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There was nothing more relaxing than standing on the front deck of the Moby Dick at the later hours of the night. During the day, there was always at least six people in every corner of the ship at all times, so when it was at those peaceful hours where the crew members were all either on shore when they were docked, or sleeping off the alcohol they had consumed that day, it left the ship quiet and serene in the late night air.

(Y/n) leaned her arms against the railing of the ship, watching the waves gently lap at the edges of the massive ship. The sea was calm, like it understood just how much she needed her quiet time.

Being the only daughter of the Whitebeards was fun. She had a lot of attention, from both the crew and other crews, but that meant the amount of alone time she had was little to none. She loved the partying and spending time with the others, but there was only so much one person could handle before needing space.

Very few people knew that she did this. Pops knew, sometimes just standing with her as they both watched the waves. Marco would take her up to the top of the mast in his phoenix form and let her sit up there by herself so even when others came on deck, no one could bother her. Thatch would often times bring her out some snacks, or a drink depending on the temperature.

They were coming up on a winter island and that meant her alone time would have to be cut short. She sighed at the thought and pulled her jacket tighter around herself, hoping that she would be able to stay out here a little longer. The cold made her think of the island she was from, the constant pour of snow that she had grown up in. But after years of having sailed with the Whitebeard pirates meant that she'd become a little more accustomed to warmth. Even going as far as seeking it out when she could.

Before the cold became too much, a sudden warmth spread through her.

She smiled as the other wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, resting his head on hers and soaking her in the warmth. He was Fire Fist Ace and there was never a moment that he wasn't a blazing inferno of heat. In moments like this, it helped to know such a man.

"You should come inside soon, you'll get sick out here." It was a bit of a jest between the two. He would never become sick out here in the cold and he loved rubbing it in when he could. Being made of fire had its perks.

"Worried about me, Portgas? What a surprise." She didn't even look at him, continuing to stare into the horizon. She had a smile on her face, so it didn't sting like it had when they'd first met. Now it was more of a jest between the two of them. It brought a bit of comfort to him, to hear her voice, even if it was just to sass him.

He pressed his face into her (h/c) hair and breathed in deeply, hugging her closer to him, feeling the way her skin began to warm up and she no longer felt like a human popsicle. With how warm he was, the ocean spray felt like a relief now in the face of the scorching warmth that always seemed to linger in his skin.

The stars reflected on the sea perfectly. A beautiful night sky for the two of them to take in while they listened to the sounds of the ocean. The waves made her feel at home, a reminder that she had a family now. It was another reason she spent so much time out here. It gave her a feeling of belonging. She knew where she was meant to be.

With Ace standing behind her, she felt complete. What they had was never said out loud. They had never openly confessed the feelings that sat deep in their hearts. But it was better that way. They found comfort in not labeling what they had. You can't have expectations if you don't know what it is.

She reached a hand up, still a little cold from standing out in the cold for so long, and placed it on one of his arms, holding onto him like she had many times before. They were often found like this and though she liked her alone time, she liked being alone with him.

She wasn't pressured to say anything. She didn't need to act a certain way. She could just stand there, watching the horizon and she knew that everything would turn out okay. Any worries or insecurities melted away, much like the cold in her bones as he held tightly to her.

"You know," He mumbled into her hair, arms pulling back to wrap around her waist instead, hands reaching to hold hers in his much larger ones. "I've been thinking a lot." She hummed, letting him know she was listening, leaning back to rest more comfortably against his chest and soaking in all the warmth he was giving her.

"Why don't we go out on the next island? I know you miss your home and you miss the snow. So when we reach it, let's go spend the whole time doing whatever you want. I'll buy us hot cocoa and everything. Though I'm sure Thatch would be hurt to know we were drinking someone else's hot chocolate."

Ace hadn't expected a lot, but hearing her chuckle was on the bottom on the list of responses he could've gotten. He felt his smile fall a little, unsure what it was she was laughing at, or about. The Thatch thing definitely wasn't enough for her to chuckle like that.

"Like you even have to ask, flame brain. Who else is going to keep me warm?" She turned in his arms a bit, causing him to lean back a bit. Looking into her eyes, seeing all those emotions that neither one could yet identify, he didn't think twice about leaning down to kiss her. Every time he kissed her was new and amazing and that feeling that he couldn't quite name always flashed through his chest more than ever before.

She hummed into the kiss and pulled back, turning back to stare at the waves once more.
There was no name for what they had. Pops had called it young love. Marco had called it dating. Thatch had called it sweet, whatever it was. To the two of them, no matter what it was called, it was perfect. And like these moments, it was perfect to fight off the cold that settled in both of their hearts.

It was enough.