of uptown funk or a high school musical song or smthing did you have to serenade me the first time you saw me asshole?

ii)      You get an ‘impression’ of your soulmate when you turn 18 or something but all I got was a strong smell of bananas or an overwhelming feeling that Thatcher was a good prime minister or an image in my mind of a fucking unicorn

iii)     The more ridiculous the better actually

iv)     Something like whenever your soulmate sings a duet you can’t help but join in and my fucking soulmate is in a goddamn band but I can’t sing for shit

v)      Or maybe something like soulmates always sneeze at the same time and I cant be sure but me and this kid in my French class just sneezed at the same time are we soulmates or was it a coincidence (proceed w character trying to make themselves sneeze around said person to see what’s what)

9)      Alternate universes for real

i)       Mermaids

ii)      Siren and asexual pirate who doesn’t understand why all his crew are losing their shit that person has a nice voice sure but what the fuck is happening

iii)     Hogwarts

iv)     We live in a world where the greek gods are real and you went and got yourself cursed and now I have to go on a fucking quest to sort this shit out why do I love you again?

v)      Pacific rim au (either they’re drift compatible or one of them is a ranger and the other stresses constantly bc what if they die yes I have read a fic like this no I didn’t come up with this one but it’s fucking good) (also if you haven’t seen that film go watch it now)

vi)     Literally any movie or book universe you like tbh just go for it

10)   Other aus that I like

i)       I wanted to go on the ferris wheel but there has to be two people to a cart come on random person let’s go oh wait are we stuck at the top? Fuck

ii)      We work in the same office and you have a goddamn squeaky chair and you wONT FUCKING STOP SQUEAKING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT ANNOYS ME

iii)     Our mutual friend set us up on a blind date and I thought I’d hate it but you’re actually… kind of funny? But because I expected to hate it in no way am I going to let you change my mind just because you’re gorgeous and funny and intelligent oh no my friend is not winning this

iv)     It started to snow and I’m the only one of our friends who would go outside with you – I soon found out why none of the others would go out in the snow with you (this works best if they’re new friends who don’t know each other all that well) when you shoved a handful of snow down my back and declared snow war

v)      It’s nowhere near Christmas it’s literally still November would you calm down about Christmas wait no why are you getting the tree out no stop please stop (if you do this pre-relationship you can have the grouchy one secretly finding the other’s excitement endearing and falling in love with them actually that works for established relationship too)

vi)     Current partner got a new job in America (or other country far away) and we’re getting by on skype calls and emails but it’s not easy and then I met someone new (can be poly or can be finding the OTP person)

vii)   You want us both to get in shape and I hate working out/running but your ass looks really good in shorts oh the things I do for my friends and their nice asses

viii)  Carrying on from 10.vii. you’ve caught me checking you out in what I thought was a subtle way too many times and now you’re calling me out on it what do I do???

ix)     You’re an actor/other famous person that I really admire and I just saw you in the street and as I was debating whether or not to say hi you came up to me and started flirting what do I do??

x)      You were waving at your friend behind me but I got confused and waved back at you and now I’m dying of embarrassment but you think it’s cute

xi)     I sat down in the wrong class and I’m panicking but don’t want to get up and leave because the class has started and you think it’s hilarious and shut up you dumb fuck you don’t know me aahhh

xii)   I’m a waiter at this wedding and you’re a drunk guest who will not stop hitting on me please I’m trying to work no I can’t dance with you omg let me find you some water

xiii)  Our best friends are that awful ‘cute’ couple that make-out in public and call each other “sweetie” and “sugar” and “babe” and god they’re awful let’s talk about how awful they are – develops into “shit we’re the awful couple now”

xiv)  You pissed me off in class so I threw a book at your head and now I’m in detention and jesus fuck I hate you so much and the teacher made me apologise and wait you’re cuter up close and the way you talk is kind of nice actually oh fuck no

Okay I could go on forever but this is over 1,500 words of auing already I have too many ideas christ

send me some to @theskyis-forever

i was in a thrift shop the other day and they were playing the most unsettling variations of normal christmas music, culminating in this rendition of the 12 days of christmas except it was like 12 guys all singing over each other and going “no!” and interrupting the lyrics with random other phrases until they deadass just started singing 5 golden rings to toto’s africa. can anyone confirm that this is a real song and not that i stroked so hard i astral projected into a universe where everything is somehow worse than it is here

*when your otp is a victim of queerbaiting*

i understand how jon felt when he was being forced to do the apocalypse now

─── 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 .

# with akagami no shanks.

the captain was drunk — and a bit self-conscious. not to fret, for you were his favorite entertainer.

KINKTOBER, day ten. smut (mdni!). strip-tease. lap dance. masturbation (reader!receiving). thigh riding. dry humping. usage of conqueror’s haki. afab!reader. no y/n used.

WC: 1.9k.

akagami no shanks had lost his arm.

upon his return to the wild seas of the new world, those had been the most frowned upon words. the fearsome captain, the unmovable force, somehow would miss a limb forevermore. the reactions were but a divergent cacophony. fear — for what human could achieve such a feat? was it even a human? if not so, how close was the beast? if it had been enough to face him, what chance did the commoners have? anger — for mihawk no longer had a worthy rival. it would be far from honorable to face in combat a swordsman whose dominant arm was gone. and, at last, curiosity — for why was the truth hidden? one did not brag about a loss, but aside from overused jokes, shanks refused to spare a single word. who was he protecting? it was hilarious to witness the fuss as part of the select number of people aware of what had, in truth, happened.

akagami no shanks had lost his arm. and you had been the one to hear his puns ever since.

of course, he faced decent struggles. waking at night phantom pain; forced to master the art of the sword yet again with a hand he had no experience with whatsoever. yet, above the frustration soared an undeniable truth — for luffy, it had been worth it. besides, a decade past and shanks had grew accustomed to the mandatory shifts, living as though had not lost a thing.

however, as it seemed, there was yet one he would never cease to whine about.

the man was drunk — a common occurrence — and awfully clingy — another common occurrence. you had dragged him from the bar, pitying the poor beckman, for the man deserved a break from the captain’s shenanigans, and shanks had been hugging your waist ever since. he sat on the bed, drooling on your flesh, not allowing you to at least go fetch some water. his grip was a prison of itself on usual hours, but it did not help that you, too, were a bit intoxicated, swaying to the sides and failing to pull his face off your body.

“dooooooooooooll,” he drawled out, hiccuping. “i miss your ass.”

shanks gripped a considerable amount of flesh, daring to whine. “get over it, you’re a grown man.”

“how mean, i am half a grown man,” he laughed at said joke, biting the bare inch of your waist.

“half a man deserves half an ass,” you stated matter-of-factly, fighting off the urge to let out a hiccup yourself.

“but i miss groping both sides at the same time,” shanks insisted, dragging his nose on your belly, daring to grow drunker on your scent.

“you never had this complaint with my tits,” you pointed out, to which he liked his lips, seemingly aroused all of the sudden.

the hand pinching at your waist trailed itself up to rest on one of your breasts, his once slouched figure straightening up so that he could drag a sloppy stripe across your covered nipple. he had no problem with it whatsoever, for he was a man of considerable height.

“i can tease both of my girls at the same time,” he stated, wetting the fabric of your shirt, grinning at the elicit expression. “i can’t slap both your asscheeks at the same time anymore.”

your nipple hardened due to his ministrations, all but his for the taking, for you hadn’t felt the need to wear a bra that night. shanks closed his lips around the bud, humming as he sucked on it, spit soaking clothing and skin alike.

“and you like it,” the man teased, voice a bit muffled; rough.

you arched your back with a sigh, gripping locks of red hair, falling prey to his sensual tongue. yet, though your glance was tethered to his face, shanks’ own eyes seemed ever-so-lost, melancholic, even. you caught on the instance he moved his other shoulder, as though aiming to grip your hip with a nonexistent arm — a maintained instinct despite the absence of the limb. shanks laid down, retreating from your figure altogether, explicit vulnerability that would not have been shown otherwise, was he not drunk.

“see, doll? half a man,” he scoffed, to which your eyes narrowed; face scrunching in concentration as you then pondered on how to comfort him.

your fingers tugged at the waistband of his pants, whistling with faux innocence. shanks observed your approach with hooded eyes, laughing with delight once your chest was pressed against his own.

“my poor, poor husband,” you teased, pleased to witness the sudden shift in his attitude.

shanks and you hadn’t officiated the marriage; no celebration to be seen whatsoever. it had been the initial plan, two years prior. however, with newgate’s death and the aftermath of the war, waiting on a better period was the agreement. that did not mean the titles weren’t used, and shanks, in particular, never failed to be aroused whenever the word husband fell past your lips. a decade worth of lovemaking, too, made you more than attuned to what had him squirming.

“how i hate to see you so sorrowful,” you hummed, kissing the scars etched on the flesh of his eye. “i will fix that.”

“yeah, doll?” he grunted, growing excited when you dodged his advances. “how so?”

shanks sat on the edge of your shared bed, widening smirk and lustful eyes following your every move. you spun around the room, strutting your hips and nearing the corner, positioned far from his reach.

“you’re not allowed to touch,” you ordered, far more daring due to the alcohol. “just watch.”

shanks had his legs spread, a growing erection visible through the thin fabric of his pants. you opened the small, circular window, allowing the music from the outside bar to travel inside. your hips moved accordingly to the beat, an established sensual pace that had your fingers hovering over your breasts as you spun and approached him with languid steps.

you danced around the border of his reach, teasing the thin grip he had on his self-restraint. when he dared move, you dodged with a fit of giggles. “how should we start, sea emperor?”

he groaned at the title. “let me see your tits, doll.”

you hummed, rolling your hips with a languid sensualness born from the usual influence of alcohol. your fingers teased the straps of your shirt, trailing down the fabric until you reached the button of your shirts. rather than listening to his request, you sluggishly tugged down the zipper, perching your ass up as you slowly turned around, movements following the rhythm from the music outside.

the loose piece of clothing threatened to fall, yet you held the hem, controlling the pace of its trajectory, rolling your hips; lowering yourself on your knees. when it was, at last, off, you kicked it away, snapping the strap of your underwear. shanks had a brief sight of your soaked cunt before he was forced to face your front yet again. he cleared his throat, eyes trailed to the lacy, borderline transparent, fabric that left near nothing to the imagination.

“tits?” you mocked, trailing your fingers down your clothed labia.

shanks was left conflicted, his inebriated mind struggling to wrap itself around what to answer. would you concede if he reacted positively? or would you tease him yet again, offering the much desired sight of your intimacy? how could he outsmart that? shanks was far too drunk for an elaborate plan.

“thighs,” he answered smugly, a grin that indicated he felt all much too quirky.

you parted your legs open, pinching and grabbing the bare flesh, mimicking his touch. your lover was drooling, observing the outline of your intimacy; stroking his clothed member. yet again, a temptive roll of your hips deprived him of what he yearned for. shanks gripped his cock, growing out of patience as your fingers gripped the hem of your shirt, raising it ever-so-slowly, a languid set pace. you stretched the fabric, biting on it in order to keep your nipples covered, using your fingers to tease said hardened buds, muffled moans and dancing matching the melody of the song.

when the saliva started dripping down your chin; staining your shirt; you removed it, spinning it on your finger until it fell at his feet.

“doll,” he warned, sweat surging on his temples, ceasing the ministrations of his hand on the hardened member. “c’mere.”

“nuh uh,” you sang, turning around on purpose. shanks had the entire sight of your cunt when you lowered down to remove your panties, dancing with it stuck between your teeth, growing hot at the explicit lust on his eyes.

“come to me,” he demanded, the applied pressure stealing your free-will.

your dance ceased altogether, for shanks had dared use his conqueror’s haki to guarantee compliance. your figure stumbled towards the awaiting man, his index beckoning you in a mocking manner.

“sit on my lap,” you conceded, no questions asked. shanks gripped your chin, a lonesome finger tugging at the lacy underwear dangling from your lips. “i want that.”

he opened his mouth, forcing yours to mimic the movement. your panties fell on his tongue, and he moaned at the taste of your essence, the loud slurping causing your walls to clench around air. you whimpered, neglected and unable to move, and shanks all but spat out the piece of clothing, rutting his hips as though a hound in heat.

“turn around,” he instructed, groaning when you brushed against him. your ass rested on his clothed cock, legs spread and back arched, prepared for whatever he had in store. “dance for me, doll.”

the music fell on deaf ears, overthrown by the choir of your moans once you started to move, the roll of your hips teasing your clit, growing swollen due to the texture of his pants. shanks panted, leaning forward. he sucked on your earlobe, twisting one of your nipples as he teased the clothed erection under your bare entrance. the dancing grew sloppy, for he had your back pressed against his chest; his lips latched to your neck. shanks made out with the flesh, spit trailing down your breast, the wetness used to tease your abused nipple.

shanks’ feet sunk down on the ground for further support, and he interrupted the languid roll of your figure on his lap by rutting his hips, forcing his clothed cock to rub itself on your folds. he licked a trail up your chin, biting on the bone, tilting your head with his nose. expert fingers left your breast to dance down your stomach, finding themselves a home amidst your folds. he drew fast-paced circles on your clit, and you closed your eyes, moaning at the sensation. your legs trembled, thighs burning, yet the pressure of his command lingered. you were but a puppet whose strings he pulled, dancing despite your own tiredness.

the growing knot at the pit of your stomach snapped, your orgasm arriving with treacherous swiftness, for the alcohol had done its part when enhancing your pleasure. shanks laughed, shoving his fingers past your parted lips without warning, forcing you to taste yourself; to lick him clean.

he wrapped his arm around your figure to throw you against the mattress. you had but a brief sight of him — removing his clothes, standing in naked glory — before he hovered above you, teasing your slick, sensitive entrance with his leaking tip.

“you were kind enough to dance,” shanks mocked, his lips mere inches away from your own; hot breath fanning over your face. “but the spectacle won’t be complete until i have you singing.”

— 🐈‍⬛ : i’m running out of things to write here omg, happy kinktober? 😭

Cabin by the Lake | Local Diner

Portgas D. Ace x F!Reader, Modern AU series

06- When Luffy’s birthday turns into a group get away to a small cabin by a lake, you cannot deny his own brothers an invitation. Surely the week long get away would leave a lasting impression with his eldest sibling.

uhhh no warnings really but sharing food. i know some people are weird about that stuff 🤷‍♀️

Wednesday: Local Diner

You wake with a start, a hollow aching in your chest, and the room empty of your two friends. Despite your positions splayed out on the bed there is a deep seated knowledge that you will never be as comfortable and calm as you were during the movie last night.

And that alone, that fluttering of anxiety brought about, was enough to wake you fully.

Going through the motions of your morning routine is fairly easy. Yet there is something gnawing at the back of your mind the entire time. It holds an emotion that you cannot quite unlock at this hour, a thought that you unconsciously push back on, so that you can continue with your little vacation with a clear mind. You invested far too much time and money on this trip to allow it to be ruined by something a menial as your feelings.

Dressed for the summers day, you head downstairs to join the others in the breakfast spread already being picked on by the group. You collapse into one of the open seats and survey the variety of plates. Everything seems to be mostly intact, except for the platter of sweet rolls, and your shoulders drop in disappointment.

A knee knocks against yours under the table and you slowly turn to face Ace. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good, actually.” You smile at him. “What about you? Luffy actually stay in his own bed?”

“Yes, thankfully.” Ace rolls his eyes dramatically. He then turns back to his plate, and you believe the conversation to be over, until he reaches out in front of you to place a small plate down. “Saved these for ya.”

Your eyes turn to the small platter, fish painted around the perimeter of it, and notice the two sweet rolls with the icing that you like so much. The ones that you have eaten every single day this week, as Sanji has always made sure they were there at your request. “Oh.” Your voice is low and that ache has returned. “T-thanks, Ace.”

“No problem.” He simply shrugs and returns back to his meal.

Your eyes cast around the group, smiling to yourself at the light that each person seems to exude. It seems that the vacation, your own little break from life, has done wonders for everyone here. One light seems to shine the brightest though, and you catch yourself throwing occasional glances his way, allowing it to warm you through.

“I really think we should check it out!” Nami’s voice is chipper as ever as the sounds of forks scraping on plates reverberates through the room. Her eyes meet yours and you urge your brain to catch up on the conversation. “It’s supposed to be a cute little, local diner.”

“The ladies at the sale were raving about it.” You confirm, taking a slow sip of the fresh juice.

“Tired of my cooking already, my dears?” Sanji places a hand on his chest in mock offense.

“Of course not,” Nami quickly shakes her head, not wanting there to be any threat of Sanji not cooking for the remainder of the trip. Not that he would ever do that to her. “But you deserve a break for a night, this is your vacation too.”

Sanji shrugs, “I enjoy what I do.”

“It’s just one night.” Robin offers a smile.

“Yeah! And then you’ll be rested up to cook a big feast tomorrow!” Luffy grins, practically vibrating in his seat.

Sanji rolls his eyes, but voices his agreement nevertheless.

As plates empty and drinks are downed, everyone gets up to go about doing their own thing. Sanji waves off any offers of help with the dishes, especially with the knowledge of having a break, and the lingering crew is shooed out of the kitchen.

You move about your day on auto pilot, checking in with everyone as you wander mindlessly around the cabin. No agenda and no real goals for the day. It was something that started to gnaw at you in an odd was as you were left alone with your thoughts.

Before you could spiral any deeper, Ace pops into the room, patting at his pockets as if checking something. He scans the room with furrowed brows until his eyes land on you. “Oh, hey doll.” He grins at you, demeanor light. “You know where my keys are?”

“Think I saw them on the kitchen counter.” You remember the heat filling your face at the sight of his alligator key chain. He quickly turns to the kitchen, an aha soon followed by the jingling of keys. You watch him enter the room again with curiosity peaked, “And where are you going?”

He clutches the keys in his hand, mouth opening before he quickly stops himself, head tipping in thought. “Do you, uh, wanna go for a drive?”

“Where to?”

“Dunno.” A cheesy grin is offered to you. “Just wanted to go out and drive.” His shoulder leans in the door way as he watches you, brows raised and biting his lip as he awaits your answer.

And that look. That stupid look.

It was far too intriguing to deny. “Let’s go.”

You quickly follow Ace outside and to his car. He tugs the driver door open with a smile that he can’t seem to wipe away. The drive was meant to be his reprieve from the group, a moment alone, but he couldn’t deny that he was satisfied with the new development.

As you settle into his passenger seat, he works to hook his phone up, before handing it over to you. “Play me something good, doll.” He teases, as if he didn’t have the most broad taste in music imaginable. You scroll through his many playlists as he backs out of his parking space, turning the car towards the winding back roads. The smooth sounds of ABBA soon fills the air and Ace grins, reaching over to crank the volume. “I love this song.”

Ace begins to tap the rhythm against the steering wheel, head tipping back, before absolutely belting out the words. You break into a fit of giggles at the unexpected performance, watching as he does a little dance in his seat. “Come on, doll. Don’t play ABBA if you’re not gonna put on a performance with me.” Gone was the man quietly mouthing the words to the music days ago, replaced by the one entirely comfortable in making a fool of himself in front of you, seemingly with a goal of making you laugh. “Let’s go, it’s the chorus, you gotta know this.”

And who are you to deny Ace such a request? You follow him into the chorus and his energy only seems to raise at this. Amidst his little dance, he takes your hand in his, shaking it with emphasis to each word.

Songs change one by one, the energy staying high, and laughter echoing in the guitar solos. Ace drives with little purpose, taking winding roads and pushing the two of you further and further into the back woods. At some point, he turns off into a clearing to turn the car around and not get the two of you too lost.

As Ace throws the car in reverse, you lean forwards to turn the music down. “Alright, what kinda instrument do you play then? It’s gotta be something with the show you’re giving me.”

A grin pulls to his face as he throws an arm around the back of your seat, looking over his shoulder to avoid backing the car off of the mountain itself. You watch him closely, his body leaning towards yours and that sly grin on his face.

“I can play guitar, but I don’t perform or anything.” He moves his arm back to put the car in drive. “A little drums too, all just for fun though.” Eyes glance both ways for a brief moment, before he turns to look at you. “But i’m glad you were impressed.”

A playful smile pulls to your lips, “Well, I never said I was impressed.”

“Awh, you wound me.” He presses his palm to his chest and pouts at you.

“Awh, don’t cry, Ace.” Your bottom lip pokes out to match his pout and you don’t miss the way his eyes flicker down to track the movement, your breath catching in your throat. He meets your eyes again and a flush overtakes his freckles.

You’re not given the chance for a comment as your phone rings. Both of you jerk back in surprise, Ace’s eyes turning to check the road again before he is pulling out. You raise the phone to your ear without even checking the name.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Nami’s voice crackles over the line.

“Out on a drive.” You simply answer.

“A drive?” She pushes. “With Ace? Are you-“ The line cuts in and out as you only pick up a few syllables every now and then.

“Nami, you’re cutting out.”

Her voice finally cuts through, clear as day. “We’re starving!” You pull the phone away at the sheer volume she was speaking.

Ace chuckles, having overheard the statement. “Tell them to meet us there.” He simply shrugs. “We aren’t too far out.”

“Yeah, Nami just meet us there. ‘Kay?” You can vaguely hear her shout out an okay, followed by crackling words and pauses of silence. “Can’t hear you, love you, bye.” More crackling ensues but you hang up the phone. You toss your phone back into the cup holder in favor of Ace’s. “Do you know where the diner is?”

Ace nods, but you’re too deep in his playlist to notice. “We passed it up earlier.”

“Oh,” You raise your head to stare out the windshield in thought. “I didn’t even notice.”

With a simple shrug, the music is flowing again.

The concert ensues but it is a little bit more calm this time. Instead of belting out the lyrics, you’re given a moment to truly hear Ace’s voice, the sound washing over you and making your heart skip a beat. The next song you queue up is something you hoped matches his tone and allowed you to hear more.

But the diner is soon coming into view, much to your disappointment, and Ace is pulling into the gravel lot. The others hop out of the two cars as Ace parks, stretching their limbs as if they had been in there for ages.

Luffy bounces on his heels, “Let’s eat!” He beams as the group rush forwards. Part of you feels sorry for the wait staff and how much they were about to have to handle with your group.

You and Ace trail behind the group, bumping each others shoulders and sharing playful glances. As you enter the diner, you already see the group following after a waitress towards a large circular booth. Everyone slides around in the booth, Ussop pausing to allow Ace to slide in with Sabo, sending you a look as you move in beside of Ace.

Ussop takes place beside of you, elbowing you in the ribs and wagging his brows at you. You send the man a death glare before turning to flip the menu open.

Ace lets out a yawn as he looks over the menu, almost missing the waitress turning expectantly towards him for his drink order. He offers a sheepish smile to the woman. He shifts against the vinyl seating, bumping your shoulder by pure accident, and pulling your attention away.

“You okay?”

“Got really tired all the sudden.” He shakes his head.

You hum in thought, “Talk to me then. What are you getting?” And he seems grateful for the distraction, babbling on about the southern chicken platter sounding good, but the burgers sounding even better. Of course, he would want an extra side no matter what he ordered because he realized that he was absolutely starving. His appetite could combat Luffy’s, after all.

Then the attention is called to Zoro and Sanji’s bickering, something about the former being grateful to have a break from Sanji’s meals. A shouting match ensues and Nami lands a swift smack upside both their heads as she scolds them.

Conversation chatters on, and the woman is soon returning with two others at her side, all with giant trays in hand. They begin passing out plates, with the bulk being offered to the brothers. The group remains rowdy as ever and easily break the quiet ambiance of the local diner.

You dive into your plate of food, the chicken platter, happily shoving the food into your mouth. Crispy and perfectly seasoned, a grin pulling on your lips. Everyone else happily indulge in the southern style dishes, grins all around, and you had to admit to yourself that it was nice seeing Sanji so relaxed after a week of catering to you all. You offer a sideways glance to see Ace shoveling food into his mouth, freckled cheeks cutely puffed out, as he seemed to be enjoying his burger.

“Hey,” You call to him, cutting off a piece of the chicken to drop on his plate. “Try it, ‘s really good.”

Ace grins as he pops the piece of meat into his mouth. He nods in satisfaction, “Good, but the burger is definitely better.” Then he collects the greasy burger into one hand. “Try a bite.”

And as if it was the most casual thing in the entire world, you take a bite off the burger he was already halfway through. The melted cheese blended perfectly with the tangy barbecue sauce, but you shake your head at him. “You’re crazy, the chickens definitely better.” He dramatically rolls his eyes in response.

“Your tastebuds are broken.” Then he is reaching over to one of his side plates. “Here, try this. These are better than anything else.” He drops a couple of the fried cheese curds onto your plate.

You toss one in your mouth and a smile pulls to your face at the satisfying taste. “Okay, you’re right about that at least.” You collect the other one and lean into him a little bit, “Can I try the sauce?” You nod to the miniature ramekin that came with the dish.

“Sure, but they’re better without.” He picks up the black dish to offer over the dip.

Dipping the fried cheddar, you pop it into your mouth. “Oh, Ace, you’re crazy.” Your eyes blow wide. “That sauce is so good.”

“Well have at it then, doll.” He shifts his plates around to place the cheese curds between you. “I’m willing to share.”

You match his grin as you grab another.

The waitress puts in the work, but everyone is ever grateful for it. Sanji especially commended the woman for her work. She clears plates away as they empty, refills drinks, and even joins in on some of the groups banter.

Amidst this, you hear Ace yawning yet again. He leans against the space that has now been emptied in front of him. Ace’s eyes flutter shut, cheek slumping against his palm as sleep won over the best of him. His body was ridged but you figured it was a matter of time before he slumped fully against the table.

You gently place a hand on his knee and squeeze it in effort to wake him without startling him and causing a scene. Ace jolts awake at the feeling, back straightening, as he offers you a quick smile of thanks. Though he turns quickly, you don’t miss the way his cheeks flush. His hand dips below the table to grab for yours, clutching your hand and giving it a squeeze, a clear battle to stay awake flickering across his face.

You lift a hand as the waitress comes by, leaning over Ussop to order a black coffee, before she is off again to a new table.

The woman soon returns to gently place the white mug beside your iced drink. You silently slide the mug over with your free hand and offer another squeeze to Aces fingers.

The blush returns on his cheeks to accentuate the freckles fanning across his skin. “Thanks, doll.” Ace smiles as he collects the hot coffee.

The table that was previously overwhelmed with plates is now significantly dwindling down as everyone finishes up. Your waitress continues to pop in and out, the older woman reveling in the charming words of the blonde cook whenever the mood strikes him. The energy drops steadily as everyone gets their stomachs full.

With everything cleared up, the group lingers around the table in waiting for the undoubtedly hefty bill split a solid ten ways. You had apologized to the woman for having to split it up in such a way but she waved you off with a grin- “Just remember this when you’re leaving a tip.” And with a cheeky wink, she was off.

Despite the black coffee, there was still a tired glaze about Ace’s eyes.

“Alright, Ace, give me the keys. I’m driving back to the cabin.” Sabo juts his hand out. Ace goes to speak his protest but his brother quickly cuts him off. “Yeah, yeah, i’m sure you’re fine. But i’m not letting you wreck out in the middle of nowhere.” The two glare at each other for a long moment, before Ace relents and drops his keys into Sabo’s open palm.

The group divides up into the three cars- the brothers taking Ace’s car while you, Robin, and Ussop take Nami’s car and the guys pile in with Franky. Pleasant conversation passes between Nami and Robin in the front, while you are left in the back with Ussop side eyeing you. But he never makes a comment on the entire ride there.

However, when you arrive at the cabin, Ussop is calling you to sit with him outside on the porch. You already have an idea of what the topic of conversation is about to be as you plop into the porch swing beside of him, the chains swaying you both gently.

“Sooo,” Ussop drags out the word as he worries his shoe against the stained wood. “What’s going on with you and Ace?”

“Me and Ace?” You can practically feel your heart in your throat.

“You and Ace.” Ussop narrows his eyes.

You shrug with the facade of nonchalance, “We’re becoming friends, least i’m pretty sure we are.” Ussop tips his head back against the seat, staring up at the ceiling, and drawing in a deep breath.

“Friends?”

“I think so, yeah.”

Ussop rubs a hand over his cheeks in exasperation. “I know you like to take care of your friends,” His head tilts to look at you closely. “But what was that at the diner?” Heat fills your cheeks and you force your eyes away, staring at the sun setting over the lake.

“I don’t know.” You purse your lips.

Silence lingers for a moment.

“Well do you have feelings for the guy?” He prompts, observing you very closely for any true indication. You blow out a breath and continue staring out, before throwing your hands out in a half hearted gesture to convey you do not know. “If you ask me,” His shoulder bumps yours in a shrug. “Or Nami. Or Robin. Or Franky.” He quickly adds. “The two of you are definitely falling.”

“Falling?” Your attention snaps to him. “Ussop, I barely know the guy.”

“Oh, so you’re in denial.” He huffs a laugh as you roll your eyes at him. “Been there.” The glare you send him does not deter his ramblings as he continues before you can protest. “But it’s different with a guy like that, ya know. He’s Luffy’s brother and that can really complicate things.”

“So i’ve heard.” You mutter bitterly.

Ussop sighs to himself, fidgeting with one of the many bracelets on his wrists. Worry furrows at his brow. “Do you remember Kaya?” He cannot meet your eye as he asks this.

“Your ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah, that one.” He chuckles a humorless laugh. “You may not know this, but I used to be good friends with her brother. We were really close before I started dating her.” His voice is thick as he continues. “I don’t think i’ve seen his face since we broke up.” Hands drop in his lap as if they were iron weights. His words linger in the air for a moment before settling equally as heavy on you. “I’m not saying anything like that will happen if you do end up falling for Ace, but it’s something you should keep in mind.”

“Yeah, okay.” Your voice is low as you sink lower into the seat, allowing your head to fall on Ussop’s shoulder.

He slaps a hand onto your knee. “I’m not saying ignore your feelings, by the way.” Ussop speaks lowly, gently swaying the seat as he thinks over his next words. It seemed obvious that the newly found affection for Ace was far from the affection you held for the rest of your friends, no matter how heavily you denied or ignored it. “Just communicate and don’t be stupid for once.” You swat at his hand and his shoulders shake your head as he laughs.

The atmosphere shifts to normal as you watch the sun dipping low.

A thought pops into your mind. “Sooo,” You drag the word out. “Anyone having these conversations with Robin and Franky?” Your gaze tips up to Ussop just in time to catch the dramatic eye roll.

“I’m having them with Franky but that guy is kind of hopeless.” Curls fluff into your eyes as Ussop shakes his head. “Think they’re in the same state as you.”

A scoff leaves you, “I’m in no state.”

“Keep telling yourself that, doll.” Ussop grins.

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