The lights in the bar were fluctuating different colors throughout, illuminating the faces of many drunkards and dancers alike.

Ace was tipsily rambling to his friends a few tables away from you, his voice slightly slurred from where you could hear him.

His body was relaxed, arms lazily draped over his chair as his eyes wandered around the bar.

His eyes were glossed over with both fatigue and slight curiosity when they took in every person of the bar and every bounty poster on the walls. In his drunken eyes, all of those faces were the same.

Until they settled on you.

Ace's pupils visibly dilated as they landed on you, zeroing in when his gaze lingered.

His mouth went dry. The drink in his hands almost slipped out with how clammy his palms were getting. Whatever he was rambling about was completely dead now, replaced by the loud, overlapping voices of the bar he found himself in.

The space between the two of you was quite large, but he felt like he was suffocating.

You watched the others in the bar, completely unaware of Ace's eyes glued to you — some were getting into bar fights, others were talking to the bartender about their problems, but what really caught your eye were those who danced.

They looked so happy, smiles from ear to ear painting their faces as they tangoed and swayed effortlessly on the dance floor, hand in hand with partners, or just twirling solo like no one was watching.

Ace followed your gaze to those on the dance floor, his momentary bliss stuttering at the sight.

He was never one to dance. He preferred to use his body for.. much unconventional things. He tried sometimes, but could never seem to get the moves quite right. Ace didn’t have the body to dance anyway. And besides, he didn’t want to dance with anyone, and no one wanted to dance with him.

But you may have changed that for him.

He watched as you gazed longingly at those who caught the spotlight with their dancing skills, receiving cheers and applause from those who watched from their tables.

If he allowed the entire night to go by without so much as approaching you, he’d drink himself into blackout.

Ace always said to live without regrets, after all.

And he would probably — no, definitely regret not being able to dance with you if he had the chance.

The more he thought about it, the more his own words tasted like venom in his mouth. Here he was, preaching about the importance of living life to the fullest while he couldn’t even ask someone to dance with him.

He palmed his beer so hard, his knuckles turned white from the pressure.

Finally, he slammed his drink down onto the wooden table so hard it made surrounding tables stare. The other division commanders looked at him like he had lost his drunken mind.

All of the eyes watching him felt inconvenient — and rather incomparable to the only pair of eyes he wanted on him right now.

Yours.

When he mustered up the courage, he rose to his feet, a small wobble in his step from the alcohol in his system. He approached you in large strides as the other division commanders watched with bated breath.

He tilted his hat upward, his grin coming back as he eyed you from where you sat. You looked so beautiful to him in the bar's flashing lights. From where he was walking, each movement you made caused his heart to skip a beat.

"You have an eye dancing, don’t you?" He teased lightly, snickering as he gauged your reaction to his joke.

You shook your head with a soft smile, still looking at the others on the dance floor.

Oh, how your smile made his heart ripple.

"Okay, maybe not — but I'd love to be your dancing partner. Just for tonight, sweetheart."

"After all, a wise man told me to live with no regrets. And I know damn well I'd regret not getting the opportunity to take you to the floor with me."

Ace slowly extended his hand, his expression sheepish but determined.

He was starting to question if the flush on his cheeks was just from all the drinks he had tonight.

"So, what do you say?"

"Are you willing to give me a chance to dance with the hottest person in this bar?"