Yo guys~! Sorry about the last chapter being a rush. Seriously though, our tests are really troublesome. But I'm not that mad, cause I get to have a cutie bear I named Bepo! But it made my classmate jealous since she didn't get to have my cuddles (Yes, I am a person of cuddles). And now we'll get back to the main chapters. Some character(s) will be introduced, so expect some unfamiliar people in this chapter. Love ya guys!

A loud message ringtone woke me up this 7:00 in the morning. I had a good sleep, a VERY comfortable one. But my precious sleep was disrupted by a single text message. Yes, making a big fuss about a text message is not my thing but really life, really? Sleep is the most important thing in my life. My BED is the only thing that understands my feelings now. It's even telling me 'No! Don't go! Sleep on me!'.

Rambling some words that I don't even understand myself, I went back to my sleep. Was about to sleep until something hit me, VERY hard

Morning. Text Message. Something is really off. Yesterday, Smokey called me and invited me to eat in Baratie. So, which means that his communication with me will be cut at least for 3-7 days. So it doesn't make sense. Only few knows my cell number, who else would call me in the middle of the morning...

With no choice but to rise from my beloved bed and look at the cellphone beside me. Blinking multiple times to get rid of the morning dizziness, my hand slowly reached the destination of the handy appliance, opening the message in process

'Fr: ***********
Greetings Mr. Portgas D. Ace, this is your employer from Moby Dick Restau. Seeing this message means that your application form has been accepted. We will expect you to start working tomorrow at 10:00am. Please go accordingly in time.

p.s.
You uniform will be optional so don't worry a single thing.'

I blinked multiple times. Employer? Application form? Work? Confusion swirled all over my head. Since when did I send a form to get work? I don't remember anything about getting work. Especially with my hopeless attributes. But what actually surprised me more was being accepted like that. Who would-

'Ya should start gettin' some work Acse. Ya can't just stay inside your cave forever...'

Oh... Somehow, Freak came into my mind. Was he really that serious about me getting a job? Maybe I should call him about this...

Getting the phone and dialing Freak's number, I waited him to answer the phone.

Freak, he's the most hyperactive person that I know (next to Luffy). He's got some problems with speaking but I did notice he's recovering every time we meet. Speaking of meeting, how many weeks has it been since we get to meet each other? I bet he's on the streets making pranks again or on a cosplaying event since he's really obsessed with those things.

*BANG! BANG! BANG!

I fell off the bed with a large thump after jumping in surprise. Yes, only one person does that...

"Acse! Acse, Acse! Ya called right? Right? C'mon, open the damne' door!" then he continued to slam his hand mercilessly to the poor door. With great haste I went down to and opened the nearing-to-break door revealing a small little teen with his wide grin plastered in his face.

Today, he seemed to dyed his hair white and wore his signature green jacket ,which, seriously doesn't match. What a low sense of fashion...

"Oi~ Acse! Why are ya ignorin' me?! Ya called me right?!" he pouted that made me bow lowly as an apology

"Ummm. Freak? Did you somehow apply me to a Restau named Moby Dick?" his expression changed into a smirk and barged in the house like it was his

"So they 'lready accepted it, huh? What took dem so long?!" he exclaimed and went to the fridge to find something. He frowned at seeing it being filled with ready to eat food and looked at me "This ain't healthy for ya, ya know." I just shrugged and sat on the small couch that was followed by him

"So how are you, Freak? It's been a week right? Or month maybe?" he laughed and patted my back

"Why? Did ya miss mah cute facse?" he pinched my face that made me whine but then he pulled off to look at the celing "How long have ya been isolatin' ya-self this week Acse?" he obviously have no emotion when he said that meaning he is worried about me

"Not really much, Smokey invited me yesterday to eat in Baratie. And he day after that I took a stroll in the street..." deciding to do the same thing as he's doing, I leaned on my back and looked at the blank ceiling. Silence covered us but it was not that uncomfortable

"Ya cried right? Knowin' that you cry fo' no reason, I get worried ya know..." a small smile found my lips thinking that he really is worried about me

"Don't worry, I'm trying my best not to be a baby anymore." he laughed and adjusted back to his sitting position.

"A baby huh? That really sound like ya. Anyway, we should get ya a haircut. I can trim that into a piece of art..." I looked at my bangs covering half of my eyes. It's true, I really need a haircut. It's been 3 month since I had a haircut so it grew a bit slightly enough to cover half of my eyes.

"As long as you don't do anything weird, then count me in..." he grinned and went to my room to get some scissors and things needed for cutting my hair. Since he's an Otaku and he fixes his hair with no worries, then it will be easy for him to make a simple trim on my hair.

"Oi~ Acse! Acse! Where did ya get this blue box?" he shouted from the room with curiosity.

"It was given to me by a weird shop owner for free." I shouted back in reply and made my way towards the kitchen when I felt my stomach grumble

"Ya should take care of it okay?" I opened the fridge and get 4 large sized instant noodles ,in the same time, I prepared the water on the kettle. I set all of the noodles on the table while the kettle goes to the stove, opening it in process

"Oi, Freak! Don't touch anything else in there! Specially the origami!"

"Doncha worry ya idiot. It'z not like imma read yo' diary or somethin'..." his sudden appearance at my back almost gave me a heart attack. He was now holding scissors and comb on his left hand and a piece of white cloth in his right. He was smiling brightly that made me wonder what he saw "Ya still makin' origami, huh?" I nodded and seated on the chair next to the table not far from the stove "Keep it up, it'll bring ya fortune..." he winked and started to make his cutting session.

After an hour cutting his hair, I went out and bid my goodbye's to him. I made a good job trimming his hair. I made it look thin and layered it to make his eyes more visible. Surely Smoker will thank me for this.

Don't wonder why I am speaking normally, cause actually, I DO speak normal. I only speak like that when I'm with Ace, cause I could see he likes me talking that way.

Who I am? Some of you might notice that he calls me 'Freak'. I made him call me like that, Cause I'm not ready to tell him my real name yet.

Sighing in boredom, i pulled off the white wig revealing my chocolate brown hair. It was hot in there, but inside of his room, it was seriously COLD. I wonder how he could sleep in the bone-shivering temperature...

*Ring~!

I took my phone out of my pocket and answered it with a grumpy looking face

"I slept with your boyfriend this evening..."

"Shut up, Haruta. Stop saying that every time someone calls..." the fem-like voice answered with dumb voice. He sighed in the other line "I heard you recommended the kid to Thatch. How did you know he was Marco's guy?" my lips turned neutral and decided to answer after 20 seconds

"How the hell did I know? Just a simple coincidence. Besides, I just knew today when I visited him..." ah crap. I shouldn't have said that

"Visited?" his voice darkened and his murderous aura reached my senses "You VISITED him? Without telling me, Marco or anyone?" I only silenced with no interest on saying anything. He called right? So he should do all the talking, not me "Haruta..." he started warning

"Not like I care about Marco being his... Besides, Ace became MY friend first before YOU guys discovered him. So don't tell me what to do! He's MY friend! Not YOUR toy!" then I ended the call without a single thought to be spared.

This always happen, we quarrel and fight because of simple things. No, don't get me wrong. I love my family, they accepted me for who I am, but there are things that we cant agree sometimes.

Another set of ringing made me sigh in irritation. Like hell will I answer that! I already know what he will say, it's not like I would listen anything from them.

Throwing out the phone with no care, I continued to walk at the peaceful road that was covered with warm mid-morning breeze.

No matter what kind of lectures and explanation they tell me, I'm not buying it. They always say the same words every time I go back there

Haruta you do this...

Haruta you do that...

Haruta don't say a word...

Haruta you're a bad boy

Blahblahblah!

The same words with the same voices is quite irritating. Like a fly bugging you while eating. That's one of the reasons why I run away from the so-called 'home'. I appreciate them for taking me as their family, but I don't appreciate their suck-up attitude towards me. I SERIOUSLY don't like that.

And NOW, hearing that they heard of my friend, it gives me bad vibes. But I'm sure that he's safe specially when Marco is the one who will be with him. The only thing that makes me mad is Izou's over-reaction and others listening with his mad plans about Ace.

I know I'm the one who FORCED Ace to take a work on Moby Dick but I know that it's for his good. They accepted him, yes they did, but do you think that they will accept him if it weren't for Marco or for my recommendation? Ace is a NOTHING. He would admit it himself too, but this nothingness of him draws others attention like crazy. It makes me feel like, the kid is somewhat a goner. That's why I decided to be his friend. Not as 'Haruta' that everyone tries to get rid of but as 'Freak' who he happened to cross roads with. I'm not regretting it, since he never even mentioned that I need to change. His voice was always so different from others, it doesn't even irritate me a bit.

"Ahhh damn, I wish Ace was my brother instead of Izou..." yeah, I could imagine myself babying Ace even though he's quite older than me. If that happens, I would've made him wear maid outfits. I can really imagine him blushing madly while hiding from others. Hehehe, I'm a genius...

"Fufufu, It's bad to be ignorant there, Haruta-kun..." I swiftly turned to my back to see a witch holding four grocery bags. A frown found me knowing what she will say to me.

"I know, I know... It is fate that made us meet here. But that's not an excuse for me to carry that trash without asking me to." she chuckled at me while holding out two of those baggage

"Please..?" she smiled with 'sweet-like' smile that gave me creeps all over. Damned witch

"Never mind, not like I have anything to do YET anyway..." she chuckled again as the groceries were snatched by me. We walked to the alley way and looked blankly at the front

"Haruta-kun, how is Ace-kun these days?" I rolled my eyes and sighed

"Loner as always. But at least he's improving a bit..." I stopped at my tracks and looked at her with serious eyes "...by the way. About the Blue Box..."

"Fufufu, I see you visited him. Did he start using it already?" my serious look dissolved into an amused one knowing how the idiot used the papers. She looked at me confused that made chuckle.

...So, even a witch will never know how his head runs...

"Yes, he's using it quite fine..." I turned my back and started walking again "...so fine that even Fate itself would smile..."

Ace is stupid. So stupid that even the gods themselves cannot understand him. A gift that could change his life was left uselessly decorated in that small table. Heck, it even made me smile seeing that it was in good hands.

"Seriously though, an idiot like him would really suit to become my brother." she heard me whisper that made her smile a little with the feeling of being left out

"You're really mysterious, Haruta-kun..."

"Look who's talking -_-"

YO GUYYYYSSSSS! Well, you see, i finally get to update this fic. Buuuuuuuttttt, in exchange, i didn't get to study xD Hell, studying makes me feel puking. And more bad news for me, I WAS FORCED TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR A DEBATE. WTF?! ASDASDA Okay, i know i talk back at people but really? Debate? Somebody please kill me now -_-

I'll make the next chapter long so that I could take back the good moments that dulled because of my unending bad luck. I'll have you expect some MarcoAce for the win!

Love, love!

~AkaYuki-kun

#withMuchLove