Sakura Blooms (Yamato x Male Reader)

Chapter 2 - Ace

Yamato's age: 24

Y/N's age: 26

Ace's age: 16

Y/N panted as he lowered his fists. "Damn, Yamato. You've gotten so much better."

"I can say the same for you." she shouldered her kanabo club and grinned. The club was a newly acquired weapon, and Y/N had to admit that Yamato wielded it really well.

"I think I should go now." Y/N said awkwardly. "Kaido told me that tomorrow we're going on an expedition and that I need to get up early for it. We're meeting tomorrow then?"

Yamato nodded, and Y/N left. Somehow what he'd said felt like a lame excuse to get away, however, it was true.

-

Yamato sat watching as Y/N walked away. Having nothing else to do, she stood up and left too.

-

"Who are you? Name yourself!"

"You go first!" Yamato retorted, enraged.

"I'm Ace! I've come here to take Kaido's head." He cloaked his fist in flames and punched towards Yamato. She deftly manoeuvred her club to block the blow.

"My father and his men are on an expedition. You'll find no officers on this island." Yamato declared, recalling what Y/N had told her.

"Father?" Ace questioned. Yamato realised her slip as murmurs spread through the attackers.

Wanting to stop this pointless battle, Yamato raised her voice. "Surely you've had enough violence for now!... Not that I have any obligation to protect this island.."

Yamato saw Ace looking at the shackles on her wrists, while Ace's crew were asking him if they could return to the mainland.

Ace frowned and then yelled, "It makes no sense someone as powerful as you isn't the captain! Let me settle this!"

Yamato sighed and raised her kanabo club. "As you wish. I'm Yamato. I've got nothing to do until tonight anyway.. I'll be your opponent!"

-

"You can't choose your goddamn father Yamato! Why'd you hate him so much? Forget about those shackles.. You can't let him chain your heart either!"

"What?!" Those words felt like nonsense coming from someone like Ace, but maybe he had a history she didn't know about. Panting softly, she turned and looked at that disgusting dragon statue that Kaido prided in. A wicked idea entering her head, she leapt forward, raised her club.. and smashed the statue to pieces.

"I do wish I could leave.. and that I can do whatever I want. I wanna be free like Oden was!"

Although Yamato wasn't sure if Oden had feelings for men older than she was. Wait what?!

Suddenly Ace grinned and punched the statue too. "That's the spirit, Yamato!"

-

Yamato felt uncertain about bringing Ace to her and Y/N's courtyard. But she wanted Y/N to meet Ace, and it might be the only place where they wouldn't be interrupted.

-

Y/N leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, silent as he watched Yamato and someone he didn't know converse. Yamato looked so damn happy. He wondered if he also made her as happy as she looked now during their nightly meetings. (.. that wasn't meant to sound dirty)

"...but where is Y/N? I know that his expedition came back ages ago..."

Y/N heard Yamato say his name and realised that if he walked in on them he wouldn't be intruding.

"I'm here." he said, pushing himself off the wall and striding towards them.

"Oh. Hey Y/N! This guy here is Ace."

Y/N eyed Ace coldly, who just waved at Y/N jovially, unaware of Y/N's contempt.

"How do I know I can trust you, Ace?" Y/N said. Ace spread his hands and shrugged.

"Trust who ya want, Y/N." Ace said.

Annoyed, Y/N opened his mouth to retort when Yamato cut in.

"Y/N, Ace helped me realise something. We were fighting at first, but you can trust him Y/N. I asked him to come here so you two could meet..."

Y/N raised his eyebrows. "Since you wanted us to meet, Yamato.."

-

Y/N had spent the rest of the night watching Yamato and Ace talk and replying to any questions with a cold politeness. Y/N himself honestly had no idea why he was so pissed by any interaction between Yamato and Ace. To be honest, he was glad when he noticed the moon descending instead of ascending, and excused himself.

Y/N had barely gone very far before he heard someone coming after him. He turned. "Ace?"

Ace grinned. "Yamato left after you went, too. I was gonna go back to my crew but I, uh, I'm gonna get lost."

"So what help am I gonna be?" Y/N said coolly, crossing his arms.

Ace cocked his head to the side, and was silent for a while.

"You know, Y/N, Yamato told me you're ten years my senior."

Y/N nodded.

"Then shouldn't you be acting like it?" Ace laughed. "Honestly. You really like Yamato, don't ya?"

Y/N felt his face turning red and frowned. "What gives?"

"The way you were acting towards me the whole night." Ace said. "It feels like you've got no experience with romance, whatsoever." Ace laughed again.

"Yeah, when you're working in an army full of men and you're not gay, there aren't many dating opportunities." Y/N growled.

"Really?" Ace gave a look filled with disbelief. Then his face softened as he grinned. "But Y/N, I don't feel anything for Yamato. What the hell were you thinking? She's all yours."

"I never said I wanted Yamato!" Y/N said indignantly. And it might have been true, yet Ace's words filled Y/N with nothing but relief. Ace merely smiled.

"You seem like a good person, Y/N. I'm leaving tomorrow. Be good to Yamato." he winked, and then pulled something from his pocket. "This is my vivre card. Take it Y/N." Y/N took it uncertainly, and Ace turned to leave.

Y/N gaped after Ace as he left. Then he shook himself, and called after him.
"Didn't you say– you'd get lost?"

Ace grinned at him. "I'll find my own way. You find yours too, Y/N!"

Y/N watched Ace leave. Yeah, he was ten years Ace's senior. But during that conversation it had felt like the opposite. Y/N sighed, and made his way back to his own rooms.