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It's been a while! Please enjoy this final chapter;
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When Zoro woke up, he was greeted by Ace's smiling face. "Good morning, darling." Ace greeted him. Zoro pulled his face back a little from shock. "…You're already up…" Ace

chuckled, "Of course! I wouldn't miss seeing your sleeping face for the world….especially not after last night." Zoro blushed and tried to hide his face in the covers. "Don't talk

about that so early in the morning!"

"Right. I forget that you're not an early bird." Ace brought Zoro closer to him. Zoro was flustered. Ace wouldn't suggest that they do it now, right?! "What are you doing?"

Zoro put a hand on Ace's chest to keep him away as much as possible. "Oh? You don't know about this either? It's called 'cuddling'. Couples do it all the time. I thought you'd

like it," Ace held onto Zoro's hand while he wrapped his other arm around him.

"Well, I don't really know…"

"Hehh, women go crazy about these things, I guess you wouldn't." Ace laughed. "Of course not, I'm no woman," Zoro sighed. "I should get ready now. You can stay here for a

little while longer unless you want to join me in the shower," Ace teased. "…I'll wait for you to be done with your shower…" Zoro blushed. "Alright, babe! See you in a bit!" Ace

got out from under the covers and was heading out the door, but stopped briefly. "Oh, hey, what do you want for breakfast?" He asked while looking back at Zoro. Zoro was a

little startled by this question. "Anything's fine really. As long as it's edible." Ace took a moment to think. "Hmm, you really don't have any favorite foods?" Zoro sat up and

looked at him with a confused look. Why was Ace so interested in this? Is this something else couples do? "No. I don't care about what people give me to eat." Ace sighed,

"Well, we've got plenty of time to figure out what you REALLY like." Zoro was wondering what Ace meant when he said that. He wanted to ask, but Ace had already left.

Zoro knew that after his confession that things between them would change, but he didn't know what to expect. How did this love thing work between two completely

different people? After a while Zoro figured that Ace had already gotten ready and started making breakfast. It was his turn now. It didn't take him long to finish and head out

to where Ace was. When he walked in it seemed as if Ace was still putting the finishing touches on his dish. "Ah, can you give me a sec? The food's almost done cooking."

Zoro sat down at Ace's work table. He didn't have a kitchen table since he didn't really get any visitors—a simple table was good enough for him to eat and work at. Zoro

looked around the room again for his swords. He didn't even realize Ace had set his plate down.

"Here you go! I figured a simple omelet would be enough" Ace smiled and grabbed a chair to sit in front of him. "Hey, did you fix my swords yet?" Zoro was now focused on

Ace. His question confused Ace. Ace didn't quite think about what Zoro's confession meant or what it would lead to. He didn't think Zoro did either. "…Well, yeah. I finished

working on them a while ago actually." Ace answered carefully. He just got Zoro to be his; he didn't want to have to give him up just yet.

"Are you planning on leaving?" Ace's cheerful face turned solemn.

" I was never planning on staying. I had just happened to meet you and a lot happened…" Zoro knew this conversation would not end well.

"Didn't meeting make you want to stay, change your mind?" Ace was gradually heating up. Zoro could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Look…I want to be with you, but I can't stay here."

"You're just a bounty hunter! What is it that you want to do?!"

"I want to be the greatest swordsman. I didn't ask to be a bounty hunter. The title just kindda stuck after I beat up all of those pirates." Zoro remained calm, but Ace

misinterpreted it as him not showing that he cared. The situation had become difficult. Ace didn't want Zoro to go, but he couldn't be selfish and ask Zoro to throw his dream

away for him. "Can't you come with me, Ace?" Zoro gave him an apologetic and longing look. Ace sighed, "I can't…I have to keep my shop here. I understand that you have to

go, but…"

This is happening too soon.

Ace got up from his seat and avoided looking at Zoro.

"Ace-" Zoro called out to him.

"You finish eating. I'll go get your swords." Ace left the room without saying another word. Zoro just sat there and looked down at his cold omelet. Ace had put so much effort

into this morning and it was all in vain. Zoro had to leave and Ace had to stay, how could the love thing work now? These two just can't seem to get it right.

Despite having lost his appetite, Zoro ate his food and cleaned up after himself. He was on his way to go look for Ace when Ace had come back with his swords in his hands.

Ace stood at the door and sighed, "Here they are. I went to some trouble to find them you know." Ace showed a slight smile. "Did you lose them?" Zoro hesitated, but walked

over and took the swords one by one and hooked them to his belt. "Nah… I knew where they were. It's just that I really wanted to come back here and tell you I couldn't find

them, you know…" Ace moved closer to Zoro. Their eyes were locked to each other's. A wild mix of melancholy and nostalgia filled the air. "…just so you'd have to stay

longer." Although he looked dejected, Ace still had hope.

"Does this happen often?" Zoro rubbed the back of his neck and looked down.

"Does what happen often?" Ace grabbed Zoro's outstretched arm gently as well as the other one and just held them down in place. He caressed the soft skin with his fingers—

as if he was comforting Zoro. He was too caught up in thinking that only he was troubled by this that he hadn't notice Zoro's obvious discomfort in this situation as well.

"Do couples deal with kind of thing all the time? So soon?" The look in Zoro's eyes said it all. He didn't want to leave Ace. He had shared his entire being with the man, how

could they separate so soon? Ace leaned in and rested his forehead on top of Zoro's. "This does happen…but you and me…..we're more of a special case." Their height

difference made it so that Ace was slightly looking down into Zoro's eyes. His face was heating up; there was a slight shade of pink which adorned his cheeks and outer

corners of his eyes. Ace let go of Zoro's hands and moved on to his hips. "Closer, I want you to be closer to me, Zoro." Ace pulled him into his body until their hips touched.

Feeling Ace's breath on his lips made Zoro's heart race.

"We can't do this now." There was a hitch in Zoro's voice as Ace rubbed his hips.

"Do what?" Ace had let his fingers slide under Zoro's haramaki to directly touch his skin. Zoro let out a moan. Was he still sore from last night? "I want to kiss you Zoro." Ace

made his was down to Zoro's lips. He sucked on his bottom lip insatiably. Zoro thought he was making too much noise in the morning. What if Ac had a customer? What if they

could hear them from outside? He pulled away only to be sucked back into the kiss.

"A-Ace…your shop…people will hear, mnn!"

"Forget about that, right now. You mean more to me than my shop."

"Ace…!"

"What if I never see you again? What if we can never be like this again?" Ace asked between passionate kisses. Ace was worried that Zoro's ambitions would lead him to go

venture out of the Grandline and into the New World. How would he see him then? By the time Zoro settles out there he might find someone else and…

"Ace, when I said I….I loved you….I didn't mean for it to be a 'good-bye'," Zoro now took his turn at planting soft kisses on Ace's cheeks. The kisses were so light that they

made Ace yearn for more physical contact.

"Even though we can't be together now, I can always come back, right?"

"You would come back, for me Zoro?"

"Don't even ask! If you'll wait for me, then I will come back."

The two were now looking at each other as their hips were joined. Ace felt the sincerity in Zoro's eyes.

"What if you go to the New World? You'll still come back here, in this shabby old village?"

"Yes. This place isn't some old shabby old village to me anymore. I would've never met you if I didn't come here." Zoro's cheeks became rosy as he smiled while thinking about

the time they shared.

"And if you meet someone else?" Ace was worried that Zoro could easily be swooned by any other person. "I only plan on allowing you to have exclusive rights to me and my

body. I'm not really the outgoing type, you know."

Moments of silence passed by as the two were finally feeling content with the situation. It would take at least 3 years until they would see each other again, but the promise

they just shared made the wait more of an interesting challenge. Their predicament became more like a battle with many rewards. The time they would spend apart would only

make their bond stronger when they reunited.

Ace sighed, "My mind will be overflowing with thoughts of you." He squeezed Zoro's hips a little tighter as he said this. Zoro nodded, "Mine, too. I'll not only become the

greatest swordsman, but a great man like you." Zoro confessed his admiration for Ace. He felt bashful, but it felt so right. He had to let the other know. Ace couldn't help but

think how charming Zoro was at that moment. He admired Zoro, too. Never had he ever met someone like him. Zoro gathered up his courage and this time kissed Ace's lips

with overflowing emotions. Ace was taken by surprise by him once again. He couldn't help but anticipate what else Zoro would do in the future. All he knew was that this show

of affection felt wholeheartedly—unlike anything else Zoro had ever shown him. There were no doubts or hesitation. Zoro was finally his.