Migraines and things

[justicereigns]

Who: Smoker & anyone for any reason
Where: Fayren shore
What: Mr. Grumpypants marine has a migraine headache.
When: July 27th at like nearly 4 am.

[Leaving a small note, a pot of coffee sans one travel mug worth, and a pot of ramen soup sans one thermos worth, Smoker isn't completely sure that it'll be enough, but probably better than alerting any general populous that he's not there, even if he did set a couple of metaphorical watchdogs to keep an eye on things.]

[He takes along a small pocket radio, half curious if it'll even work in Fayren, and heads out to the beach.]

[For a breath of fresh air.]

[And to eat his ramen.]

[And think.]

[And overthink.]

[And over think everything ever.]

[As he does.]

[And to try to deal with a migraine headache that won't let him sleep.]

[But if he can't sleep? Neither can you.]

[Which is why he's sitting on the shore, trying to fiddle with the radio player.]

[And maybe toast marshmallows for s'mores.]

[Or roast fish he caught.]

[AND stack rocks.]

[And make a small sand castle you literally won't see until you crush it oops. That's okay, he didn't like it anyway.]

[But at least he'll get to greet the sunrise.]

[He hates sunrises =\]

Comments

2/2

[orangeoutlaw]

[no wait... he knows. he knows exactly. Because that's what they've been talking about right?]

You're just trying to get under my skin aren't you? Well screw you. [flicks him off] You can do that as much as you want and I won't even care. [he'll show him]

1/3

[justicereigns]

[....]

[God damn it Ace, don't be cute and surly at him that just...]

2/3

[justicereigns]

[Makes him even more cocky and arrogant as fuck!]

[So he pulls Ace forward by the string of the hat and beads.]

3/3

[justicereigns]

[And kisses him a lot better this time, less aggressively, though still firm and hard.]

[Seriously. In a few hours he'll probably slap himself.]

[BUT FOR NOW? HE IS GOING TO ENJOY THE MOMENT.]

[And since he can't tell Ace all the constant cogs going in his head, or make him shut up. At least he can get a moment's more shock and bemusement from him.]

[He'll take it.]

[Besides warm fire kisses are not bad oops.]

1/4

[orangeoutlaw]

[ahh!

ahh this is not good! This has gone from a kiss to kissing

Pops, help! Marco, help! Namur, help!]

[orangeoutlaw]

[no...

he can handle this! He'll just be strong! He said he would! He won't need help from anyone! Smoker is just trying to get under his skin and Ace will show him how

[orangeoutlaw]

how... how tough he can...

[orangeoutlaw]

mh

[it's not fair it feels so good...

He doesn't give in. Tells himself not to give in.

But presses up into it anyway for just a little more]

[justicereigns]

[He only kisses back a little longer, though he takes Ace's acquiescing and less fighting as a good sign, it's probably DIRTY fighting and he doesn't want to be too underhanded.]

[Although he still holds Ace's face in his hands and leans his forehead against Ace's.]

I wasn't sorry for kissing you.

[Just to clarify. Because he kissed him again, and also, backs that up with a few more kisses down Ace's jawline, just to give him something to think about.]

I was sorry it upset you so much. That I didn't do enough to make it easier on you.

[Ruffles Ace's hair and pulls back.]

[And puts the cigars in again.]

[Yell as needed.]

[orangeoutlaw]

[Smoker is so confusing. Ace keeps his eyes closed until Smoker moves away. But weirdly he doesn't feel any stronger from going through that--but weaker. A lot weaker. Dangerously.

When Smoker pulls away he rubs his jaw absently where Smoker...where Smoker was]

Don't make it easy for me... it's confusing.

[he rubs his wrist over his lips too, unsure of what to think about it]

Why did you do it?

[justicereigns]

[If Ace had only asked, Smoker would have answered.]

[But the first line....]

[He just watches Ace, drinking him in.]

[Nope, and tugs him forward again for yet another kiss. Fuck you he does what he wants.]

I wanted to.

[Kisses hard, practically drinking Ace in, a hand lightly rubbing a thumb over his ear. It's true, and he wanted to shut Ace up and stop the endless parade of failed banter and misplaced assumptions.]

Stop holding double standards, Portgas. [Kisses up to his ear on the opposite side of his hand and lightly flicks his tongue there, retrieving a taste of the ramen, and vaguely wondering how it got all the way over there.]

[orangeoutlaw]

[shudders a little. It feels so weird and he has to tamp down control so his ear doesn't catch fire when Smoker licks it. Guh. So wet but in a good way? This time he doesn't move though or lean into it because the confusing feelings are just tightening in his gut and if he gives into them he'll be even more lost than he was before]

I do what I want.

[he twists his head away from Smoker and takes a few steps back]

Didn't you have a date, Taisa.

[all the accusing]

[justicereigns]

[Amused.]

[Shrugs.]

[LIGHTS CIGARS.]

[He needs to stop taking them out.]

[Especially since only bad things happen then.]

I got stood up, so I'm sure she won't mind.

[Eyes narrow.] That wasn't why you were avoiding me was it?

[orangeoutlaw]

Why? That's horrible.

[was that... no he didn't even know why anything Smoker]

Shut up... [he rubs at his ear where Smoker licked it] No matter what I tell you you won't understand.

1/2

[justicereigns]

[Heh.]

[If Ace keeps being cute Smoker is REALLY going to have a problem.]

[Like seriously.]

[More.]

[Somehow.]

Hm... Probably not. [Since the cowardly thing just ticked him off and made him want to kiss Ace in the first place.]

2/2

[justicereigns]

[Gently lays a hand over Ace's face and gives a small teeny tiny shove.]

Don't worry about it too much, kid. There's a lot of reasons people wouldn't want any complications or strings attached here.

[He's hinting at Ace himself and all of Ace's own words, but he's at the point where he no longer expects Ace to get it.]

[orangeoutlaw]

I'm not a kid... and you seem to want all of them.

[grumble grumble] You're a strange man, Taisa.

[justicereigns]

[Hands in his pockets.]

[Sits down, leans back again.] So you said before.

[Takes a hand out to rest on the cigars.]

It's not that I want strings.

[It reminds him of Doflamingo's strings, slicing him to ribbons and if he closes his eyes, he can still feel it, and the wire about to cut his throat with haki after he'd already been burnt out from so many other fights.]

But I don't want to live like I'm trapped.

[They could stick him at any location in the universe, but so long as his mind was free to make choices, to think things through, to figure out the best options, they couldn't force him to do what they wanted. Society's rules could suck it. Akainu's too.]

[It's petty and nowhere near as dramatic as Fujitora's, nor even half as significant, and maybe it was just his selfish way of doing what he wanted, but fine then, it was still true.]

[He wants to ask Ace about Roger's smile. "Do you think it was because he knew he was still free?" But that seemed too random, even for Smoker, and he knew it would just put Ace in a bad mood all over again.]

What's so weird about wanting to do what I want to do?

[Well, other than signing up for the marines like that. But that was why Garp was so important to Smoker. He showed it could be done. That even in the "take orders, and be a slave to the state" marines, you could still pick and choose which parts you refused to obey, and follow your conscience. That skill and competence mattered even more than blowing up a whole island in the course of getting the job done.]

[orangeoutlaw]

[what?]

There's nothing weird about it... [sigh. He never said that was weird. Maybe he liked being mad or something? No that doesn't make any sense... He sighs in frustration and scrubs the back of his head]

Forget it... just... I don't care.

Do what you want...

1/2

[justicereigns]

[.... Dead silence other than the gentle breaking of the waves.]

Portgas...

[.... If Ace didn't like that... Smoker is REALLY going to feel about two inches tall.]

2/2

[justicereigns]

[How can he tell him to just do what he wants, when Smoker has patently said he won't let Ace do what he wants?]

[WELL, he guesses it's the exact opposite of double standards but...]

[His ear tips singe red again and he wants to hide his face, like the time with the key. Trying to convey something he didn't know how.]

[He needs to ask but...]

[He's not even completely sure of the destination, much less how to get there. And words always get in the way.]

I said before that girls sometimes pretend to enjoy things just to make guys happy.

Please don't do that to me.

[Ugh too late. He's shrinking by the moment, he can feel like it. Two feet, down to ten inches, then five, four, three...]

[orangeoutlaw]

[it was like... Smoker's brain was the Grand Line-- not quite as bad as the New World but still you could be going along on a perfectly clear day an suddenly be involved in a giant squid war and you're left with the baffled feeling of where the hell did that come from]

What exactly have I enjoyed? Ahh... [he rubs a hand through his hair.] I'm so lost. If you're talking about what you did I don't know. It's so weird. Were you just having fun?

Teasing me?


...Testing my strength?

[he shakes his head]

It felt good. [shrug!]

1/2

[justicereigns]

[aiojoaijSlkJdaslkj]

[WHY DID HE THINK HE SHOULD ASK ABOUT IT?]

[IT IS NOW 10000 TIMES WORSE TO TALK ABOUT IT.]

2/2

[justicereigns]

[His brain is just noping right the fuck out of this conversation, and he hides HARD behind the hand.]

Don't think so much about it.

[And stop talking about it.]

I just meant...

[UGH SO RED. CAN'T DO THIS. MUST GET THROUGH THIS. THIS IS HIS PUNISHMENT FOR FAILURE TO SUCCESSFULLY LIFE PROPERLY.]

You said I should do whatever I want.

I don't want to do whatever I want if it's going to--

[DEEP BREATH.]

[It's fine.]

[Maybe he can just ignore this all ever happened. Also... what the hell does he tell Adela?]

[No.]

[SERIOUSLY.]

[Fuck.]

[The act is over. Pretending he is in any way on top of this? Right out the window again.]

[And it pisses him off again.]

[Go back to Ace being flustered and Smoker being cool. HE CAN WORK WITH THAT.]

[BUT...]

[He can't.]

[So he lays on his back in the sand, like he did in the street with the puppies, and puffs on cigars, staring at the stars.]

[It's fine really.]

[It's not like he can get court-martialed for it.]

[But just once, just once he'd like to be able to talk to Ace without one or both of them getting confused.]

[Maybe Smoker was the one holding double standards now.]

[He was trying to look out for Ace but hated it on himself so...]

[Smoker pat the sand next to him for Ace to come sit if he wanted.]

[orangeoutlaw]

[Ace sighs.

That... didn't go well.

And now he's starting to get a headache...

He flops beside Smoker and then half over him, taking out his cigars and smoking both of them at once as he rests his chin on his hands and looks down at him]

It was easier when you didn't like me. How can I torment you if you're just going to worry about me, stupid?

[he has to hold them in while he talks because it's harder to do that than it looks.]

But if you want to kiss me that's fine. [bonks Smoker a kiss with his face] So just have fun with it.