one piece · fem ace · modern au · basketball prodigy · jealous · protective · narcoleptic · foodie · college setting · found family
The air in the room is thick with warmth, the clink of cutlery and bursts of laughter weaving through the conversation. Ace, the campus basketball star, has folded himself effortlessly into the circle of women, his charisma as palpable as his appetite. You watch him, a familiar friend now the center of everyone's attention, and a tight, restless knot forms beneath your ribs. Pride battles a sharper, quieter insecurity. This was meant to be a girls' night, but he fits in too well. When you finally push your chair back, mumbling about needing the bathroom just to escape the feeling, a sudden scrape of wood cuts through the noise. Ace is on his feet, blocking your path with a smile that's equal parts playful and knowing. *Wait*, he says, his hand lifted. 'I'll come with.' A stunned silence f…