One Piece One Shots [x Reader]

What could've been (Ace x Reader)

When he first showed up to save you and the rest of the Strawhats from the marines in Alabasta, you couldn't help but be in awe.

Fire had always been the element which had fascinated you the most, and to see someone control it with such ease, lighting up the entire sky in flames with a mere flick of his fingers, was like so many of your childhood dreams of heroes and adventures coming to life before your eyes all at once. Of course you'd known of the existence of Devil Fruits, but, still being new to the Grand Line and only having witnessed Luffy's power in action before, the potential of the Mera Mera no Mi was exhilarating, to say the least.

The moment you'd learned the person responsible for said power was actually Luffy's older brother was the first time you realized Ruffy was not just a friendly boy from East Blue who had asked you to join his nakama. Even though you couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, somewhere in the back of your mind you registered that there was something special about this boy.

What it was and how all of it connected to the greater scheme of things, you would find out many years and adventures later. You also realized something very important about Luffy's character that day – despite his older brother being so immensely infamous and powerful, he hadn't once tried to use his name to boast in front or strangers or intimidate potential enemies.

When Ace was finally introduced to all of you and he turned out to be so similar to yet so different from Luffy, you couldn't help but be intrigued. It wasn't until his eyes turned to look at you, eyebrow slightly raised and a small mischievous grin on his face, that you realized you'd stared at him for way longer than what was considered polite or appropritate. When you quickly looked away, your cheeks a bright red, you heard his chuckle, smooth and warm – devoid of any mockery or smugness. That's when you knew you were in trouble.

The days he spent with Luffy, you and the rest of the crew seemed to pass way too fast, despite the frying heat of the desert slowing all of you down. Whenever there was an opportunity, you tried to sneak subtle glances at him.

Seeing him and Luffy interact with each other was making you realize what you had always wanted your relationship with your siblings to be like. Ace seemed to emanate confidence without ever coming across as cocky or arrogant, and his presence seemed to somehow calm you yet making your heart beat considerably faster at the same time.

Of course, you weren't naïve, you knew what feelings you were experiencing and you knew that nothing could ever come of them. He was leaving soon, he was still on the search for Blackbeard, and you would move on with his younger brother and the rest of the Strawhats on your quest to help Vivi. Yet you also knew there was nothing rational about feelings and that they wouldn't just disappear into thin air just because you wanted them to.

What was making things worse was that he had started returning your glances and smiles. Even though he surely knew just as much as you how these soft feelings blossoming in between the two of you could never turn into something more, he wouldn't stop talking to you, making you laugh, teasing you. Nami and Vivi had noticed, too, and proceeded to constantly tease you about your crush. And that was all it was ever going to be – at least you continued to tell yourself so, if only for your brain not to turn into complete mush.

Before either of you could've realized, his last day with the crew had come and he'd turned around to bid his goodbyes to all of you. When his eyes turned to look at you one last time, you didn't know whether to run away with him, beg him to stay or just stand still and try not to cry.

It was now or never. None of the fleeting glances, the soft "accidental" brushes of his hand against yours or the sublte flirting between you had led to something physical. There was never a fitting situation, and until that moment, you had thought of that as a blessing. Because if something, like a kiss, would happen, you didn't know whether you could keep telling yourself this was just a crush and nothing more.

You didn't know whether you could keep yourself from falling into something you could neither name nor return from emotionally unscarred. But when he started to walk away, the rest of your crew returning on their path in the opposite direction, you suddenly felt like if you wouldn't take this opportunity now, you might regret it your whole life.

So you shouted his name, running in his direction until you reached him, both him and your crew looking at you in total surprise.
"Ace, I... I just wanted you to know, that..."
"I know." He said, and the look he gave you was enough to make your heart melt and ache at the same time. "So do I."
Neither of you knowing what to do, he slowly reached for your face, pulling a loose hair behind your ear softly.

"If only this had been..." he started but said nothing more. It wasn't necessary, you both knew saying it out loud would only make it harder than it was already.
Trying to hold back your tears, you looked at him and willed yourself to smile. "Maybe someday,..." you said.
"I'll hold on to that maybe until we see each other again" he answered, his soft lips grazing your cheek. Without thinking, you turned your head to seal your lips with his. The kiss was warm, soft, full of things unsaid and yet not enough at the same time.

You giggled suddenly, happy to have at least shared one last moment with him. Pulling his hat down over his face before he could see your tears, you ran back to your crew.
"Hey, what was that?" he shouted as he couldn't help but smile.
"Just something to remember me by", you answered, waving at him one last time as both happiness and sadness merged into one indescribable feeling you somehow didn't want to let go for anything. Vivi and Nami immediately turned to hug you, stroking your back softly and drying your tears.

Yes, maybe kissing him had been a mistake, because now you couldn't imagine ever getting him out of your head again. But, you decided, maybe that was fine. A life as a pirate meant a life of no regrets, after all. And how could you ever regret kissing Fire Fist Ace?

"Guys, I don't understand. Why is (Y/N) laughing and crying at the same time? And what was that with Ace?" Luffy asked, apparently very confused.
Nami laughed. "Luffy, when you're older, you'll understand."
"I AM older and I don't think I even want to understand" Zoro murmured as all of you continuied on your way, laughing.

Well, except for Sanji, that is. He was still crying and whining about your apparent "tainted purity" after your tears had long dried.