Portgas D Ace x Reader Oneshots

🕯A gentleman with a candle🕯

Portgas D. Ace x Reader
Warnings: I guess this is sad and weird. And there's a kiss.

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You sipped on your hot drink. Outside the library, leaves left the trees slowly. Fall sure was something beautiful, but also so tragic. You turned the page and kept on reading the book you found. It was interesting and made you feel comfortable. Sure, it was sad but it was also so romantic.

You cried light tears as you read the last page. Such a sad and happy ending wasn't what you wanted. As you finally returned your attention to reality again, you saw a man holding a candle to light up for you. You had been so lost in the book that you didn't even realize it got dark.

He smiled calmly. "I hope my flame assisted your eyes as you read, Miss." He asked. "It did, thank you. But you shouldn't have wasted your time on that." You answered nervously. "I don't do time anymore. Please let me show you the way out." He said, offering a hand. "Of course, sir." You answered taking it. He lifted you from your seat gently and then showed you the way out of the library.

"Oh, it's so dark." You commented as you saw the darkness of the night lay over the city. "I can walk you home." The man offered. You would have said no, but you didn't. He walked at a nice pace before you. His candle shined and magically spread warmth. "What's your name?" You asked, watching him with admiration. He didn't answer and just gave you a sad smile.

You looked around the man was gone, and so was the candle. In front of you, a small house stood, it was your home. Opening your door with a sigh, your eyes widened as they landed on the candle that stood on your counter. Its warmth gave a sense of comfort, and you couldn't bring yourself to blow it out. Sitting before it, you thought of the man. Wasn't this his candle?

As the weeks went by, the man kept on appearing in the dark. He was always gentle and spread a warmth around him. But when you held his hand, it was cold and in a way was it like it wasn't even there.

It had been half a year since the Marineford war. You looked at the picture of Portgas D. Ace in the news, the gentleman with a candle who was somehow always there for you, was the same man who was called a monster for his blood. Why was it you could see him?

Time went by, and one evening, he appeared again. "Let me light up your dark evening." He smiled, holding up the candle. "Are you dead?" You asked, holding his cold frozen hand. He smiled weakly. "I remember dying in my brother's arms and a war. It was very blurry after that, but I found myself wandering with this candle. I walked over the sea and searched island after island for someone else, and another source of light." His smile faded, and then he looked into your eyes.

"Wherever I went, all I saw was the night and fog. No matter how many houses I looked in, I found no one. But then I walked through a library. I couldn't believe my ears as they listened to pages turning. And then I found you." You felt his hand move to your shoulder. He breathed out and looked into your eyes. "I'm always here. Why is it you're the only one I can see? Why is it you can only see me sometimes? These are questions I believe won't be answered. But feeling your warmth like this makes me feel less empty. It almost makes me feel alive." Ace smiled as he leaned in and gave you a soft kiss. The candle flickered as you, too, leaned in.