#also i'm sorry about the striker slander lol i actually love that thing but yara would probably hate it

[supermarine-silvally]

❛ how about a kiss before i go? ❜ from the soft prompts pls? also I SWEAR if you make this angsty I will... wail in the comments but also cry bc I enjoy torturing myself and like pain -🍂

I assume you wanted Portada (Ace x Yara) for this heheh

There are references to the anime (and the Ace light novel) but no actual spoilers.

“So Pops is really sending you to take on Bohemian Knight Doma all by yourself?”

“Yeah!” Ace grinned, flexing an arm. “Pretty great, huh?”

Yara shrugged. “I mean, it’s smarter than sending the fleet if we don’t need to. Doma might be stupid enough to encroach on the Whitebeard Pirates’ territory, but he’s not going to turn down a one-on-one challenge when the alternative is facing an entire armada.”

“That’s true, too.” He laughed. “I know I only got this mission because Pops is testing me, but I feel good.” As if to prove his point, a small burst of fire flared out of his fingertips, flames quickly engulfing his entire hand. 

“Well, Fifth Division will be lying in wait should you need backup.”  

“Pssshh, backup. I’ll kick his ass before he even--”

“Hey, Ace!” 

Ace perked up at the familiar voice, glancing over to where a blue-haired man wearing a masquerade-like mask stepped off the gangplank and onto the deck of the Moby Dick. “Any news?”

“Yes. I’ve got the striker operational again. It should be good to go for your mission.”

“Great! Thanks, Deu!”

Masked Deuce smiled, giving his friend-- and former captain-- a polite bow before striding off. 

Ace turned back to Yara, grinning. “See?”

Yara tried not to smile as she shook her head. “I still think that thing is a death trap. If you fall off of it while riding the waves, there won’t be anyone around to haul your ass out of the water. The fact that Deuce designed it and not you is the only thing giving me a shred of hope.”

“Hey!” He pretended to be insulted. “I can build stuff.”

“Your attempt at fixing the starboard anchor tells me otherwise.”

“Well, maybe the anchor was being a jerk.”

Yara finally gave in, her shoulders shaking as she laughed, and Ace felt as if he’d won the lottery. His chest puffed up, pleased. 

“So…” She leaned back against the wall. “You’ve got your orders, and your-- I hesitate to call it a ‘ship’... Is there anything else you need?”

“How about a kiss before I go?” The words slipped out before he could stop them. Ace’s entire face went beet red. He laughed nervously, waving his hands in the air as Yara’s smile vanished, raising an eyebrow at him instead. “Kidding, kidding!! You don’t have to, um… because we’re not-- I mean… Sorry. Bad joke.”

“Hilarious, Portgas,” she deadpanned. 

Ace’s breath hitched as she reached over, placing a finger on the brim of his hat and tugging it down ever so slightly. A shiver ran up his spine, heart drumming erratically in his ribcage. God, she was so close to him, the scent of her favourite vanilla lotion flooding his senses. 

A small, bemused smile hinted at the corners of her lips as her hand lowered, and all Ace could think was how badly he wanted to catch it in his own and press kiss after kiss to her knuckles, her palm, her wrist; trailing down her arm until their chests were pressed closely together… letting himself drown in that beautiful gaze of hers as he held her against him, safe and snug…

She picked up the hat’s counterweight from where it hung against his bare chest, smoothing her thumb over the tiny cow skull embedded into the clay disc. “Just… Remember that you’re not invincible, as much as you like to pretend otherwise, Fire Fist.”

“It’s not like you to worry, Hellcat,” he couldn’t help but tease her in return. 

Yara let out a soft laugh. “You are going to give me a full head of grey hair by the time I’m forty, you know.”

“And you’ll still be as beautiful as ever. Er, I mean…” Heat rose to his cheeks. “You could pull it off, I’m sure.”

“There you two are, yoi.”

They glanced over as Marco approached them, giving them an amused look. “Yara, I think Vista’s looking for you.”

“Oh. I suppose I should be off, then.” She lightly touched Ace’s arm, making his heart nearly stop. “Good luck, Ace. Even if you don’t think you need it.”

With that, she strode off, heading towards the ship’s main cabins. Ace watched her go, the air around him already feeling colder without her presence. 

“You know you’re going to have to tell her someday, yoi,” Marco said, crossing his arms. 

“There’s nothing to tell her.”

“Ace…” The First Division Commander’s tone was firm, yet gentle. “You can’t help how you feel.”

“I know, I just…”

“I’m already giving up on Ace, too! I don’t care if he dies or not, I’ll just tell Garp it was an accident. It’s true that the ‘devil’s children have the devil’s luck’, and Ace is the devil’s son!”

He sighed. “She deserves far better than a good-for-nothing guy like me.” 

If she knew… There’s no way she could ever… 

Marco didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push it any further, either. The crew had begun to gather around them, cheering as they wished Ace a speedy victory. He waved back, one foot resting on the ship’s railing as he prepared to leap onto the striker, which was waiting in the water below. As he turned around, however, he caught a flash of violet hair. For a moment, he allowed his gaze to linger on her.

Yara seemed to notice, glancing over to meet his eyes. Her lips eased into a confident smile, giving him a slight nod as if to say, you got this. Butterflies burst into his stomach, his heartbeat quickening, beating out a rhythm so desperate, so desiring, so… unworthy. And yet… 

Yet he would love her from afar anyways, even if it was the most he could ever do.

One Piece nakama: @auxiliarydetective @daughter-of-melpomene @xoteajays if you wanna read <3