Title: Date
Rating: T
Pairing: Smoker x Ace
Warnings: slight yaoi, AU (more or less, no execution for Ace in my fics!)
Summary: Hina and Tashigi think that Smoker is kind of distracted lately and have their own ideas why

Date

"Flowers would be nice."

"Yes flowers or chocolate. Jewels would also make a nice gift!"

"Oh diamonds, or sapphires, they would be so nice!"

With an irritated grunt Smoker resisted the urge to hit the desk head on – barely. Frowning he looked between his ensign and his old friend. Tashigi and Hina both stood right in front of him, squealing like little girls, eyes sparkling. The marine wasn't entirely sure what had gone wrong, but somehow these two dimwits thought that Smoker was in love. And now they tried their hardest to 'help' him getting the girl.

"Smoker-kun, Hina thinks that you should invite this girl! Get her a fine dinner, or watch a romantic movie together."

"Hina-san is right junsho! Or you could just go shopping with her, women like to shop, especially while the men are paying. So you could buy her a nice, sexy dress you like to see her in!"

"I am not in love!"

The two women shared a smile.

"Hina thinks that you do not need to be ashamed! Hina knows, that you are emotionally retarded, so we try to help you! Send her a few flowers! Or you could get her a little puppy or kitten, so she isn't so lonely while you're away!"

"ARGH! Woman, how many times shall I repeat myself? I AM NOT IN LOVE! How you two blockheads got the idea is beyond me, I have other priorities than wooing some silly lass."

Again Tashigi and Hina shared a look. Shaking her head the ensign gave her commodore a sad look. Hina smiled sweetly at her old friend.

"Smoker-kun, it is not necessary to lie. Hina and Tashigi want to help you. It is obliviously that you have someone on your mind recently and it is not the straw hat crew! So…"

Here both of them came nearer and looked at the marine with wide sparkling eyes:

"…tell us who this girl is!"

Exasperated Smoker stood up; he put his white leather jacket on and secured his jitte in the holder on the back. He had better things to do. And he was lacking the patience to explain this two airheads their mistake. Leaving his ship he left a pair of pouting women behind.

His footsteps sounded loud in the silent of the night. It was cold and a thick fog was dusting the air, disturbing his sight. Not that he cared, he wasn't really eager to arrest some pirate scum, okay so he was always ready to do so but tonight he just needed to put some distance between him and those noisy hags in his cabin.

Still he couldn't help to think about the things they had said. Flowers and clothes, chocolate and jewels, did men really do such stupid things when they fall in a woman's trap? He couldn't believe it. Beside it wasn't like he was in love with some silly lass. The only two women in his heart were justice and the wide sea.

It was true, that he had someone in his mind lately, though. The straw hats older brother, who was just as infuriating if not more so. After the straw hat and the brat had escaped out of the world governments grasp, Whitebeards second commander wasn't seen for a while until last month he attacked with full force.

On a rainy day a month ago the brat had had the nerve to appear right in Enies Lobby. Disturbing a meeting of the Shichibukai, he had greeted Mihawk and threw a sack on Blackbeard's plate. The pirate had looked inside, only to find the severed heads of his crew mates in it. Ace had given him a cruel smirk then.

"Yo Teach, I thought it would be nice to meet you and your crew again, unfortunately they didn't share my opinion. But we could settle our… ehm, disagreements rather fast. So Here I am to inform you about their deaths."

The smirk grew even darker and more sardonic, while the boy looked at the other man. It wasn't even four month since their last battle and his stay in Impel Down.

"By the way Teach, we still have something we need to finish, don't ya think?"

Cocking a brow at Teach the brat stood up and sauntered over to the big windows, totally calm and relaxed. Mihawk had to stifle a laugher at the boy's recklessness and at the others' faces. Holding the other Shichibukai back the swordsman addressed Blackbeard:

"Teach, move it, will you? The boy seems eager for a fight, and it's your responsibility to do so."

With this he gestured the other Shichibukai to follow him, leaving only the two men in the great room.

It wasn't for long, that they could hear them. After only a minute or two everything went silent behind the door separating the two groups. Then Ace opened the door smiling this typical D. smile and with a last nod for Mihawk left the scene. Wondering the swordsman entered their meeting room again. There laid, in a puddle of his own blood the very death body of their former fellow Shichibukai. Sighing Mihawk wondered how long it would take this time to find a replacement and what really interested him, how high the brat's bounty would become after this stunt.

Smoker stood on one of the small piers looking into the darkness. Yes he would catch them both, the straw hat and Portgas. It was just a question of time, before… His musings were suddenly disturbed by a small fire that cut trough the darkness and the fog. Looking up the marine could make out the blurry silhouettes of a small schooner and its owner. It couldn't be, could it? Then Portgas D. Ace stood right before him, but neither did anything about it.

Ace just looked at the marine, head cocked to the side, smirk on his lips. And Smoker silently cursed the two women he left a while ago. Because it was their fault that he couldn't help to imagine Ace in a miniskirt, with some rubies in his ears and around his neck, because really they would suite the brat so much better than diamonds ore other jewels. Leaning closer he whispered into the pirate's ear:

"Tell me brat, would I need flowers or chocolate to get you?"

Gasping in disbelief the pirate looked into the marine's gray eyes that for once danced with silent mirth, trying to figure out what the older was planning. Then he couldn't think anymore, because strong lips descended on his, claiming him. And all he was aware of was fire and smoke.

~*OWARI*~