One Piece 1. Chapter 1

Rated M for language, yaoi and other mature themes

'No day but today.' The saying was his favorite and he often lived by it. Ace smiled to himself as he softly sang along with the album, snuggling into his lover as he did. A strong wrapped around his shoulders and held him close.

'I can't control my destiny

I trust my soul

My only goal is just to be...'

Fingers threaded through his hair, softly playing with the strands. Ace relaxed with a contented sigh, his mind drifting back to last year, when his theater teacher told him about the play. At that time, he had only seen the movie. He didn't know about the stage performance or how altered the music had been. Nor had he known about the play's creator, Jonathon Larson and the tragedy that befell him. That, not even two weeks before opening night, Larson died. He never got to see the show hit the stage and that saddened Ace.

His teacher, Ms. Strader, lent him a copy of the original cast recording and beseeched him to listen to it. That night he did and found himself even more in love with RENT then before. Later that week, he returned the CD, thanked her and inquired why she had him listen to it.

"You're my most promising student, Ace. You have talent. I want you to co-direct this production with me for the theater department's winter show. Pick people for the main cast and bring them here. If they can pull off a successful performance, I'll advance you one year. If not, you stay behind a year. Okay?"

"...And if I refuse?"

"This conversation never happened and you carry on with your peers."

"...Anyone I want?"

"Anyone."

"Even me?"

Ms. Strader blinked, slightly confused.

"Can I be in the performance?"

She thought it over for a moment, considering the request. Ace had narcolepsy. Uncontrolled narcolepsy at that. The silver medical bracelet on his right wrist attested to that. But, he was good. Too good to let a sleeping disorder to stop him. She nodded her consent.

"Then I accept."

Ms. Strader smiled and that was how the hellish project began.

First, he had to find a cast. It had been more difficult then he would have liked, but he managed.

Ace-Mark Cohen

Luffy-Roger Davis

Nami-Mimi Marquez

Zoro-Tom Collins

Sanji-Angel Dumatt Schunard (it had been a hellish ordeal to get him to shave and wear a skirt)

(surprisingly enough) Hina-Maureen Johnson & Tashigi-Joanne

And, after some convincing (at the cost of some of his dignity) Marco-Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III

The three months of preparation were long and tiring. Between the bickering and Ace's narcolepsy fits, it seemed they were doomed. What didn't help the doomed cast was the week of the performance, Ace took some prescription pills and slept for three days straight. The morning of the play stressful and Mrs. Strader had no hopes for a successful performance.

But when the stage lit up, everyone went into character. Their performance was powerful. Ace only slipped up once and it was hardly noticeable. His cataplexy* kicked in at the beginning of La Vie Boehme, but he carried on. Zoro even cried for his roll as Collins during I'll Cover You Reprise. And, when the curtain fell, so did Ace. Later on, he awoke on a couch in the men's dressing room. Ms. Strader sat in a chair nearby, smiling.

"Ace, you did a beautiful job! To tell the truth, I didn't think this cast of yours could pull this off. But, as always dear, you surprised me. Congratulations. You passed."

Ace passed out from the sheer joy.

An abrupt shift brought him back to the present. He looked up at his lover and was met by his usual scowl.

"Stop drooling on me, brat." Smoker grumbled.

"Sorry, babe. Didn't mean to." Ace said apologetically. Smoker shook his head and kissed Ace's cheek. He stood and slowly stretched, knowing Ace was watching his every move.

"C'mon, brat. Bed."

Ace grinned and jumped up from the couch, racing past Smoker and stripping as he went. The elder was hot on his heels, stripping as well. They hit the bed in a tangle of limbs, mouths connecting and hands exploring. Sweat slicked bodies moved against each other. A sharp gasp pierced the silence as the younger was entered. The bed began to creak and groan as they began to move, the elder driving the younger into the bed with harsh, powerful thrusts. Gasps and moans filled the air, mingling with the sound of flesh smacking together. They hit orgasm together, bodies shuddering from the force of it. Murmured sounds of appreciation followed suit as they traded soft kisses. Slowly, they detangled for a moment to rearrange themselves more comfortably for sleep. They settled with Smoker spooning Ace, an arm draped around the younger's waist and the other tucked under his own pillow. Ace twined one hand with Smoker's own as the other dangled off the bed. They both sighed in contentment as they slipped off to sleep.

"Night, 'Moker." Ace mumbled sleepily. "Love you."

"Goodnight, Ace." the elder grumbled. "I love you, too."

They nestled closer and fell fast asleep, content to be in each other's arms.

'I think they meant it

When they said you can't buy love

Now I know you can rent it

A new lease you are, my love

On life

All my life'


	2. Chapter 2

Rated M for language, yaoi and other mature themes

Ace's lungs burned as he ran down the street, jumping objects and dodging people as he went. He couldn't afford to be late. Not on the first day of the semester! Damn that Smoker! If it wasn't for his hot ass, Ace wouldn't have forgotten to set his alarm. Thank the higher powers that Luffy had called him to ask a stupid question, or he would've kept sleeping! Veering to the left, Ace hopped the campus fence and landed beside the theater building. He felt his bag snag and swore loudly as the fabric tore, his books and supplies spilling everywhere. Frantically, he pulled the ruined bag off the fence and scrambled to collect his things.

As he scooped things up, another set of hands began picking some papers up. Surprised, Ace glanced up and met his best friend Sabo's eyes. He grinned widely at the other as they finished collecting his things and continued the run to class.

"How's it goin', Sabo?"

"Good. You?"

"Fuckin' fantastic! I forgot to set my al-"

Ace hit the floor just outside the classroom and Sabo slid to a stop just inside the door. He sighed to himself as he set their things down. Ms. Strader glanced up at Sabo's entry and heard Ace's snoring. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Drag him in, Sabo."

"Yes, ma'am."

timeskiptimeskiptimeskip

"...ce...Ace...Ace!"

"Ididn'tdoit!" Ace screeched as he jerked awake.

Laughter filled his ears as he looked around wildly. The unfamiliar faces of those who were probably other theater classmates were grouped around him.

"You snore REALLY loud." a boy with a long, square nose stated, smiling as he fussed with his baseball cap.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he could wake the dead!" a blue haired girl with tattoos laughed. She looked vaguely familiar, but his sleepy brain couldn't place where he had seen her before.

"Ah, leave the dumb bastard alone." Sabo's voice chimed in. Ace lulled his head in Sabo's direction and stuck out his tongue in response.

"Everyone, calm down." Ms. Strader's voice rang out from right next to Ace. He tilted his head back to look at her. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the other three over before looking down at Ace. "So good of you to join us, Ace."

"You woke me up." Ace yawned. She gave a small smile.

"Oh, so you registered it was my voice."

"Yup. I missed your dulcet tones so much during the summer that at the first sound of them, I simply had to listen." Ace said easily, stretching in a cat-like way and grinning. She shook her head with smile and patted his shoulder.

"Well, now that you're awake, we can begin." Ms. Strader said as she went to the front of the room and stood beside her podium. She looked to her left and gestured someone over. A man stepped over from the far door and came to stand beside her. He stood tall and proud in a fine suit complete with a top hat and a pigeon perched on his shoulder.

"Everyone, this is Rob Lucci. I'm sure you've heard of him." Ms. Strader stated as he dipped his head in greeting.

Ace groaned to himself. He knew who Lucci was. Anyone in the art world knew who he was. Lucci was an art critic who specialized in theatrical performances. Directors and casts alike dreaded his critiques. He had a sharp eye for mistakes and did not go easy on anyone.

"Hi Lucci~!" the square-nose guy called out in what could easily be a flirtatious tone.

Sharp, cat-green eyes flashed over to him and narrowed ever-so slightly. The pigeon resting on his shoulder shifted and made a gesture with its wing.

"Hush, Kaku. Remember what we went over earlier? Here, we are on professional terms." the bird stated as Lucci kept his glare trained the other male. Ace, Sabo, and the girl all stared in awe as Kaku flushed and rubbed the back of his neck in an embarrassed fashion.

"Sorry Lucci...san." Kaku mumbled as cast his gaze down and pulled the bill of his cap down shyly.

"Dude, did that bird just talk?" Sabo cried out. Lucci's eyes moved to him.

"Simple ventriliquism." the bird pantomimed while Lucci stood unmoving. "I am called Hattori."

They all exchanged glances over Kaku's head before looking to the teacher inquisitively.

"Well, as you know, you are all in the most advanced theater class our school has to offer. This year you will all work together on a major performance. It will show twice: the end of the winter semester and after spring mid-terms. Mr. Lucci will critique it."

A groan went through the three while Kaku looked extremely nervous.

"But, seeing how you're all amateurs to the theater world and still college students, he has agreed to pull a few punches."

Ace sighed in relief and relaxed a little in his seat. If Lucci was pulling a few punches, Ace figured he'd be okay.

'As long as he doesn't nit-pick the performance to hell and back, I think the cast can pull through. But this also means I shouldn't perform. Last year was almost bad because of my damn narcolepsy.' he thought to himself. He and Sabo exchanged looks and grinned at each other. 'At least I'll get to work with Sabo.'

"Mr. Lucci will critique both performances. The first critique will be to help you find out where you went wrong. To help you grow as actors and directors." Ms. Strader stated. "The second critique will determine whether or not you pass for the year. You, as a class, must score at least a three star rating. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." the four students chorused.

"Now then, what performance would you prefer?"

An uneasy silence fell over the class as they all thought it over.

"As long as it ain't West Side Story, I don't care." Kaku offered. There was a few nods of agreement.

"Please, God, no Grease!" the girl cried. Ace laughed at that.

"No Disney ones." Sabo stated.

"RENT." Ace said.

All heads turned. Kaku and the girl exchanged glances and stared openly at Ace. Sabo rolled his eyes wore an expression that clearly said 'of course.'

"Ah, good choice." Lucci, through Hattori, said. "RENT is one of my personal favorites."

Kaku and the girl exchanged unsure looks before looking to Sabo. The male threw up his hands in a gesture that said, 'don't ask me.'

"Well...if it's one of his favorites..." the girl murmured.

"And it is really popular." Kaku stated.

"Ace does have previous experience working with it." Sabo stated. "I'll do whatever Ace wants. I trust his opinion."

"Then I vote yes." Kaku said.

"Same here." the girl stated in agreement.

"Then we're agreed." Ms. Strader said with a smile. "RENT it is. Sadly, though, time is up. We'll discuss everything else on Wednesday."

With that said, they all gathered up their things and headed out, except Kaku. He jogged over to Lucci and began speaking with him. Ace and Sabo nodded their goodbyes as Sabo headed for another class and Ace went for the parking lot.

"Hey, uh, Ace? I think I've seen you before." the girl stated as she caught up to him. He glanced down at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I get that feeling too."

"...Do you know a girl named Nami?"

"Nami? The master of bitch-fu Nami? Yeah, I know her. She's dating my brother."

"You're Luffy's brother? No way!"

"Way." he said with a smile. She laughed and offered out her hand.

"Nojiko. I'm Nami's sister."

"Cool. Nice to meet you." he said as he shook the offered hand. They continued the path in a comfortable silence.

"I've never seen RENT before." Nojiko stated. Ace blinked in surprise.

"Really? Well, I own a Broadway performance of it if you wanna come over and watch it with me."

"Sure. When and where?"

"How bout tomorrow at my place after classes?"

"Kay. It's a date." Nojiko stated with a warm smile. Ace blinked owlishly at her and laughed.

"No, not a date. I'm taken."

"Oh, really? Who's the lucky girl?"

"Well-"

"PORTGAS! Stop your jackassing around and come here!" Smoker's voice roared. Ace laughed joyously and winked at her.

"Comin' babe~!" he called. "Well, love's sweet song calls to me. Later!"

As he jogged off, Nojiko sighed.

"It figures. He's sweet, funny, and cool as hell. And he's gay."

"Welcome to California!" Kaku shouted at her as he ran by.

Ace grinned when he heard that. It was fun living here.


	3. Chapter 3

Rated M for language, yaoi and other mature themes

As he slipped into his lover's Camaro, Ace grinned like a maniac. Smoker arched an eyebrow, but said nothing as he lit a new cigar. Ace leaned over in his seat and snatched the cigar away to kiss the elder. Smoker grunted happily and caught Ace's chin to hold him still. They kissed deeply, tongues briefly explored mouths before they broke apart. Ace put the cigar back in Smoker's mouth and settled back in his seat, happily licking his lips.

"Good day?"

"Yup. We already have a project in theater. We're gonna do RENT again."

"Huh. Good for you."

"Oh, you sound so thrilled for me." Ace teased as he ran his hand up and down Smoker's knee. Smoker grunted in reply as he drove. Ace just shrugged, knowing his lover was probably just a little stressed out from work. As if being a cop was bad enough; working under Garp, Ace's ever-so loving *cough*violent*cough* grandfather, made it worse.

"So, you gonna bring the old cast back?" Smoker inquired. Ace blinked, surprised Smoker was asking. Smoker generally ignored what Ace and his friends did together. Ace grinned at the small effort on Smoker's part.

"More than likely, yeah. It depends on what the teacher says." Ace replied, sneaking his hand up further. Smoker briefly cast his eyes down before looking back to the road.

"Must you do that while I'm driving?" he growled. Ace laughed and gave Smoker's thigh a squeeze before withdrawing his hand.

"Oh, you're no fun, Smokey~." Ace cooed. Smoker shot him a withering look.

"Again I state, I'm driving, brat."

"Didn't stop us last week. C'mon, you know you enjoyed getting road head at over 100 miles per hour." Ace purred.

Smoker blushed and glared at Ace, who merely gave him a grin. The elder rolled his eyes and slammed on the brakes. Ace snapped forward and hit his head on the dash. Bringing himself back up to yell, Ace saw out the window and grinned happily. They had arrived at One Piece, his father's bar.

"Your mother told me to bring you by before you went to work." Smoker grunted as he took a deep drag of his cigar. Ace, anger at the brake check dispersing, got out of the car and headed inside, grinning broadly. Smoker followed at a slower pace, taking time to finish his cigar outside. Meanwhile, Ace had burst through the doors and immediately ran to the upstairs living area.

"Hey~! Guess who's here?" Ace called as he stood in the middle of the hallway. The door to his left swung open and Luffy bounded out and threw his arms around his brother's neck.

"Ace!" Luffy screeched. "I missed you!"

"You just saw me three days ago, bro!" Ace shouted back with a laugh.

"Three days is a long time if you think about how often you usually visit." came a woman's voice. Ace unconsciously straightened up at the sound of it. Stern, but softened with love and laughter. He looked to the speaker and smiled.

"Sorry, Mom. I've been busy."

"Work?" Rouge inquired.

"Not so much anymore. Pops cut back my hours some so I'd have enough energy for school."

"That's good to hear." Rouge smiled at Ace, her brown eyes glowing softly with pride. "So, if it's not work...?"

"Well, I'm still getting used to actually living with Smoker, y'know?" Ace mumbled, blushing slightly as he shuffled his feet in an embarrassed fashion.

"Have you guys cracked the wall yet?" Luffy inquired. Rouge chuckled as Ace's eyes widened and he turned scarlet.

"God dammit, Luffy! Don't ask stuff like that! Especially in front of Mom!" Ace shrieked as he punched the back of his brother's head.

"Owie! That hurt!" Luffy cried as he cradled his head in his hands.

"You deserve it!" Ace hollered back. Rouge rolled her eyes at the two before heading downstairs as the brothers began brawling.

Smoker sat waiting at the bar, staring thoughtfully into an empty shot glass. Shanks looked up a Rouge's entry and nodded to her as he hopped over the counter and headed upstairs. Smoker glanced up briefly and saluted her with the glass.

"Hello, Constantine."

The cop flinched at the use of his real name.

"Rouge-san, you know how much I hate being called that." he grumbled at her. She smiled warmly in return.

"You'll always be Constantine to me, dear."

A crash followed by Shanks shrieking bloody murder erupted from upstairs. The two brothers tumbled down the stairs, insults and fists flying. Smoker sighed and rubbed his temples.

"PORTGAS! QUIT YOUR SHIT! Don't you have something you'd like to tell your mother?" Smoker shouted at the brawling duo. Ace pulled away from Luffy with a grin.

"Oh yeah! Mama-chan, guess what? Me and my theater class are doing RENT again this year!"

"Oh, good for you, dear!" Rouge cooed. She bustled over to Ace and hugged him. He grinned happily and hugged her back. Luffy popped up from the ground and grinned.

"So, are you in charged of casting again?"

"I dunno. Have to wait 'till the next class before I know everything." Ace stated as he pulled free of his mother. "I'll get back to you when I know." He glanced at the clock on the wall and grimaced. "And I'd hate to cut this short, but I have to go to work."

"Well, take care, dear." Rouge said as she kissed her son's cheek.

"Later. C'mon, 'Moker. Let's go."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm comin'" The older male grunted and headed out the door with Ace on his heels.

"Bye all!" he called over his shoulder.

"Bye Ace!" Rouge and Luffy called.

'We'll open up a restaurant in Sante Fe

Our labors would reap financial gain.

Let's open a restaurant in Sante Fe

And save from devastation our brain!'


	4. Chapter 4

History and Music Appreciation dragged on oh-so slowly Tuesday. Ace barely managed to stay awake long enough to take his notes. Afterward, hanging out with Nojiko had been fun, but not as enjoyable as he had hoped. She was great fun, but like her sister, could been a bitch from hell when the mood took her. She left around five-ish and Smoker came home about an hour afterward. Both males were feeling snippy and Ace learned the hard way not to call his man 'old'.

Wednesday dawned and Ace limped into theater class. Sabo looked up at the other and started laughing hysterically. Sleepy, hazel eyes narrowed and Ace flipped the other male off. Kaku glanced up from what he was reading and began giggling when he saw Ace. And what a sorry sight Ace was! His clothes were rumpled and mismatched; his unruly hair messier than usual; hickeys and bite marks littered his throat and trailed down to disappear under his shirt. The usually energetic male eased himself into a seat and hissed in pain. Sabo leaned forward, still laughing.

"Ya called him old again, didn't you?"

"Go to hell, Sabo." Ace grumbled. Sabo merely grinned his trademark chip tooth grin in return.

"After you, Ace."

Nojiko entered the room as the two friends began a slap fight as Kaku sat nearby, laughing at them. She rolled her eyes and muttered 'boys' to herself as she moved to sit at the front, fussing with her things as she seated herself. The 'fight' grew in intensity as they waited for the teacher. Petty insults had just began flying when Ms. Strader entered the room

"Stop hitting me, cockmonger!"

"Blow me!"

"Ace! Sabo!" Ms. Strader snapped. The two immediately stopped fighting and gave her innocent looks.

"Yes ma'am?" the two inquired in unison.

"Knock if off." she warned, her stern blue eyes narrowing at them. Sabo quickly went to sit away from Ace while the freckled menace himself nursed a sore shoulder. Ms. Strader looked him over once and rolled her eyes at his condition as she headed to the front. "Alright, today we'll begin to lay down what we'll all be doing. Ace, dear, would your old cast be willing to perform again?"

"Pretty sure." Ace replied easily. She nodded to him before looking to everyone.

"Well, looks like we'll have seven of the eight major roles filled-"

"Whoa! What do you mean seven of eight?" Ace cried out. Ms. Strader sighed. She knew he wouldn't like the reason.

"Ace, due to your duties of director this year, you can't play Mark again. All of you will simply be too busy to even have a minor role." she explained. Ace slumped in his seat, obviously sulking. Sabo gave him a sympathetic look as Nojiko raised her hand.

"So what duties do we have?" she asked. "Who's directing? Who's in charge of minor casting? The music? The tech stuff?"

"You and Ace will have most of the directing duties. Kaku will be in charge of minor casting and the music supervision. And Sabo will handle the, as Nojiko called it, tech stuff."

Kaku and Sabo nodded their agreement as Nojiko glanced to Ace. He still had a dejected look, but it was slowly turning thoughtful.

"Ace. Nojiko. As the head directors, you will each get a creative liberty. But the others and I have to approve it first, though. And nothing too big, alright?"

The two aforementioned youths nodded to her as Ms. Strader began passing them the screenplays. Ace smiled fondly at it, pondering over his possibilities.

"Well, good luck. Use the school's theater downtown for class and rehearsal meetings unless I call you here. You are dismissed."

The four gathered their things, headed out together and sat a table in the cafeteria. It was quiet for a moment as they flipped through the screenplays.

"Is your cast good, Ace?" Kaku asked, breaking the silence. The dark-haired male looked up and nodded.

"Yeah. They're a bit difficult to work with, but we did well last year. I just have to find a replacement for Mark."

"I'm sorry you can't play him again." Sabo offered as he patted Ace's back.

"Ah, I'll just look through Luffy's friends. I'm sure someone among them has talent." Ace stated as he began writing his cast notes.

"How 'bout I come with you and we can scout together?" Nojiko offered. Ace blinked then nodded his consent.

"I'll start looking around for the rest of the cast." Kaku stated as he stood.

"And I'll go look at the theater. See what work needs to be done and get a feel for the place." Sabo said. He stretched and gave Ace a slap on the lower back. As the freckled male hissed in agony, Sabo got to his feet and walked away with Kaku. "Have fun, you two!"

"Goddamn, man! It's moments like that I wonder why we're still friends. Fucking prick of misery." Ace grumbled, half to himself and half to Nojiko as he stood. "C'mon. Taisa can't come get me today and it's a bit of a walk to my dad's place."

"Taisa? Is that your man's name?" Nojiko asked as they set off. Ace shook his head.

"Nah. It's a nickname. It kinda means captain. His real name's a bit embarrassing, so most people call him Smoker. I call him taisa 'cuz he was in the service." Ace explained as he led her to One Piece.

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah, I know. It's weird."

"Not really. I mean, the names Luffy calls people..." she shook her head at the thought. Ace laughed as they crossed the street, heading the opposite way of the neighborhoods.

"Yeah, he comes up with some weird shit." he said as he turned into an alley. Nojiko hesitated. She may be tough, but walking blindly into an alley was a stupid move, no matter how tough a person is.

"Um...Ace? Is this safe?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah! It's fine! People avoid here 'cuz of me and Luffy. We tend to shoot at passerby with Nerf guns." he stated. "We're gonna use the back door."

He gave her a reassuring smile as she came to him.

"Okay. If you say so."

As she caught up to him, a person came through the gap they were heading for. He was slim and of average height, which should have been harmless. What set off the alarm bells for Nojiko was his style of dress and the fact that Ace frowned upon spotting him. He wore tight fitting jeans with a sleeveless hoodie, fingerless gloves that went halfway up his forearms and boots. There was an odd smiley mark on the front of the hoodie. He had the hood drawn up and a bandana tied over the lower half of his face, leaving only sleepy gray eyes visible.

"Oi. Who the hell-?"

The man pushed past them and casually flipped Ace the bird over his shoulder as he left the alley. Ace bristled as they both stared after him.

"Was that a drug dealer?" Nojiko asked.

"I don't know. But I'll find out what the fuck he was doing in my dad's joint." Ace growled dangerously as stormed through the gap, down the path there and into the still open back door.

And as Ace began shouting questions at the bar's occupants, Nojiko stepped out of the alley into a world weirder than her own.

'Follow the man, follow the man

With his pockets full of the jam

Follow the man, follow the man

Help me out, daddy, if you can.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Rated M for language, yaoi and other mature themes**

The first thing Nojiko noticed upon entering the bar was that Ace was directing his furious questions at poor Luffy, who was trying, in vain, to hide behind his friend Usopp. Said long-nosed teen looked like he was about to start crying as he tried to escape the two brothers. The next thing she noticed was her sister. Nami sat at the bar, staring thoughtfully at a pill bottle. As Nojiko approached her, Nami looked up and smiled.

"Oh, hey sis."

"Why do you have a pill bottle?"

"Hmm? Oh, this? I'll explain once Ace calms down." Nami stated as she looked to the freckle faced D.

Nojiko followed her gaze to the furious male and his poor brother. Luffy was trying to desperately to explain himself, but Ace was yelling too loudly to notice a thing the younger was trying to say. That was until a man came down from the living area with a freckled woman that Nojiko assumed to be Ace's mother hot on his heels.

"Gol D. Ace! What the hell are you carrying on about now?" the man hollered. Ace halted his tirade with a flinch.

"Hi, Dad…" he murmured. Said man, Gol D. Roger, owner of One Piece and infamous gang leader, frowned at his son.

"Hi Dad? That's all? No explanation as to why on God's green earth you come storming in here, screaming like a man possessed?"

"Well…um…." Ace stared down at his feet awkwardly, much like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He could feel the stares from both of his parents and it made him feel bad about his tantrum. "Ya see…I wanted to know what that rude-ass dealer was doing here."

"Dealer?" drawled a sleepy baritone. "What dealer?"

"Yeah, the only guy who's come and gone today is Law." mused another voice.

All turned to look at the source of the voices. It was Zoro and Sanji, tucked into one of the far corners of the bar. Zoro was sprawled lazily on a bench with his head resting in Sanji's lap.

"Who the fuck is Law?" Ace demanded. Roger sighed and sat down on a nearby chair.

"A new recruit. He's one of Luffy's friends. Just moved here from New York or somewhere close by." he explained. "Earned the nickname Surgeon of Death when he worked for the Mafia after being kicked out of Harvard Medical."

"So…he's an underground surgeon?" Nojiko asked. "Why was he even here?"

"Because he was treating me." Nami replied.

"Treating you?"

"Yeah. Genius here-" here Nami gestured to Luffy "knocked me down the stairs in his eagerness to get to lunch."

"I said I was sorry." Luffy whined. Sanji threw a shoe at him.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" the chef cried. "You broke her ankle!"

"YOU DID WHAT?" Ace and Nojiko screeched in unison. Ace looked absolutely devastated as he dropped into a chair.

"No…no…" he muttered, shaking his head. Everyone exchanged glances before Zoro of all people spoke up.

"What's wrong, Ace?"

"Her ankle's broken…she can't go onstage…"

"Onstage?" Sanji inquired. Luffy stared down at his feet.

"Ace is gonna do RENT again…" he said. Zoro and Sanji groaned sympathetically.

"Well, it's just Mimi you have to replace." Zoro stated. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"And Mark." Nojiko stated. "The teacher said we directors can't perform."

"Ooh. Suckage." Zoro hissed. Sanji shot Ace a sympathetic look as he ran his fingers through Zoro's hair.

"Sorry, Ace, but….You've lost your Roger, too." Luffy said quietly. All heads to Luffy.

"What?" Ace looked near tears as he almost sobbed the question out.

"I won't be Roger without Nami playing Mimi." the younger D. stated. "It just wouldn't feel right to me. I'm sorry, Nii-san."

The elder sat staring at Luffy for a moment, before slowly getting up and running out the bar's front entrance. All was still for a moment before someone spoke up.

"Guess he couldn't cope." Sanji mused. Zoro sighed and sat up.

"Well, he has to replace three of eight major roles. Or is it five?" the green haired male inquired.

"Tch. And give that poor bastard a stroke? Not likely, asshat." Sanji grumbled as he lit a cigarette.

"So….we go on?"

"I wouldn't miss for the world, Marimo."

The two shared a brief kiss as Nojko turned to look at Nami.

"Will he be okay?" she asked. Roger began to laugh loudly and Rouge smacked his shoulder.

"He'll be fine!" Roger exclaimed. "He's my son, after all!"

"Just give him some time. Once he calms down and thinks it through, he'll have a plan ready." Rouge stated softly as she leaned against Roger. "He gets that from his father."

Roger grinned widely and kissed his wife's cheek. Nojiko nodded quietly at her words and turned to stare out the bar's front window, hoping that Rouge was right.

*Meanwhile-A THOUSAND MILES AWAY*

Ace ran through the downtown area and into through the nice neighborhoods, his feet instinctively leading him to his home away from home. He didn't falter as he approached a brick fence, just braced himself and scaled it when he reached it. Once he landed on the other side, Ace stood there for a minute, chest heaving as he caught his breath.

It hurt him to know that Luffy refused to cooperate because his stupid girlfriend couldn't perform. At that line of thought, Ace took a deep breath and shook his head. No, it wasn't fair of him to think that way. Had he been Luffy, he probably would've done the same thing. With a tired sigh, Ace dropped to the ground and slumped against the fence, exhaustion creeping into his bones. As he stared at his feet, Ace's vision blurred momentarily and, as footsteps approached him, he fell asleep.

Ace woke slowly, feeling warm and comfortable. He turned to his side and snuggled into the warmth for a moment as he brain clicked on.

'Wait….I fell asleep outside…On the ground…'

At that, Ace sat up like a shot, looking around at his surroundings wildly. The room he was in was wide and spacious, just like the king-sized bed he sat in. A big screen TV was mounted on the wall directly in front of him and decorational blades covered the walls. There were two dressers on the wall to his left and as he stared at the pictures on both dresser tops, realization of his location hit him.

"Ah, little Freckles is awake."

"Bout fuckin' time, eh."

Ace looked to his right and was greeted by the sight of Marco and Thatch. Both men looked a little aggravated, but it melted away as they approached. Thatch grinned cheekily and flumped on the bed next to Ace as Marco sat down at the foot.

"Have a nice nap?" Thatch teased. Ace stuck his tongue out at the brunette as Marco leaned forward and gave Ace a friendly pop on the shoulder.

"You're lucky you hopped this fence, eh." Marco stated.

"I knew where I was going…I was just a little preoccupied is all." Ace mumbled.

"Is that why you didn't use the front gate like a normal person?" Marco teased gently. Thatch gave the blonde a light smack and looked to Ace.

"Trouble in paradise, Freckles?" Thatch inquired as he began playing with strands of Ace's hair. The obsidian-haired male absently leaned into the comforting touch and sighed.

"Kinda. It's a bit complicated."

"We're all ears, Ace." Thatch stated as he retracted his hand and moved to lean against Marco. Said blonde looped an arm around Thatch's waist, his sleepy yet intense stare focused on Ace.

"Alright…" Ace said with a sigh. And he told them everything; the play, the critique, the roles he now needed to fill because of his workload and Luffy's carelessness. And, as he talked, both men listened intently, nodding along even as their hands intertwined and detangled at random intervals. Ace eventually finished his explanation with a tired sigh and the other two remained silent for a moment before Thatch spoke up.

"Damn, Freckles, that fucking sucks."

"I know!" Ace whined. Thatch gave him a sympathetic look as Marco frowned.

"Well….I'd hate to say this, Ace, but I can't play Benny again." Marco stated. Ace's eyes widened and Thatch wisely scooted away from his lover.

"WHAT?"

'_What happened to Benny?_

_What happened to his heart_

_And the ideals he once pursued?'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Rated M for language and sexual themes**

"Oh, god dammit Marco!" Thatch snapped as he smacked Marco upside the head. The blonde male caught the offending appendage while letting out an aggravated, vaguely birdlike, noise.

"Don't god dammit me, Thatch. Sorry Ace, but with Oyaji getting older, I've got more responsibilities plus my usual workload. I'd love to, but I just don't have the time." Marco explained gently. But that had no effect on the tears beginning to build up in Ace's eyes until Thatch decided to save the day.

"Oh, don't fret Ace! I'll play Benny!" the brunette stated. This statement earned him stares from both men and Thatch grinned wide in return. Marco then frowned as Ace's look turned thoughtful.

"Thatch, love, tell me you're not serious. That's a Broadway role and I know for a fact you don't have the patience for such a long project. Especially one that doesn't pay!" Marco exclaimed. Thatch huffed at his lover and stuck his tongue out.

"Oh, shush up, Songbird. It'll be fine." Thatch stated. "Besides, I'm doing this for Ace, not myself."

Ace lunged forward and hugged Thatch, squealing gleefully as he did. Thatch grinned broadly as Marco sighed.

"Thank you, Thatch! It really means a lot!" Ace exclaimed as he squeezed Thatch then bounced up. Thatch's usual toothy grin broadened at that and Marco merely shook his head. Ace then checked his phone and huffed to himself as he saw the time. "Well, you guys have fun. I gotta go talk to Nojiko for help with our casting problem."

"Bye-bye, Freckles." Thatch cooed as Marco waved.

"Later."

Ace headed out of the room and began the trek down the stairs. He paused at the bottom, observing his 'brothers' as they went about their day. He smiled to himself as Izou fussed about, Vista following the harried okama with a lecherous grin in place. He could faintly hear Jozu and some of the others outside, cat-calls and laughs echoing as they ran by the windows. To his left, Ace could hear Jeopardy contending with Oyaji's snores as the nurses fussed about. He smiled and headed out, lost on how to bring this problem up with Nojiko and where to begin his search for the other roles.

So, Ace wandered aimlessly as he texted Nojiko, who was at as much of a loss as him. He soon found himself in the bad area of town, near the old fire station. He stopped at a street corner, vaguely noticing that the building had been recently renovated, and tried to think about what he'd do now. After a few moments of no good ideas, the revving of an engine caught his attention. Ace looked up and saw an old muscle car park itself outside the fire station, the engine rumbling like a contented cat before it cut off. Curious, Ace approached the vehicle, noting that it was a Ford, not a Chevy and almost walked right into the driver.

"Shit, man! Watch what yer fuckin' doin'!" snapped a Brooklyn accent.

"Ah, gomen! I mean, sorry!" Ace yelped as he jumped back.

Ace found himself staring at the other and could only think 'Damn, he is hot.' The driver was a tall and muscular male with bright red hair, pale skin and dark red eyes. Dark crimson lips were curling into a scowl as hands curled black painted nails into fists. Leather pants and boots coupled with an AC/DC shirt shifted as the man's muscles flexed.

"I just wanted to look at your car, man. Really." Ace stated. The scowl transformed into a proud smirk and the red-head closed the car door so he could lean against the vehicle.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" the male inquired smoothly. "1965 Ford Mustang. Rebuilt her myself from just a pile of scraps. Had to get someone to paint her for me though."

"Cool."

"Cool? Cool? This car is fuckin' awesome!" the red-head snapped. Ace jumped a little.

'Okay, then. This guy is definitely a pissy bastard.' he thought as the red-head went into a rant about the car's inner workings and other car shit that went over Ace's head.

"Ma, Eustass-ya? Just who on Earth are you harassing this time?" a lazy voice drawled. Ace turned his head and frowned sharply as the doctor from earlier sauntered over. The red-head huffed as Law came to a stop next to him, dark red refusing to meet smoky grey.

"I wasn't harassin' him. Just tellin' him about my car." he grumbled. Law laughed and wrapped his arms around the other's waist.

"Good. He's our boss's kid and he has a reputation for being just as nasty in a fight as his daddy." Law drawled. "Portgas-ya, if this bastard was bothering you, just let me know, m'kay? Now, I'm sure you know who I am by now, so I see no point in introducing myself. And this charming bastard here is Eustass "Captain" Kid."

Kid stared at Ace for a moment before huffing again and looking away, obviously irked. Ace frowned at the pair and Law gave him a lazy smile in return. As they stared each other down, one of Kid's arms slipped around Law's slim waist, holding the raven haired male close against his side.

"So…" Ace started, "you guys are friends with Luffy?"

"If you can call it that." Kid grumbled. It was Law's turn to huff and tilted his head up to sharply nip Kid's jaw line.

"Be nice, Eustass-ya. Mugiwara-ya is fun to have around."

"About as much fun as a lead pipe to the head…"

Law bit Kid's jaw again and the two began to bicker as Ace watched, unsure of what to make of them. It was fairly obvious they were a couple, but they were both assholes and it was completely beyond Ace why Luffy was friends with them. Soon, the playful bickering turned into an argument, but they stayed in their embrace even as they spat venom in each other's faces.

'It's official.' Ace thought as he took a step forward, preparing to break up the argument. 'There is something fundamentally wrong with these two.'

And as he reached to draw their attention away from their argument, a loud yell caught their attention.

"HI GUYS!"

Luffy had arrived on the scene. And all three males flinched as the little ADHD monkey came charging at them and decided that it was a good idea to give a Ace a flying tackle hug. And Ace wouldn't have minded that so much if his brother's forward momentum didn't send both of them into the volatile couple in front of Ace.

The energetic teen slammed into Ace's back, sending him into Law's side, which slammed Kid into the side of his own car. The four landed in a pile on the sidewalk as the three eldest let out their own strings of venomous swearing. Luffy laughed joyously as the other's attempted to disentangle from each and get up, but Luffy's weight held them all down.

"I swear to fuckin' God, Strawhat, if my car has so much as one scratch, I'll fuckin' kill ya!"

"Ouch. Ribs. Definitely ribs." Ace groaned.

"Can't breathe….!" Law whined.

"Hi guys! Whatcha doin'? Can I join?" Luffy chattered excitedly, oblivious to the others' pain.

"Get off!" the trio chorused.

"Shishishi! What's the magic word?"

"Get off or I'm calling Uncle Dragon!" Ace screeched. Luffy immediately jumped up and helped Ace to his feet.

"I'll be good! Just don't call Dad!" the youngest D whined. Ace frowned at the teen, contemplating calling his uncle as the other two picked themselves up from the ground. Luffy wisely kept himself out of swinging range and seemed hell-bent on keeping Law between himself and Kid as the volatile male checked over his car. As he examined every inch, Law absently brushed dirt off his lover's back as he scolded Luffy.

"Honestly, Mugiwara-ya, you need to watch what you're doing. You know for a fact I can't save you if you damage Eustass-ya's car."

"It's just a car." Luffy huffed. At this Kid spun around and gave Luffy a venomous look. Ace immediately stepped up behind Luffy, giving Kid his own murderous look.

All was at a stand still as the elder D boy stared down Kid. Law seemed amused by the entire situation and watched on with a smirk that gave him a look of deranged humor. The moment seemed to last forever as the two sized each other up and weighed their options. Luffy let out a noise of a boredom that went unnoticed until Law decided he too was bored. Slowly, he wrapped himself around Kid and began kissing and biting at Kid's throat, causing the other's breath to catch.

"Eustass-ya, I'm hungry~" the slim male whined as he pressed himself against Kid's firm body. Kid huffed, seemingly unaffected, and wrapped an arm around Law's waist as his other hand grabbed a handful of raven hair and pulled the surgeon's head back.

"And tell me why I should give a flyin' fuck?" he snarled. Law smirked in response and whispered something in Kid's ear as he ground himself against the other. Ace unconsciously covered Luffy's eyes, making the younger laugh. The red-head suddenly grinned and released Law's hair in favor of throwing the surgeon over his shoulder, laughing as he did.

"Sounds good to me, bitch."

"Lipstick Monster, we're hungry too!" Luffy suddenly whined. Kid rolled his eyes and made a 'come here' gesture.

"Fine. But afterwards, you get the fuck lost."

"Kay! C'mon Ace!"

"Luffy, I don't think this is a good idea…"

"I said fine, so move it!" Kid snarled.

Ace sighed and followed them around the back of the building and up the stairs to enter the fire station, completely unaware of his brother's plan.

'_Oh, the wax. It's-'_

'_**Dripping. I like it between my-'**_

'_Fingers. I figured. Oh, well. Goodnight.'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Rated M for language and sexual themes.**

As Ace entered the upper floor of the fire station turned apartment, he paused to remove his shoes. As he did, Kid went to the couch and dropped Law on it while Luffy mimicked Ace.

"Uh…Luffy? Why did you want to eat with them?"

"I want you to hear them." Luffy stated calmly as he stepped off the welcome mat. Ace paused and arched an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh….Ya know, I think I've heard them plenty."

"Nope. Just wait and listen."

Ace rolled his eyes as he pulled off his Converse, Luffy flouncing over to the pair to chatter excitedly at them. Kid, having been leaned over Law and kissing him senseless, pulled back from his lover to wave Luffy away and head to the kitchen. Law flumped back with a stupid grin, staring at the ceiling as kicked off his boots.

"Is he really that good a kisser?" Ace inquired, causing dark crimson stained lips to grin wider. The dark-haired male nodded and then sat up to make room for the freckled male, who accepted the offered spot with a tired sigh. Law stared intently at Ace as he drew his knees up to his chest. The two engaged in meaningless chit chat as Luffy pestered Kid as the red-head cooked. Eventually, Luffy got kicked out of the kitchen and came to join his brother and Law. As the surgeon's attention redirected itself, Ace let his head drop back, allowing his eyes to slid shut as the others went about their business.

Ace jolted awake as Luffy poked him in the ribs, shushing the elder as went to speak and mouthing 'Listen!' So Ace listened closely and heard words very familiar to him.

"I should tell you I'm disaster. I forget how to begin it…" a rich baritone sang.

"Let's just make this part go faster. I have yet to be in it…" a sweet contralto replied.

"I should tell you…"

"I should tell you…"

"I should tell you…"

"I should tell I blew the candle out just to get back in…" the contralto was good, but it sounded odd to Ace. He felt stupid for not placing right away and he didn't know why.

"I'd forgotten how to smile until your candle burned my skin."

"I should tell you…" Ah-ha! That was it!

"I should tell you…"

"I should tell you…" It wasn't a contralto. It was a countertenor! Which meant the second half was a man!

"I should tell…Well, here we go. Now we…" they joined together in a near perfect duet and Ace felt his heart sing. He looked to Luffy, who gave him a grin and nodded his head to the kitchen. They got up and peered in at the singers and there was a part of Ace that couldn't believe his eyes!

"Oh no…" the countertenor was Law and stared seductively up at Kid.

"I know this something is…Here goes…" Kid sang as placed lunch onto plates.

"Here goes…" Law echoed sweetly.

"Guess so it's starting to… Who knows?" Kid turned to face Law.

"Who knows…?" Law twined their fingers together.

"Who knows where? Who goes there? Who knows…Here goes…" they sang as one, stepping closer together, oblivious to their audience. "Trusting desire. Starting to learn. Walking through fire without a burn. Clinging a shoulder, a leap begins. Stinging and older, asleep on pins…So here we go. Now we…"

"Oh no." Kid near whispered it.

"I know."

"Oh no." Kid sang laughingly.

"Who knows where. Who goes there? Here goes…" They repeated the last line as the came closer and closer to each other, ending the song with a kiss and Ace squealed with joy. The two males jumped apart as if they had been shocked and turned to glare at Ace. Luffy started laughing as Ace hugged him tight. Now the elder understood his brother's actions. The younger was pointing out what he believed to be the best canidates. But then Ace frowned. Law was a man. He swore loudly to himself, startling the pair even more.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kid snapped now that the magic of the moment was gone. Law pouted and pulled away from Kid in favor of fetching plates for himself and Luffy. Luffy wriggled free of Ace, snagged his plate and went to sit at the table, Law right behind him with his sleepy expression back in place.

"Nothing." Ace stated. Kid gave a look that clearly said 'bullshit' and Ace sighed. "Okay, okay…Well, I have a show of RENT that I'm directing and I really need a Roger and Mimi. I think you two would be perfect for the parts, but…."

"I have a cock?" Law supplied around a mouthful of food. Ace nodded and Kid laughed.

"Damn, that is a problem." Kid stated as he grabbed his plate. He sat himself next to Law, who leaned into the red-head as they ate. Ace nodded in agreement and grabbed his own food, noting that another plate had been prepared as he sat down.

They all ate in silence for a few moments. A tall blonde entered the room, his face hidden back his long bangs and he grabbed up the last plate. He sat himself on the counter and observed the room as he began to eat, an air of nonchalance radiating off of him. Kid grunted a greeting around his fork at him and the blonde nodded in return. As this took place, the gears in Ace's head turned and he suddenly grinned.

"I have an idea!" he cried out. "If it works out, will you two do it? Please?"

The pair stared at Ace for a moment before whispering to each other. The quiet conversation went on for several minutes as Luffy finished his food and reached for Kid's. A knife struck the table near Luffy's hand, compliments of the quiet blonde. Luffy stuck his tongue out at him and he fllipped Luffy off in return. After another moment, Kid sighed and kissed Law's forehead. He look to Ace and nodded.

"Alright. We'll do it."

Ace and Luffy cheered, hugged the couple and left, shouting their thanks over their shoulders as they ran out.

"The fuck?" the blonde murmered.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Killer." Kid stated.

"If you say so."

'_We're okay!'_


End file.

One Piece, Humor, Romance