moe81 | OP Fic: Freedom Coming

Title: ~~How’s this for original~~ Freedom Coming

Rating: PG

Pairing: Mostly Ace

Topic: Free

Words: 276

It had been sometime since he’d last seen the ocean. No breeze could reach him here, no smell of salt in the air, no feel of sea spray on his skin. The absence of comforting tread on solid earth: jungle, desert and dirt roads leading home.

It was cold here and the collar around his throat made it feel like he was choking. No warmth penetrated his clothes and the so-called room temperature, didn’t even register.

Did anyone realize he was gone? Did they know where he was? Did they miss him?

He’d heard rumours: voices of big, fat-assed marine admirals that thought it was funny. They’d caught one of the most elusive, wanted criminals on the Grand Line, one of Whitebeard’s ilk, and were planning for public execution. He secretly hoped it was going to happen because the damn place would probably be trampled and over run by pissed off pirates trying to rescue him. He allowed himself a small smile. That’d be funny.

A chill ran over his skin, giving rise to goosebumps and that had been happening way too damn much. He may have been a loner of a pirate but a little comfort, from the right person, went a long way.

Warm hands, skin on skin, the taste of smoke in his mouth. Was he missed, no heat to warm a bed? Shit. He wasn’t into this self-pity crap… but it was so easy to get lost in his memories.

He could sense a change in the bodies around him: shifting, clawing, vying for blood. He knew what was coming and it wouldn’t be long now. Soon, he would feel fire again.