unknown number (Ace x-reader)

the feeling

Does anyone ever feel under-appreciated?
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  The door to the building closed, and the person who walks in causes a bunch of the kids to scream in excitement. Ace and Marco look at each other, wondering just who they were so excited to see. They both get up, heading back to the front of the building, as soon as Ace's eyes land on the woman, he stops dead in his tracks. What's she doing here?
His head suddenly starts to spin, he can feel his knees getting weak. Of all the people, it just had to be her. She glances up as Marco calls out to her, but she looks right past him.
"Ace," she calls out, still holding a little boy in her arms. "I had no clue that you'd be here."
"Likewise," he barely squeezes out enough air through his lungs. Why does this always happen to him?
  "What exactly are you doing here, Ma'm-yoi?" Marco ushers away the children before taking back the small child in her arms and stepping away from her. "I thought we had se-"
  "I want to adopt," she moves her head to the side, slightly snobby. Like she was looking down on everyone in the room. "Why else would I be here? It's not like my daughter is here anymore."
  "So you want to adopt. Alright, I can't turn away someone willing to give a child a home-yoi..." he looks at Ace out of the corner of his eyes, noticing how pale he looks. "Even if you have treated one of our members like he doesn't deserve to breathe-yoi."
  "Well, he doesn't," she folds her arms, defensively. Nothing Marco says to her will change her mind. "He's the reason my daughter is dead, and the reason I have to adopt now."
  "Don't you blame him for that," Marco places down the boy in his arms and pushes his back slightly to get him out of the room. "And you should know better than to come into this-"
  "She's not wrong, Marco," Ace breathes out, even though his throat feels like it's closing. His skin feels like it's burning, he feels like he's being poked by millions of tiny pins and needles. "I'm... I-"
  "Ace, deep breathes... take deep breaths," he walks over and places a hand on the black-haired man's back. "I think you should leave, find another orphanage. You're not even fit to become a mother again-yoi."
  "Are you sure your 'Pops' will be happy with that verdict?" she folds her arms, obviously not thrilled that Marco isn't agreeing with her.
  "Oh, I'm sure Pops would feel the very same way I do about you," he says, mimicking her by folding his arms in the same manner. "Trust me, he wouldn't have even offered you a chance like I did-yoi."
  "Yeah right," she rolls her eyes before she locks them with the blonde-haired male. "By the way, I find your tick annoying."
  "Oh really? You find my tick annoying-yoi?" he walks toward her, taking her by her shoulders and leading her out the door. "I find your face, body, voice-scratch that you're whole existence annoying. So please, burn in hell-yoi."
  He slams the door in her face before he walks back over to Ace, "Are you okay?"
  He shakes his head, now completely mute. He feels light-headed, like he's not even in this world right now. His chest feels extremely tight and he wants to leave. But he can't. No matter how much might he tries to muster up, he just can't push himself.
  "Oh for heaven's sake-yoi!" Marco turns around as the door opens again, expecting that woman to be back again, but it's not. Instead it's a (h/c)-haired woman. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else, welcome to Whitebeard's Orphanage-yoi."
  "Thanks," she brushes a wet strand of hair from her face, slightly seeing the silhouette of the person behind this blond. "Ace? Is that you?"
  Her voice causes Ace to swallow hard. This is just what he needed, but he nods regardless. She comes over to him, placing an ice-cold hand on his shoulder. She's drenched in rain, but still a smile on her face. He's never seen her without a smile.
  "Are you having a panic attack?" she places the back of her hand on his cheek, before she just places both of her hands on his cheeks. "It's okay... deep breathing. Everything is okay now... no one's going to hurt you..."
  Unconsciously, he reaches out and pulls her into a hug. He needs body contact. Anyone's. Everyone's. No. Not everyone's. Not just anyone's either. He needed her. He needs her.

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