onepieceyaoi100 | [fic] One too Many

Title: One too many
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 300
Pairing: Smoker x Ace
Topic: Euphemism

The barman hadn’t been sure if the boy drooling over his counter was legal or not, but the prominent tattoo on his back had given him pause. Long fingers were wrapped around a sticky mug, wet with spilling ale, and the boy’s cheek nestled in a bowl of peanuts; black hair was spidery and unkempt under a rakishly tilted, black broad-brimmed hat, upon which was scrawled, in white chalk, a grinning face next to a scowling one.

“You see, barman-san,” the boy mumbled, “What do you call… a period of prolonged, observed captivity where you have… have to do certain things, and can only meet certain people, and never for… certain other things?”

The barman frowned. Normally, when the drunks started to ramble, he’d just make noncommittal noises and polish the mugs, but again, the tattoo gave him pause. He waited a few hopeful moments, in case the boy fell asleep (yet again), but dark eyes were watching him, unfocused, under the brim of the hat.

“Jail?”

“No.” A mournful sigh. “A relationship. R-E-L-A-T-I-O… ah, fuck it. You see-”

“Firefist-san, I think you may have had too much to drink.”

“And then, certain people get upset over, previous commitments, youthful… indiscretions, a little bit of, of real jail time, that sort of thing, breaking out of prison, minor things like that, and words get said that shouldn’t be said-”

The barman shook his head at the sound of a sudden snore, then looked back sharply as someone walked up to the counter. A marine, white-haired, bulky and tall, picking up the boy with seemingly no effort and hefting the lean frame over his shoulder.

“Ah… marine-san, excuse me, but he hasn’t paid…”

The marine shrugged, as though in resignation, already turning for the door. “Charge the tab to Commodore Smoker.”