You were about to lay in bed when Ace came shuffling into your shared cabin on Whitebeard’s ship. You could already tell he was exhausted by his sluggish pace and the quiet entrance. He had been gone for a few weeks on a mission, so as thankful as you were to see him in one piece, you knew there was something wrong.

You turned to face him, and before you could get a word out, he pulled you into a tight embrace, breathing in slowly as he nuzzled into your neck with closed eyes.

“…Hey.”