Just Like Fire (Ace x Reader)

Chapter 7: When it Rains-

Sabo returned shortly after Penguin and the others had left, and he was carrying three lidded trays stacked on one another. You and Ace caught him up on what he missed while the three of you ate.

"You didn't get a tray for Luffy?" You question.

"I'm sure if he hasn't eaten the vending machines dry yet, he's almost there." Sabo says with a grin. "The cafeteria's also opened for another six hours, so if he comes back and is legitimately hungry he can get more food."

"Is his appetite part of his curse?" You ask, turning toward Ace.

He shakes his head as his eyes flick toward Sabo. You look over at your brother who still has shock scrawled on his face.

"He stretched in front of her." Ace offers and Sabo's shock fades.

"I see." He says with a small smile. "You handled it well then?"

"Of course." You say, turning your nose up into the air. "I'm not so rude as to gape." You tease.

"She did though." Ace says, telling on you as you turn to him with a gasp. "She gasped too, just like that."

"Traitor!" You squeak, swinging your hand over to smack his arm.

"Ruffian!" Ace asserts, fending off your mock attack with a wide smile.

"Tyrant!" You both say at the same time before you fall into a laugh, Ace smiling at you.

Sabo watches the two of you quietly, before clearing his throat, and tapping your tray of food. "So we're stuck waiting for now, it seems."

"Ah, ahem, yes." You reply, turning your attention back to your meal.

Sabo leans back and sighs, looking up at the ceiling. You're concerned you've upset him with how you and Ace were acting, but he clears the air before you start to worry.

"Waiting is the worst part." He sighs. You and Ace agree quietly, both of you visibly relaxing as you focus on your meals.

The minutes tick by. Ace takes everyone's trays back to the cafeteria and you're alone with your brother for a while.

"A distraction," Sabo says, standing to close the door to the room. "I think a distraction is a good way to pass some of this awful time." He hums to himself as he turns toward you with a knowing grin and sits on the edge of the bed. "You like him."

Your face heats up so quickly you can't even begin to argue. "I... I won't let it affect the living arrangements, I promise." You assert, face hidden in your hands.

Sabo almost snorts a laugh, patting your leg comfortingly. "Unless you began screaming cruel ideas about the cursed I don't think there's anything you could do to disrupt our home. I'm not admonishing you, lil' spark."

You clear your throat, looking away. "I still... can't, can I?"

"Eh?"

"I can't like him." You repeat, looking down at your hands. "Not until we're Emancipated. Ichiji would - our parents would harm him. How could I-?"

"Shh." Sabo interrupts. "My apologies, I meant to distract you, not distress you. Don't worry about it too much. Ace is very strong, so is Luffy. I wouldn't worry about either of them with whatever you decide."

"And you?" You question, trying to smile.

"I'm the strongest one, of course!" Sabo assures you with a smile, before his expression hardens a little. "Don't let the shadows from our youth hold you back. Not anymore."

You take a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "I will... do my best."

"...Have you fallen that hard?" He asks with a smile.

You're sure your ears are red, you can feel your blood rushing into your face so hard. "He's... very comfortable."

"Hmm." Sabo hums affectionately, looking away when you shoot him a glare.

"Not a word."

"I would never." He asserts, putting his hands up in surrender.

A knock at the door gets your attention and Sabo calls out. "Enter! Though we're hardly decent in here." He adds as the door opens.

Ace is grinning as he comes into the room. "Am I closing all the indecent people in, or am I leaving the door open?"

"Open's fine." You say a little hurriedly.

"So says the only decent one among us," Sabo says smoothly. "Ah, but that makes me think of opposites - where's Luff?"

"Hey!" Luffy grumbles, coming into view as Ace comes further into the room. The freckled brother is laughing as Luffy pouts, cheeks puffed in indignation.

Sabo laughs too. "How many beetles did you harass today?"

Luffy's face lights up. "I found seven! I tried to bring them in to show you, but the guard at the entrance wouldn't let me."

"You cannot bring bugs into a hospital Luffy!" You gasp.

"That's what the guard said, but I could! I had a good hold on them and everything." Luffy pouts more as Sabo and Ace are nearly wheezing with suppressed laughter, trying not to disrupt the whole floor with their laughing.

"Get in here and sit down, you little gremlin." Ace says, tugging Luffy into the room. "You'll get us kicked out before we find out about (Y/N)."

Luffy's cheeks are still puffed out but he goes and sits in the back of the room, looking out the window. The three of you try to soothe Luffy's hurt pride for a few minutes before the conversation tapers off.

The late afternoon sun sinks it into your bones how long you've been here. Even though you hadn't been doing anything, the stress looms over you, and it's eating away at everyone's mood.

It's almost 3pm before there's a knock at the open door. Luffy's soft snoring breaks as you all turn toward Law and Chopper. As they step in, you catch sight of Penguin, Sachi and Bepo standing guard outside before they close the door. Your worried eyes travel from the two doctors to Sabo, Ace and Luffy.

Three brothers stand on one side of your bed, Sabo's fingers laced in yours, as Law and Chopper come to the other side of your bed.

"I apologize for how long this took, but we wanted to be absolutely certain before we said anything." Law says as he looks over everyone in the room. Somehow the dark circles under his eyes look worse than they had just earlier this morning.

Chopper steps up onto a stool so he's level with you and not the edge of the bed. Law gives one more glance toward the door before continuing.

"There's no easy way to say this, but your mother has been poisoning you for years."

A/N - Short chapter, but I'm already three pages into Chapter 8, so it shouldn't be too long a wait.

Associated Reference:  At the bottom there should be an "External Link" that will take you to a reference. For anyone who doesn't know of, or hasn't heard of Munchausen syndrome or Munchausen by proxy.