-6-

╒══════════════════╕•Flutters and Aches •╘══════════════════╛

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It was finally Hex's first mission as an official marine.

Sailing the wild waves all by herself, she was given an already serious task that most of her comrades would've decline. With Sengoku's words, Hex was ordered to infiltrate one of the growing pirate crews that the marines were worrying about.

The Red Haired pirates.

The marine admiral was well aware that the girl was in grave danger because of his decision but even with that in mind, he was also aware of the fact that Hex wasn't a typical marine officer. Even at a young age, she showed potential and power that he saw in no other navy. With that belief engrave on the back of his head, he declared the mission. Letting her be a one woman team, Sengoku gave the young girl full authority on what she should do to complete her mission.

Keeping in mind the marine admiral's words of praise and encouragement, Hex, with a brave heart boarded on the island where the Red Head Pirates were allegedly located.

Wearing a normal dress shirt and a pair of sandals, Hex together with her small potion bag went to the small island's local pub, gathering data that the pirate crew she was assigned to was a group of drunkards especially the captain.

After a few turns and questions to the island's locals. She soon found the plave she was searching for. As soon as she opened the tavern's door, nostalgia hitted her nose as the smell of booze, wood, and food came running to her. Memories of her work before entering the marines start filling in her mind, making her unconsciously smile.

Remembering the days where she would help mr. Luigi fix the pub's broken faucet, cleaning some drunk old man's puke, and receiving her pay at the end of the day. Hex realized that she made a long way now even though young.

Indeed, she had made her way far.

Snapping her thoughts back to reality, an idea suddenly popped inside her head. With enough knowledge about taverns and how the place works, she managed to create a plan to infiltrate the crew.

Pulling out her flask of anti-sea sick medicine, Hex jumped from one table to another, greeting drunk pirates as she offer her product to her. Explaining how her potion works, she gave those who are interested with the bottle a deal to accept her in their crew and let her be their cabin girl making the potions for free. Some accepted the deal but after hearing what pirate crew they are in, she would immediately decline and jop on the other table.

Her goal was to catch the attention of the red hair pirates and as easy as it may sound, with her small voice and weak planning, it was harder than she thought.

Growing tired, she started getting raspier as she goes, each table being the wrong pirate crew she want to be in. With her last string of vocal chord, she went for the farthest table in the pub, slamming her flask on the flat surface to get the people's attention. As the table grew silent, she immediately started speaking, blabbering the words she'd been repeating for the umpteenth time.

After finishing her long monologue, the men in front of her were still silent making her blink in awkwardness as she slowly took the flask off the table, accepting their silence as their decline for her offer. She was bidding her farewells when something caught her attention making her pause.

In the middle of all pirates, there sat a man with a long black cloak, one hand holding a beer mug and the other rising up to his head. Hex's eyes widen in surprise when the man's gaze met hers. Sengoku's words started repeating inside her head as she stared in shock.

Flashes of memories started running in her mind; long black coat, a sword on the right side of the hip, a relatively old strawhat, red hair and three scars on the left eye.

As their gazes lock, Hex was sure that who she was looking straight at was the very same person she was searching for.

There he sat, lively as ever was Red Haired Shanks, smiling widely at her.

"Hey there girlie! I've been watching you for a while now! Your offer seems insteresting!Wanna join my crew?"

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Feeling the warm breeze touch against her still paled cheeks, Flare slowly stood up from her rest, forcing herself to walk back to her and Ace's shared bunkhouse, ready to cook their lunch for the day.

It had been a week since the silver head healed from her sudden fever. After feeling better, Flare immediately took the role of being their chef out of Ace's hold, fearing that if she tried to intake the raven's cooking for another week, she might die from an upset stomach. Knowing well that he wasn't a great cook, the male gave the position to Flare with glee.

Even with enough strength to cook and do household chores, Flare wasn't strong enough to hunt for food as her stamina still wasn't at it's full strength. At normal times, the silver head could've avoided the fever incident but alas, because of all the things that happened to her, she forgot to intake her elixir after using her devil fruit ability.

As strong as her ability looks, the withdrawals of using it at full power had great toll on her body. The time she consumes while space is in its place held immense power that weighs on her. Knowing this when she was younger, she immediately made a medicine that could counter the pain but sadly, because of Ace and his situation, she forgot herself and left her body in fever and pain.

Worried for the fifth sigh Flare had released after entering the kitchen, Ace tapped the woman on her shoulder, catching her attention.

"You okay there? If you're feeling tired, take a brake, lunch can wait." He mumbled out, calloused hands gently rubbing her back against her shirts fabric.

Instead of feeling relaxed, Flare's body immediately froze as a shot of electricity ran through her spine. It was just a simple gesture but the effect it had on her was too great for her to ignore. This type of feeling was what she feared the most, living with the ravenette.

It wasn't only fatigue because of her devil fruit ability that was consuming her mind and body, but also the actions of the man she's currently with. It all started when she woke up from her high fever and up until now that she was almost fully healed, the the little seeds of feelings inside her were starting to grow, it's little veins crawling in her.

The feeling of electricity when her hands touch his, the twisting of her stomach after feeling his skin grazing hers, the lightheadedness she experiences everytime she hears his voice, the way her heart flutters everytime she sees how his eyes lingered on hers when they look at each other. Even the smallest of things Portgas D. Ace made during the past two weeks was getting in her head and what he was doing to her at the moment wasn't making it any better.

She needed to kill those little sprouts inside her with toxins before it can even grow in it's full bloom.

Having that in mind, Flare hastily shoved off the hand that was on her back, giving it's owner a death stare.

"Woah, hey, are you alright?" Startled, Ace's eyes scanned Flare, looking for something, even a sign that can show if the woman was hurt. Trying to reach out once more, the raven's palm was quickly declined with a strong flick making him flinch. The silver head was completely out of character this day, worrying him more.

"Don't touch me." Flare growled as she stumble a little, her angry stare never leaving Ace's confused ones.

"W-what did I do? are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere? Do you need to sit for a moment, I- I'll help you." Not hearing Flare's words because his fast paced beating heart ringing in his ears, he reached out his hand once more, afraid for the woman's safety if she ever collapse like before.

His kind gesture was ignored, only for Ace to be pushed against the counter top with a loud thud.

"I said don't touch me! Didn't you understand what I said just now!" Flare spat, chest heaving with negative emotion she was currently feeling.

The silver head was well aware that her actions were over the hedge but she can't just shove off the feeling of discomfort as her morals as a marine; that pirates and marines shouldn't be affiliated with something more than hate, and her growing feelings for the sweet, caring, and loveable male she was in front of tangle up.

Even admitting to herself that she's growing fond of Ace was making her heart flutter and ache both at the same time.

"Stop acting nice! Stop heling me with things I can do on my own! Stop worrying over the simplest of things! Stop meddling with me because we aren't friends, we aren't lovers, we aren't family! You're a free loader here so mind your own life! You can't even remember your name and here you are worrying about others!"

Each word Flare spoke sent bullets digging inside Ace's heart. He was trying his best to help the woman and to feel like he somewhat belongs to the place but everything he did was considered offensive by the person he was admiring.

Ace just wanted to be praised for his actions, he just wanted to be appreciated and to make up for his shortcomings for being clueless but what he received from Flare was the total opposite making his heart crack.

Seeing the sad stare Ace was giving her, she couldn't take the guilt anymore and with a huff, she left the house, leaving the man alone with his negative emotions.

As Flare passed through the wild plants and large trees, her words earlier keep repeating in her mind making her chest feel tight. She wasn't supposed to lash out on Ace like that. She wasn't supposed to ignore his kind gestures. She wanted to thank him for his kindness even though he doesn't know her at all. She wanted to give back after Ace took care of her when she was sick.

But the guilt of being grateful to a pirate as a marine was even greater than her gratefulness towards the young man.

Everything she was doing right there and then was for only for her late pops, so why is her head in a mess thinking about the male?

Having no clue to where to go, Flare allowed her feet to move on it's own. Breathing slowly as she calmed herself, a set of footsteps thay didn't came from her made her pause, eyes narrowing as she scanned the place she was currently at. Other than the stomps she heard earlier, there was no other sign of human life on the area other than herself.

"Ace?" Flare mumbled, eyes skimming the area fast, trying to find where the male might be.

"Stop hiding Ace, just leave me alone will you?" In a tired sigh, the silver head caressed her aching temple. The intense feelings she had earlier was affecting her body more than she thought, having too much energy put on frustration.

Eyes close as she soothe the pain she's feeling, a slight touch of calloused hands on the shoulder made Flare flinch, a swat automatically making its way to the owner of hand.

"Ace can't you just leave me alo-" her words were cut short when Flare saw the person who touched her wasn't the ravenette.

"Who are you?" Jumping a few feet away from the unknown male, Flare took in the features of the individual, eyes starting to form into a glare as the other let out a chuckle.

"Who would've thought I'll find a goddess in this abandoned island?" The man was scruffy and old, one eye of his was completely white and the other was pure black, his disgusting smile never left his face as he spat his awful words out his mouth.

Before Flare can even spat back to the awful looking man, a group suddenly surrounded them both, making all escape areas now impossible to pass through.

"You can't run, can you?" The man mocked.

Hearing his words, Flare let out a scoff as she rolled her eyes. Cracking her fingers, the woman glared.

"Who said I was running?"