Just Like Fire (Ace x Reader)

Chapter 9: Lil' Spark

A warm hand nudges you awake, and you turn to see Ace smiling down at you. "Hey sleepyhead." He says, taking a step back. "Luffy and Sabo are finishing setting up the tent, so I came to get you. Didja sleep well?"

You nod, wiping the sleep from your eyes and stretching in the recliner. "Perhaps a little too well." You manage to get the words out before you yawn. "I feel like I slept a day and a half."

"Nah, just a few hours." Ace assures you as you tilt the recliner up. He bends a little at the waist and offers his elbow with a toothy grin. "My lady."

You almost choke on your laugh before setting your hand on the offered elbow and pulling yourself up to your feet. "No one says that anymore." You explain with a smile.

"Oh? What does a proper gentleman say to a proper lady, then?" He questions.

"May I, or allow me." You answer. "You only say 'My Lady' if you're in a formal relationship." You explain as Ace escorts you to the backyard.

The 3,500 sqft two story house was set on almost two full acres of land, just outside heart of the city. Sabo had explained to you that one of the partners in his firm had bought up eight plots, and essentially bulldozed the whole area to make a singular plot. Then went on to do the same thing with several other sections of land nearby.

It caused a strange shift in scenery, considering that the next block over, looked very typically like what you'd expect from a populous city.

But that same partner had also paid off the leases, loans, and mortgages of the people nearby. Altruism wasn't exactly the point, but the act had created a positive outlook on the sudden changes. Quite a bit of land had been snapped up, after all, so things had been done to relieve the sting of those actions.

For some reason, it was important to the partner to have control of the land in this area specifically. If Sabo knew the reasons for that, he hadn't told you, and you hadn't asked. The setup afforded you a level of privacy and security, and the large house was more than comfortable for the four of you.

Tonight, what it afforded you was a wide-open view of the night sky.

"Ah, there you are." Sabo says, wiping sweat from his brow before motioning toward the tent. "Allow me to show you the luxury of a tent." He over at Ace. "Can you get the fire started while we, uh, do this?"

"Yeah." Ace answers. There's something in his and Sabo's tones that catches your attention, but before you can ask Sabo's already turning you toward the tent.

The tent is somehow both larger and smaller than you had expected. You'd only seen pictures of them, and it always seemed that barely a single person could fit in one. This was much larger, enough so that you could easily step inside of it, but it was also smaller somehow.

Maybe you'd read too many fantasy novels growing up, about grand magic knights' tents on the edges of battle being big enough to host whole banquets in them.

The tent was large enough to easily fit three air mattresses, some pillows, a few extra blankets, and still have enough room for people to maneuver around one another. There were a couple books and a few unopened packaged snacks in the tent, some bottles of water – things you would've absolutely expected if the tent had been set up in the forest, and not just the backyard.

"We didn't bring the whole experience in." Sabo admits with a grin. "Figured it would be easier for us all to just go use the bathroom in the house."

You laugh. "Yeah, that's something I can wait to experience." You look around before looking up at Sabo. "Um... three beds?"