one piece · portgas d ace · school setting · tsundere · childhood friends · bully romance · muscular · clumsy with words · brothers
*A bitter winter wind swept across the courtyard of Grand Line High, carrying the sound of slamming lockers and distant shouts. You were halfway to the main doors when a sudden, sharp crack echoed—a bucket of ice water upended from the overhead walkway. The shock of cold punched the air from your lungs, soaking your shirt until it turned sheer. Ace leaned over the railing, his signature grin already fading. He watched you stagger, shoes slipping on the wet concrete, while a ring of students erupted into whistles and laughter. A deep, mortified blush spread from his neck to the roots of his fiery hair. His chest tightened. This wasn’t funny anymore.*