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sweetadonisbutbetter · 27 days

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Ur so pretty

A/n: HAI OMG- its been...a while...if anyone read it, I posted the WIP of this like all the way back in November last year. other notes are that there is no use of Y/N, and it is kept gender neutral, but it is implied to be WLW. but since it is no longer in my hands, take it as you will keke hope u enjoy!!!

Upon waking up, you already felt that it was going to be a long day, one that was longer than usual. The sores from numerous fights and hours of walking were ever present from the moment you opened your eyes; the feeling of the Astarion’s fangs wringing your neck numb. You mentally check off the numerous problems before you get out of your tent and set off for the day. Upon leaving the dimly lit tent, you were blinded slightly by the morning light. The smell of breakfast filled the air as idle chatter continued. You take a moment to look at your companions. Gale was the one cooking, making idle chatter with Wyll and Karlach, the latter who was most likely the one who started the fire. Lae’zel was by herself, sharpening one of her many swords. Astarion emerges from his tent, also having just woken up. You continue to scan the camp looking for someone in particular.

‘No sign of her…’ You think to yourself, pouting slightly. From the corner of your eyes, you see Astarion approaching you. Sighing, you reiterate the fact that although the day had just started, you could tell it was going to be a long day.

“Glad to see you didn’t die last night.” He greets you with a smirk. You look at him, already feeling the regret of letting him feed and an oncoming headache. You pinch the bridge of your nose, hoping it will relieve some tension.

“Well if someone didn’t take any more than he should have, I wouldn’t have passed out.” You quip, to which Astarion lets out a laugh.

“I did not take any more than I normally do. You just lost a lot of blood yesterday.” He says as he crosses his arms and shifts to the side. You look at him blankly for a moment, thinking if it would be worth it to put a stake in his heart. Listing the pros and cons, it seems that keeping him alive has more pros, shockingly. Sighing once more, which was something that happened a lot when Astarion was around, you cast lesser restoration on yourself and begin to walk towards Gale, Karlach, and Wyll. However, before you can even approach the trio, you see Shadowheart emerge from her tent.

Your heart skips a beat as you look at her from afar. From the moment you had seen her while on the nautiloid, you had some sort of feelings stirring for her. Just a glance at her tells you how much of a beauty she is. The way her onyx hair framed her face, her braid that swished and would often rest on her shoulders, and the soft makeup that furthered her beauty in a way that felt almost godlike. Not to mention her eyes. The soft hazel green stood out with her darker eyeshadow, luring in the very person who looked into them. In your mind, she could rival the beauty of the gods and goddesses. However, it wasn’t just her physical beauty that lured you in, it was the subtle beauty that seemingly showed when she wasn’t paying attention. The soft smile that creeps up her face when you were swarmed by children at the grove, or how she plays with Scratch when she thinks no one is paying attention. You would often find yourself looking forward to fights, just to get injured so she could heal you, watching how her hands would tenderly cover the wound. In essence, her mannerisms, voice, and beauty have bewitched you, terribly. Often you were left lying awake late at night, thinking back on any conversation or memories you have of her.

Since the tiefling party a few nights ago, you have had numerous things to think of. Truthfully, you were elated that you had agreed to a drink with her, since in your mind it showed that she had a fraction of attraction towards you. While it was hard to tell how she truly felt since she was sharran and they were sworn to secrecy; you did not need words to know that she enjoyed the moment you two shared. The kiss you two shared, the talking and looking into one another's eyes until either the sun came up or sleep overtook you both. The morning after you two had talked about it, she agreed that there was something between the two of you. However, soon after she began to withdraw herself from you, she would avoid being alone with you, cut the conversation short, and even volunteer to stay behind at camp. It hurt to see her detach herself from any social interaction with you. You even knew that she was avoiding only you, catching glimpses of her talking to the others, chattering with Lae’zel even though they both differed. Rather than getting upset and confronting her, you kept it to yourself. Finding that it was better to give her space, something that she appreciated in the past, though it was turning out to be harder than you wanted it to be.

“You know, it is rude to stare.” A voice cuts you out of your train of thought. Blinking, you look at the voice and see that it is Astarion. Confused as to what he is talking about, you give him a look. He rolls his eyes and smacks his teeth. “You have been staring at Shadowheart’s tent for a good while, my friend. A bit too long, might I add.”

Quietly, you let out an ‘oh’ before you turn towards your tent. You decide to start getting ready for the day, no longer hungry. Stripping your camp wear and donning your armor, you mentally summon all your courage so you can ask Shadowheart to accompany you, Gale, and Karlach. Finishing the knot of your boots, you equip your weapons and leave your tent, the blinding rays of the sun stinging your eyes for a brief moment.

‘Moonmadein please guide me.’ You utter in your thoughts before you make your way to Gale and Karlach. Even though you were nowhere near them, Karalach seemed to notice you were heading their way. Turning her head from her conversation with Gale, she makes eye contact with you. Her face seemingly lights up as small flames rise out of her skin.

“Mornin’ soldier!” She hollers. Gale says something to her in a quiet tone, one that you can’t hear. Whatever he told her caused the flames on her to diminish. Looking back at you, she gives a slightly nervous chuckle and says, “Sorry about that. Just excited to get on the road again.”

“No worries, and good morning to you Karlach. You too Gale.” You reassure Karlach quickly before you greet the wizard. Gale smiles in return and greets a quick ‘morning’ before leaving, presumably to get his stuff for the road. You look back to Karlach and ask, “Have you seen Shadowheart?”

“Oh, I think I saw she went with Scratch into the woods,” Karlach says, her mood seemingly more down. She hesitates for a moment, before asking “Why?”

“I just want to see if she wants to join us on the road. It has been a bit since she left camp.” You explain, hoping you weren't evident in your real reason for talking to her. While it wasn’t a complete lie, it wasn't the whole truth. The half-truth was that you did want her to accompany you and walk around for a while; you did want to know if she wanted to leave camp for a while. You also just wanted a moment alone with her; for when there was a moment where everyone was walking, no direction in mind. It seemed that Karlach bought what you said, as she began to perk up a bit after your answer. However before anything else could be said, the bushes rustled slightly. You and Karlach turn to the noise, however, you don’t need to go and investigate since Scratch jumps from the bushes and runs toward you. He jumps onto your chest, tackling you to the ground before he starts to lick at your face. Laughing at the slightly ticklish feeling, you try to move him off of you, not too keen on smelling like dog breath or even having slobber on you so early in the day. Thankfully he gets off with ease and goes to bother someone else. Still chuckling, you get up from the ground, with the help of Karlach who is laughing with you. The rustling of leaves happens once more, catching your attention once more. This time it was Shadowheart who emerged from the woods. You briefly make eye contact with her, your heart skips a beat, and you move towards her. Though it seemed she noticed you moving, since she looked away first and headed back to her tent, not even uttering a greeting or looking back. Your shoulders sag, clearly dejected at her avoidance. ‘I can’t be like this all day. We have to move forward.’ You think to yourself, quickly shaking the feeling and standing up straighter, putting on the front that you were not bothered by it.

“It seems like she has no intent on leaving today. I suppose we could drag Astarion with us.” You jest lightly to Karlach. Wanting to leave sooner, you readjust your pack and look for Astarion. Thankfully, he seemed to have read your mind and was already in his gear. You look for Gale briefly and see that he is equally as ready. With a nod, the four of you leave camp and begin the day.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“Ugh, I feel I can sleep for days,” Karlach groans as she stretches her back. Letting out another exhausted sigh, she falls back. You nod in agreement, the weariness in your bones causing them to ache slightly more than they already were. While trying to stretch your back, you find it more difficult than normal, as you are in your armor. It was a long day, numerous battles and hours of walking. If there were only a handful of fights, you could handle that, however, it felt like it was battle after battle. The mere thought of the battles caused the bruises on your body to feel more prominent. Plopping down on a nearby tree trunk, you let your body relax as much as it can while sitting up. You look to Gale was already cooking, somehow already in his evening wear. The smell of the food made its way into your stomach, causing it to rumble. Looking around, you notice you can’t find Astarion. Assuming that he is relaxing in his tent, you sigh and lean back, still trying to find relief.

However, you begin to become restless. Somehow through the aches and pain, you feel the need for fresh air, which is odd for being outside. Not being able to sit and just wait, you get up and begin to head to your tent. Before you head inside, you turn to Karlach and Gale.

“You two can stay at camp tomorrow. Take the day to rest. I could bring Wyll and Lae’zel instead.” I say to Karlach and Gale. Gale doesn’t comment, rather focused on the meal he was making than what I was saying. I hear a faint groan, which you assume is Astarion. You begin to feel slightly bad, that he can’t get a day of rest, however with the avoidance from Shadowheart, there is bound to be one person who has to travel a little more.

‘Hopefully, she will get over whatever hindrance she is dealing with…hope I didn’t do anything wrong.’ You think before shaking the thought. ‘I shouldn’t think about it too much.’

You rid your thoughts altogether, of what happened, what is, and what was to come; choosing not to think on it too much, you begin to take off your armor. It took you longer than normal, the aches in your body causing you to slow down. Eventually, you were in your evening wear; sitting on the floor, staring at your feet blankly. You didn’t notice how much the day had affected you, to the point you just wanted to seek the warmth of another person and just fall into the deepest sleep you could. However, the person’s warmth you wanted seemingly wanted nothing to do with you. You let out another deep sigh, kick off your boots, and turn to your bed, not wanting to eat.

It seemed that no one noticed that you decided to turn in early for the night, or if they did no one came into your tent. You felt a tad grateful that no one came, feeling that no one's company would be enough. You lie in your tent, trying to sleep. However, no matter how much you slowed your breathing and kept your eyes closed, your body could not find itself to relax. With a sigh, you decide to give up on sleeping and leave your tent. Hastily throwing on your boots and mentally wishing it was late enough, you emerge from your tent and see that the camp is empty. The fire from supper was completely burnt out, and the large pile of dishes piled up near the lake camp was showing that everyone had indeed turned in for the night. Turning your head once again, you see Scratch and the owlbear cub huddled next to one another, sleeping soundly. You smile softly, your heart melting that they are bonding so well with one another. Trying to be as quiet as possible, you leave the camp and head into the nearby forest.

In a moment in time when there were so many new feelings and unfamiliar things around you; from being abducted by illithids, seeing the hells, waking up in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, and having an uninvited guest in your brain, the forest provided comfort. No matter where in Faerûn, trees will always be trees, the dirt path made by countless feet that trekked forward in their journeys, made you feel less alone and confused. Walking over bushes, you decide to mindlessly wander, not worrying about the pain in your feet or where you end up. There weren’t many sounds in the dead of night, other than the wind that shook the leaves and bushes, the distinct animal noises of nocturnal animals, and your footsteps. You don’t pay much attention to it, however, rather you choose to blank entirely. The traveling and battles from earlier in the day left you mentally exhausted, as well as physically but that was neither here nor there since you were always physically tired or sore, your mind was left both restless yet still. An internal paradox that you found yourself in recently. Much of how your relationship with Shadowheart was a paradox in itself. While it was difficult to say that you were in love with the mysterious woman, especially since it had not been too long since you two had met, it wasn’t hard to conclude that a part of you consistently yearned for her. Desired to hear the sound of her voice, to feel her gaze upon you, to comb her hair as it rested upon her shoulders, to have her touch you in ways that no other before has. A part of you dreamed that she could one day let you into her mind, into the deepest darkest parts of her mind, where you would find solace there as just she wormed her way into your mind. A constant plague that you could not rid of, not that you wanted to.

However, that was the lingering problem that shifted the foundation of what could be. The beliefs that you both hold make you enemies by default. The very belief that a sharran and a selunite even being friendly was unheard of. Nevertheless, you befriended one, hell you even kissed one, something that younger you would stress about, wondering if you were turning to the Lady of Loss. Not that you would, you find that the beliefs of your dear moon maiden held were truly a resonate of your own, and you weren’t saying that since you grew up with it. From your very limited understanding of the Lady of Loss, you found the very idea of wallowing in the dark with no hope seemed very unhealthy. From what Shadowheart told you, which was also as limited since her memory was removed, it seemed that Shar was lying to her followers, saying that she was easing their pain when in reality she was just adding to it.

‘How could she worship a goddess that causes her to be left in the dark and pain,’ You wonder, looking at the ground as you walk and begin to pursue your lips. Eventually, you begin to slow down, coming to a full stop at the texture change from under your shoes. You look up and see a lake, one that is possibly connected to camp, as the moon dances on the water, light ripples distorting the image. Breathing in the sight, you consider undressing and wandering into the water, before shaking the thought. While it was tempting, you find that it would be a hassle putting your clothes back on. Instead, you kick off your sandals and roll up the legs of your pants, and wander to the water before seating yourself down, just far enough to where your butt won’t get too wet. There you sat for a while, taking in the sight, smell, and sounds of the area around you. You feel your mind slow down, your eyes getting heavy at the comfort of the water as it rocked and kissed higher on your calf. Just as you were about to leave yourself completely vulnerable to the wilderness and let your mind wander into the night sky, a voice rang through your ears.

“Well, I certainly did not expect you to be so far from camp.”

Your eyes shot up, startling you awake. You don’t know who you were expecting when you turn your head, however, the last person that comes to mind is Shadowheart. Her hair was down from its chain and braid as it rested over her shoulder and draped to her mid-back. With that being the only outlier, Shadowheart looked the same as how she did the night before. Even though you wanted to say something, your mind was too slow to react, so you just looked at her. Embarrassed that you could not utter a sound, you turn your attention back to the lake. She chuckles, a noise that reaches your ears and tickles them ever so slightly, and you feel your ears and face get warm. Focusing solely on the lake and the reflection of the moon, you could only listen as she shuffled behind you. Far too nervous to catch her gaze, but still nipping with curiosity at what she is doing, you look at her from the corner of your eyes.

Not paying you any mind, she sat next to you, albeit a bit away from the water, which you assume was because she was not in favor of getting wet. Nervous that she will catch your gaze, you look away once more as the wind starts to softly blow. The both of you sit there in silence, unaware of what Shadowheart is thinking and you are far too nervous to break the silence, lest you say the wrong thing.

‘Truthfully, what is the wrong thing to say?’ You mentally quip to yourself, ‘Rather…what is the right thing to say…Should I break the silence? Does Shadowheart have something to say? Why is she also out here? Did she foll-’

“Was..there any particular reason you left camp?” Shadowheart asks, her voice stopping your thoughts. You look at her, a stunned look on your face. You were astonished at the fact that she was actively engaging in conversation rather than avoiding it. She is facing forward but looking at you from the corner of her eyes. Feeling your face get warm at her stare, you turn your head once again.

“I just..wanted some fresh air…” You murmur, bringing your knees closer to your chest and hugging them. You didn’t think to elaborate further, finding your reasoning sound enough. If you were completely honest with yourself, you were being slightly petty due to her avoidance. Shadowheart, who seemingly accepted the reasoning, sighed to herself, in a way that could be depicted as relief. Although you found it odd, you didn’t bring attention to it, rather resting your head on your knees. You both sat in silence, the sounds of the surrounding area being the only thing that stopped the moment from being dead quiet. Once again, content with the peace, you feel your eyes drooping once more.

“You didn’t come out here to meet anyone?” Shadowheart asks, breaking the silence and waking you up once more. Confused by her question and unsure if you even heard her correctly, you turn your body and look at her. She was actually looking at you, her head turned in your direction. Although it might have been your mind playing tricks on you or wishful thinking, it seemed that her eyes were a green of jealousy. Nonetheless, she blinks and it seems that she hid whatever emotion she was harboring.

“What? Why would I come out here to meet someone?” You ask her, as she shrugs and turns her head away from you, looking at the lake again. Thinking you weren’t getting an answer in response, your mind begins to wonder with various questions. Trying to make sense of your thoughts, you let one slip past the barriers of your lips.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” You ask, your voice much softer than you wanted it to be. Sounding much more hurt than you wanted to reveal, your mind and voice wanting to show her how her avoidance pained you. Though you hate to admit it, you are sure your face is showing that pain just as much as your voice did. She doesn’t move, mimicking that of a statute; Neither do you, not to turn to look at her, in fear of her seeing your face and you never getting an answer. You both sit there for a moment, your question leaving you feeling like you just shouted into the void and expecting an answer back.

After a moment, she lets out a breath, seemingly holding it in. As if she was not expecting that question and didn’t want to answer it.

“I do not think we can be together.”

Upon hearing her words, you feel as if your very soul was de-rooted so violently, that it took the very foundation of who you were down. The void answered, with a truth that you avoided and did not want. The truth that haunted you after you kissed her under the moonlight and the stars away from the party. Plagued your mind when you would think of who you were and who she was. It seemed to have shattered every thought, every wish, and every dream you had of holding her and that she hold you in return. With all of the shattering going on in your mind, you cannot utter anything else other than a simple, “Oh.”

“It’s just…” Shadowheart trails off, trying to find her words. She seems to struggle for a bit, so you decide to make it easier for her and leave.

With the hurt of your body and heart and the threat of tears in your eyes, you stand up. Not wanting your not-lover to see you cry, you quickly wipe the tears that were threatening to fall out and sniffle. Washing off your feet of any sand, you place your sandals on and head back to camp, not caring that you are leaving her behind. Not noticing Shadowheart pulled her knees to her chest, as she rested her head into her arms. Unknowing of the inner turmoil that was going on between her mind and her heart; the war between her sprouting care and affection for you and the dedication she has to her faith.

The way back was agonizing, your heart heavy with hurt and your mind yelling for sleep while also overthinking every bit of interaction with Shadowheart. The more you walked, the feeling of more tears threatened to fall and let you shed every ounce of heartache and misery. Picking up the pace, you cannot help but think about your reaction.

Surely you could have handled this way better in theory, but in practice? Was Shadowheart so deeply rooted into your mind, that the mere rejection shattered you whole? Did you crave her affection so badly that even the cold sharp end of a knife stab would have felt better than this? No matter how frigid and distant she was, how did you not lose an ounce of interest in her? Would you betray your goddess, just to be within Shadowheart’s gaze?

It seemed that as you asked more questions to yourself, the lack of answers seemed to spiral into more questions. However, you knew that you would never be able to answer the questions that spiraled in your mind. Eventually, you stumbled upon the camp, seeing Astarion was the only one up and about. His eyes turned to you, gaze softening at the sight of you rather than a rabid animal or an enemy trying to attack in the night. Upon seeing your expression, one of anguish and with tears already falling, his face morphs into concern for a moment before blanking.

“Did something happen, o’ fearless leader?” He asked, using the nickname he used to tease you once you were bestowed the mantle of leader. Maybe calling you your nickname was his way of comforting you. Not that you stood around long enough to find out. Rather than answering him, you decide to go straight into your tent. He makes a noise, one that sounds like he wants you to stop, but he doesn’t move from his spot.

Once inside your tent, you head to your sleeping bag and tuck yourself under it. Not wanting to wake everyone, but also needing to let out your emotions, you opt to cry silently into your hands. Trying whatever way to muffle your sobs as they wracked through your body. Curled up into yourself, you eventually fall into a dreamless sleep.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Upon waking up, you immediately notice the sunlight is more prominent through your tent's fabric. Finding this odd, you immediately sit up and try to leave your tent as fast as you can. Crawling to the tent flap, you squint your eyes at the bright light of the day, noticing that it is far past the normal time you awoke. You look up to confirm your suspicions and see that the sun is most definitely showing it was later in the day, almost to the midpoint of the sky. As you crawled out of the tent, emerging from the cocoon of emotions you barracked yourself in last night, you saw Wyll making his way to you. It took you a bit to stand up fully, while your body was mostly recovering from the longer-than-average rest, it was still sore from the battles and wandering you and your party had been doing these past weeks. The horned man was already in front of you by the time you stood tall, patiently waiting.

“Good morning,” He smiles softly at you. You nod back, your mood still somewhat in shambles due to your previous night's adventure. Rather, you had more pressing matters to attend to, such as-

“Why did no one wake me up?”

Wyll doesn’t say anything but stares at you with the same look.

“Astarion told us what happened last night,” He starts. Afraid of where this was going, you feel your heart and stomach plummet through the ground, possibly landing in the Underdark somewhere. Wyll seems to take notice of the mild panic on your face and corrects himself. “Rather, he told us you came back to camp a wreck. He told us he was unsure what could have distressed you so. Karalach and Gale were the ones to suggest that we leave you to rest.”

With his explanation, you start to relax a little bit. Of course, Asartion would tell everyone. Though you know you couldn’t be too angry at him, rather fond of the fact that he was worried. It warmed you a bit that even though the vampire elf kept his emotions to himself for the most part, he ditched that belief for just a moment and expressed worry. You make a mental note to thank him and work towards a better friendship with him. Pushing that thought to the back of your mind along with any residue of yesterday evening, you smile softly at Wyll.

“I appreciate that, thank you.” Your voice sounds way more stable than you thought it would be. “Though, in the future, I would appreciate being woken up, even if there is concern for me. After all, we don’t know how much time we have before the whole tadpole thing turns us into illithids.”

Wyll doesn’t say much, just hums and nods, before being called by Lae’zel. He whips his head before turning back to you with a shy smile, one that you return with your smile and shoo him away. He scampers to Lae’zel, leaving you alone still standing in front of your tent. You sigh and relax your body a bit before you head to go to the stash of food the camp keeps. After not eating much throughout the previous day, it was starting to catch up with you with your stomach growling. At the stash, you begin to look for something quick to fuel you before you attempt to cook anything. Finding nothing that piqued your interest, you decided to head into the forest to see if there was anything edible. As you were heading to leave the camp alone, you passed Karalach, whose back was to you. You step towards her and begin to call out to her, however before you can utter a sound you step on a branch, alerting her to your presence. Turning to the source, Karlach seems to move away from what-who she was interacting with. Just beyond Karalach was Shadowheart, with a look you cannot describe. You spend a while looking at her, so many mixed feelings rushing to you faster than anything you can describe. Before you got swept away in the tidal waves of emotions, Karlach’s voice snapped you out of the trance you were in.

“Hey, soldier! How are you holdin’ up?” While her face had a big smile on it, it also had a look of concern. Turning your attention to the buff tiefling, you put on a strained smile before answering her.

“Better now that I’ve had more than 4 hours of sleep.”

“Really?” Her shock was evident, as she shifted slightly so the front of her body was facing you. She makes a glance to Shadowheart, something you feel you cannot stomach to do at the moment. You nod and respond.

“Yeah…I was just about to head off.”

“All alone?” Shadowheart says for the first time. Her voice rings in your ears as you feel your knees go weak for a moment. You cannot help but want to ignore her, to give her a taste of how she has made you feel; however, you decide against it, being in front of someone else.

‘That doesn’t mean I have to look at her.’ You reason to yourself before looking to the forest, trying not to make it obvious that you were avidly avoiding looking at her. “I wasn’t going to go far. Just wanted something light.”

Nothing is said for a moment before Shadowheart speaks again.

“I’ll go wi-”

“There is no need. I can go alone.” You cut her off, your voice coming off more harshly than you expected it to. However you couldn’t find it in yourself at that moment to apologize, rather you say your quick goodbyes and leave. In your absence was a puzzled Karlach at the thick tension between yourself and Shadowheart. She doesn’t say much, still feeling the tension, quickly making up an excuse before leaving. In her wake was a Shadowheart who was staring off in the direction you took off in. Left in the shadow that she herself had cast upon you.

However this time, the reason for it was known, and she had no one to blame but herself.

#shadowheart x tav #shadow x reader #im going crazy #this took forever #anyways #shadowheart is bad a feelings #like really bad #angst???#at least it's my attempt at it #☾adoniswrites

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cautuscoralcoast · 4 months

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Pluton — 2 Ace

Portgas D. Ace x reader

Synopsis - In which Ace calls you an assortment of nicknames and you ask about love

✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾

You woke up in the middle of the night.

You dreamt of that place once again. A dragon soaring the sky, an emperor on a liar throne, as both watched the people rot and perish in the land below. Water dirtied with filth and soot, and the people died from thirst. There's a lonely princess waiting for someone to return. Who? You know not.

And pluton, your beloved ship, it rest below the mountains surrounded by a stone fortress. Its metal began to creak as you looked at it once more. Water and drift echoed throughout the warship, and it sung of destruction and creation.

Your hands grazed the railings as you walked on deck. The moon was high, and the waves were calm. You wondered, "Would there be a storm?" You never saw such thing. You never saw nature's destruction, nor did you ever see its creation. Even back home.... There was never a day the rain destroyed the island.

"How long would you stay here?" you wondered. It was a question that lingered in the back of your head. You can't stay here for long as Pluton was waiting for you. Perhaps they could take you to Pluton. But can you trust them?

"And what is a girl like you doing out here?"

You turned around to find the loud boy from earlier. He had his hand out next to him with fire coming from his palm. It illuminated his face, his hat casting a shadow of his eyes. His eyes, they looked into yours with suspicion and distrust.

"I had a nightmare."

He raised a brow as he walked closer to you. "A nightmare? So you had a nightmare and all of sudden had the urge to walk around the Moby Dick?

You broke eye contact as you turned back to the sea, placing both hands on the railing. "I was unable to go back to sleep, so I got up. So, why are you out?"

You saw the flame illuminating the little space, dissipate as he sighed and leaned back onto the railing.

"Tate had me clean the entire infirmary after I broke a table and knocked some stuff onto the ground. I just finished not long ago."

"I saw a dragon."

"What does that have to do with me cleaning, or you being out here?"

You looked into the sea, trying to find something below the water. You held the railing tight as you recalled your dream.

"I dreamt of dragon and emperor destroying an empire." You held your breath as you thought about what you're going to say next. "I think Pluton is at that island."

He looked at you from the corner of his eye. He didn't think you were dangerous, but he didn't know if he could trust you. A criminal wanted by the marines and know wanted dead. Then again, everyone here is wanted dead by the government. Misfits brought together by Whitebeard. How are you any different?

"I thought Pluton was a flagship for the marines?" With each and every word that came out your mouth, the less things made sense. He didn't know what to think about this "Pluton."

You tensed up again as you wondered as to why you're telling this boy about Pluton. You didn't tell Whitebeard. You didn't tell Ms. Tate. You never said anything else to your parents after they tried to get you help. You couldn't risk getting chained again, so why are you telling him?

"Pluton.... Is a warship, a very powerful warship. It was ship no one thought could ever be created, yet it's somewhere out there." You relaxed your grip on the railing as suddenly, you felt embraced with warmth. "Pluton is somewhere with a dragon and emperor killing its land. Pluton is somewhere under a mountain, but I don't know where to start looking!"

"Then stay here."

You looked at him. He stood with his back on the railing as he looked up at the stars. You wanted to say something, but the words seemed stuck in your throat.

"You can stay here for as long as you need until you figure out which island your ship is on or mountain."

He felt bad for lying to you. He knew which dragon you were talking about and where this island was. But he couldn't risk you leaving and committing suicide just for a ship. Besides, you were wary of him and the rest of the crew. Untrusting and wary, the only person you seemed to really believe was Tate. He thought about the time before he became one of Whitebeard's sons. How he wanted to kill him and get his crew off the ship. Though, of course, you didn't try any of that. You meant no harm, and neither did they. But how could you know to trust them?

"I--I umm.... What is your name?" You asked. You wanted to say yes and day on the ship temporarily. You wouldn't have to struggle anymore. You could have a clean bed to sleep in every night. You would be safe. But you couldn't say yes. You just couldn't muster the words out of your mouth.

"My name? Oh, right!" He stood up straight as he turned to you with his hand out. "I am Portgas D. Ace. Second division commander of the Whitebeard pirates! And yours?"

You stared at his hand as you remained silent. You were confused by the action as you never saw anyone do that.

He must have noticed as he grabbed your wrist and brought it to his. "You usually shake hands when someone introduces themselves. An important skill to avoid trouble."

His skin was rough. He had scars all over hand and arm, but he was warm. He was what kept you warm in this cold night. It was soft and comforting, and you wondered how someone could radiate this much heat.

"And so what was your name again -! Oh, right... you don't remember."

You didn't say anything as he let go of your hand. For the first time since leaving home, you wished you had remembered.

"I'll try to remember it."

"And you'll tell me first, right?"

"Only if you're there."

"Oh? Then I'll be there when you do.'

You could only wish that night lasted an eternity. You wished you could stand next to him as you basked in his warmth. It was a strange yearning; a want you never thought you could have.

You didn't see Ace the next day. You spent the entire day with Ms. Tate. She told you that as long as you were on the Moby Dick, Whitebeard would forbid you to fight.

"He couldn't bear the thought of a child or lady hurt themselves under his watch."

"Just stay happy and safe as long you're here." That was all he said when you asked what he wanted as payment. It was soft; his tone. Mr. Newgate wasn't as intimidating as when you first met him, but he still remained imposing in a caring way.

As time went by, the more you saw Ace. You would watch from afar as you saw him laugh with his crewmates. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that these men were pirates. You would see Ace and wonder if all pirates were as loud or bothersome as Ace was. If they were all just as rowdy as the whitebeard pirates or if they were all just as close.

Ms. Tate would always tell you that a happy crew is a healthy one. You weren't sure about the medical background on that, but when asked, she would tell you to trust her. You would sit up high on deck. Watching as they laugh with another. No matter how injured, ill, tired they were, they would always cheer each other on. They'd smile and play as if their injuries aren't a thing. It was one of the biggest things that bothered Ms. Tate and the others. You'd see how upset she'd become when Whitebeard plays of his illness or when other crew members would go against the nurses' instructions.

Ms. Tate.

She and the other nurses, they were with you a majority of the time. They began to teach you medical practices. Ms. Tate would have you help the other nurses tend to the crew's injuries from scuffles with each other or run-ins with the marines. Ms. Tate was rather strict with how you were taught. She made sure to have one of the nurses supervise you as you tended to minor injuries. Ms. Tate also taught you some medical uses for herbs and certain ointment made to help with burns, scarring, etc.

After working with the nurses in the infirmary with cleaning it, you would walk on deck looking out at sea. Sometimes, Ace would awake and join you as the stars danced aboved.

"What did you call me?" You stared at him in confusion as you came to a halt.

"Sunshine! You didn't remember your name, so I wanted to give you a nickname!" He leaned back on the ship's railing as he grinned, and he twirled his hat in his hand. "Why? Don't like it?"

You honestly didn't know what to say to that. A nickname? You haven't been called by your name for a long time, much less a nickname. You felt yourself grow warm and light. It wasn't an awful sickly feeling, but a gentle one.

"I—I... It's fine. It works for calling me rather than referring to me as 'you' "

You don't when it first started; when you first became to grow warm around Ace. Perhaps it was due to his devil fruit, as told by Ms. Tate. Whenever you got close to him, you felt lighter and much at ease. You felt safe with him and you when you realized it, you didn't know what to make of it. It was an odd, comforting feeling. You felt light and at peace. You felt at home.

"Hmm? You were calling for me?" He didn't call you by your nickname this time. You found it odd he called you by another name.

"Who else? 'Buttercup!' On the island I was on, I found this yellow flower and was small just like you! I heard from one of the locals that they were Buttercup flowers!" He hand you a single yellow flower. It was so small that he could just hold it with two fingers. It was smaller than your hand, and it looked like the sun. "So, do you not like 'buttercup?' "

You thought the flower resembled him more than it did you. The petals looked soft and comforting; as beautiful as the sun, you thought of his smile. "It's quite fine."

'Anything would, as long as it's from you.'

"Did you say something?"

"Ah! Just that I forgot to do something Ms. Tate asked of me."

As time went by, the more and more you spent time with Ace. You began to go on deck earlier in the night to see Ace sooner. You two would just watch the stars shine in the night sky without so much as a word. It was a soothing silence; one where he lights the night with his flames.

"Shoot'in star, how are you?"

"Shooting star?"

"You can guess where this one comes from."

"Hmmm. Is perhaps due to the fact that we watch stars?"

"Yep."

You didn't know how to handle yourself around him. You wanted to be with every single waking moment. You wanted him by your side with every second. You wanted to feel his warmth close to you. But why do you want that? Why do you feel so strongly for this loud guy who never seems to tire out!

"MS. TATE!!! We were just talking, and he just passed out! I checked his pulse and - and everything was fine! Is he okay? Did I do something?"

"Oh yeah. He does that sometimes."

"Somtimes!? This isn't normal! Is it?"

"It's a medical condition where the patient falls asleep at random times. It isn't so severe for him where it happens every day -"

"Will he be fine?"

"Eh- he'll live,"

"He'll be fine!?"

"Yes."

You wondered what it was about him that made you feel this way. You pondered and pondered for a very long time before eventually realizing that you didn't even know what this feeling was. Was it sadness? Was it happiness or anger? What was it?

"Ms. Tate?" You sat in one of the seats of the infirmary, watching Ms. Tate clean more of the dangerous equipment.

"Yes?"

You held your hands together as you looked out the open door. There, you saw some of the pirates out chatting, going on with life on the Moby Dick.

"I have a question about Ace."

"Him? What about him?"

You looked at your hands as you closed your eyes to think about what to say next.

"Whenever I interact with him, I get this strange feeling."

Ms. Tate stopped what she was doing as she turned to look at you. She looked surprised more than anything, but that look on her face softened as a second went by, and she processed your words.

"A 'strange feeling'. Tell me more."

You shuffled your feet as you felt your body temperature rise at the thought.

"I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but I feel warm when I'm with him. It could be the Mera Mera no MI, but I don't believe it's that. I feel 'light' and at ease. I don't remember being nervous around him either. Do you... do you think you know what it is?"

She finished cleaning as she began to organize the new medicine that came earlier that day.

"I can't say for certain, but it sounds awfully like love."

"Love?"

She hummed yes as she went to work as you sat there thinking about what she said.

"Love...huh," it was a word foreign to you. Your parents tried to love you but they couldn't. You tried to understand the love they once had, but you couldn't. The only love you ever knew was your love for Pluton. But it wasn't the same type of love you felt for Ace. You love Pluton because Pluton is an extension of you; another half. But with Ace? He was no other you. You weren't longing to find him, nor do you know why you felt the way you did.

You thought long and hard about love. What about him made you love him? What was so special that you wanted him?you knew why, but at the same time, you didn't.

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... love someone?"

As soon as he heard this, flames flared up from his skin as he hastily turned to you. "Love as in 'will you be mine' or as 'I love you like a brother?' "

"Any type of love."

"Well.... I can for sure say that I love my younger brother, definitely pops, and the rest of the crew, but I can't say I really loved 'loved' anyone."

You looked at the dark sea as you listened. It felt foreign taking about such a subject you don't quite understand.

" 'loved anyone' ? But you said that you love your brother and the others? Didn't you?"

Ace chuckled softly as he took off his hat and placed it on your head. "I love them all that I'll die for them if I have to. But I never met anyone who I can really connect to; like to love so much that can't bear being apart from, ya' know?"

....

"I suppose."

Whether it was love or not, you didn't know. All you knew for certain was that you wanted to be by his side for as long as you can.

"Ace?"

"Yes?"

"I think I love you,"

It was a pleasant feeling being next to him; the Mera Mera no Mi creating a fire to keep the both of you safe. You wanted to bask in his warmth just a little bit longer.

"...I love you too,"

✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾

He held you close to his chest as you struggled to keep your eyes open. You were losing blood quick and it would be another hour before the Moby Dick arrived on land. You'll be dead before then.

✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾

"Ace?"

"I'm here,"

"I-- my......name..

#one piece #one piece x reader #portgas d ace x reader #portgas d ace #pluton #reader is down bad #like really bad

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